By the Book

by A.J. McCarthy

A clue is left at a murder scene: a page from a paperback novel. The title of the book is Murder by the Dozen, and local author, T.L. McGinnis, cannot provide any leads. Detectives Josh Riddell and Clint Weller of the Ottawa Police Service are worried about what lies ahead. It soon becomes evident their worst fears have been realized, and a serial killer is using the novel as a guide. It’s impossible to foresee and safeguard all the potential victims, and time is running out. But who is the killer’s real target?

Genres: Mystery, Crime

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2020

About the author

As an author of mystery suspense novels, A.J. McCarthy is always on the lookout for new ideas. Her friends and family are cautious, concerned they may become a victim in her next novel. Those who are more adventurous offer up ideas and are willing to sacrifice certain family members for the cause. A.J. bides her time, waiting for the right moment and the perfect victim. She hides behind a quiet façade, and few know what she’s really thinking.
A.J. grew up reading Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon, and many other masters of mystery and suspense. A lifelong love of the genre evolved. She’s a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. When she isn’t writing, chances are she is reading.

Reviews

[Steve Searls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a reclusive murder mystery writer’s worst nightmare – a serial killer employing her novel to choose his victims. That’s the premise of AJ McCarthy’s new novel, BY THE BOOK, and it grips the reader from the first page to the last. I couldn’t stop reading once I started.

Set in Otttawa, Canada, the body of a young woman is found strangled to death. The detectives assigned to the case, Josh Riddell and his partner Clint Weller, can find only one clue regarding the killer’s identity: pages torn from a book by local author, T.L. McGinnis; a novel about a fictional serial killer. Those pages describe a female victim that almost perfectly matches the appearance, life and manner of death of the woman whose murder Josh and Clint must solve. When the detectives track down the author, they learn T.L. McGinnis is a woman, Tierney McGinnis, who’s horrified to learn that she’s now entangled in a real murder investigation because of a book she wrote.

With each new murder, and the failure by the detectives to turn up any new evidence that could lead them to the killer, the tension mounts among the two detectives, and also Tierney, who, despite her introverted nature, insists on inserting herself into the investigation out of a gnawing sense of guilt. McCarthy deftly propels the plot by beginning each chapter from the perspective of one of the four main characters: Josh, Tierney, Clint and the unknown killer. This structure, where we can only know what one person is experiencing, continually provides new insights into the emotions and motivations of our protagonists as they struggle with their feelings about the murders, emotions ranging from guilt, frustration, despair, anxiety and outright terror. McCarthy adds in a budding romance that complicates the dynamics among the principal characters and plays into the hands of the killer.

The structure of the novel kept me invested in the story and the characters’ and their collective fate until the final, unforeseen twist at the climax of the story. As much a psychological drama as a murder mystery, BY THE BOOK held my interest throughout. For lovers of crime fiction, you couldn’t ask for anything more. Buy this book. You won’t regret it.

Note: I received an advance copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

[Siobhán♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover already gives a twist. I looked at it and went... Okay, a romance book. But then I read what's inside and I am SHOOK. Not at all a romance book, instead a murder, mystery and thriller book!
I love cover twists, I really do🤣 I must be odd, but seriously cover twists are the best!

Okay now onto what's in the book...
Murder, mystery , intruige. The killer's calling card is the same as one that was in a book written by TL McGinnis. This book has 12 murders.... Does this mean the killer will kill 12 people to match with this book? Is this the killer's plan?

What a read! Honestly! Unexpected twists, great character development, beautifully written suspense and a one-of-a-kind plot!

AJ McCarthy has written a book that is just amazing beyond words. I couldn't stop reading! I almost read it all in one sitting!! (Almost!) I had it finished in two sittings and have zero regrets about reading this book!

Without @shannon_rrbooktours, I would never have found such a fantastic read! So thank you, Shannon for introducing me to this book!! And thank you AJ for writing such a shockingly good book!!

📖Rating: 5/5✨

**TW**
This book contains details of strangulation, death, murder, violence, etc. If a sensitive reader this book is NOT for you!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

T. L. McGinnis, murder mystery author, finds herself unexpectedly smack dab in the middle of a real-life murder case. A page from her recent book release has been placed at the scene of the first murder. She is horrified and is determined to discover what is going on. But it gets worse. Her book is called Murder By The Dozen.

