I don't really know how I felt about this book. On the one hand, I think I liked it, but it was not anything that I was used to in a mystery. It felt a little disjointed at times, and I didn't fully understand it. It has been compared to Knives Out, which is fairly accurate.

The narration was unique, and sometimes addressed the reader directly, posing questions to the reader. The end of it becomes a screenplay, where the reader has their own lines. That didn't sit well with me.

I think a lot of people may like it because of how unique it was, but I found it somewhat hard to follow.

The classic locked room mystery- but turned sideways. This is a challenge to read and know that the plot sometimes feels like it's lost in the commentary. McDorman has written a novel for those who like to read about novels (sort of). Unfortunately, he sacrificed character development. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An interesting but frustrating read.

This book is as much a study in all tropes and the history of mystery novels as it is anything else, including its own mystery novel. It was interestingly written between the teaching about mysteries in general and its on mystery although perhaps, at times, a bit cerebral. However, I enjoyed the mystery up until the very end, which was a big unsatisfying. That said, the book was paced well, and it was unique. Would definitely read more form this author!

West Heart Kill comes out next week on October 24, 2023, and you can purchase HERE! This book is unique!
"How many families?"

"Maybe three dozen? More? They all have their own cabins, all over the property. Every few years, a member leaves, a new one is added. The dues are steep."

"And what does all that money get you?"

"Hunting grounds. A lake stocked with fish and canoes. The club-house. Meals prepared for big parties."

"Like this one."

"Yes, fireworks on the Fourth of July. Also, Memorial Day ... Labor Day ... New Year's. Any excuse, really, to drink too much and ogle other people's wives."

"There are less expensive ways to have an affair."

"These people have money to burn. Or did. But what they're really paying for is separation. Privacy. Miles and miles of empty trails. Graves in which to bury their secrets."

The writing style was just not for me, it felt like a screenplay at times and that just didn't resonate with me.

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is a highly recommended murder mystery for the right reader. In this unique metafiction locked-room mystery the author frequently writes directly to the reader.

PI Adam McAnnis accompanies an old college friend for a long Fourth of July weekend at the West Heart club in upstate New York. McAnnis is there to look into suspicious activities, which start with a suspicious drowning followed by an accidental shooting. The plot is actually a basic locked-room mystery, which the author acknowledges. What make West Heart Kill unique is the ever present commentary of the author about writing, the history of mysteries, diverse plot devices, comparisons between various mystery novels, etc.

The murder mystery embedded between the commentary is a perfectly serviceable story, but West Heart Kill is not simply a novel, it is an instructional and informative ode to the whole genre via the author. What will make readers like or dislike the novel will be directly related to their reaction to McDorman's candidly addressing them in his commentary. It does feel a bit disjointed at the start and does take some getting used to. Some of the topics of discourse are more interesting than others. At times it also distracts from the actual mystery.

In the end it was a very entertaining novel/educational resource to read if you enjoy literature and mysteries, but in other ways the metafiction additions to the narrative made the novel more convoluted than it needed to be. It might have worked better to include fewer remarks by the author and the ending wasn't entirely satisfying.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of West Heart Kill in exchange for an honest review!

I surprisingly loved West Heart Kill. I made the mistake of reading reviews on the book before starting it, but ultimately, I think it helped prepare me for reading it. The narration flips often between third-person limited and third-person objective in this book, which is where, I think, it lost many readers. Not only that, but the style of writing often changed between what I expect is the author's base writing, an academic style, and a screenplay. I personally found it interesting, but I can see where it would frustrate many readers. I would liken it to Clue and Murderville and a little bit of a mystery literature history lesson.

West Heart Kill details a weekend in the lives of a small group of wealthy families at their rural retreat. We follow a private investigator that has been secretly hired to investigate what? We don't know. Then, of course, murder happens. The story follows a classic whodunit style, but with the differing perspectives, it made it even more interesting. Each family, each individual, has their own motivations and opinions, which makes some of the backstory hard to follow, but ultimately leads to a wonderful conclusion. Well... except that one part.

Yes, it's a strange book, but it's a GOOD strange.

I read half of this book but found the writing style not suitable for my taste. There are too many characters and I was confused about the various relationships. The story was told in first person by the protagonist but interspersed with commentary from the author about how the mystery was being solved. This just added to the confusion for me. I normally really like locked room murder mysteries and I think many readers will like the unique way that this book is written. It just didn’t strike a chord with me.
I do appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book and thank the publisher but I will not post my feedback to retail sites since I did not finish the book.

OK, I’m just not a fan of second person narrative. It gets old really fast. I couldn’t truly get into this mystery because it thought itself just so clever. The mystery itself was OK. The characters underdeveloped due to the narrative style. The setting-beautiful. I would like to try this one again in a different form.

You are either going to love it or hate it. That is pretty much how the early reviews are playing out.

The reader is warned in the blurb that West Heart Kill is "anything but ordinary whodunit". Dann McDorman takes a risk with an unorthodox approach to storytelling. I'm not opposed to an author experimenting with methods of telling a story, but I don't always love it. Unfortunately, this novel falls into that category for me.

I loved the characters and it would have been an entertaining detective novel had the story stayed with the plot.

I was confused for most of the novel trying to figure out if this was supposed to be a commentary on how to read a mystery and the history of the genre instead of just an entertaining murder mystery. At one point, I thought the author was condescending as the narrator (presumably the author) breaks into the narrative to point out that the reader at this point is asking certain questions. I was not as I was just along for the ride and wanted to enjoy myself. A few years ago, I read an article about active reading and I feel that is what the author assumed the reader was doing.

I enjoyed some of the commentary, particularly the parts that discussed certain elements of a mystery or the history of the genre. I was a little disappointed when the mystery that my book club is reading this month, which I haven't read yet, was mentioned and I think gave away the ending. So if you are reading older mysteries for the first time, beware there are some spoilers in this novel.

I almost didn't finish this book. At about 80%, I was kind of over it and didn't really care if the mystery was solved or not. I was mildly curious how the author would end it. Again, because of the style choice, I found the ending unsatisfying.

This could have been a very entertaining murder mystery or a very informative nonfiction commentary. But the mashup of the two resulted in a mediocre book for me. But as I said at the beginning, you will either love it or hate it, so you might want to check out a few of the other reviews to decide if this book is for you.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Sunday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/10/west-heart-kill-by-dann-mcdorman-review.html

West Heart Kill is a locked-room mystery story at a remote hunting lodge. While I usually really enjoy these types of stories I had a hard time staying focused for this one. The author chose a unique way of narrating the story and I think that had a lot to do with why I found myself uninterested in either the plot or the characters. There are times when the author breaks the fourth wall by talking directly to the reader, also interspersing the story with questions, and case evidence on how one would go about solving a mystery, and that took me out of the story every time it happened. I also found myself confused about what was happening in the story the majority of the time

I think that while this ultimately didn't work for me a lot of other people would really enjoy the unique way this was told.

I DNF’d this book at 25%. I think the target audience would be seasoned Murder mystery lovers who have read all the classics, know all the tropes, and are actively trying to work out the mystery while reading. As an occasional murder mystery reader, I tend to be along for the ride -so to speak- and I’m not usually over analyzing every detail to try and guess whodunit from the start. For this reason, I was annoyed when the author would break the fourth wall to tell me what I may have noticed or what I am thinking. It distracted me from the story and made it hard for me to stay in the zone and follow along with the actual storyline. I do think that professional Murder mystery bookworms will get a kick out of this writing style.

This is a whole different level of meta and I loved it. The narrator/author gives a running total of each murder story cliche as he gets to it and along with a fairly wide history of popular mystery. I get this isn't going to be for everyone, but I found it amusing and informative. The ending, while just a minor twist on the rest of the book, was unsatisfying. It felt like the author couldn't be bothered or really didn't know how his own locked room mystery could be solved. Still I had a great time reading it and definitely recommend.

This review will be posted on October 24, 2023 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

This is one of the cleverest novels I've ever read. I had a difficult time getting into the story at the beginning. There's a lot of characters to keep straight, as well as format and narrator changes. Additionally, there are very meta elements and passages of literary history that bisected the fictional plot. But, I'm shocked to admit that, by the end, I found all of these unique traits about WEST HEART KILL utterly fascinating and, frankly, genius. There's so much foreshadowing done in a smart fashion and in a way that's honest to the reader. The plot and fictional characters are razor sharp. If you're like me and grew up playing the board game Clue, watching the original Unsolved Mysteries, and reading murder mystery books, you will adore this. Major hat tip to the author for this literary gem! #WestHeartKill Rating: 😍 / loved it
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This book is scheduled for publication on October 24, 2023. Thank you @aaknopf for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

West Hear Kill is, if nothing else, a unique take on a mystery novel. Part locked room mystery, part mystery genre textbook, the book was quite a strange journey. One of the more difficult aspects is the author's constant switching from third person to second person and even throwing in several sections that were written in first person. Also interspersed in between plot points were the analysis of various mystery tropes which had cropped up in this story. None of the characters was likeable, I believe an intentional choice, and the ending...well, it was both obvious and a cop out simultaneously. The minor plot twist, which remained unresolved, was the only aspect that saved this from a one-star rating.

I felt like I was reading two different books at the same time, and while either would have been interesting and rated more favorably, together they were frustrating and condescending. I would recommend this book only to individuals who wish to become mystery writers, or as perhaps a text for a college level creative writing class to analyze. It just did not work for me as a casual reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the digital ARC of West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman. The opinions in this review are my own.

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman
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Welcome to the West Heart Country Club. A unique murder mystery set at a remote hunting lodge, where everyone is a suspect.
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What I liked:
-I’m always down for a murder mystery. I love trying to solve then alongside the detective.
-The setting of a bunch of rich snobs at a country club was good!
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What I didn’t like:
-The writing format was very different and confused me a little at times. I had to read certain parts twice just to make sure I knew what was going on.
-The ending was not really my jam.
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3⭐️⭐️⭐️

A fun, entertaining murder mystery reminiscent of Christie. A great addition for anyone who loves a good class mystery.

This was a little different of a whodunnit mystery. I was a little confused at times the story telling was a little different to me but I did get used to it after a few chapters. The ending was a little unexpected but good.
I think I need to think about this for a bit and see what more I can add
Thanks netgalley

I loved the idea of this book and enjoyed the reading experience, but it just didn't come together well enough for me to give it 5 stars. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys trying narrative styles that are out-of-the-ordinary and/or fiction that has meta elements. If you're just a fan of straightforward mystery, you may find this needlessly convoluted.

This is a hard one to review... I liked a lot of things abou this book, but it took me more energy than normal to read. Not always a bad thing, but I was expecting something a little more light and easy to get into. I think it will have a lot of fans and I plan on singing it's praises even if it wasn't the perfect book for me.

WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman was a murder mystery with a case study of murder mysteries!

Honestly, I am quite bemused by this book. It is structured in such a way that the author brings the reader into conversations about reading this genre and does somewhat expound upon various tools used.

If you are looking for a straightforward mystery, this may disappoint, but if you enjoy a rather different experience, I invite you to enter West Heart Kill! I absolutely loved the structure at the beginning; feeling it was a fresh approach. I did begin to wonder if it took too much of a pause in the story, which was quite engaging. By the end I have landed on the side of appreciation and fascination! I could see this becoming a huge discussion book, especially with the ending!

Oh yes, the actual mystery is a clever whodunit that I enjoyed through the primary lens of the detective who was brought in to an exclusive lodge where the patrons are anything but proper.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @aaknopf for the digital ARC and letting me share my thoughts. This will be out October 24th! I can't wait to read more from this author if he keeps up this unconventional style!