How to Write a Murder: A Novel

by Jessica Brody

One dead body. Seven mystery writers. And they all know how to get away with murder. In this wickedly clever whodunit, the only thing more dangerous than the setting . . . is the guest list—from the bestselling author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.

If you want to write a murder, you have to set it in the right location—like an old, converted monastery with an ominous past, hidden deep in the mountains. Then, you have to invite the right people—like a group of mystery writers attending a prestigious mystery-writing conference.

Of course, someone should show up uninvited—like the disgraced literary agent accused of stealing from his top client. Everyone in the story must be hiding something so they can all become suspects when someone ends up dead. That’s when they’ll turn on each other, digging into the past to uncover dark truths—like a book canceled on the eve of publication, two million dollars in missing royalties, and an obsessive fan with a hidden agenda.

But don’t forget to trap everyone there—a landslide should do the trick—so they can’t escape when more people turn up dead. . . .

Welcome to the perfect murder. Nothing will go wrong. Because if anyone can get away with murder, it's a writer.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Thriller, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 22, 2026

About the author

Jessica Brody is the author of more than 20 novels for teens, tweens, and adults including The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, Amelia Gray is Almost Okay, A Week of Mondays, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, the Unremembered trilogy, and the System Divine trilogy which is a sci-fi reimagining of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, co-written with Joanne Rendell. She’s also the author of the #1 bestselling novel-writing guides, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel as well as several books based on popular Disney franchises like Descendants and LEGO Disney Princess. Jessica’s books have been translated and published in over 20 languages and several have been optioned for film and television. She’s the founder of the Writing Mastery Academy and lives with her husband and three dogs near Portland, OR.

Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or WritingMastery.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @JessicaBrody

Reviews

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Overview: A set of authors have been invited to a one-time monastery for a writer's retreat. Too bad that a famed author, Ian McCloud, is found dead. The problem comes in the fact that many people at the retreat have a reason to want this man dead. Could it be the agent that Mr. McCloud accused of theft? His assistant that has gotten tired of being in the background? Or could it be the model turned author who seems convinced that Ian is her lover? Darius Walker is positive that he can solve this case. Maybe it might help him finish his actual novel. So, who killed Ian McCloud? Let's find out.

Story Telling: This is a mystery that breaks the fourth wall.

Dislikes; Ian McCloud was a horrible man. He let his fame go straight to his head.

Bennett wanted to be someone special, he just wanted the fame to be handed to him though. To be special in your vocation, you have for work for it. Only family, be it blood or chosen, will find you special for you.

I'll be honest, I was tempted to quit in the middle of this book. This will be the hardest part of the book for many. But, try to push through it.

Likes: Darius is a determined man. He is going to prove his mother wrong. It's just a matter of time.

Isabel and Jade both carry a lot of weight. I hope they find a way to move on.

Evelyn and Dexter were fun to follow.

Conclusion: This was an excellent novel. If you don't mind experimental mysteries, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Brody’s Magnum Opus!

Jessica Brody is one of my very favorite authors. I’ve read all of her fiction, and always look forward to her next release. It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a new novel from her as it looks like she’s been writing nonfiction books about writing rather than fiction, so when I heard this was coming out, it instantly became one of my most anticipated releases.

Jessica Brody’s take on a locked room murder? Sign me up!

I LOVED this. From the first page I was hooked. This is quite a beefy mystery/thriller at close to 600 pages, but I absolutely flew through it. I had to know what was going to happen next.

The whole book was very meta and I loved the references to breaking the fourth wall, which were quite amusing.

I’m always a little wary of books with a ton of characters or perspectives because it can be hard to keep track of who is who but in this case, I found the book very easy to read and follow.

I’m referring to this as her magnum opus because it seemed like a lot of time and effort went into this book. The passages following the writer were definitely relatable and showed the toil of writing, as well as the author’s connection to their characters.

This is definitely one of this books that you should just dive into without knowing too much about it. Just let the story unfold. It reminded me a lot of Night Film at times which is high praise as that is one of my all time favorite thrillers.

It was a unique thriller for sure. I loved it!


Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Victoria Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of writers gathers at a remote former-monastery at the invitation of famous author Ian McCloud. We have Alastair, McCloud's literary agent whom he recently had a falling out with; McCloud's long-suffering assistant, Bennett, McLoud's off-on paramour Simone; Darius, a YouTuber dedicated to analyzing McCloud's mysteries; an older mystery writer (whose name I am forgetting); and Isabella, a mysterious brunette with an intriguing tattoo. They are joined by Jade, the facilitator, and Marjorie, the housekeeper. We soon learn that Jade's identical twin sister, Jasmine, is also on the premises, but is hiding from the others. Why? We don't know yet.

Naturally it's a dark and stormy weekend, and the nearby bridge has collapsed, stranding them all. The venue has no internet, McCloud has passed out from too much alcohol, and then the power goes out! The others put together a makeshift dinner and discuss a book Darius is currently fangirling over, which breaks down the structure and tropes of mystery writing. Then they head off to bed.

The next morning, what do they find in the sulphur springs pool? You'll never guess!

Okay, you might have guessed. A very dead McCloud. Was it an accident or MURDER? Dun dun DUN.

This is a mystery novel. It's probably safe to say it was a murder.

Darius takes on the role of head detective, with Isabella as his sidekick. Interspersed with the main narrative, we have musings from the "author of the book" (probably not Jessica Brody), leaving them (and us) to wonder: Are these real people caught in a terrible situation or just characters in a novel at the whim of the all-mighty author? (I quite enjoyed the philosophical bent here—do we have free will? Or is there an invisible hand guiding all the action?).

There are so many things to love about this book: the setting, the characterizations, the writing style, and all the twists. It is one of the most meticulously plotted mysteries I've ever read, and it was super satisfying to see all the threads come together perfectly at the end.

On the flip side, it took me forever to get into this book. I can usually finish a book in a day or two, but it took nearly a week of stalled starts before I was motivated enough by the plot to keep reading. Had I not received an ARC, I would have probably given up and moved on. Ultimately I'm glad I continued, but the story did drag here and there. I would say the narrative could have been tighter, but then we wouldn't have all the loose ends tied up so nicely at the end! Perhaps it was just an off week for me!

If you enjoy locked room mysteries in remote locations, definitely check this one out!

Thanks to Ballantine, via NetGalley, for the ARC!

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 🌟

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Ok first thing I need to know --- ***HOW*** do they all still have cell phones that are not dead?! 24-48 horus into this setting where the power is out and they are using their phones as flashlights, they somehow don't die. Whatever the reason - I want that phone. Mine barely lasts half a day even when connected to a WiFi network. Completely unfair.

'You don't get to choose the plot twists of your own life. You only get to choose what you do with them. How you respond.'

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this one! I don't read thrillers often anymore, despite it being my main genre for a long time. I saw this on NetGalley and was instantly intrigued. And I'm so glad that the book really exceeded my expectations.

This was a bit trippy - it was essentially a locked door mystery that included multiple POVs, INCLUDING the POV of the "author" of the murder mystery. It was so surreal to me that as we are reading through, the author is literally *TELLING US* what their steps are and what the "mystery" formula is, and yet I still didn't know who the killer was until I hit 86%. And I had NO idea until then. Every chapter I was changing my mind because literally everyone had motive and opportunity to kill Ian McCloud. With every change of POV I was convinced I knew who the killer was.

If you read this and you're a fan of Fourth Wing --- I definitely got some Yarros vibes. I imagine this is exactly how she'd be narrating her thoughts when it comes to her inevitably killing Ricoc. I am NOT onboard with that, but I can totally see it. IFYKYK.

It was an eclectic group of characters who all had secrets they were harboring and keeping from the others and it made for a twisty read with lots of revelations.

Definitely a must pick up if you like books that will break your brain a bit by the setting (a murder mystery inside a murder mystery in a setting a la game of Sims). And I assume most people would also be kept on their toes, which is always a reason I'd recommend a book!

I have not read anything by Jessica Brody before, but I will definitely be taking a look at her other books after how much I liked this one.

Quotes (from the ARC, final version may vary):

"characters with no secrets make for very boring stories, indeed."
---

'Women were allowed to be pretty as long as they were fragile. Otherwise, it was just too much.'
---

[Tami Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankful for the ARC provided by NetGalley

What an amazing, fun, and wildly engaging read for me. From the very beginning, the premise hooked me instantly: a writer’s conference filled with authors, secrets, hidden identities, and murder? Absolutely my kind of vibe.

This book felt like a giant interactive puzzle where everyone had something to hide. I loved trying to piece together who was lying, who was manipulating whom, and how all the characters were connected. The ending of chapters featuring commentary from the “writer/killer” kept pulling me in and made it impossible not to keep reading.

