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West Heart Kill
Welcome to the West Heart country club. Where the drinks are neat but behind closed doors . . . things can get messy. Where upright citizens are deemed downright boring. Where the only missing piece of the puzzle is you, dear reader.
A unique and irresistible murder mystery set at a remote hunting lodge where everyone is a suspect, including the erratic detective on the scene — a remarkable debut that gleefully upends the rules of the genre.
An isolated hunt club. A raging storm. Three corpses, discovered within four days. A cast of monied, scheming, unfaithful characters.
When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York, he finds himself among a set of not-entirely-friendly strangers. Then the body of one of the members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later, a major storm hits. By the time power is restored on Sunday, two more people will be dead . . .
A unique and irresistible murder mystery set at a remote hunting lodge where everyone is a suspect, including the erratic detective on the scene — a remarkable debut that gleefully upends the rules of the genre.
An isolated hunt club. A raging storm. Three corpses, discovered within four days. A cast of monied, scheming, unfaithful characters.
When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York, he finds himself among a set of not-entirely-friendly strangers. Then the body of one of the members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later, a major storm hits. By the time power is restored on Sunday, two more people will be dead . . .
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2023
About the author
Dann McDorman
1 book110 followersDann McDorman is an Emmy-nominated TV news producer who has also worked as a newspaper reporter, book reviewer, and cabinetmaker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,117 reviews
October 23, 2023
While for the most part entertaining, this felt a bit like being cornered by the know-it-all at a cocktail party. This is a whodunit or more accurately a whydunit that has some interesting structural distinctions. The first part is in the voice of our detective -- Adam McAnnis. Then the second half is an unknown narrator from among the residents of West Heart. The author also uses a play as a storytelling device in the last 1/3 of the book. The Narrator is almost omniscient. So, as noted above, I found it an entertaining read. The ending is a bit ambiguous, possibly even pretentious. Not a fan. So, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for a strong debut.
Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2024
A scream suddenly pierces the air. Startled glances are exchanged on the porch, a drink is spilled, a baby begins to cry, and your muscles tense; you sense this is one of those plot leaps that writers use to punctuate and propel the narrative, like those bursts of biological creativity that scientists claim shock evolution into action. But you are unsettled; just pages into the book, is it too early? Should a mystery unfold in a more demure fashion? Aren’t the suspense and anticipation the real secret thrill of the book, rather than (let us be honest) the all-too-often disappointing dénouement, the magician turning over his cards for an audience that realizes, bitterly leaving the theater, that they’ve been had?--------------------------------------
Other people’s secrets are easy. It’s our own that are hardI am not particularly a fan of video games, the large immersive, role-playing ones. Nothing against them. They are simply outside my experience for the most part. But I do know that a lot of the experience, the joy of these games, lies in figuring things out. If I do this, what happens? What if I do that? Where might secret intel reside? How can I get to it? It strikes me that for many readers, particularly for readers of detective stories, the experience is comparable, however different the physical approaches might appear. The internal processes are quite similar. Reading West Heart Kill is a bit like having a game designer walking you through the construction of the game as you play it, reminding you of the usual rules, and teasing you a bit about whether you will actually figure things out or not, suggesting tricks and traps that writers (or game designers) employ to keep you off base, while remaining entertained.
I am a bit obsessive when I read mysteries, keeping lists of characters with their attributes, keeping track of timelines, locations, motives, et al, so am primed for such things. The game here is an overt one. The author is challenging you to figure out whodunit. If you accept the challenge you need to figure things out before the final reveal, otherwise it is game over for you. It is not that you finish the book with no points. Figuring out the mystery, the how, why, when and where, may be the top prize, but a skillful writer will offer plenty of rewards along the way, whether you succeed or fail. I did not figure out ahead of time the large murder questions, but I did suss out some of the lesser puzzles, and there was at least some whoo-hoo!-figured-it-out satisfaction to be had in that. There are further benefits to be had.
Dann McDorman - image from the NY Times – shot by Maansi Srivastava
The West Heart of the title is a private club (membership fees are exorbitant), high on wealth (well, presumed wealth, at least), and low on morals. Secrets abound, as one might expect. The residents, many of whom spent their summers there as children, have considerable difficulty with marital vows, in particular, and then, of course, with that whole thou shalt not kill thing.
Adam McAnnis is a thirty-something private investigator who has been hired to hang about, keep his eyes open, and see if he spots anything off. His connection is with an erstwhile classmate, from whom he manages to wheedle an invitation. The place is isolated, and will become more so as an expected storm seems likely to close off roads and cut off communications. Sound familiar?
Many of the elements that make up this very meta novel will, particularly as McDorman lays them out for us, addressing readers directly. The weary detective is one:
How often is he both lonely and alone, suspicious of everyone, accepting betrayal as the rule, not the exception? The deceits that begin to unfold the moment the client walks through his office door. Nights spent in parked cars watching illicit silhouettes behind shaded windows, receipts pulled from dripping trash bags, a five-dollar bill waved between two fingers before a junkie’s fixed gaze . . . the debased work of hundreds of cases, a file cabinet full of tragedies and comedies and tales too ambiguous to categorize.Or one particular character type:
As a general rule, in murder mysteries, the least likable character is the most likely to die. But devious writers can anticipate your knowledge of this cliché and thrust a character like Warren Burr into early prominence to surprise you, later, with an entirely different victim. Or, perhaps, more devious still, circle back and kill him off in a double bluff—destined to die all along, exploiting and perverting your expectations from the start. Of course, some writers, among them not the least skilled, use much the same trick to mask and unmask their murderers . . .These permeate the story, as McDorman pokes you to figure things out. He even provides lists of characters and clues to help you along.
It does not take too long for first mortality to occur. McAnnis takes on the role of investigator, publicly this time. We tag along as he interviews each of the suspects in turn. McDorman has a bit of fun, even concocting one interview with a dead person.
We are treated to small essays on this and that, methods of killing people, for example, or an etymology of the word Murder, or on Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance, or on well-known writers using pseudonyms, or on the rules for mysteries, or on unresolved literary murders, and more. These are small, delightful diversions.
Voice is handled differently from the norm here.
The novel takes place over a long July 4th holiday weekend —Thursday to Sunday — and so I had the idea of writing each day from an additional different perspective: “he”... “I”... “we”... etc. Thus, each section is stamped with its own particular identity. And of course, the “you” voice explores why the perspective suddenly shifts, and how that plays into the intrigue of the plot… - from the Bloomsbury interviewIn fact, this works to keep one off-balance a bit. But there was some ambiguity even within the voice, at times, that I found off-putting. For example, there are sections in which the resident population is represented by a sort-of “we” voice. Then it mixed with an omniscient narrator. While there was certainly a purpose to it, it came across as jumbled to me.
Asked what drew him to the 1970s as a time in which to set his novel, McDormand said,
The superficial reason is that it was fun! The hairstyles alone defy belief. Some of the most entertaining hours I spent “working” on the novel involved paging through mid-70s clothing catalogs; that led directly to an entire paragraph early in the book that is just a listing of the trademarked (and fabulously named) artificial fabrics worn by the characters: Acrilan®, Fortrel®, PERMA-PREST®, Sansabelt®, Ban-Lon®… More substantively, the zeitgeist of the 1970s felt intensely familiar to me. We’d lost trust in institutions and in each other; the old solutions didn’t work; the new ones seemed inadequate; a creeping disillusionment had overtaken the best of us, while the worst seemed full of passionate intensity. As an era, the 1970s seems extraordinarily relevant to writers and readers today. - from the Bloomsbury interviewThere are plenty of suggestive atmospherics, like a part of the considerable property that is used for hunting (hunting what, exactly?), or a traditional bonfire that might be used for the destruction of evidence, (or maybe eliminating a pesky witness?) primitive maps, hidden paths, mysterious people seen at a distance on ill-lit trails, a dark and stormy night. All great fun.
Of course, there is another traditional element in the mystery novel. Be sure to bring along your fishing pole. There are red herrings aplenty to land.
