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How to Kill a Crime Writer
Not yet published
Expected 26 Feb 26
She wrote for a living.
But who wanted her dead?
When bestselling author Annie Morrissey is found dead, her daughter Niamh knows in her gut it’s no accident – even if the case needs a good edit.
The village is strangely uneventful.
The suspects are suspiciously normal.
The leads quickly turn into dead ends…
But when Annie’s final manuscript lands on the doormat, the pages humming with mystery and suspense, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.
This can’t be a coincidence.
Because if Niamh learnt anything from her mother’s crime fiction, it’s that there’s no such thing. And that village secrets never stay buried for long…
From the award-winning novelist & screenwriter, How to Kill a Crime Writer is a funny, mind-bending mystery that will stay with you long after the final page.
The village is strangely uneventful.
The suspects are suspiciously normal.
The leads quickly turn into dead ends…
But when Annie’s final manuscript lands on the doormat, the pages humming with mystery and suspense, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.
This can’t be a coincidence.
Because if Niamh learnt anything from her mother’s crime fiction, it’s that there’s no such thing. And that village secrets never stay buried for long…
From the award-winning novelist & screenwriter, How to Kill a Crime Writer is a funny, mind-bending mystery that will stay with you long after the final page.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 26, 2026
46 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Lotz
41 books801 followersSarah Lotz is a screenwriter and fiction novelist with a fondness for the macabre and fake names.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 16, 2025
Review of ‘How To Kill A Crime Writer’ by Sarah Lotz, due to be published on 26 February 2026 by Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction.
Niamh is coming to terms with her mother Annie’s unexpected and untimely death. Niamh has moved into her mother’s cottage, in a quiet hamlet in the Countryside, unable to bring herself to read her mother’s final book, Overlooked, or listen to the final voice notes Annie sent.
Seemingly from nowhere, the main protagonist in Annie’s book series, PI Leah Overton, appears leaving Niamh confused and questioning why her subconscious has manifested Leah. The answer lies in Leah’s belief that as part of Niamh’s grief journey, she should embark upon a ‘grief quest’ to get to the bottom of how Annie died.
Add in a missing ladder, a missing phone, crippling social anxiety, a cat named Brian, twitchy neighbours and stolen gnomes and you have an extraordinary story full of sarcasm, humour and grief that has fiction colliding with reality.
The story is well executed, both Niamh and Leah are well developed, and though there are dark moments of grief, the undercurrent of humour runs deep. The ending was a surprise twist, and unbeknownst to the reader is carefully threaded throughout the story. A recommended read.
Niamh is coming to terms with her mother Annie’s unexpected and untimely death. Niamh has moved into her mother’s cottage, in a quiet hamlet in the Countryside, unable to bring herself to read her mother’s final book, Overlooked, or listen to the final voice notes Annie sent.
Seemingly from nowhere, the main protagonist in Annie’s book series, PI Leah Overton, appears leaving Niamh confused and questioning why her subconscious has manifested Leah. The answer lies in Leah’s belief that as part of Niamh’s grief journey, she should embark upon a ‘grief quest’ to get to the bottom of how Annie died.
Add in a missing ladder, a missing phone, crippling social anxiety, a cat named Brian, twitchy neighbours and stolen gnomes and you have an extraordinary story full of sarcasm, humour and grief that has fiction colliding with reality.
The story is well executed, both Niamh and Leah are well developed, and though there are dark moments of grief, the undercurrent of humour runs deep. The ending was a surprise twist, and unbeknownst to the reader is carefully threaded throughout the story. A recommended read.
December 4, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK/HarperFiction for the opportunity of reading this ARC! All opinions are my own.
Incredibly witty, funny and sarcastic.
Part of the cosy mystery genre, ‘How to kill a crime writer’ is a book which encompasses a surprisingly deep psychological arc. It focuses on Niamh, whose mother, an author, has mysteriously died in the countryside, while living all alone. The police has labelled it an accident, but circumstances arise and Niamh is motivated to learn the truth about her mother’s end.
Niamh is incredibly well-written. As a millennial myself, I found her relatable and representative for my generation at the same time — however, she is anything but stereotypical. Spiralling from depression and grief, she finds motivation to seek the truth behind her mother’s death. She is quite realistically written, and her journey through grief, in the middle of a life crisis of her own, is both touching and motivating. Her character arc and development should be familiar to anyone who has experienced loss and grief, and the vulnerability with which it is handled is easily noticeable. Niamh is a main character one cannot but help themselves to root for. I can’t give away the reason which pushed her towards investigating on her own, however, I can say it was rather clever — for one has physical children, but also children of the mind, a part of themselves which is born from them in a metaphysical way and leaves its mark around without many consciously realising it. The psychological aspect of her character arc was intriguing.