The “book within a book” aspect was honestly one of my favorite parts. Watching Darius slowly realize that the guests were essentially characters in a novel was SO clever and added a unique layer to the mystery. It became this cat-and-mouse game between the reader, the author, the writer/killer, and the characters themselves, and I loved every second of it.

Even when I guessed a few twists early on, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all because the journey getting there was so entertaining. The pacing stayed strong, the suspense kept building, and every new reveal made me question everything all over again. Everyone had secrets, hidden motives, and complicated pasts that slowly unraveled piece by piece.

I especially loved how layered the mystery became with Darius, Isabelle, Jade, Bennett, Evelyn, Simone, and the truth surrounding Ian McCloud. Every reveal added another twist to the story, and by the final stretch, I was completely hooked.

This was such a clever, addictive whodunit with strong suspense, great character dynamics, and a super creative structure. If you love locked-room style mysteries, books about writers, unreliable characters, and twisty “everyone is connected” stories, I highly recommend this one.

An incredibly fun and engaging read that kept me theorizing the entire time. Definitely a five-star mystery for me!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Was. Fantastic! The story starts as our main characters are arriving for a mystery writers conference hosted at a secluded monastery. Things start to go awry quickly, and when someone is found dead, and the remaining guests realize they’re trapped together, it doesn’t take long before everyone starts to look like a suspect, and you start questioning everything.

If I had to describe this book in one word, I would say Mysteryception. I personally have never read anything quite like this before, and I was hooked from page one. The author did such a good job of setting the tone and pace, and I loved the creative way she used the mystery genre itself throughout the book. Jessica Brody clearly knows what makes a good mystery, and I was truly impressed by the way she managed to create layers and nuanced characters while keeping the plot moving and engaging. It was smart and clever, walking that perfect line of giving you enough clues you felt like you could solve it, without handing anything to you or holding your hand. By the end I had correctly guessed several things, but I didn’t KNOW I was right until they were revealed, because I could have just as easily been wrong. It had an appropriate amount of humor to keep it light, enough tension to keep me invested, and characters who managed to invite empathy even as you weren’t sure any of them were reliable. The ending felt earned and satisfying, leaving me with a smile and a book hangover. All in all, I highly recommend this whodunit!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever whodunnit written as a guide on how to write a murder filled with humor and twists.

The premise: A group of seven writers have been invited to a former monastery, the Monastery of the Shrouded Vale, for a writer’s retreat where famous writer, Ian McCloud, is found dead. If that wasn’t bad enough, all the other writers have some grudge against him. They all arrive on a stormy dark night. Who among them has done it? Could it be Alistair, Ian’s agent, or Bennet, Alastair’s long suffering assistant, or Simone, Ian’s on-off paramour, or Darius, a You-Tuber who’s analyzed McCloud’s novels, or Isabel, a writer with an interesting tattoo, or Evelyn, another writer, or Jade the meeting facilitator, or Marjorie, the housekeeper. What about Jasmine, Jade’s sister who is hiding on the premises? Darius takes on the job of investigating along with Isabel. But is there really a mystery here?

The structure of the divided into twelve steps which aligns with the book in the novel about writing a murder mystery, The Bestseller Formula. The musings of an unnamed character or narrator are interspersed through out the story. Otherwise it moves chronologically. The ending is really a surprise which is why I don’t want to reveal more so as not to spoil the read for anyone. Just be prepared for a long read.

It took me a while to get into this book and around the middle the read seemed to grow tedious. I liked the names of the twelve steps which kind of out line how a traditional murder mystery should go. Darius was a fun character who played off Isabel well.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoyed a complex twisty murder mystery that has a little bit of fun in the telling.


My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for allowing me access to this ARC.

[Angie Battle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery authors attend a writing conference at a renovated Catholic monastery in the cliffs of a mountain for the weekend. An invitation has been sent to the guests with a promise of Ian McCloud to be the keynote speaker.

Readers are quickly introduced to a behind the scenes, anonymous “mastermind” writer who claims to have orchestrated the perfect murder - carefully selecting each guest, or rather, character for the murder story he has created. He is writing to us, the readers, slowly revealing his plans - breaking the fourth wall.

When Ian McCloud turns up dead on night one, the rest of the guests are left stranded at the monastery after a storm creates a landslide that prevents all of the guests from leaving. With no power, no phone service and no WiFi signal, the guests spiral trying to figure out which person at the conference is the killer.