Detectives Josh Riddell and Clint Weller are in charge and with her help and cooperation, they try to untangle the sticky web of deceit. But murdering psychopaths aren't exactly easy to track.

The twists and turns and interesting different perspective in this book are well done. Though not scary, I felt tension and suspense in a good way. The psychopath maddeningly taunts.

Those who are seeking a refreshingly different murder mystery without the violence will enjoy this. It's riveting and will keep you glued to the pages. Looking forward to the next book by this author! I'm hooked.

My sincere thank you to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the Book> describes a horrific scenario for those who write murder mysteries. T. L. McGinnis has written a popular novel for which she must now deal with the fact that it is being used as a template for murder. By the Book fourth novel set in Canada by award winning author A. J. McCarthy.

The story begins with the murderer placing a red object in the mouth of his victim and another object under the bed where the victim lies. The objects are a plastic heart and a page from a novel where an identical murder is described. This leads police to the author, T. L. McGinnis, who has written a murder mystery where a serial killer kills 12 people. Police try to comfort the author but she fears that this is just the beginning of a murder rampage based on her book. When another murder takes place, which is again identical to the one described in the book, everyone begins to wonder who is next and where it will all end.

I like that A. J. McCarthy focuses story on the suspense and not on the gruesome circumstances of each murder. The readers are kept on the edge of their seats wondering when, and if, something will happen. As well, McGinnis’s reluctance to accept police protection significantly adds to the tension.

The story is fast paced and a real page turner. Changing the narration keeps it interesting. There are endless possibilities for where the story can go and this keeps the reader’s interest.

One question I have is about the parallel story of one of the secondary characters. Why bother? It isn’t related, nor is it interesting. To me it is just a needless page filler. I also think Ottawa is a beautiful city in a beautiful part of the country. A little more description of the surroundings would have been a pleasant addition.

This is with no doubt an excellent choice for those who like a fast-paced suspenseful murder mystery. I give it a 4 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

[Kristel Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent a copy of this book for review.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
This book has an intriguing premise. A serial killer murders people based on the plot of a crime novel involving 12 murders by a fictional serial killer. We start the story at the scene of the first victim as the murderer carries out their first kill and leaves behind a plastic love heart in the woman's mouth and a page from the book under the bed. When Detectives look into the book they realise that the author is local and make contact with the author straight away. They are looking for TL McGinnis who they think is a man but find an unassuming, 30 something woman named Tierney instead.

Tierney is devastated by the news that her work has been turned into a "How To" manual that inspired a serial killer and wants to help the police solve the crimes and catch the murderer. It quickly becomes apparent that this case was just the beginning of a prolific murder spree and that Tierney herself may fall victim to the killer before they have completed their plan. One of the Detectives, Josh, gets close to Tierney as they try to piece together suspects from her pool of friends and family but he may end up emotionally compromised by his growing feelings for her. As the body count steadily rises, can the police and Tierney discover who is behind the murders or will one of them pay the ultimate price in their pursuit of this depraved killer?

I give this book 🌟🌟🌟🌟. I really liked the premise of the book and how it was set out. I thought it was interesting having a crime novel within a crime novel crossing over victims and motivations and added more depth to the plot. I liked the main character of Tierney and felt she was strong and independent considering the situation she found herself in. The only drawback was I felt that the story slowed too much in the second half and that it was dragged out a little too long which lead to the suspense aspect being diminished somewhat for me. Overall it was a compelling thriller and the twist at the end revealing the killer was one that I never saw coming.

Warnings: Strangulation and violence.

[Melina Lobo · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the Book is a mystery novel by A.J. McCarthy. The plot of the book drew me in and with its easy language, it made for a very smooth read. The premise of a fictional novel being used as inspiration to commit murders is something I've come across before, but I'm always open to reading more stories with this kind of plot as it's interesting to see how the author can fit a story within a story andctiecjt all up in a nice little bow. To an extent this book has achieved some of the things that I look for in a good mystrey book like interesting characters and a good plot development.
However, there are a couple of things that didn't work for me; the first is that there's very little 'crime solving' actually going on and most of the story is focused on how the murders are affecting the author's life.
There's a tangent in the story regarding one of the character's life that I found had no relevance whatsoever to the story and in the end didn't get a proper wrap up so (maybe) it was an unnecessary inclusion just to deviate the reader's mind from the mystrey butbits something I found quite annoying because as much as I love twists, I hate unnecessary deviations.
The ending was quite bland compared to how the rest of the story is. At the end when the culprit is revealed I didn't care for it and was honestly disappointing.
Overall, it's an ok book but it could have been better.
🦄🦄🦄
Rated 6.5/10
Melina L.

