I did not realize this wasn’t a standalone, but thankfully it’s only book two so I don’t feel like I missed out a lot on any background. The plot read like a standalone as well, so I didn’t feel like I missed anything from not having read the first.

This is a fun, Agatha Christie inspired mystery. The MC is an amateur sleuth and there are some subtle nods to Christie throughout.

This book had some Agatha Christie moments that brought this book up a star for me. The mystery itself was interesting but the main characters endless thoughts made this hard to read.

Invitation to a Killer by G. M. Malliet was a fun, cozy read. I enjoyed the storyline and characters in this series. The ease of the writing and narration were also great.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley and publisher, author. This one just fell a bit flat for me. I couldn't really get into it sadly.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Pretty good twist on the classic "locked in with a killer" narrative! would recommend!!

Reading this second in a new mystery series reminded me of how much I like this author. I loved the way the author combines publishing and Washington society and ties it all up in the end with a traditional mystery reveal. I need to go back and read book 1.

Thank you to @Severn House for the ARC. This was my first introduction to G.M. Malliet books and I enjoyed it very much. The idea of a author being a detective to catch a killer was so much fun to read. I enjoyed the main character and her snooping ways of getting information from suspects. The twist at the end, i did not see coming.

I absolutely loved this audiobook! To me, as a Northern Virginia-native who listens to audiobooks exclusively on her commute, this was perfect. It highlights a love of books (author protagonist? check), an intriguing mystery (a legitimate murder mystery dinner party? check), juicy DC drama (the vapid lobbyist's spouse trying to capitalize on everyone else's dirt? check), and even a sweet, accented plot twist (the victim's British niece... check?). While I imagine reading the first book in the series may help a little, Augusta Hawke and her world are thoroughly explained along the way, so this would make a great one-off read or series to dive into. I for one can't wait to find out what Narduzzi called about at the end... When's that sequel coming?!

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I love a writer/sleuth and Augusta was a joy. This is just what you're looking for when you pick up a mystery like this.

I went looking for other books by this author as soon as I finished it.

The witty main character is great along with all the side characters having “fun” back stories and razor sharp rebuttals. That’s why it makes me disappointed that the main story line, for me, was a bit hard to follow as the narrator is not super engaging and found myself bored at times.

I got this book as an audiobook, and good thing, if I was reading it, it would still be on my nightstand after the first 90 pages. This book is about a small town writer who finds herself caught in a mystery of who done it and making it her job to help out the police. I didn't read the first book, and have no plans to do so.

DNF, I just couldn't finish it. I found it slow paced and boring. Maybe this was my fault, I don't love a locked room story typically. I'm sure others will find this enjoyable, but it just really wasn't for me.

I’m not sure this book style was for me or if it was the narrator that I didn’t find engaging. At the beginning, the content seemed overly heavy and descriptive on the writing industry. It didn’t draw me into the story and the pacing seemed slow. It wasn’t until about 60% in that it picked up a bit and the plot started to develop and unfold. There was something missing for me and I could not get invested in the story or characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review the audiobook.

Once again Augusta, a crime novelist by day finds herself in the middle of a crime scene. Or is it? She is one of the few to believe it that it was murder and not natural causes so she dives head in to solve the crime she believes has taken place.
She suspects so many and with good reason. These are not good people. Egomaniacs, entitled, snobby, liars, believing themselves to be above the law, narcissists and at least one of them guilty of murder. I listened to the audiobook and didn’t love the narration. It was quite monotone and didn’t draw in at all. I personally didn’t connect with the main character and found the story somewhat formulaic. It was okay, but for me not nearly as engaging as the first in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for accepting my request to read and review Invitation to a Killer.

Published: 02/07/23

Narrator Erin Dion would work for me in some books; however not with this one, and I can't put my finger on my problem. Her voice just didn't work. (The narrator for Sue Grafton's A-M books -- Mary, could pull this off if that helps with my thinking.).

I didn't care for the story either, and I may as well go all in -- I didn't like any of the characters. Throughout most of the book I was bored, and I had to stop several times to keep some focus.

The writer, everyone wants something from me, and I'm not as good as other writers storyline -- I've read before, too many times.

I did enjoy the crack on James Patterson. Patterson struck a chord of truth with me. There were several other funny parts. Kinsey's black dress brought back fond memories.

This reads like a cozy.

I do believe there is an audience, just not me. If the things I eluded to don't bother you, give this a try.

It took great effort to get through this book. I gave it a three because I determined the assignment was to write something akin to an episode of a night time soap from the 80s. And that's what this felt like to me. So, the author did the assignment and it gets a passing grade for that. However, a gripping murder mystery it is not.

Side bar.... those trashing the author because she's "woke". Get over it. Not all characters are going to view the world the same as you or as even the other characters in the novel.

This isn't a bad book for what it is, but it's not all that good either. I equate 3 stars to a C. If this is your kind of book, you'll probably like it. Middle of the road.

I'd give the author another chance as some of my favorite authors have produced some middle of the road novels and then penned a masterpiece.

For me, if I was craving this type of book, I'd read some old Sydney Sheldon novel.

C

I love books set in my “hometown” so I was excited to read this. And then I was reminded of why I don’t live there anymore: the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality and name-dropping is something I do not miss. Add to that a somewhat routine mystery that didn’t really grab my interest and I was not going to enjoy this book. I did like Augusta’s snarkiness and her self-deprecating humor but that wasn’t enough to keep me invested in this story.

I love books like this where the normal person becomes a private detective and solves crimes verses the police always doing it. I know it is their job but I just love the little guy/girl doing the crime fighting. This is an awesome book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting mystery that could be read as a standalone as I was not aware this was part of a series.

I read the first book in this series and I am glad that I did. It helped me get into this story more easily. This book is better than the first one and I will definitely read another one by this author. I did feel that it moved a bit slowly and sometimes had a hard time keeping me invested in the story. Overall I am not unhappy that I spent my time with this book!

#InvitationtoaKiller
#NetGalley