This is a very clever story, with a great premise. You can tell Jessica Brody took a lot of time crafting this story. There are so many surprises and twists - and it’s a lot of fun to use the clues provided to try and guess who the killer is.

While I thought this was a great book, it is quite lengthy, nearing 600 pages for a mystery/thriller. The middle of the book drags some and I feel like the story would be better if shortened by around 100 pages. With that said, I did find the last 150-200 pages gripping and a ton of fun to read as all the secrets became revealed.

Thank you to Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of How To Write A Murder.

[Johnna Wilford · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I really enjoyed the meta-ness of this book. In her acknowledgments, Jessica mentions this was a passion project combining two of her favorite things: writing, and writing ABOUT writing. And that’s exactly what this is. Having read her nonfiction craft books before, it was so funny to see her essentially build a mini writing guide within the novel, using it to dissect the very book you’re reading. As an aspiring writer myself, I also got a kick out of recognizing a lot of the actual writing process reflected in the book.

Mystery isn’t usually my genre (to read or write), but I’ve read And Then There Were None and watched my fair share of Agatha Christie adaptations, and this had a lot of that same energy.

I landed on 3.75 instead of 4 stars mainly because of the sheer number of POVs. It made things feel disjointed at times, and with the book being longer than I would’ve liked, it occasionally felt like a slog. I found it hard to keep track of everyone and all the details. But again, I’m not a regular mystery reader, so I suspect this would land even better with someone who is.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this to mystery genre readers. And honestly to writers in general too. The writing humor here is chef’s kiss!

Thanks to Ballantine through NetGalley for the ARC!

[Lacey In The Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Brody's *How to Write a Murder* is a clever, self-aware mystery that puts seven writers in an isolated monastery-cum-hotel and then gives them exactly the kind of murder plot they would normally write themselves.

The setup is wonderfully ridiculous: a prestigious mystery-writing conference, a secluded location with an ominous history, a landslide that traps everyone inside, and a cast of characters who all have secrets worth hiding. When someone turns up dead, the writers quickly realize that they aren't simply discussing murder anymore. They're living one.

What made this book so much fun for me was its willingness to play with the conventions of the mystery genre. The characters understand the roles they would typically occupy in a murder mystery, while "The Writer" periodically breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the reader about the story being constructed. Using a writing guide as a framework for the plot also gives the book a fresh structure.

There is a lot happening here, and the story occasionally feels a little long, but I never stopped enjoying the ride.

If you like murder mysteries, books about books, complicated plots, and characters who know they're characters in a story, this is a fun one to pick up.

[Jeremy Reppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How to Write a Murder” was quite good. At first, I wondered how good it would be, as this is not the first book I have read recently where the plot line involved explaining how to write a book and where a murder mystery was involved. The author also uses a lot of common tropes and includes a very formulaic guide to crafting a mystery novel. It had the potential to come across as very cliched or derivative. However, the author makes it work quite well, with all the secrets and lies and misdirection. And a major character becoming convinced that they were all just creations of a writer, instead of real people caught up in someone’s diabolical scheme. Then that character trying to disrupt the plot and make the writer quit. And there are multiple times where the writer speaks to the reader about what is happening and also reacts to things the characters do. Which keeps up the uncertainty as to whether the people are characters in a novel (a story within a story) or “real” people. The characters were well developed, with a lot of creativity as to their motivations, flaws, secrets, etc. The ending is quite good. There are some very enjoyable twists.

[BOOKSPICE DRUMMERGIRL (RACHEL) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 STARS!!! What a clever & intriguing book!!! Sometimes, if you're really lucky, you start a book and realize within the first few pages that the writing is different.... more elevated and well-crafted than your standard story. And that was exactly the case in How to Write a Murder. It will be hard to review without spoilers, but I'll do my best. Mystery writers show up at a Mystery Writer Retreat headlined by a pretty polarizing, but famous mystery writer, Ian McComb. Of course, all of the characters end up trapped at the retreat and it turns out all is not as it seems. All the guests have a shared history with Ian that slowly gets revealed as the story unfolds. This is a story within a story with tropes galore, but done in a fast, clever and brilliant way. Turns out our "narrator" is the writer of this adventure and is pulling lots of strings behind the scenes. Again, the premises is pretty unique and it's hard to explain how cool the layers of this story are without spoilers, so all I can say is this book is definitely worth a read.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy

Darius Walker is determined to solve the murder of Ian McCloud, the famous author who invited him [and several other writers] to a workshop at a used-to-be monastery. The suspects are many: Ian’s assistant, Bennett; his occasional girlfriend, writer, Simone; writer, Isabel; conference facilitator, Jade; Jade’s sister, Jasmine. Or, perhaps, the unexpected literary agent, Alastair Sinclair. Could it possibly be the housekeeper, Marjorie or the chef, Melissa?