I found this to be an entertaining read, but there were bits that did not sit well. There is an event that happens near the end, which I will not spoil, that created a bit of a vacuum, that space being filled in a way that, while very creative, still felt forced and unnatural. Certain scenes are written as plays, which seemed cutesy. Not saying these were not entertaining, but why?
Many of us who read Stephen King continue to do so because there is pleasure to be had in the reading, the engagement, the flow, the scares, even though many readers often find his final reveals to be unsatisfying. In a similar vein here. There is much in West Heart Kill that is great fun, that engages us and prods our brains to kick into gear when a less meta approach might just leave us to cruise through the read in a straight line. It encourages us to play, rather than just watch. That is worth a lot. The elements that bugged me made it less than a five-star read, but it will certainly stand out from the pack for seasoned readers of crime novels for its interactive approach. Game on.
Review posted - 01/26/24
Publication date – 10/24/23
I received an ARE of West Heart Kill from Knopf in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review is cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Author links – well, McDorman’s social media links definitely remind one of the time in which he located his novel. He did have a Twitter account at some point, but has not posted anything for years. Nada on FB. Here is his GR profile page.
Interviews
-----NY Times - When a Book Deal Feels Like ‘Winning the Middle-Age Lottery’ by Elizabeth A. Harris – nothing on the book itself, solely on his unlikely situation of getting a first novel published.
-----Bloomsbury - “In the end, both the detective and the killer must make a choice, whether to act from hate, or from love”
-----Crimereads - DANN MCDORMAN ON EXPLORING LITERARY HIJINKS AND META MYSTERY by Jenny Bartoy
-----BookBrunch - Q&A: debut novelist Dann McDorman by Lucy Nathan
Items of Interest
-----Publishers Weekly - Knopf Bets on 'West Heart Kill'
-----Wiki on Angela Atwood - referenced in Chapter 1
September 18, 2023
The publisher recommended this book due to my love of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. What a spot-on recommendation that was. Here’s a teaser:
“LOOKING FOR AN ANYTHING-BUT-ORDINARY WHODUNIT? • Welcome to the West Heart country club. Where the drinks are neat but behind closed doors . . . things can get messy. Where upright citizens are deemed downright boring. Where the only missing piece of the puzzle is you, dear reader.
A unique and irresistible murder mystery set at a remote hunting lodge where everyone is a suspect, including the erratic detective on the scene—a remarkable debut that gleefully upends the rules of the genre.”
West Heart Kill is a meta murder mystery where the author sometimes speaks directly to the reader to provide facts and backstory on anything and everything about the murder mystery genre or about the case at hand. I was entranced with the unique voice and omniscient narration.
The mystery is, of course, locked room. The atmosphere leaps off the pages, and the writing shines in its directness. The structure is unlike anything I’ve experienced before, making it quite experimental; however, the early hook grabbed me, and my interest did not wane.
Overall, West Heart Kill, much like this sub genre of meta murder mystery, will be a fantastic fit in the hands of the right reader. I enjoyed it because of its uniqueness. I don’t think it’s meant to be a commercial murder mystery in any way. At the same time, it’s everything a murder mystery fan would love displayed on a silver platter, if it speaks to them, too.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
“LOOKING FOR AN ANYTHING-BUT-ORDINARY WHODUNIT? • Welcome to the West Heart country club. Where the drinks are neat but behind closed doors . . . things can get messy. Where upright citizens are deemed downright boring. Where the only missing piece of the puzzle is you, dear reader.
A unique and irresistible murder mystery set at a remote hunting lodge where everyone is a suspect, including the erratic detective on the scene—a remarkable debut that gleefully upends the rules of the genre.”
West Heart Kill is a meta murder mystery where the author sometimes speaks directly to the reader to provide facts and backstory on anything and everything about the murder mystery genre or about the case at hand. I was entranced with the unique voice and omniscient narration.
The mystery is, of course, locked room. The atmosphere leaps off the pages, and the writing shines in its directness. The structure is unlike anything I’ve experienced before, making it quite experimental; however, the early hook grabbed me, and my interest did not wane.
Overall, West Heart Kill, much like this sub genre of meta murder mystery, will be a fantastic fit in the hands of the right reader. I enjoyed it because of its uniqueness. I don’t think it’s meant to be a commercial murder mystery in any way. At the same time, it’s everything a murder mystery fan would love displayed on a silver platter, if it speaks to them, too.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
November 5, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded down
West Heart Kill is an interesting take on a murder mystery that will either engage or enrage the reader. Maybe both. It’s different in that the book breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the reader, mentioning how a murder mystery should go, elaborating the expected rules of engagement, so to speak. I will admit to both enjoying it while also occasionally feeling that the author was trying just a wee bit too hard to come across as smarter than the reader. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that a writer’s ego was showing as much as here.
It takes place in 1976 but has a Golden Age mystery feel to it - old money families meet up at a hunting club. A son of one of the families brings his friend, a detective, along with him for the weekend.
The narrative skips back and forth from first person to second to third to first person plural, which can be disconcerting. When the book is speaking directly to the reader, it throws in some interesting thoughts like this.
“…you find yourself feeling a bit sorry for him. Isn’t that the risk that readers face in a first-person point of view? That you cannot help but identify with a Humbert Humbert as much as with a Huck Finn? And doesn’t that leave you vulnerable to manipulation and misdirection?”
If you enjoyed Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, you’ll probably like this as the styling is the same. But anyone looking for a straightforward mystery will not be pleased with all the side comments.
So, where did I come down on it? I was amused more often than I was chagrined. It would have been a solid four stars until I got to the very end, which felt like a head fake.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.
West Heart Kill is an interesting take on a murder mystery that will either engage or enrage the reader. Maybe both. It’s different in that the book breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the reader, mentioning how a murder mystery should go, elaborating the expected rules of engagement, so to speak. I will admit to both enjoying it while also occasionally feeling that the author was trying just a wee bit too hard to come across as smarter than the reader. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that a writer’s ego was showing as much as here.
It takes place in 1976 but has a Golden Age mystery feel to it - old money families meet up at a hunting club. A son of one of the families brings his friend, a detective, along with him for the weekend.
The narrative skips back and forth from first person to second to third to first person plural, which can be disconcerting. When the book is speaking directly to the reader, it throws in some interesting thoughts like this.
“…you find yourself feeling a bit sorry for him. Isn’t that the risk that readers face in a first-person point of view? That you cannot help but identify with a Humbert Humbert as much as with a Huck Finn? And doesn’t that leave you vulnerable to manipulation and misdirection?”
If you enjoyed Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, you’ll probably like this as the styling is the same. But anyone looking for a straightforward mystery will not be pleased with all the side comments.
So, where did I come down on it? I was amused more often than I was chagrined. It would have been a solid four stars until I got to the very end, which felt like a head fake.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.
June 1, 2023
DNF 73%
From the back cover:
"The elements of the classic murder mystery... ...but it's the daring structure and mischievously subversive narration..."; It goes on, but sad to say the reality of that second part of the quote is what lead me to 1 star.
This is where I thank the publisher for the ARC, and I do. I just wish I could travel to an alternate universe where this book made sense to me. Made it with a lot of struggle to page 200, then lightly skimmed to the end.
The narrative style, while spectacularly unique as far as I know, I have to blame for not finishing the book. The narrator(writer) occasionally speaks directly to the audience (reader); also there are old mystery Author/mystery stories thrown in, as well as questions posed to the reader. Then it really gets strange. The part I skimmed continues the story by enacting a PLAY complete with scene setting, dialogue between the book characters - including a part labelled as READER. And the Reader has lines.
For me, the way the story was presented was very disjointed and off-putting. I suppose the format used here will appeal to some and enjoy the novelty of it. I can more easily see a lot of people getting fed up with this unique style. I can honestly say that I did not get invested in the characters, like you always should, so I can walk away not knowing the answer to this murder mystery very easily.
Hope this helps.
Happy Reading.
From the back cover:
"The elements of the classic murder mystery... ...but it's the daring structure and mischievously subversive narration..."; It goes on, but sad to say the reality of that second part of the quote is what lead me to 1 star.
