A ghostwriter is asked to write Senator Dorothy Gibson's memoir and ends up investigating a murder with her. Even though they are supposed to work on the book, they find themselves trying to figure out what really happened to Dorothy's neighbor who they had met recently. Overall, a quick mystery of two women digging for the truth. An interesting start to the series and looking forward to another installment.

Witty, entertaining, gripping: a mix of comedy and political thriller. Well plotted, fleshed out characters, a fast paced and solid plot.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher, all opinions are mine

This is a good start to a new cozy mystery series! I liked the main character, the mystery was engaging, and the pop-culture shout outs throughout were fun to read. Mr. Donovan creates a modern day "Golden Age" mystery, with plenty of clues for the reader to find, as well as red herrings to lead you down the wrong path.

I did find the romance to be a bit forced (it didn't add much to the story) and the main premise was a little distracting - the ghostwriter is writing a famous political figure's memoir - it felt like the author was hitting us over the head that Dorothy was modeled after Hillary Clinton. It just felt forced and distracting, I would have enjoyed the mystery more if Dorothy were just herself and not (seemingly) Hillary's fictional twin.

An interesting start to a new series. Told from the perspective of the ghostwriter, we never learn her name. I enjoyed following along on the sleuthing, and look forward to the next installment
Many thanks to Kensington, and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The busy body

Made it to part 2 with nothing of note happening. The writing style is a little meta, the narrarator frequently breaks the 4th wall. And there's just a lot if scenery descriptions.

I made it to 25% before DNF'ing. The writing feels like it's trying to immulate Gilmore Girls: lots of classic novels you may or may not have heard of are mentioned, popular TV shows are referenced, and there are plenty of jokes & descriptive fashion choices.

The fact that the murder doesn't occur till about 20% was a turn off for me. I like my mysteries a little more fast-paced.

This book was brilliant! BRILLIANT!!! The writing was WOOOOOWWW.

I laughed, I was engaged fully and I wasn't left wanting. I loved the characters and the storybuilding.

Like I said, BRILLIANT.

The Busy Body is the first book in a stylish classic modern mystery series by Kemper Donovan. Released 23rd Jan 2024 by Kensington, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a first person classic-pattern mystery with a protagonist who remains anonymous throughout. She's a ghost writer, with a new dream assignment to shadow a Hillary Clinton-esque independent candidate (Dorothy) who has split the vote enough that a dark horse outsider (he who shall not be named) has successfully gained the presidency. When Dorothy's neigbor dies in odd circumstances, they decide to investigate on their own, to the chagrin of the local constabulary.

Although it's an odd (too clever?) twist to have the ghost writer remain anonymous, the prose is well crafted and it won't be problematic for most readers. Mr. Donovan manages to convey a female voice reasonably well, and the fact that the character wasn't continually referred to by name never made it feel like she was genderless or masculine.

The story culminates in a Poirot-gets-the-suspects-together denouement, and although many readers will be expecting the big reveal, it was well written and entertaining. Definitely plans for future volumes given the epilogue. It's not at all derivative, but fans of modern intellectual classic mysteries like those by Anthony Horowitz, Nita Prowse, and Richard Osman will find a lot to like.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours 6 minutes and is capably narrated by Eva Kaminsky. She has a slightly earthy alto voice with a neutral accent (east coast American but not distinctively regional) and does a good job of delineating the various characters of both sexes and a range of ages. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars for both print and audiobook formats.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I loved this one! Truly I could not put it down when I started; the characters are vibrant and especially the nameless ghost writer who has isolated herself other than her work. The narrator has secrets in her background that I hope we see more of in future books (🤞🏻). She was so much fun to follow and I loved the pieces of stream of concious and the pop culture references that brought a pop of humor to a serious murder mystery. I had an idea about the solution and I was partly right (woooo) and adored the Poirot-style reveal with the gathering of all the suspects.

Loved this very creative new mystery and hope that it becomes a series. It's about a ghostwriter who gets a plum assignment -- collaborate with a failed female presidential candidate (think Hillary Clinton-esque) to write her memoir, all while staying in her remote Maine mansion. There's a murder or two, and the ghostwriter and the candidate team up to solve it. This really kept me engaged from start to finish. The plot is great, but even better is the voice of the ghostwriter, who narrates -- very witty! I look forward to recommending this title.