Whoever is responsible, Ian McCloud has most definitely been murdered.

=========

Essentially a locked-room mystery, this dark tale offers readers insight into each of the characters interspersed with “instructions” on how to write a murder mystery. It’s clever and engaging but the rating for the book is lowered due to the unnecessary overuse of a particularly offensive expletive.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Ballantine / Bantam and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#HowtoWriteaMurder #NetGalley

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for the opportunity to read this!

A group of authors are gathered in a renovated monastery for a writers summit. Things go sideways when the first night ends with tragedy. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect and everyone has far more baggage than initially believed.

This was *not* my favorite, but I do understand where the author is going with this. Truthfully, at 65% through, I kind of knew whodunnit. I think the book could’ve easily benefited from having a little bit more suspense, and less self-awareness from the cast members. It felt a little unserious and while I like that, I don’t think it makes a good thriller.

It also felt a little…. Long? There were times I was bored and had to put it down and try something else. Not every book can be a must-read-until-I-finish, but I don’t love being bored as I’m reading.

All in all, it’s a unique book with a twist, but I don’t think it’s the strongest thriller out there.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: HOW TO WRITE A MURDER. NG ARC Current.

STUNNING! HOW TO WRITE A MURDER, the newest Mystery by Jessica Brody, author of SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL and SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL, brings entirely new dimensions to the terms "multi-layered" and "metafictional," while exposing vividly both the triumph and the trauma of the authorial life--whether that author is published or unpublished, famous or obscure.

If you love twisty "Locked-Room Mystery" in isolated settings with brooding Gothic Atmosphere and "No Way Out"; if you fancy Unreliable Narrators, Multiple POV, convoluted mysteries with seemingly impossible odds and events; if you almost want to give in and hope for a Deus Ex Machina; if you adore the Golden Age Mystery framework, in which the author commits to playing fair (albeit sneaky), you are going to immediately fall in love with HOW TO WRITE A MURDER. I did, instantly!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Ballantine Books for the eARC of this fun, slightly offbeat five‑star read. It runs a little long, but I still had a great time with it.
The story follows a group of writers brought together at an isolated former monastery, and of course things quickly take a dark turn. Everyone has secrets, which makes it hard to trust anyone and keeps the tension high. There are plenty of twists and clues sprinkled throughout, so you’re constantly trying to figure out what’s really going on.
I especially liked how the story plays with the idea of storytelling itself, adding an extra layer that made it stand out. The setting, the characters, and the steady buildup all worked well together, even if the pacing slowed a bit in places.
Overall, this was a clever and engaging mystery with lots of surprises. Definitely one I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did.

[Unnamednonsense · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that I a hard time rooting for any of the characters almost the entire story. This is especially true for our main character. I almost wish a different one of the characters were our “detective.”

I did like trying to solve the mystery though. It’s very twisty, with lots you don’t see coming. Some are obvious, but others come out of nowhere.

The middle section was rough for me. I felt like we got stuck and that this book would’ve positively benefitted from losing about 150 pages.

This book feels like if an escape room were in a book form, but everyone who works at the escape room can’t be trusted.

Fun overall, but a bit too drawn out to keep my interest the whole time. By the end, I was ready to be done.

Thank you very much to Ballantine and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I do love a murder mystery.

A new to me author, but one I need to check out more of after this, I love a locked room mystery type situation of any kind and I loved it, a group of writers arriving at a monastery at the request of of a very famous author, giving me be And Then There Were None vibes, I needed to know, was this just a simple help your fellow writers gathering or was murder on the menu?

After a night of storms confusion, a on the fly dinner and not much sleep, everyone wakes up to McCloud dead in the pool. This flipped back and forth for me, was this another story or was this a real murder that Darius needs to solve, like the characters in a book. This was a mystery in a book, in a mystery wrapped up in murder, what does that mean? I'm still not sure but I loved it.