This is where I thank the publisher for the ARC, and I do. I just wish I could travel to an alternate universe where this book made sense to me. Made it with a lot of struggle to page 200, then lightly skimmed to the end.
The narrative style, while spectacularly unique as far as I know, I have to blame for not finishing the book. The narrator(writer) occasionally speaks directly to the audience (reader); also there are old mystery Author/mystery stories thrown in, as well as questions posed to the reader. Then it really gets strange. The part I skimmed continues the story by enacting a PLAY complete with scene setting, dialogue between the book characters - including a part labelled as READER. And the Reader has lines.
For me, the way the story was presented was very disjointed and off-putting. I suppose the format used here will appeal to some and enjoy the novelty of it. I can more easily see a lot of people getting fed up with this unique style. I can honestly say that I did not get invested in the characters, like you always should, so I can walk away not knowing the answer to this murder mystery very easily.
Hope this helps.
Happy Reading.
March 21, 2024
Set in the 1970s, the novel revolves around the members of an exclusive hunting club in upstate New York. Long-standing members gather to discuss and disagree on the club’s finances, the admission of a new member and much more. Joining them for the Bicentennial weekend is a detective who manipulates his old college friend whose family is among the members to invite him along. Unbeknownst to the friend or the others, the detective has been hired to gather information about the club and its members and report back on the goings-on to his client, whose identity is gradually revealed. The weekend festivities take a sinister turn when the club turns into the scene of crime for a series of deaths. With inclement weather cutting them off from outside assistance, it is up to the members to find the killer in their midst. As the narrative progresses, it becomes evident that more than one person has secrets they would kill to protect and nobody is above suspicion.
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is an interesting locked-room murder mystery that certainly keeps you guessing till the very end (and beyond). The novel pays homage to Golden Age murder mysteries with a few twists added to the mix, adding a touch of uniqueness. Shared from the perspective of the detective in the first part and an unknown narrator (we assume to be one of the guests) in the other also, the narrative is shared from multiple perspectives switching from the first-person to the third person, also featuring a metafictional element in the form of the author’s commentary, directly addressing the reader, interspersed throughout the narrative. Atmospheric and suspenseful with a healthy dose of wry humor thrown into the mix, the plot development was well executed, but I can’t say the same about the dénouement. While I can appreciate the author’s use of multiple formats to tell the story, the ending leaves much to the reader’s interpretation and imagination. I also had a few issues with the structure of this novel. I enjoyed reading the segments on classic mystery writers, the discussions on the format and tropes used in crafting stories in this genre and the author’s musings on the same. However, these segments interspersed throughout the primary narrative of this novel impacted the flow of the story, often distracting the reader. It is evident the author is a skillful storyteller who knows much about his craft and has not hesitated to demonstrate the same, but that does not necessarily translate into a particularly satisfying reading experience.
In short, while I did have fun following the mystery, I can’t say that I enjoyed this book in its entirety.
Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley and the gifted hardcover edition. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. West Heart Kill was published on October 24, 2023.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is an interesting locked-room murder mystery that certainly keeps you guessing till the very end (and beyond). The novel pays homage to Golden Age murder mysteries with a few twists added to the mix, adding a touch of uniqueness. Shared from the perspective of the detective in the first part and an unknown narrator (we assume to be one of the guests) in the other also, the narrative is shared from multiple perspectives switching from the first-person to the third person, also featuring a metafictional element in the form of the author’s commentary, directly addressing the reader, interspersed throughout the narrative. Atmospheric and suspenseful with a healthy dose of wry humor thrown into the mix, the plot development was well executed, but I can’t say the same about the dénouement. While I can appreciate the author’s use of multiple formats to tell the story, the ending leaves much to the reader’s interpretation and imagination. I also had a few issues with the structure of this novel. I enjoyed reading the segments on classic mystery writers, the discussions on the format and tropes used in crafting stories in this genre and the author’s musings on the same. However, these segments interspersed throughout the primary narrative of this novel impacted the flow of the story, often distracting the reader. It is evident the author is a skillful storyteller who knows much about his craft and has not hesitated to demonstrate the same, but that does not necessarily translate into a particularly satisfying reading experience.
In short, while I did have fun following the mystery, I can’t say that I enjoyed this book in its entirety.
Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley and the gifted hardcover edition. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. West Heart Kill was published on October 24, 2023.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
October 5, 2023
QUICK TAKE: I loved it. I think true fans of the whodunnit genre will love it. I think the ending will REALLY upset some people, but I was kinda into it (and I'm frankly still thinking about it). It's basically KNIVES OUT meets THE ICE STORM. Cool new author to keep an eye on.
October 29, 2023
Maybe I will never find a meta mystery novel I enjoy. Maybe the effort itself is doomed.
Two major flaws here. First, all the commentary pulls you out of the story so much (and the story is populated with many characters you have to get to know quite quickly) that you don't really get all that invested in the mystery itself. I did not care who was going to die and I did not care who did it.
Second, the commentary is annoying. Sure it breaks things up, which can be jarring, but then when you read the interlude it is like, "Why did you make me read this?" Sometimes it is a little more fun, especially at the beginning when he suddenly changes from 3rd person to 1st person and then to a 1st person collective so quickly you barely know what's happening. But it gets less fun as you go on. Sometimes I thought, "I don't even think that's right," when he would give a little mystery fun fact. (I cannot find any evidence that Patricia Highsmith's novel A Suspension of Mercy has a single thing to do with Agatha Christie's famous disappearance and even if it did, the two are so different in facts that it barely seems they could be connected. It also claims And Then There Were None is the only Christie novel with a feeling of the supernatural so apparently he never read Sleeping Murder. Like come on, bro. You cannot act like I the reader know so much about mysteries and then flub this stuff.) Most of all, though, he would say "You, the reader, are thinking X" when I definitely was not thinking X. This bothered me most of all.
Let me explain a little more. This book acts as though puzzle mysteries all operate under a certain set of circumstances. That we, the readers, can figure out the solution if we just look at all the clues. I have never believed this to be true. Most mysteries provide many different solutions and it's just a question of what little tidbit the author has decided to withhold. They could create plenty of different potential endings with different murderers and easily convince you from the facts that you had with just a little extra spin. It is not a fair game that the reader can win, your guess is only ever a guess and if you are right you are either lucky or the author didn't care if you figured it out. McDorman writes this whole book under the idea that a puzzle mystery has just one solution, that there cannot be more, and I just disagree with that whole premise.
There is a little turn near the end that was okay if only to mix things up but the final section is pretty ridiculous, not interesting, not even fun in a Poirot gathers all the suspects kind of way. This book isn't really any fun at all, which is a shame because it clearly thinks that it is.
Two major flaws here. First, all the commentary pulls you out of the story so much (and the story is populated with many characters you have to get to know quite quickly) that you don't really get all that invested in the mystery itself. I did not care who was going to die and I did not care who did it.
Second, the commentary is annoying. Sure it breaks things up, which can be jarring, but then when you read the interlude it is like, "Why did you make me read this?" Sometimes it is a little more fun, especially at the beginning when he suddenly changes from 3rd person to 1st person and then to a 1st person collective so quickly you barely know what's happening. But it gets less fun as you go on. Sometimes I thought, "I don't even think that's right," when he would give a little mystery fun fact. (I cannot find any evidence that Patricia Highsmith's novel A Suspension of Mercy has a single thing to do with Agatha Christie's famous disappearance and even if it did, the two are so different in facts that it barely seems they could be connected. It also claims And Then There Were None is the only Christie novel with a feeling of the supernatural so apparently he never read Sleeping Murder. Like come on, bro. You cannot act like I the reader know so much about mysteries and then flub this stuff.) Most of all, though, he would say "You, the reader, are thinking X" when I definitely was not thinking X. This bothered me most of all.
Let me explain a little more. This book acts as though puzzle mysteries all operate under a certain set of circumstances. That we, the readers, can figure out the solution if we just look at all the clues. I have never believed this to be true. Most mysteries provide many different solutions and it's just a question of what little tidbit the author has decided to withhold. They could create plenty of different potential endings with different murderers and easily convince you from the facts that you had with just a little extra spin. It is not a fair game that the reader can win, your guess is only ever a guess and if you are right you are either lucky or the author didn't care if you figured it out. McDorman writes this whole book under the idea that a puzzle mystery has just one solution, that there cannot be more, and I just disagree with that whole premise.