The plot is realistic; it’s tense and has quite a lot of suspense, and the course of action is perfectly fluid and logical. I have enjoyed the several dead ends encountered, as it reflects the reality of an investigation. Because, sometimes, even if everything has a perfectly logical explanation, there are mandatory steps for an actual detective which can be missed by someone like Niamh, inexperienced in criminal investigations. Her detective journey and deduction skills evolution was an entertaining experience. That being said, the plot twist happens at a timing which couldn’t be best. Structurally, the plot is neatly done and wrapped up quite satisfyingly.
The prose is incredibly vivid; perhaps because the author is also a screenwriter, but everything feels incredibly visual and tactile, even if the style itself is direct and succinct. I could easily envision every character, location and atmosphere in the book, and I must praise Sarah Lotz for managing that so well. I genuinely don’t know if I’ve read a book or watched a show!
I loved all the casually dropped references — books, movies, politics — they added both context and humour.
Would recommend this to anyone who wants a witty and sardonic main character. Niamh was very fun.
I hope to actually see this adapted into a show, I think it would do incredibly well. (Also because I couldn’t help myself from imagining millennial icon Eve Hewson as Niamh from the very first pages.)
Incredibly witty, funny and sarcastic.
Part of the cosy mystery genre, ‘How to kill a crime writer’ is a book which encompasses a surprisingly deep psychological arc. It focuses on Niamh, whose mother, an author, has mysteriously died in the countryside, while living all alone. The police has labelled it an accident, but circumstances arise and Niamh is motivated to learn the truth about her mother’s end.
Niamh is incredibly well-written. As a millennial myself, I found her relatable and representative for my generation at the same time — however, she is anything but stereotypical. Spiralling from depression and grief, she finds motivation to seek the truth behind her mother’s death. She is quite realistically written, and her journey through grief, in the middle of a life crisis of her own, is both touching and motivating. Her character arc and development should be familiar to anyone who has experienced loss and grief, and the vulnerability with which it is handled is easily noticeable. Niamh is a main character one cannot but help themselves to root for. I can’t give away the reason which pushed her towards investigating on her own, however, I can say it was rather clever — for one has physical children, but also children of the mind, a part of themselves which is born from them in a metaphysical way and leaves its mark around without many consciously realising it. The psychological aspect of her character arc was intriguing.
The plot is realistic; it’s tense and has quite a lot of suspense, and the course of action is perfectly fluid and logical. I have enjoyed the several dead ends encountered, as it reflects the reality of an investigation. Because, sometimes, even if everything has a perfectly logical explanation, there are mandatory steps for an actual detective which can be missed by someone like Niamh, inexperienced in criminal investigations. Her detective journey and deduction skills evolution was an entertaining experience. That being said, the plot twist happens at a timing which couldn’t be best. Structurally, the plot is neatly done and wrapped up quite satisfyingly.
The prose is incredibly vivid; perhaps because the author is also a screenwriter, but everything feels incredibly visual and tactile, even if the style itself is direct and succinct. I could easily envision every character, location and atmosphere in the book, and I must praise Sarah Lotz for managing that so well. I genuinely don’t know if I’ve read a book or watched a show!
I loved all the casually dropped references — books, movies, politics — they added both context and humour.
Would recommend this to anyone who wants a witty and sardonic main character. Niamh was very fun.
I hope to actually see this adapted into a show, I think it would do incredibly well. (Also because I couldn’t help myself from imagining millennial icon Eve Hewson as Niamh from the very first pages.)
December 6, 2025
Sarah Lotz’s How to Kill a Crime Writer is a witty, inventive mystery that plays with the boundaries between fiction and reality in the most entertaining way.
When bestselling author Annie Morrissey is found dead, her daughter Niamh refuses to accept the official story. The village may seem uneventful, the suspects suspiciously ordinary, but Lotz quickly reveals that beneath the quiet surface lies a tangle of secrets waiting to be unearthed. The arrival of Annie’s final manuscript—its pages humming with suspense—adds a deliciously meta twist, blurring the line between her crime fiction and the investigation unfolding in real life.