Not everything is as it seems on this island or with this murder.. What a trip.

[Mike Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it's true that gathering a group of people in an isolated location for murder and mayhem has been done a lot in the mystery genre. But, I don't recall any of them being as much fun as How to Write a Murder proves to be. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cheer. Okay, maybe not in that order but you get the picture. It's engrossing entertainment of the highest order. It's a perfectly paced murder mystery which is exquisitely executed by Brody. The shoal of red herrings in this book is impressive. Each part leaves you eager to see what happens next. It's a good thing there are a dozen of them. This is one of the surprise books of 2026.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun with How to Write a Murder! This book is packed with twists, and I loved that some I was able to figure out, some kept me guessing until the very end, and a few completely blindsided me. It struck a great balance between giving you enough clues to play detective and still managing to surprise you.

The pacing kept me turning the pages, and I was constantly changing my mind about what I thought was really going on. If you enjoy mysteries that keep you engaged and make you second-guess your theories, this one is definitely worth picking up. I couldn't put it down!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read so many mysteries and thrillers that it takes something extra special to make me sit back and think, well, I haven't read that before. Overall, I thought this book was very clever. It creatively wrote the author into the book and made you wonder if the characters were "real" or just the first draft concoction of a writer struggling to find the perfect ending. I loved how along the way the characters started figuring things out or referencing a how to book to try to figure out what would be happening next in their story. Just fun story telling all around.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure at first bc it felt a little.. I don’t know. The characters felt like characters and it felt like.. there were a lot of tropes.

I can’t say too much without ruining any of.. I don’t want to say twists but let’s say gimmicks (gimmicks in a complimentary way, not a cheap way).

But what I will say is that everything is intentional and that it’s cleverly done. Yes, I did guess some of the surprises along the way and made a bunch of connections but how it was written was very fun to puzzle out.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Famous writer invites seven people to his mystery writing salon only to turn up dead before the first day begins. The cast of characters is replete with people who hated Ian McCloud - his agent, his competition, his assistant and maybe a few more people. The setting is an old monastery converted into a conference center without many amenities. A landslide blocks the road and there's no way in or out once Ian is found dead. Who better than a mystery writer to plot the perfect murder. Clever, funny and enjoyable to read.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never had a 6-star read before this book. I was completely enthralled from the beginning to the end. Everything about this story was the perfect mystery. I’m usually pretty good at figuring things out while reading books, but I did not have any idea of where to start developing hypotheses until almost the very ending. Well played!!! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I have loved every minute of it.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

This had a unique style of storytelling to it, really leaning into the writer angle.

This is a longer book, but it really didn't feel that way to me. It read rather quickly and easily. Something about the writing style made that work out.

I did want a bit more oomph from these characters. That would've helped me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Azriel B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Net Galley ARC Review

Now where to start, I loved this story and how it felt like it leaned into both sides of being a murder mystery book and how someone can write a murder mystery. I enjoyed how it was a 12 act book. Each act explaining how most mystery book follow. I loved seeing the writer in the book hitting issues within the plot. Showing in real time in a book how characters take over their own self. Thank you for the ARC Net Galley I loved the story.

[Barbara Lack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely different. It’s like a book within a book. It’s about a writer writing a live version of a mystery book. She uses real people as characters. It was definitely intriguing. There were lots of suspects and plenty of motives. Many red herrings. It’s a very long book and I do think it could have been shortened quite a bit. It tended to drag in places. It is very much worth reading though. The uniqueness kept me turning the pages.

[Knabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read that got better as it went along. Some of the characters worked better than others—Darius being an obvious standout—, but none of them was so annoying that I wanted to them to die a gruesome death. Very polished for a debut, and it’s commendable that the author was able to add a twist to the classic locked room mystery formula. Looking forward to Brody’s second book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for making an advanced copy available.

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

While self aware and very meta, this novel takes us through the steps required to write a murder while they happen alongside a cast of the likely suspects.
I solved the mystery by the end but this didn’t diminish the story for me.
The book ran just a bit long, but I can’t hold that against it because it was so clever and properly plotted!

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC- I started this and then put it aside several times before just plowing through. It's nothing stellar, the kind of book that sells at grocery stores at the checkout stand. Forgettable characters and idiotic dialog made me want to not finish, but I got the ARC so I felt like I had to. With some editing, it might make it a late night movie.