There is a little turn near the end that was okay if only to mix things up but the final section is pretty ridiculous, not interesting, not even fun in a Poirot gathers all the suspects kind of way. This book isn't really any fun at all, which is a shame because it clearly thinks that it is.
March 21, 2024
A remote, old-money hunting lodge. A raging storm. A locked room. Three corpses, discovered within four days. A cast of monied, scheming, unfaithful characters.
You may think you’ve read this story.
But think again.
When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York, he finds himself among a set of not-entirely-friendly strangers. Then the body of one of the members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later, a major storm hits. By the time power is restored on Sunday, two more people will be dead.
The elements of the classic murder mystery are all present in West Heart Kill, but it’s the daring structure and mischievously subversive narration that set this debut apart. This is no ordinary whodunit, but an homage to the masters of the genre and a wholly original spin on the form…
Hmmm… West Heart Kill took me by surprise. A sometimes grueling ride-along for what was also a fun trip into a revamped classic Golden Age whodunnit, it was nothing like I expected. And not necessarily in a way that was sure to win me over from the get-go. At the same time, however, the actual murder mystery was intriguing and felt very Agatha Christie-esque to this diehard fan. But let me explain.
First off, this was a mostly enjoyable visit to the well-loved land of classic mysteries. Filled with the de rigueur characters, motivations, crimes, and setting, it felt much like returning home. Especially when it came to the intrigue and scandal or magnificently organized plot complete with its ingeniously devised (and wholly original) dénouement. Quite frankly, there were so many moving parts that I don’t know how anyone could figure out the who and the why before the big reveal. In that, I give major props to the author.
Then there was the genre-defying twist to this little gem, however. Interspersed with the above story, which was told via first-person singular to third-person plural and more (something I loved), was the writer himself who talked directly to the reader. It’s that narration I took issue with. Almost like that know-it-all friend who is always irritating you to no end, he kept popping up just as the story was getting good. In a detailed nonfiction-like intro/history of the genre itself, it merely distracted from the plot more times than I could count. After all, it felt much more like ill-timed speed bumps that interrupted the flow than anything of value. Were hints to be found amongst the largely unnecessary information? Well, yes…but I much prefer to enjoy my armchair sleuthing without the sideshow act.
Overall, I both adored and disliked West Heart Kill. A meta-detective tale that is sure to be divisive in its reception, I ultimately felt rather exhausted by the whole experience. Just the same, had I known going in what exactly I was in for, my opinion may have been different. After all, I love a good detective book that comes complete with a unique delivery system and this one fit that bill to a tee. In all honesty, I’m betting that before too long, I’m going to revisit this book. So take this as your warning (one which I wish I’d had) and give it a go. If there’s one thing that’s for sure, this book is one unforgettable mystery. Rating of 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Dann McDorman and Alfred A. Knopf for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Trigger warning: infidelity, drug use, mention of: animal death, hunting accident, suicide, fatal shooting, depression, spousal abuse
*Synopsis provided by the publisher.
You may think you’ve read this story.
But think again.
When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York, he finds himself among a set of not-entirely-friendly strangers. Then the body of one of the members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later, a major storm hits. By the time power is restored on Sunday, two more people will be dead.
The elements of the classic murder mystery are all present in West Heart Kill, but it’s the daring structure and mischievously subversive narration that set this debut apart. This is no ordinary whodunit, but an homage to the masters of the genre and a wholly original spin on the form…
Hmmm… West Heart Kill took me by surprise. A sometimes grueling ride-along for what was also a fun trip into a revamped classic Golden Age whodunnit, it was nothing like I expected. And not necessarily in a way that was sure to win me over from the get-go. At the same time, however, the actual murder mystery was intriguing and felt very Agatha Christie-esque to this diehard fan. But let me explain.
First off, this was a mostly enjoyable visit to the well-loved land of classic mysteries. Filled with the de rigueur characters, motivations, crimes, and setting, it felt much like returning home. Especially when it came to the intrigue and scandal or magnificently organized plot complete with its ingeniously devised (and wholly original) dénouement. Quite frankly, there were so many moving parts that I don’t know how anyone could figure out the who and the why before the big reveal. In that, I give major props to the author.
Then there was the genre-defying twist to this little gem, however. Interspersed with the above story, which was told via first-person singular to third-person plural and more (something I loved), was the writer himself who talked directly to the reader. It’s that narration I took issue with. Almost like that know-it-all friend who is always irritating you to no end, he kept popping up just as the story was getting good. In a detailed nonfiction-like intro/history of the genre itself, it merely distracted from the plot more times than I could count. After all, it felt much more like ill-timed speed bumps that interrupted the flow than anything of value. Were hints to be found amongst the largely unnecessary information? Well, yes…but I much prefer to enjoy my armchair sleuthing without the sideshow act.
Overall, I both adored and disliked West Heart Kill. A meta-detective tale that is sure to be divisive in its reception, I ultimately felt rather exhausted by the whole experience. Just the same, had I known going in what exactly I was in for, my opinion may have been different. After all, I love a good detective book that comes complete with a unique delivery system and this one fit that bill to a tee. In all honesty, I’m betting that before too long, I’m going to revisit this book. So take this as your warning (one which I wish I’d had) and give it a go. If there’s one thing that’s for sure, this book is one unforgettable mystery. Rating of 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Dann McDorman and Alfred A. Knopf for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Trigger warning: infidelity, drug use, mention of: animal death, hunting accident, suicide, fatal shooting, depression, spousal abuse
*Synopsis provided by the publisher.
June 15, 2023
This book read more like a mix between book and screenplay. The whole goal being to engage the reader in witty banter and solve the mystery. While a very compelling writing style, I prefer reading my murder mysteries and not being actively drawn into the storyline.
October 31, 2023
While West Heart Kill will easily go down as one of my favorite covers of the year and while I’m always down for some locked door murder action, unfortunately this felt . . .
Sometimes a good gimmick works for me – sometimes it doesn’t. I knew going in this was going to be “fourth wall breaking” – I guess I just expected more of a Deadpool sort of delivery rather than the super mansplaining Ted Talk delivery provided within these pages. Not to mention the ending? Soooooo dumb (and obviously predictable the way the entire book was laid out).
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes a good gimmick works for me – sometimes it doesn’t. I knew going in this was going to be “fourth wall breaking” – I guess I just expected more of a Deadpool sort of delivery rather than the super mansplaining Ted Talk delivery provided within these pages. Not to mention the ending? Soooooo dumb (and obviously predictable the way the entire book was laid out).
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2023
4 stars
Another solid entry to the ‘meta murder mystery’ sub-sub-genre, West Heart Kill follows the footsteps of titles such as Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone and The 7 1/2 Death of Evelyn Hardcastle, where the narrative overtly examines and deconstructs its own tropes, much like the Scream film franchise does for slasher films. West Heart Kill might be the most ‘academic’ and fourth-wall breaking one I’ve read thus far, providing readers with an abundance of historical facts about the development of the genre, as well as a philosophical analysis on why we find comfort in reading about killing people.
At times this commentary layer can be a bit over-powering, especially towards its finale; it felt like I was reading an academic essay. While I admired the direction of its ending, which completely subverted convention, it couldn't hide the fact while it was conceptually compelling (and supported the 'thesis' that was set up), it didn't make for a satisfying closing (I'm too hardwired for murder mystery to end a certain way!).
Whether someone will enjoy West Heart Kill largely depends on their familiarity with the genre; for seasoned readers, the historical facts and breakdown would be a welcoming addition, but I can also see by discussing the tricks under the hood, it can be too scholarly for those who just want a straight murder mystery. Not a wide recommendation, but there is undoubtedly an audience who will enjoy this.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Another solid entry to the ‘meta murder mystery’ sub-sub-genre, West Heart Kill follows the footsteps of titles such as Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone and The 7 1/2 Death of Evelyn Hardcastle, where the narrative overtly examines and deconstructs its own tropes, much like the Scream film franchise does for slasher films. West Heart Kill might be the most ‘academic’ and fourth-wall breaking one I’ve read thus far, providing readers with an abundance of historical facts about the development of the genre, as well as a philosophical analysis on why we find comfort in reading about killing people.
