I was excited about the premise of this book but it really fell flat for me. The characters come across very boring and we’re hard to connect with. I struggled with the middle of the book where nothing really happened and it dragged by.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

WOOOO. This was a RIDE.
I am slowly becoming a thriller fanatic and this one did not let me down! I Didn’t do it is like a giant game of clue based in a hotel filled with thriller writers during Murderpaloooza! First of all how fun is that as a concept?

I couldn’t put this down! It was a 1 sit read for me and it had me on my toes the entire time! The twisted and turns the author takes you on during this story is a RIDE.

i was worried at first with the number of perspectives and characters that it would be confusing and boring, but it absolutely wasn’t.

I was shocked too. the ending! SHOCKED. The group of acquaintances to our killed author, Kristen, had such a large group of secrets and relationships to the victim that I had thought at one point or another it was all of them.

I will definitely be picking up another book by this author. It kept me intrigued and interested the entire time and I couldn’t put it down!

This book is the dark and riotous romp into publishing I didn't know I needed but thoroughly enjoyed. Whether you're an author firmly entrenched in the world of writers' conferences and coveted book deals, or a reader who's always wondered what goes on behind the velvet rope, Jaime Lynn Hendricks takes no prisoners with outrageous characters, a breakneck plot, and a fulfilling final reveal. I DIDN'T DO IT is a real treat.

I Didn’t Do It starts out with a group of thriller writers attending Murderpalooza, a conference specifically in the suspense/thriller industry. There’s also a coveted award, the M-TOTY that will go to one author and his heavily sought after.
During the start of the convention, 4 writers- Davis, Vicky, Suzanne, and Mike, each with different author backgrounds and have nothing in common, are all targeted together after another author, Kristin Bailey is found murdered in her hotel room. Why are they targeted? Do they really have nothing in common with each other?
As the story unfolds, it appears they have more in common than they want to share as an anonymous Twitter account who only follows them begins to spill all of their horrible secrets they are frantically trying to hide. The secrets also show their link and history individually to Kristin and why one of them is probably guilty of murdering her.
The story is told in multiple viewpoints and each chapter comes with it’s own twist and shocking revelations that leads up to the head turning conclusion.
You also get a peek into an author’s world, how they write, how they interact, and how an author conference is designed, the panels sounded so interesting.
This was a 5* read! Thank you to the author, Penzler Publishers/Scarlet, and NetGalley for the E-Arc and the chance to review it!
Be sure to pick up a copy on May 23, 2023!

I thoroughly enjoyed I Didn't Do It by Jaime Lynn Hendricks! A fast-paced, multiple POV thriller/whodunnit that takes place at a thriller writers conference aptly named Murderpalooza?? Fantastic! It reads like an homage to the thriller genre and I could not get enough of it! I loved the different characters and that the author chose to create them at varying points in their careers as authors. Loved the twist!! Social media often blurs fact and fiction and the author expertly implemented this phenomenon into this story! Timely, engaging, and an all-out fun thrill-ride until the very end!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, and Scarlet for the advanced e-book copy!

Fast, Propulsive, Addictive, the perfect blend of it all in one book! This author is easily becoming a fast fave! What a ride and a half. Twists and turns in more ways than I can count. I adored this one. 5 STARS

I was incredibly excited by the premise of this book! Murder at a convention for thriller writers? Sign me up!

This book uses multiple perspectives to tell the story but I will admit that I wish they had been fleshed out a bit more, or adopted slightly different voices in order to help differentiated! As it was, I found that I had a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who. The first half was definitely a bit slower but the second half more than makes up for it with a handful of twists that the reader does NOT see coming! I found myself entertained and really wanting to know how everything was going to come together.

People who love the writing/publishing side of things will especially appreciate all the meta details in this book.

I loved the premise of this story with the setting being a thriller writers convention, untrustworty characters, a murder, and mystery. I enjoyed the read as it kept me guessing as new information was continually revealed about the characters. The downside of the book was there was a big chunk in the middle where nothing really happened and it felt kind of slow. I liked the ending but felt a part of it was rushed and a little out of nowhere.

It’s the thriller conference of the year! Murderpalooza is here and the authors are all stoked to be there, and a select few are thrilled to have been nominated for the prestigious award. When author Kristin Bailey ends up dead in her hotel room however, everyone is on edge. Unfortunately for Davis, Vicky, Mike, and Suzanne, all four have received a threatening text, and all have a motive for killing Kristin.

Every time I think Jaime Lynn Hendricks can’t possibly get better, she does! Her first two books were 5 stars, which always makes me nervous when I pick up the next book, but this book did not disappoint in any way, shape, or form. I had all the different ideas of what was happening, all the suspects in my head, and still I was wrong, wrong, wrong. I loved that this book took place at a book conference, and that we got some of the inside publishing looks that always fascinate me. I also loved that Vicky edited herself throughout the book, it gave me a little chuckle as she removed extra words that were unnecessary. Overall, I am glad to say that Jaime has done it again!

The word "Murderpalooza" was used in this book. Can that alone be enough proof of the "silly-ness" of this book?

The book has a very catchy pitch, a murder occurs during the annual Mystery/Thriller Writers conference.

But whoa did it take a turn down Bozo the clowns street,
What frustrated me the most was the overuse of #'s and social media "jargon". The writing was quite elementary, I felt like the author may have been releasing some pent up anger at the publishing world and fellow authors.
The whole book left me with a headache, there were so many characters and they were hard to distinguish from one another. Too many "unreliable narrorators" I could hardly keep up with the plot admist the numerous lies.
I have really enjoyed JLH's other books and totally sing her praises, but this one felt almost unprofessional.

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced copy read . I was not influenced for this honest review.

Thank you to Scarlet and Jaime Lynn Hendricks for my copy of this book. It was about Murderpalooza, a mystery and suspense conference for writers. When one of the popular authors, Kristen, is found dead, the rival authors are looked at as suspects. A weird and threatening twitter account targets four people that may have reason to want Kristen dead. First there is Davis, a hot-shot writer who thinks he is the new best thing. He has a history with Kristen and she is a big rival for him. Next there is Vicky, the only other woman going against Kristen for the writer of the year award. Mike is another suspect, a washed up writer with a mysterious connection to Kristen. Finally there is Suzanne, Kristen’s stalker who just so happens to want to be her.

Thoughts: This book was essentially set at Thrillerfest and was about writers competing in the dog eat dog world of publishing. I think writers would love this book, as there are lots of inside jokes and knowledge about how the publishing industry works. I liked the idea of a thriller conference with a real life murder, but omg this book was not it for me.

First, every character was one dimensional and stereotypical. The plot was extremely unrealistic and offensive to many different tropes. The cheating boyfriend, the girl everyone loves and no one can imagine being killed…yawn. I didn’t care about the character at all, and got to know them within one chapter about them. There was no build on why we should even care about Kristen, so when she was found murdered it was not really relevant.

Then there was the commentary on twitter. I personally don’t have twitter, but this book was essentially about how people on twitter are trash and mindless sheep spreading misinformation. Do I agree? Probably. But this book made it seem like the author had a personal problem with twitter and there was way too much in the book about it. The ending was petty and not very satisfying. I wanted to love this book, but it wasn’t for me. 2-stars.

A whodunnit among those who live for murder- a locked room mystery at a murder writers’ convention. I just can’t believe this was fiction and not true crime, because I could really see this happening. Netflix or HBO needs to snap this one up!

I absolutely loved the way this book was plotted with red herrings and a distinctive cast of imperfect characters who’s flaws made them seem more human. The action starts early on and carries through to the end towards unpredictable twists and turns you likely won’t see coming. I could have kept reading this story for another 300 pages, it was that good. I highly recommend for thriller and mystery fans.