[Julie Teribery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Det. Josh Riddell is not quite ready for a new murder victim to land in his lap, the last murder investigation did not end well. When a woman is murdered, a single book page is left as a clue. Describing her murder down to how the killer entered her home, Josh knows this is not a one and done murder. Josh finds the full book along with the author to see if the murders can be stopped.

While writing her third novel, T.L McGinnis finds Det. Riddell at her door explaining that her book Murder by the Dozen, is serving as a blueprint for a new serial killer. Attempting to help the police catch a murder, T.L begins to make a list of all the people who have helped her write the crime fiction and who could have the motive.

But the killer is starting to deviate from the laid out plan but knows that there are two murders in the book that get too close for T.L and Josh.

I read this book in about two days. I found it to be a fast and enjoyable read.
Thank you to AJ McCarthy, NetGalley, and Black Rose Writing for allowing me to read this ARC

[Tara Stapledon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable whodunnit.
The only clues left at a murder scene are a small, red heart and a page from a mystery novel by a local author that turns out to have the ominous title "Murder by the Dozen". Can Detectives Riddell and Weller catch the killer before the body count rises?
The story is told from multiple perspectives, providing insight into the characters' thoughts and emotions, which made for an engaging read. It was a nice change of pace to read a good murder mystery that was a whodunnit and not a violent crime thriller. Reading a novel set in my hometown is always nice and the author did a good job of explaining the areas instead of just naming them though I would've like more descriptions of some of the places and scenery.
I am looking forward to reading many more of A.J.'s books.

Thank you Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ARC of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Protagonist T.L. McGinnis writes murder mysteries, but who knew that someday, she’d be starring in a version of her own novel, Murder by the Dozen? That’s the premise of BY THE BOOK, A.J. McCarthy’s latest book set in and around Ottawa, Canada. But detectives Josh Riddell and Clint Weller are on the scene and hope to find the guilty party before twelve lives are lost. The novel is thoughtful and well-written and keeps the reader wondering “whodunit?” BY THE BOOK is a quick, compelling read that hooked me from the very beginning. I’ll be sure to read more by this author.

[Jeffrey Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author A.J. McCarthy brings together a detective scarred by past trauma, a reclusive novelist lost in her characters, and a psychopath acting out a twisted plan, to create the thrilling novel, By the Book. Detective Josh Riddell stalks a killer who is using a crime novel as a blueprint for murder, but the story becomes personal when Riddell meets the book’s author, Tierney McGinnis. In By the book, Author A.J. McCarthy introduces an intriguing premise and keeps the pace moving throughout this clever and engrossing serial-killer story. It is difficult to put this book down.

[Edward J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. McCarthy has written an engrossing, fast-paced novel founded on a novel premise--a serial killer who kills based on the plot of a novel about a serial killer. Detectives Josh Riddell and Clint Weller try to untangle the web of clues with some unsolicited help from the author of the novel being followed by the killer. I was yanked from page to page and from chapter to chapter.

[Lilly Condo · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the Book (A Canadian Crime Novel) by A.J. McCarthy set for Nov12, 2020 publication is 4th mystery/suspense novel by this author.
It is told through four POV’s, the two Ottawa Police Detectives Josh Riddell and Clint Weller, the protagonist Tierney McGinnis and the “killer”.
A woman is dead and Ottawa Police detectives Josh Riddell and Clint Weller are called to the scene. Jennifer Danvers has a red plastic heart in her mouth and pages cut from a novel are under her bed. The pages found describe the scene in front of them. The killer has taken great care to make it so. The part of this whole tableau that makes the detectives the most apprehensive is the title of the book from which the pages came, “Murder by the Dozen”.
When victim number two turns up the detectives are convinced a visit to the author is at the top of their list. What follows is a thriller of a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.
This smoothly written novel easily fills three categories, a mystery that keeps you guessing, a thriller that will keep you turning pages and a light romance that will give you the occasional smile. “By the Book” is a very readable novel that will pull you in and I give it 4 ½ stars.