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan is a rollicking mystery packed with humour, dalliances and twists. The narrator is unnamed which really appeals to my sense of curiosity. She becomes ex-Senator Dorothy Gibson's live-in ghost writer and the unlikely yet complementary duo tracks down the person responsible for killing a neighbour they had recently met. They encounter all sorts of hijinks. The resolution is quite gratifying, some of it wonderfully surprising.

What drew me to this book initially was the hope of Agatha Christie-esque style but as a rabid Christie fan who has read each of her mysteries a minimum of three times, it did not remind me of her writing or manner. However, Donovan has his own unique writing style with wit, clever red herrings and interesting characterization. Unfortunately. I did not especially feel strongly enough about the characters to be riveted to my seat as I had hoped.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this novel.

“Frankly I think hate is an underrated motivation for lots of things.”

The host of the “All About Agatha” podcast injects the spark and fizz of a Golden Age murder mystery into the present-day, as a ghostwriter is chosen to collaborate on a presidential candidate’s memoir, only to discover just how much trouble a smart woman with time on her hands can get up to . . .

This was a page turning murder mystery with an old school Agatha Christie vibe to it. The Busy Body is book 1 in the new The Ghostwriter series and it’s a solid start! The mystery kept me guessing and I really loved the spunk and fire of presidential candidate Dorothy Gibson. The book does a quick about face early on, going from a setup for the ghostwriter to write a memoir about Dorothy in picturesque Maine to a straight up whodunit. Throw in a hot (and young) security guard and some questionable neighbors and you have yourself the start of a great new series.

The audiobook is narrated by Eva Kaminsky and boy did she do a great job with it. There are a lot of characters and a lot of moving parts and she gives each character their own distinct voice and accent, really helping to differentiate them all while listening. I highly recommend!

“There is nothing more dangerous than a woman who gets stuff done.” 👏🏻👏🏻

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media, Kensington Books, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This one took me a few pages to get into but then I was hooked! I love some internal snarky monologue, amateur sleuths, and glimpses into various careers, all of which THE BUSY BODY delivered. I'd definitely read more by this author.

THE BUSY BODY is a new cozy mystery by Kemper Donovan, the host of the podcast All About Agatha. The narrator is a ghost writer who is hired to write the memoir for a losing presidential candidate. Together, the two women set about to solve a neighbor's murder. I think the cover is especially clever, but I had difficulty reading the preview text in both the Kindle app and NetGalley apps. Therefore, I am giving this story a neutral 3 star rating. Do note that it received a starred review from Library Journal and is a LibraryReads selection for January 2024 and an IndieNext Pick for February 2024.

Kemper Donovan’s The Busy Body is a charming cozy mystery. It has all the right elements, but I didn’t love it. A ghostwriter is invited to help write the biography of a woman presidential hopeful who narrowly lost the election. While on assignment with former Senator Dorothy Gibson the two stumble into a murder investigation. Antics unfold and all is revealed in the final scene.

I am sure this book will find its readers and it will be well received. I didn’t enjoy the main character’s voice and direct to audience approach. I’m not a fan of books that are being written by the main character, so this was just a miss for me.

An original story-line with some very well developed original characters. The story is told from the viewpoint of a ghostwriter who is working with Senator Dorothy Gibson, Independent party nominee for US President. The Senator really didn't stand a chance of winning, so she becomes the scapegoat when the voting results are split and the citizens are not happy with the winner. But in a race, someone is not going t0o be happy, right?

When our intrepid ghost writer accompanies the Senator to her home community, the two of them will find themselves in an unusual job, detectives in a murder investigation. Their lack of skills will not hold them back from digging up more dirt than is in most flower beds.

THE BUSY BODY was a very entertaining read. The characters worked so well together they must have been delivered by Amazon as a set......read at your own risk, you will not want to set it down for any amount of time.

The protagonist of this book, the ghost writer (her name is never given), gets the project of her dreams. She is to write the memoirs of former presidential candidate, Dorothy Gibson. It turns out that Gibson is quite a piece of work.