At times this commentary layer can be a bit over-powering, especially towards its finale; it felt like I was reading an academic essay. While I admired the direction of its ending, which completely subverted convention, it couldn't hide the fact while it was conceptually compelling (and supported the 'thesis' that was set up), it didn't make for a satisfying closing (I'm too hardwired for murder mystery to end a certain way!).
Whether someone will enjoy West Heart Kill largely depends on their familiarity with the genre; for seasoned readers, the historical facts and breakdown would be a welcoming addition, but I can also see by discussing the tricks under the hood, it can be too scholarly for those who just want a straight murder mystery. Not a wide recommendation, but there is undoubtedly an audience who will enjoy this.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
June 18, 2023
I do not have anything good to say about this book. It was uninteresting and difficult to follow. It was set up like you were reading multiple styles at once. It reads as a how to manual instead of a story. I do not recommend.
May 3, 2024
This is an embarrassing book for Dann McDorman. In order to write a book that subverts a genre, you must be able to write a competent book in that genre. It is clear that McDorman cannot write a mystery, which makes all of the fluff around this one painful to read. I don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs about how mystery readers consume mysteries when I, the mystery reader, am not in capable hands. Why would I care about any of that when this mystery is so bad?
If you want to write a mystery set in the 70s (to the point of "they were a decade younger than me. Watching coverage of the JFK assassination on black-and-white TVs"), then you should simply write a mystery set in the 70s. I am sure someone (not me) would appreciate the endless references to pistachio Ultrasuede and 1971 Pontiac Bonnevilles. Instead, you have a "mystery" set in the 70s interlaced with philosophical ramblings about the genre. There's no resolution and no pleasure in reading a mystery that the author refuses to solve, and the constant asides drag down the book. They come across as the author trying to be clever and intellectual, but what I really think is happening is that the author is unable to make his own book compelling. All the meandering is intended to smooth over the fact that he can't write a mystery. It doesn't work on any level.
If you want to write a mystery set in the 70s (to the point of "they were a decade younger than me. Watching coverage of the JFK assassination on black-and-white TVs"), then you should simply write a mystery set in the 70s. I am sure someone (not me) would appreciate the endless references to pistachio Ultrasuede and 1971 Pontiac Bonnevilles. Instead, you have a "mystery" set in the 70s interlaced with philosophical ramblings about the genre. There's no resolution and no pleasure in reading a mystery that the author refuses to solve, and the constant asides drag down the book. They come across as the author trying to be clever and intellectual, but what I really think is happening is that the author is unable to make his own book compelling. All the meandering is intended to smooth over the fact that he can't write a mystery. It doesn't work on any level.
May 10, 2023
I sort of think I loved this book, but I can't decide. The fact that I picked it up last night before I went to bed and finished it less than twenty-four hours later is a testament to how gripping I found it - it wasn't fast-paced or particularly action-packed, but it intrigued me enough that I didn't want to put it down. It also did a few things that made me want to throw it at the wall.
Now, let me first acknowledge that the mystery itself, and the basic plot that surrounds it, would be quite interesting on its own. I would have willingly picked up an average mystery novel with these particular attributes - a group of wealthy people in a secluded location, long and sordid histories between them, heightening tensions that inevitably result in murder - and I would have enjoyed that story. But this book is not that simple.
This book is, in many ways, a love letter to mystery fiction. And not in the way "Knives Out" is a love letter to Agatha Christie - it's a LOT more direct than that. You think you've seen genre-awareness before? You haven't seen it on this level. The author breaks the fourth wall to address the reader's own experiences with the genre, commenting on general things any avid mystery reader has probably learned by now or making allusions to specific mysteries the reader may be familiar with. The narrative is also constantly interrupted so that the author/omniscient narrator can discuss topics tangential to the story, like the origins of the word "mystery" or the interpretation of something Dashiell Hammett wrote in The Maltese Falcon. These interjections are sometimes interesting but often seem to be offering the reader a surplus of knowledge, much like Victor Hugo waxing poetic about the Parisian sewer system in Les Misérables.
Now, as someone with a lifelong love for mystery fiction, I found the tangents and the referential nature of this book mostly entertaining - but I think these attributes could be a serious stumbling block for someone who isn't as deeply entrenched in the genre as I am. There are also a number of jarring structural shifts throughout that could make this a difficult read. To be honest, this book is just more complicated than it needs to be, and that frustrates me because I really did enjoy it. What it lacks is an accessibility factor. This is a great book for a very specific demographic, and it might be a terrible book for everyone else.
But at the end of the day, it does earn those four stars - it would probably earn five from me, if not for the concerns touched on above. McDorman's prose does exactly what it intends to, the characters are well-drawn, and the narrative subverts expectations (in different ways than one expects from a mystery novel). If you're a mystery geek like myself, give this one a chance! You might love it; you might hate it. Just don't ask me how it ends...
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
Now, let me first acknowledge that the mystery itself, and the basic plot that surrounds it, would be quite interesting on its own. I would have willingly picked up an average mystery novel with these particular attributes - a group of wealthy people in a secluded location, long and sordid histories between them, heightening tensions that inevitably result in murder - and I would have enjoyed that story. But this book is not that simple.
This book is, in many ways, a love letter to mystery fiction. And not in the way "Knives Out" is a love letter to Agatha Christie - it's a LOT more direct than that. You think you've seen genre-awareness before? You haven't seen it on this level. The author breaks the fourth wall to address the reader's own experiences with the genre, commenting on general things any avid mystery reader has probably learned by now or making allusions to specific mysteries the reader may be familiar with. The narrative is also constantly interrupted so that the author/omniscient narrator can discuss topics tangential to the story, like the origins of the word "mystery" or the interpretation of something Dashiell Hammett wrote in The Maltese Falcon. These interjections are sometimes interesting but often seem to be offering the reader a surplus of knowledge, much like Victor Hugo waxing poetic about the Parisian sewer system in Les Misérables.
Now, as someone with a lifelong love for mystery fiction, I found the tangents and the referential nature of this book mostly entertaining - but I think these attributes could be a serious stumbling block for someone who isn't as deeply entrenched in the genre as I am. There are also a number of jarring structural shifts throughout that could make this a difficult read. To be honest, this book is just more complicated than it needs to be, and that frustrates me because I really did enjoy it. What it lacks is an accessibility factor. This is a great book for a very specific demographic, and it might be a terrible book for everyone else.
But at the end of the day, it does earn those four stars - it would probably earn five from me, if not for the concerns touched on above. McDorman's prose does exactly what it intends to, the characters are well-drawn, and the narrative subverts expectations (in different ways than one expects from a mystery novel). If you're a mystery geek like myself, give this one a chance! You might love it; you might hate it. Just don't ask me how it ends...
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
January 12, 2024
Here’s the book, non-spoiler version:
-Author ego
-Broken fourth wall narration
-Pastiche of dialogue and narrative quips
-Choppy sentences
-The constant feeling of being both condescended to and ceaselessly led to a conclusion that was parsed out to you, word by word, throughout the read
-Mixed media formats
This is like looking at cinema comedy-mysteries in a funhouse mirror.
What would those stories have been like if they’d been written in a novel format—but without any added narrative elements to make it a “novel” versus a non-formatted screenplay? It would be this story. Quips with no substance tied to a concept trying to be clever but just rehashing the greats instead.
-Author ego
-Broken fourth wall narration
-Pastiche of dialogue and narrative quips
-Choppy sentences
-The constant feeling of being both condescended to and ceaselessly led to a conclusion that was parsed out to you, word by word, throughout the read
-Mixed media formats
This is like looking at cinema comedy-mysteries in a funhouse mirror.