Lotz’s trademark humour and sharp storytelling shine throughout. The novel balances its playful tone with genuine intrigue, making every dead end, every “normal” suspect, feel like part of a larger puzzle. Niamh’s determination, guided by lessons learned from her mother’s novels, gives the story warmth and grit, while the village setting provides the perfect backdrop for secrets that refuse to stay buried. What makes this book so compelling is its blend of satire and suspense. It’s funny, clever, and mind-bending, yet still delivers the satisfying twists of a classic whodunnit. Lotz invites readers to question not just the crime at hand, but the very act of storytelling itself.
How to Kill a Crime Writer is a fresh, entertaining mystery that lingers long after the final page—perfect for readers who love their crime fiction with a wink, a twist, and a touch of mischief.
With thanks to Sarah Lotz, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
When bestselling author Annie Morrissey is found dead, her daughter Niamh refuses to accept the official story. The village may seem uneventful, the suspects suspiciously ordinary, but Lotz quickly reveals that beneath the quiet surface lies a tangle of secrets waiting to be unearthed. The arrival of Annie’s final manuscript—its pages humming with suspense—adds a deliciously meta twist, blurring the line between her crime fiction and the investigation unfolding in real life.
Lotz’s trademark humour and sharp storytelling shine throughout. The novel balances its playful tone with genuine intrigue, making every dead end, every “normal” suspect, feel like part of a larger puzzle. Niamh’s determination, guided by lessons learned from her mother’s novels, gives the story warmth and grit, while the village setting provides the perfect backdrop for secrets that refuse to stay buried. What makes this book so compelling is its blend of satire and suspense. It’s funny, clever, and mind-bending, yet still delivers the satisfying twists of a classic whodunnit. Lotz invites readers to question not just the crime at hand, but the very act of storytelling itself.
How to Kill a Crime Writer is a fresh, entertaining mystery that lingers long after the final page—perfect for readers who love their crime fiction with a wink, a twist, and a touch of mischief.
With thanks to Sarah Lotz, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
December 28, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz
This was a clever and entertaining mystery with a novel take on the crime genre. When bestselling author Annie Morrissey dies in her small village, her daughter Niamh is unconvinced it was an accident. As she starts to investigate, unsettling links emerge between her mother’s final novel and the events unfolding around her, blurring the boundary between fiction and reality when the private investigator, Leah, from her mother’s novels, joins the cast of characters helping to unravel the mystery of her death.
I enjoyed the fresh approach to storytelling. The village setting works well, with a cast of characters who gradually reveal hidden motives and secrets, keeping the tension ticking along.
Overall this was a fun, humorous and thoughtful mystery with a distinctive edge. A strong and enjoyable read, rounded up to four stars.
This was a clever and entertaining mystery with a novel take on the crime genre. When bestselling author Annie Morrissey dies in her small village, her daughter Niamh is unconvinced it was an accident. As she starts to investigate, unsettling links emerge between her mother’s final novel and the events unfolding around her, blurring the boundary between fiction and reality when the private investigator, Leah, from her mother’s novels, joins the cast of characters helping to unravel the mystery of her death.
I enjoyed the fresh approach to storytelling. The village setting works well, with a cast of characters who gradually reveal hidden motives and secrets, keeping the tension ticking along.
Overall this was a fun, humorous and thoughtful mystery with a distinctive edge. A strong and enjoyable read, rounded up to four stars.
December 28, 2025
This was such a fun and clever crime novel. I loved the premise and thought it was executed really well.
Following the death of her crime writer mother, Niamh finds herself investigating the possibility of murder. With help from the fictional detective her mother created. Leah Rebecca Overton stepping into the story was such a smart twist, and their relationship was one of my favourite parts of the book.
The mystery kept me engaged, but what really stood out was the heart. The exploration of grief, legacy, and living in someone else’s shadow was handled beautifully. It felt fresh, funny, and emotional in equal measure.
A great crime story with an imaginative edge. Plus points for cats and dogs.
Following the death of her crime writer mother, Niamh finds herself investigating the possibility of murder. With help from the fictional detective her mother created. Leah Rebecca Overton stepping into the story was such a smart twist, and their relationship was one of my favourite parts of the book.
The mystery kept me engaged, but what really stood out was the heart. The exploration of grief, legacy, and living in someone else’s shadow was handled beautifully. It felt fresh, funny, and emotional in equal measure.
A great crime story with an imaginative edge. Plus points for cats and dogs.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews