After a couple of books that were okay but not great, this was a refreshing change of pace and I really enjoyed it! The author and narrator pulled me in from the beginning. This book almost felt like listening to a true crime podcast, very fitting for this time since they're so popular right now. The author throws in some twists and turns, some you see coming and are just waiting for the reveal and a few that are less apparent. Overall, a great debut novel! I'll be adding Carlson to my list to watch for future mysteries!

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This ARC was provided to me by the publisher & netgalley.

In this book, we are following June as she is getting into the world of documentary making. For her first project she decides that she is going to document the disappearance of an author. This will hit closer to home than she is ready for. She keeps uncovering secrets, but someone does not want their secret to come out.

I thought that this was a fun and fast paced book. I enjoyed it, however it was not revolutionary in terms of this genre. If you frequently read mystery/thriller/suspense than you will guess twist and know that this is not doing anything unique. but the way that the story unfolds is enjoyable. I would recommend this especially on audio, if you want something entertaining and fast paced!

I decided to request this audiobook because the summary sounded like something I would really like and I loved the cover. But before the first chapter was over I realized I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into and that this book may not be for me. I try not to be too big of a prude but certain things trigger me and/or I don’t want to read about. I don’t care for cheaters so it was hard for me to relate or even care about to the protagonist. June does have a very interesting backstory and I like her ideas about the documentary she’s creating. I thought I could look past the other things but she is also pretentious and entitled, such an unlikable character that it was hard for me to get into the book. The narrator’s voice didn’t help, she was obnoxious but I guess that was the point.

I think maybe if I would have physically read the book, I might have found the humor and sarcasm in the story. But listening was like being around someone that is the only person that thinks they are funny.

I received this ARC from Netgalley & the publisher, this is my honest review.

Her Dying Day
Mindy Carlson
Greer Larkin was a famous mystery author that disappeared approximately 20 years ago. June Masterson heard about the disappearance when she was fourteen years old living with her parents at a commune. June aka Pear Blossom loved Greer’s Oberlin Hurst Mysteries. June is obsessed with the disappearance; she is working on a documentary on the missing author. The more she researches Greer the shadier the story gets. She interviews those that knew Greer best and each has their own theory concerning Greer’s disappearance. There are several suspects: Greer’s fiancé, Jonathan, Greer’s mother, Blanche, and Greer’s best friend, Rachel. Or did Greer commit suicide. After Rachel shares a suitcase filled with Greer’s personal things Rachel is found dead. June carefully studies the contents of the suitcase and finds something important. Now a killer is focused on June.
I had trouble getting into this book. I never connected with the characters in fact I never liked any of the characters. The plot seemed to zig zag this way and that way as though it wasn’t sure where it was going.

Her Dying Day by Mindy Carlson
Hillary Huber (Narrator)

Pear Blossom Jubilee Masterson insists on being called June Masterson. She's a 24 year old film student and working on her final project before graduation. The subject of her film is going to be famed mystery author Greer Larkin, who disappeared twenty years ago. Digging into the mystery, trying to interview the people involved with Greer at the time she went missing, is about to land June into a heap of trouble and danger.

June is selfish, immature, and hates her parents for the extreme way they sheltered her until she left home to go to college. She's never gone back and never wants anything to do with them again. I enjoyed the mystery and questions this story presents but I did not like June at all. She is very unpleasant but I could tolerate her to find out what happened to Greer. I rate the story 4 stars.

But the audio narration of the story was like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. An entire book of vocal fry made it very hard for me to focus on what the words were saying. I've heard enough vocal fry to last me a lifetime now and maybe it fits for June to sound that way but almost everyone spoke with vocal fry with the audio narration. It was too much for me and took me out of the story. I rate the vocal fry 2 stars.

So my overall rating is 3 stars. This is one of those times when I would have fared better by reading the book instead of listening to it. Maybe it's me and I look forward to reading reviews and seeing what others might say about how the book is narrated.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Her Dying Day” introduces us to graduate student and aspiring filmmaker, “June” Masterson (real name Pear Blossom Jubilee Masterson). For her graduate project, June decides to do a nonfiction documentary about the famous disappearance of mystery author Greer Larkin. Greer disappeared when June was fourteen years old, and June has had a slight obsession with the story every since.

As June films her documentary, she soon learns that everyone has a different theory. Both Greer’s mother and best friend believe that Greer’s fiancée, Jonathan, is the culprit, and Jonathan believes it is them in return. Greer’s agent believes it was a suicide, and an online message board proposes multiple theories.

In an effort to prove that Jonathan killed Greer, Rachel (Greer’s best friend) gives June a suitcase full of Greer’s writings. As June delves further into the mystery, she realizes she may have drawn the attention of Greer’s killer. Then Rachel is murdered and June realizes she has placed herself in imminent danger. In a race against time, June pushes to find out the truth behind Greer’s disappearance before the killer gets to her.

I thought the plot of this book was solid, and the author’s writing style was fluid and easy to become engaged with. This book offers a modern take on the classic “Whodunnit.” The book was humorous at times, adding a bit of fun to this search for the truth. I do think the characters were developed fairly well, but I had some issues with the sub-plots. Exploring various relationships in June’s lives, these sub-plots didn’t offer anything or otherwise support the main mystery plot. While I believe these sub-plots were utilized to add more depth to June’s character, I felt that they were simply extraneous and felt a bit heavy-handed at times. The sub-plots also wrapped up in a nice bow at about the same time the mystery plot ends, and it just seemed to be too convenient. Insofar as the mystery goes, it felt like clues just kept getting dropped in June’s lap without any real effort on her part. The plot eventually twists and turns, but it also wraps up too conveniently and rather quickly.

My copy of this book was an audiobook, so I must also comment on the narrator. I do believe she did an excellent job, even with the male voices. Her pace and intonation kept me easily engaged in the story.

Overall, this book is a 3.5-star book for me. I did enjoy it, and I did finish it rather quickly. That being said, I did feel that some parts of the book needed to be developed more and other parts should be cut out. I would recommend this book for young adult readers and adults starting out in the mystery genre. If you read a lot of mysteries, you may find this book a bit lacking. However, I do believe this writer has potential, and I would be willing to try more of her books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC of Her Dying Day.

Pub date: June 7, 2022

Investigating the disappearance of author Greer Larkin by way of documentary filmmaking, June Masterson uncovers information, secrets, and her college advisor’s bedsheets. June (whose name is actually Pear Blossom Jubilee— or is it?) entangles herself in messy interviews with Greer’s loved ones and ends up flying too close to the sun when she finally figures out what happened to Greer. Let’s just say that her existence may soon become a similar mystery if she keeps this up. Like, note-pinned-to-her-front-door-with-a-chefs-knife-to-prove-a-point serious.

This book gripped me from the first sentence. This isn’t your ~classic~ whodunnit but it absolutely has that vibe. Throughout the book, June faces emotional standoffs with her loved ones, Greer’s loved ones, and well, herself that inevitably leads the reader to come up with their own theories of what happened to Greer.

And y’all…my theory was not correct. This book had an awesome twist ending!

4 ⭐️

3.5 stars

Mindy Carlson's debut mystery has an awesome concept: an aspiring documentarian gets more than she bargained for when she decides to do her final project on the unsolved disappearance of a beloved mystery author. The novel itself starts out with a bang (literally) with an opening line that is sure to stick in my memory for quite some time.

However, from there, things did go downhill for me. I found the narrative voice to be a bit overwritten with constant references to the fact that the protagonist isn't currently speaking to her parents, that she grew up on a commune, and that she finally has freedom. I understand that it is important, but I don't need to be hit on the head over and over again with that information for me to realize that. On top of that (and this is through no fault of the author), one of the major plot twists that occurs at around the 70% mark is literally revealed in the Goodreads blurb. There are a few other twists beyond that (some of which I found predictable and one of which did throw me for a loop), but it did take the bite out of the mystery a bit.

I definitely think that Carlson has wonderful imagination and a lot of potential despite what I found to be some missteps and I look forward to see what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

June Masterson hopes to make her filmmaking debut with a documentary about the disappearance of mystery writer, Greer Larkin. There have been plenty of suspects and plenty of theories over time, Greer’s fiancee, Jonathan was near the top of the list but he was followed by Greer’s own mother, who had an unusually fraught relationship with her daughter. Greer’s agent believes her client killed herself when she couldn’t overcome a debilitating case of writers block. Greer’s mother, Rachel, gives Greer a suitcase filled with some of her daughter’s most private musing, hoping she will find some evidence that points to Jonathan as the culprit. Shortly after, Rachel is killed. It’s clear to June that someone will do anything, even commit murder, to keep her from uncovering the truth. An exciting, character driven mystery that will keep readers guessing

I absolutely loved this audiobook! It was thrilling, captivating, and kept me hooked from the very first chapter!