[Kate Church]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This is my first A. J. McCarthy book, and I can tell you guys, I can't believe I haven't read any book by her until now. The writing style is incredible. It makes you feel as though you are the detectives in this book. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone. This is the first canadian book I have read. I definitely will read more by this author. This book has all the twists and turns you look for in a mystery, thriller book. This ebook is in stores now for $6.99 (USD).

[Timothy Sojka · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCarthy's boldest book yet. Big characters. You'll never guess the bad guy.
Timothy Sojka, author Payback Jack

[Dianne Gow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best on yet by A.J. McCarthy! From page one it keeps you enthralled right to the end. A great read

[Laya Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

By The Book checks all the boxes of a good whodunnit. A compelling detective, a grusome killer, and a web of clues to keep a reader guessing till the very end. But it is the character of Tierney that sets this novel apart. Gentle and introverted, she is faced with a writer's worst nightmare when a killer starts using her novel as a blueprint for his murder spree. In spite of her fear, a deep sense of responsibility drives her to become involved in the case. As she strives to discover both the identity of the killer and what connection they might share, she is forced to question her relationship to every person she has ever known. 

AJ McCarthy writes with economy and wit, and portrays her characters with sympathy and complexity. An exciting mystery worth checking out.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too much fun. I loved it!

[Catherine Clapton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, very well written. It had me engrossed in the characters from the start. The plot was brilliant and had me stumped right till the end. Looking forward to reading more from AJ McCarthy👍

[wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Good Covid read, the romance part went a little to mushy for me. I liked the investigation part of story.

[Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen]

I received an advance review copy from Black Rose Writing through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.

DNF @ 16%

To be fair, I'm picky about mystery/ thriller books to begin with. But I'm put off by the overly descriptive prose, the stilted dialogue, the constant objectification and commodification of women (gross). Some of the mystery-related "explanations" and theories also just don't make sense to me, though I'm not sure if it's an issue with the way it's presented or just my lack of familiarity with the genre.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

📝Copy cat serial killer stalks the Ottawa suburbs: kept me guessing all the way😊

I love a murder mystery that keeps me wondering about the killer's identity and surprises me with the outcome, By the Book gave me lots of suspects, a little romance, and a killer I did not see coming. There was just enough personal drama for homicide detectives Josh Riddell and his partner Cliff to make them interesting without detracting from the investigation. And Tierney, the murder mystery author who gets tied up in murders resembling ones from her successful whodunit is a great character. She's torn apart with guilt because the murderer is using her book as a guide and ends up in as great a danger as any of her characters!

The writing is to the point which makes it an easy and fairly quick read. I also appreciated that, despite the number of suspects, the author did not overwhelm me with secondary characters I had to keep straight. And retired cop Matt was a lion with the heart of a pussycat nice touch😊.

Lastly, I loved the idea of a novel set in Canada. It was a really nice change from the typical U.S. or British setting yet not too exotic.

I would gladly read more of A.J. McCarthy's work.

Thanks to publishers Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Belinda Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spine tingling!

Josh and Tierney are brilliant characters in this incredible thriller! The sexual tension between them turns this tale into a romance fraught with obstacles. Secondary characters are strong and add grit to this novel. Readers are kept in the dark, which keeps them on their toes trying to guess who will be the next victim. A spectacular story, it will stay with its readers long after the last page is turned.

[Tony Rizzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the Book in more ways than one

Eh. It's entertainment enuf on a rainy day, but the characters are described in cringeworthy ways, the dialogs are literally cornball, and most of the plot is obvious as heck.

The "twist" at the end is better than the overall storytelling, I'll give it that. But ultimately unsatisfying for me - too much cornball "by the book" stuff all in all.

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was OK. TJ was annoying.

[Jacob Grmek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept and well written. I like a little more suspense than this book offered though

[judy m · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little predictable but a fun easy read.

[Toni Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Mystery

Really enjoyed this book and the characters. Kept me guessing until almost the end and then you surprised me. Never even considered the murderer.

[Gail McLaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I enjoyed this story even more when I discovered where it is set. I love in Ottawa, in the Glebe.
It was a good story with twists that I didn't expect.

[Dee henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Very interesting story line. Lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing. I liked all the characters. Mystery buffs will enjoy it.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining and suspenseful!