What would those stories have been like if they’d been written in a novel format—but without any added narrative elements to make it a “novel” versus a non-formatted screenplay? It would be this story. Quips with no substance tied to a concept trying to be clever but just rehashing the greats instead.
May 10, 2023
I'm genuinely sad to be giving this book 3 stars. I spent about 80% of it thinking it was a 4-5 star read.
This book is a love letter to murder mysteries. I'd say if you are not well-versed in your Agatha Christie (I mean, you need to have read ALL the Poirots at least), your Arthur Conan Doyle, even Chesterton's Father Brown, this book is not for you. Do not read it. And if you haven't read this book and want to, stop here because SPOILERS AHEAD.
The jumping between third person, first person, and even the rather unique "we" was confusing but refreshing. I actually loved reading a murder mystery in which the author stops to geek out with me over murder mysteries themselves, their structures, and the examples of them from the greatest authors of these stories.
But it dropped me like a hot potato at 80%. When we switch suddenly to a script, inserting a nameless "reader" who is at first audience member, then cast member, who knows everything but we don't know how or why. No. I'm sorry, it just did not work. And here's why it didn't work: I actually love that we don't know the "whodunnit" that we most desperately want to know. I love that we don't know who killed Adam, or rather, that we do know, really, it was the author who killed them all.
This is the kind of ending that you love for infuriating you. Or you would, if you'd not just waded through about a fifth of the book suddenly being a script, wrapping up everything with "Reader" who has zero reason to have all the answers. I think he could have left the book as a narrative; maybe sweet, weirdo Ralph comes in with interrogation and answers, perhaps assisted by Emma who I think saw more than she gets credit for. Or that last 20% could have been all these horrible people outing each other and their secrets.
So yeah, it loses 2 full stars for switching to a script. I just think the author broke one too many rules in doing so.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a love letter to murder mysteries. I'd say if you are not well-versed in your Agatha Christie (I mean, you need to have read ALL the Poirots at least), your Arthur Conan Doyle, even Chesterton's Father Brown, this book is not for you. Do not read it. And if you haven't read this book and want to, stop here because SPOILERS AHEAD.
The jumping between third person, first person, and even the rather unique "we" was confusing but refreshing. I actually loved reading a murder mystery in which the author stops to geek out with me over murder mysteries themselves, their structures, and the examples of them from the greatest authors of these stories.
But it dropped me like a hot potato at 80%. When we switch suddenly to a script, inserting a nameless "reader" who is at first audience member, then cast member, who knows everything but we don't know how or why. No. I'm sorry, it just did not work. And here's why it didn't work: I actually love that we don't know the "whodunnit" that we most desperately want to know. I love that we don't know who killed Adam, or rather, that we do know, really, it was the author who killed them all.
This is the kind of ending that you love for infuriating you. Or you would, if you'd not just waded through about a fifth of the book suddenly being a script, wrapping up everything with "Reader" who has zero reason to have all the answers. I think he could have left the book as a narrative; maybe sweet, weirdo Ralph comes in with interrogation and answers, perhaps assisted by Emma who I think saw more than she gets credit for. Or that last 20% could have been all these horrible people outing each other and their secrets.
So yeah, it loses 2 full stars for switching to a script. I just think the author broke one too many rules in doing so.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2023
Reading Notes:
- Day One starts as a, sort of, mystery existentialist overview. Setting the scene and players through an explained lense of rules, observations, and traditional mystery reader/writer etiquette using non-traditional means. A fourth wall break. It’s all going to depend on the reader’s preference, if it will work for you or not.
- Day Two begins with first person narrative for a couple pages before it jumps right back into the omniscient narrator/author musing on the nature of mystery structure. And then back again to first person. Honestly, it’s an interesting writing device… but it’s also slightly annoying. I can’t build a rhythm to my reading experience. I keep getting jolted around and out. It’s essentially using 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd person narrative nearly simultaneously. Ambitious, but flawed.
- The wistful and emotional projections on to the reader are irritating. Stop surmising how I must be thinking or feeling and just let me read the damn story. I’m actually thinking that the author didn’t have enough of a mystery to fill 250 pages so these devices are all interjected to fill out an idea that would actually take 50 pages to tell completely otherwise.
- Okay, hear me out, it’s mansplaining. What was an interesting storytelling idea at first, now that I’ve had enough interjections to tell me how mystery novels work and how I, the reader, am thinking/feeling, it comes into focus as being condescended to. I feel like this entire story is being mansplained to me. Not a good look, obviously.
- Is there a writing device that the author didn’t use? In addition to the above, throw in some lists, questionnaire, interviews, case studies, and nearly the entire ending is told as a freaking Play; prologue, scenes and all. I spent so much brain space focused on all these “methods” that I didn’t give a damn about any murders or any people.
- The book tried to be meta but really it’s just a mess. That ending was pure shit.
* I received a free early copy from the publisher
- Day One starts as a, sort of, mystery existentialist overview. Setting the scene and players through an explained lense of rules, observations, and traditional mystery reader/writer etiquette using non-traditional means. A fourth wall break. It’s all going to depend on the reader’s preference, if it will work for you or not.
- Day Two begins with first person narrative for a couple pages before it jumps right back into the omniscient narrator/author musing on the nature of mystery structure. And then back again to first person. Honestly, it’s an interesting writing device… but it’s also slightly annoying. I can’t build a rhythm to my reading experience. I keep getting jolted around and out. It’s essentially using 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd person narrative nearly simultaneously. Ambitious, but flawed.
- The wistful and emotional projections on to the reader are irritating. Stop surmising how I must be thinking or feeling and just let me read the damn story. I’m actually thinking that the author didn’t have enough of a mystery to fill 250 pages so these devices are all interjected to fill out an idea that would actually take 50 pages to tell completely otherwise.
- Okay, hear me out, it’s mansplaining. What was an interesting storytelling idea at first, now that I’ve had enough interjections to tell me how mystery novels work and how I, the reader, am thinking/feeling, it comes into focus as being condescended to. I feel like this entire story is being mansplained to me. Not a good look, obviously.
- Is there a writing device that the author didn’t use? In addition to the above, throw in some lists, questionnaire, interviews, case studies, and nearly the entire ending is told as a freaking Play; prologue, scenes and all. I spent so much brain space focused on all these “methods” that I didn’t give a damn about any murders or any people.
- The book tried to be meta but really it’s just a mess. That ending was pure shit.
* I received a free early copy from the publisher
November 1, 2023
p.8
I want the author to stop telling me what I think. Just tell the story.
p.27
Seems the author uses big words just to use them: "left in the wake of that oracular pronouncement", "the all-too disappointing denouement". There are also run-on reference sections (like the section on outdated fabrics).
p.30
Started skipping whole sections at the beginning of "Rules".
Skipped to page 100 to see if the author ever stops breaking through the 4th wall to include the reader and tell them what they think. He doesn't so I stop reading the book. I don't care what the mystery is and I don't care if it's ever solved. I also don't know how this book ever got published.
I want the author to stop telling me what I think. Just tell the story.
p.27
Seems the author uses big words just to use them: "left in the wake of that oracular pronouncement", "the all-too disappointing denouement". There are also run-on reference sections (like the section on outdated fabrics).
p.30
Started skipping whole sections at the beginning of "Rules".
Skipped to page 100 to see if the author ever stops breaking through the 4th wall to include the reader and tell them what they think. He doesn't so I stop reading the book. I don't care what the mystery is and I don't care if it's ever solved. I also don't know how this book ever got published.
August 7, 2023
West Heart Kill - Dann McDorman
Private Detective Adam McAnnis contacts a college friend he hasn’t seen in quite a while and finagles an invitation to join him during The Bicentennial Fourth of July weekend at a private upstate New York hunting club. Why is he really there? The corpses pile up among the moneyed, adulterous residents in this creative, unconventional mystery.
This is a very unique approach to a mystery story. The narrative styles vacillate. The reader’s role changes from that of voyeur to that of sleuth; the writing style devolves from narrative into play script. Along the way, through multiple digressions, the reader is schooled in the nature of mysteries and techniques of their writers through the ages.
I’m not quite sure what to make of this book. I give the author credit for his clever reimagining of a traditional mystery and I enjoyed the references to classic stories and tropes of this genre.
However, I was disappointed in the way it concluded, having felt that it deteriorated near the end leaving this reader less than satisfied.
Those looking for creativity or who enjoy metafiction will like this book. Just don’t go into it expecting a customary whodoneit.
Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for the ARC
Private Detective Adam McAnnis contacts a college friend he hasn’t seen in quite a while and finagles an invitation to join him during The Bicentennial Fourth of July weekend at a private upstate New York hunting club. Why is he really there? The corpses pile up among the moneyed, adulterous residents in this creative, unconventional mystery.
This is a very unique approach to a mystery story. The narrative styles vacillate. The reader’s role changes from that of voyeur to that of sleuth; the writing style devolves from narrative into play script. Along the way, through multiple digressions, the reader is schooled in the nature of mysteries and techniques of their writers through the ages.
I’m not quite sure what to make of this book. I give the author credit for his clever reimagining of a traditional mystery and I enjoyed the references to classic stories and tropes of this genre.
However, I was disappointed in the way it concluded, having felt that it deteriorated near the end leaving this reader less than satisfied.
Those looking for creativity or who enjoy metafiction will like this book. Just don’t go into it expecting a customary whodoneit.
Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for the ARC
October 24, 2023
So this very different writing style was just not for me. Struggled to finish even and the ending was disappointing.
Point of view randomly changes. Has blurbs with definitions that lead to other book references throughout. Written from mainly a private detective point of view, also had q and a format. Just very all over the place, wanted to be like Knives out and was similar but just didn’t intrigue me or keep me interested at all. Also was very hard to follow.
Thanks to netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Point of view randomly changes. Has blurbs with definitions that lead to other book references throughout. Written from mainly a private detective point of view, also had q and a format. Just very all over the place, wanted to be like Knives out and was similar but just didn’t intrigue me or keep me interested at all. Also was very hard to follow.
Thanks to netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Currently reading
May 25, 2023just started and so far cute
June 15, 2023
What an annoying book. A mystery story constantly interrupted by the authors lectures on the history of mysteries or his critique of his own writing. The ending was particularly annoying.
October 6, 2023
This is presented in a highly unique style that made it difficult for me to connect with, not only the characters, but the story as a whole. I usually read a book from beginning to end within a couple of days if not hours but I found myself opening and closing this one in a battle to get it read. It was a bit exhausting for me. I believe there are readers who are going to love this style, but I’m looking for a more traditional read with great twists and not one that I have to work so hard to enjoy.
May 9, 2023
It's a rare but thrilling find when one well-read in the genre can call a mystery novel, in all honesty, exciting. This is one of them.
Meta and self-referential without being smug — itself a rarity that denotes immense wit and skill in proper hands — West Heart Kill is a unique, original, and utterly delightful ride that knows well the art of stealing to create the something better, something different (integrating the canon and history of its predecessors into the narrative; these are not mere inspirations or winks towards, but fundamental parts of, the narrative). A brilliant experience for lovers of literature in all its forms, this debut novel is a triumph, serving as both a tribute to and marvelous addition to the art of murder and mystery.
That said, while I cannot recommend this enough to avid readers of the genre, I must also temper expectations by saying that this novel absolutely has the capacity to be divisive; readers who dislike the uncanny, are put off by the meta, and believe the fourth wall is a critical part of the experience they seek while reading will want to skip this one. The characters here are all takes on the classics, slightly to the left; the reader is one of these characters. For some, who do not understand what they're in for and would have avoided it if they had, this might be unsettling. While I do believe that fair warning is necessary in helping West Heart Kill find its most appreciative audience, I admit that I'm glad I, personally, went in blind; to me, this was a marvelous surprise. I cannot recall a time when I read the entirety of a novel (though to refer to this as a novel is, perhaps, itself misleading; it plays fast and loose within its written mediums) with a grin on my face. This is, perhaps, the first in a long, long time.
West Heart Kill is a stunning, exceptional, and, critically, thoroughly enjoyable novel which will be devoured by devotees and casual enjoyers of the murder mystery alike. It's not for everyone, but those it's for are in for great fun. A terrific success.
Expected publication 24 Oct 23 ❦ Thank you NetGalley!
Meta and self-referential without being smug — itself a rarity that denotes immense wit and skill in proper hands — West Heart Kill is a unique, original, and utterly delightful ride that knows well the art of stealing to create the something better, something different (integrating the canon and history of its predecessors into the narrative; these are not mere inspirations or winks towards, but fundamental parts of, the narrative). A brilliant experience for lovers of literature in all its forms, this debut novel is a triumph, serving as both a tribute to and marvelous addition to the art of murder and mystery.
That said, while I cannot recommend this enough to avid readers of the genre, I must also temper expectations by saying that this novel absolutely has the capacity to be divisive; readers who dislike the uncanny, are put off by the meta, and believe the fourth wall is a critical part of the experience they seek while reading will want to skip this one. The characters here are all takes on the classics, slightly to the left; the reader is one of these characters. For some, who do not understand what they're in for and would have avoided it if they had, this might be unsettling. While I do believe that fair warning is necessary in helping West Heart Kill find its most appreciative audience, I admit that I'm glad I, personally, went in blind; to me, this was a marvelous surprise. I cannot recall a time when I read the entirety of a novel (though to refer to this as a novel is, perhaps, itself misleading; it plays fast and loose within its written mediums) with a grin on my face. This is, perhaps, the first in a long, long time.
West Heart Kill is a stunning, exceptional, and, critically, thoroughly enjoyable novel which will be devoured by devotees and casual enjoyers of the murder mystery alike. It's not for everyone, but those it's for are in for great fun. A terrific success.
Expected publication 24 Oct 23 ❦ Thank you NetGalley!
September 1, 2023
Hated it. For about 10% of the book, I was intrigued, but forced myself to read the other 90% in hopes that it would redeem itself. It didn’t. I wish I had followed my instinct to put it down and never pick it up again, but I was convinced the unusual writing style (narrator speaking directly to the reader mixed with screenplay?) would pay off. It didn’t.
May 25, 2023
When I first started this book, I didn't know what to expect, and my first instinct was "this book isn't for me." But because I had agreed to read it, I decided to give it a chance and at least read a bit more. And within a few pages I was hooked. I was hooting with laughter and loving the second person sections where the author told me what I was thinking. I was really into it. I loved all the little history lessons and I added so many classic mysteries to my to-read shelf because of how they were described here. For the first 75% of the book, I was enthralled. I was recommending it to my friends, talking it up in my book groups, the works.
Then, I got to the climax, the remaining 25% of the book, and I was turned off faster than you can say "ugh." This lovely novel that I'd been enjoying became a play. I kid you not, a play, with characters on a stage and a plant in the audience and really weird descriptions for why everything happened. It was written so strangely at this point, that I could barely understand who committed certain crimes and why. Everything was distracting away from the actual content. And then there was the big reveal at the very end, and while I'm still not even sure I understand who the murderer is, if it's who I think it is, I could vomit. That's gotta be the worst ending for a mystery that I have ever read, and I've read hundreds. I've never been so disappointed in the whodunit. Even Gone Girl made more sense than this.
So now I'm stuck. I want to give this a decent rating because so much of the book was incredibly enjoyable for me. But so much of that enjoyment has turned to dust because of the ending. I might recommend future readers only read the first 3/4 of the book and ignore the ending, since honestly it would be better if you had no idea who the murderer was than finding out who the author decided it is. I'm so dejected right now because I really thought this book was something special in a good way, and it's the other kind of special. The kind that gets you all excited and then leaves you wishing you could erase sections from your memory. After all the talk about mysteries, the reader is left with a huge one at the end of the book--and I for one hate it when some things are left unexplained. What a disappointment.