I absolutely loved this book! It fulfilled all my unrealistic expectations of authors on Book Twitter and Bookstagram. Of course, they all know each other and vie for the attention of the same two big agents. Of course, they suffer from imposter-syndrome and there’s probably a real imposter (ala “The Plot” or “The Writing Retreat”) among them. Of course, they’re secretly sleeping with each other or covertly co-authoring surefire bestsellers. Of course, the super fan (the one with restraining orders against her) is just an innocent budding author looking for advice from her idols. Of course, the male authors get bigger advances, more publicity and penthouse suites while the equally talented female author can’t even get a deal for her next book even though her first book is up for Murderpalooza’s Thriller of the Year Award. And, of course, if a murder happens at the convention, the four most likely suspects will band together to solve the murder and slay Twitter trolls!

Jaime Lynn Hendricks’ “I Didn’t Do It” is witty and self-deprecating and full of twists and turns (as was expected) and I was hooked from the start. Of course, I currently have no idea if the authors of Book Twitter will like it, but this reader loved it. 5 stars!

Thank you to Penzler Publishers/Scarlet and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Missed opportunity! Every woman in this book should have green eyes!
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Just flowers in planters, although Vicky envisions herself on stage holding bloody flowers like Stephen King’s “Carrie.”

I was really excited for this one. I love books about writers and writing, and I was expecting something darkly funny and somewhat light. Instead what I found felt overly simplistic and full of tropes (in plot and characterization). I realized some of that may have been intentional, as a send-up of the industry, but for some reason the tone just fell flat and I didn't find it humorous or tongue in cheek so much as irritating . There were a lot of character shifts in perspective, and not a single one of them resonated with me or made me feel invested in what was happening to them.

Most other readers seem to find it to be the kind of book I was expecting - but I just did not. This one just wasn't a good fit for me

4.5!

Easy, fun, murder mystery read.

Murder-palooza is the annual event that every mystery-thriller author wants to be seen at! Until… one of them is murdered! Everyone is a suspect.

Thank you Net Galley and Scarlet for this ARC.

The twist was great!

Pretty good. This has a good premise and it's told in an interesting way. There are lots of early reviews for this already, and I don't anything new to add so I'll just recommend it to mystery fans.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

I felt like the book was supposed to be funny but didn't lean hard enough into the comedy so it fell a little flat. The pieces were there--some dark humor, a silly named conference, plot points that revolve around Twitter--but it didn't land. There can be successful dark and funny books but I don't think this one was quite there.

Murderpalooza is starting in New York City. It’s the premiere thriller conference, and five authors are up for the Thriller of the Year award, including Kristin Bailey and Vicky Overton. Before the first day is over, there are rumors spreading through the conference that Kristin Bailey has been found murdered in her hotel room. And, someone is texting four people at the conference, warning them that they might be next.

Vicky Overton is one of the nominees for the Thriller of the Year Award. Davis Walton is the newest hot author, all over the media, with a movie deal, and his book isn’t even out for another three months. At 37, Mike Brooks feels washed up. He had four bestsellers, and he was once the hot author. Now, he’s struggling to make a comeback with the help of an anonymous co-author. Suzanne Shih is a young woman, so excited to be at her first conference. She has an agent who hopes to sell her book. When a Twitter account targets these four, warning them they may be next, they band together to figure out who is behind the social media campaign and veiled threats. They all have secrets, and their secrets connect them to Kristin. But, as much as they would like to work together, they find themselves caught up in the Twitter campaign as they turn on each other. Now, who is a murder suspect, and who is a possible victim?

As I said, I know there will be readers eager to read this novel. I was excited about the setting at a mystery conference. However, when I realized all four of these characters, plus the victim, Kristin, had voices in the story, it became too much for me. And, I felt manipulated. The ending didn’t really come as a surprise, but, by that time, I really didn’t care. I didn’t care for any of the characters, and their problems no longer interested me by the end.

This was really fun, I enjoyed reading this book. The whole idea of a murder at a murder writer's convention is really entertaining and the various characters are pretty entertaining as well. What I enjoyed most of all is the damnation of Twitter. While Twitter merely reflects the gang mentality of the conference.
Whodunnit? Who would have?
Each character gives their perspective as the story develops and its fun to see the story develop from each of their viewpoints and look for clues. The relentless fingerpointing is hard to keep up with and it's amazing that so much happens in such a short period of time.

I did figure it out, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of this book, I will look forward to more by this author.