But life gets disruptive when they discover a murder next door. It turns out that the ghostwriter and Dorothy make quite a crimesolving team.

This was a wonderful book. The plot had plenty of twists and turns. And the writing was superb. I loved it.

This was an interesting whodunnit involving a ghost writer, a former Senator who ran for President and a wealthy actress who is found dead in her bathtub. The book started with some background on the ghostwriter (unnamed)
who is hired to write a memoir of the failed presidential candidate. Dorothy Gibson, is a dynamic likable workaholic with a brilliant mind. The ghostwriter jumps at the opportunity to tell Dorothy's story and after a day of getting to know each other, the women go to the local liquor store to stock up for their work together. While at the store, Dorothy's neighbor - Vivian Davis notices her, tells her that she is sorry that she didn't win the election, and describes a money raising campaign to support her. Vivian, who is friendly, but a little too enthusiastic, insists on a selfie with Dorothy, which of course is posted on social media and goes viral The next day, Vivian is found dead in her bathtub and Dorothy and the ghost writer attend the memorial where we are introduced to the other characters, along with their backgrounds, and possible motives.
The plot was thoroughly developed ala Agatha Christie, and it was well paced and the scenarios were well described. I thought that the ghost writer was a little cynical and snarky, and I never really got her back story. The book included a lot of her internal monologues and it got a little tedious. I think the romantic element could have been entirely eliminated as it didn't add anything to the story.
The ending was twisty and unexpected, and brilliant! I don't think anyone will guess it and readers will love it.
I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and Kensington Press also sent me an advance paperback copy which I appreciated because the eARC was difficult to read. I recommend this book to anyone interested in clever whodunnits. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan #fifthbookof2024 #arc

CW: death, murder, suicide, sexual abuse allegations

When an unnamed ghostwriter is tapped to write the memoir of a recently failed presidential candidate Dorothy Gibson, she doesn’t expect to be pulled into a mystery. But when Dot’s neighbor is killed, the pair switch directions and decide to take the investigation into their own hands.

I really enjoyed this novel! The author hosts an Agatha Christie podcast and this book has the feel of a Christie novel. It’s set in Maine, which I visited last year, and it was fun to read about that setting. The ghostwriter has a fun inner monologue, kind of snarky, that I appreciated. I can see this book turning into a series and I would probably read more. While the death is off the page, it’s explained in detail, but it felt very cozy and not as graphic as it could have been. It was a pleasant read and I liked it a lot. The cover is great too.

Thank you to @netgalley and @KensingtonBooks for the advance copy. (Pub date 1/23/24)

#thebusybody #inlovewiththecover

You can definitely tell this book was written by an Agatha Christie fan and the book had good pacing and an entertaining unfolding. I found the similarities to actual political events distracting and the romance element felt a bit forced. These are personal preferences and I know a good number of people will like this book. Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for review.

wasn’t too sure about this book when I had first picked it up, but I’m happy to say I was pleasantly surprised.

I really adore our unnamed main character, the ghost writer. She’s cynical, methodical, a bit judgmental, and has air of carelessness about her. She’s not the most likable, which makes me love her even more. She’s completely absorbed in her work, seeing all of her relationships as transactional with no need for genuine ones. She’s confident and comfortable in what’s predictable, giving us a chance to see a more awkward and clumsy side of her when neck-deep in a murder mystery. I was surprised by her development (or lack thereof) by the end, but it fits quite perfectly with her character. Affectionately, she’s a mess. Relatable in ways you wished she wasn’t, and still quite mysterious even after spending so much time in her head.

The murder mystery was equally enjoyable. While the pacing did drag a little by the halfway point due to multiple page long alibis in a row, it was necessary and still interesting. The ending most certainly caught me by surprise, even though looking back now I’m a little concerned about how much I missed. At least me and the ghost writer don’t have to wallow in our own stupidity alone. It all felt a bit like a fever dream, the theatrics of the situation completely throwing me for a loop. Talk about a villain monologue. Again though, it makes sense within the characters. In fact I don’t think it could’ve been done any other way.