I can't not recommend this book because there are too many interesting things in the pages. The sections about mysteries, the traits of good mysteries, and the history of mysteries are all amazing. Parts of the actual mystery are interesting, but only the parts in second person. The rest of the book I would recommend skipping for your own sanity. Talking just about the parts I enjoyed: If you rarely read mystery novels, this book probably isn't for you. You might not find this book interesting if mysteries in general don't captivate you. But if you've ever tried to write a novel or short story, focusing on characters' motivations, you'll love this. If you've read more than 5 mysteries in the last year, this book is for you. If you've ever gotten to the end of a mystery and, at the big reveal, wondered how the author could have slipped in so many (now) obvious clues without you noticing them, there's a chance this book will become a new favorite.
But stop reading when the play starts if you don't want a nasty taste left in your mouth.
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here are a few quotes for the book that I think will give prospective readers an idea if this book is for them. Please note that these quotes are from the ARC and may not reflect the book when it is published.
"McAnnis does in fact remember her, from a trip to the Blakes ’ apartment in the city, during college, but she was just a kid then, with the full horror show: braces, acne, awkwardness. But now she is an altogether different creature . . . and you think, as you read the passage that follows, of how all novelistic descriptions are essentially exercises in voyeurism and fantasy, especially when, as here, the words evoke the tropes of what academics call the male gaze: tanned thighs, ripped jean shorts, star-spangled red-white-and-blue-bikini-topped breasts, blond shag framing cheeks dotted with summer freckles . . . descriptions that, you’ve always suspected, reveal more about the writers than the characters they’ve invented."
"Since every reader is, by definition, a voyeur, you don’t hesitate to peek over the detective’s shoulder as he rotates the drug bottles to read the labels. Noting evidence of the affluent insomniac: Aspirin. Valium. Flurazepam. The merely embarrassing: Preparation H. Vagisil. The expected: Minoxidil. Premarin. And the intriguing: Ritalin. Quaalude-300. A writer so inclined, you reflect, could build a biography based solely on the contents of a person’s medicine cabinet. You think, also, that an overdose of sleeping pills is a frequent, if unreliable, method of murder."
"As a general rule, in murder mysteries, the least likable character is the most likely to die. But devious writers can anticipate your knowledge of this cliché and thrust a character like Warren Burr into early prominence to surprise you, later, with an entirely different victim. Or, perhaps, more devious still, circle back and kill him off in a double bluff— destined to die all along, exploiting and perverting your expectations from the start. Of course, some writers, among them not the least skilled, use much the same trick to mask and unmask their murderers . . ."
"Readers, like detectives, have nothing to go on but their own experience, and so, from the first sentence of this book, perhaps without even realizing it, you’ve been reviewing past fictions the way a sleuth might consult his case files for possible solutions or at least lines of inquiry. As a student of murder, you know that every crime initially presents with a virtually endless set of potential clues and storylines. But, properly pursued, every investigation takes on the shape of a funnel, ultimately narrowing to the motives that have driven men and women to kill for thousands of years—love, hate, fear, greed, jealousy—along with a panoply of lesser vices—lust, ambition, rage, vanity, shame, cowardice. And so, like a forensic detective who seeks to match crime-scene fingerprints to a database of known criminals, you understand that the answers to this mystery may be found in the case files of your prior reading."
Then, I got to the climax, the remaining 25% of the book, and I was turned off faster than you can say "ugh." This lovely novel that I'd been enjoying became a play. I kid you not, a play, with characters on a stage and a plant in the audience and really weird descriptions for why everything happened. It was written so strangely at this point, that I could barely understand who committed certain crimes and why. Everything was distracting away from the actual content. And then there was the big reveal at the very end, and while I'm still not even sure I understand who the murderer is, if it's who I think it is, I could vomit. That's gotta be the worst ending for a mystery that I have ever read, and I've read hundreds. I've never been so disappointed in the whodunit. Even Gone Girl made more sense than this.
So now I'm stuck. I want to give this a decent rating because so much of the book was incredibly enjoyable for me. But so much of that enjoyment has turned to dust because of the ending. I might recommend future readers only read the first 3/4 of the book and ignore the ending, since honestly it would be better if you had no idea who the murderer was than finding out who the author decided it is. I'm so dejected right now because I really thought this book was something special in a good way, and it's the other kind of special. The kind that gets you all excited and then leaves you wishing you could erase sections from your memory. After all the talk about mysteries, the reader is left with a huge one at the end of the book--and I for one hate it when some things are left unexplained. What a disappointment.
I can't not recommend this book because there are too many interesting things in the pages. The sections about mysteries, the traits of good mysteries, and the history of mysteries are all amazing. Parts of the actual mystery are interesting, but only the parts in second person. The rest of the book I would recommend skipping for your own sanity. Talking just about the parts I enjoyed: If you rarely read mystery novels, this book probably isn't for you. You might not find this book interesting if mysteries in general don't captivate you. But if you've ever tried to write a novel or short story, focusing on characters' motivations, you'll love this. If you've read more than 5 mysteries in the last year, this book is for you. If you've ever gotten to the end of a mystery and, at the big reveal, wondered how the author could have slipped in so many (now) obvious clues without you noticing them, there's a chance this book will become a new favorite.
But stop reading when the play starts if you don't want a nasty taste left in your mouth.
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here are a few quotes for the book that I think will give prospective readers an idea if this book is for them. Please note that these quotes are from the ARC and may not reflect the book when it is published.
"McAnnis does in fact remember her, from a trip to the Blakes ’ apartment in the city, during college, but she was just a kid then, with the full horror show: braces, acne, awkwardness. But now she is an altogether different creature . . . and you think, as you read the passage that follows, of how all novelistic descriptions are essentially exercises in voyeurism and fantasy, especially when, as here, the words evoke the tropes of what academics call the male gaze: tanned thighs, ripped jean shorts, star-spangled red-white-and-blue-bikini-topped breasts, blond shag framing cheeks dotted with summer freckles . . . descriptions that, you’ve always suspected, reveal more about the writers than the characters they’ve invented."
"Since every reader is, by definition, a voyeur, you don’t hesitate to peek over the detective’s shoulder as he rotates the drug bottles to read the labels. Noting evidence of the affluent insomniac: Aspirin. Valium. Flurazepam. The merely embarrassing: Preparation H. Vagisil. The expected: Minoxidil. Premarin. And the intriguing: Ritalin. Quaalude-300. A writer so inclined, you reflect, could build a biography based solely on the contents of a person’s medicine cabinet. You think, also, that an overdose of sleeping pills is a frequent, if unreliable, method of murder."
"As a general rule, in murder mysteries, the least likable character is the most likely to die. But devious writers can anticipate your knowledge of this cliché and thrust a character like Warren Burr into early prominence to surprise you, later, with an entirely different victim. Or, perhaps, more devious still, circle back and kill him off in a double bluff— destined to die all along, exploiting and perverting your expectations from the start. Of course, some writers, among them not the least skilled, use much the same trick to mask and unmask their murderers . . ."
"Readers, like detectives, have nothing to go on but their own experience, and so, from the first sentence of this book, perhaps without even realizing it, you’ve been reviewing past fictions the way a sleuth might consult his case files for possible solutions or at least lines of inquiry. As a student of murder, you know that every crime initially presents with a virtually endless set of potential clues and storylines. But, properly pursued, every investigation takes on the shape of a funnel, ultimately narrowing to the motives that have driven men and women to kill for thousands of years—love, hate, fear, greed, jealousy—along with a panoply of lesser vices—lust, ambition, rage, vanity, shame, cowardice. And so, like a forensic detective who seeks to match crime-scene fingerprints to a database of known criminals, you understand that the answers to this mystery may be found in the case files of your prior reading."
February 9, 2024
You know when you read a book you don't like because even making fun of it is entertaining? This is nothing like that. I closed this book when I was done and whispered "I hate you" to it before putting it down. I have never been more frustrated while reading. The back cover pulled me in. The idea of a second person point of view was such a fun concept I just had to read it. Don't be like me, don't waste your time.
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 4, 2023DNF 41%
No Murder, only constant contemplation of the genre and a whole lot of misdirection. Just not for me.
No Murder, only constant contemplation of the genre and a whole lot of misdirection. Just not for me.
March 15, 2024
i am in dire need of a lobotomy in the best way possible
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