Sometimes you just start a book and KNOW it's not one you actually want to read, no matter how great the synopsis and attention grabbing quotes were about it. BUT, because you are a reviewer, it give it more time and try to get thru the book. This is definitely a love it of really hate it book. I'm on the latter- sounding 100%. By the 3rd chapter the author constantly telling me (the reader) what he was doing and how I was supposed to be thinking went from irksome to annoying to aggravating and cliched by the 6th chapter. I have been reading mysteries for over 40 years. I can tell you exactly what goes into making a successful closed room mystery (this isn't it by the way), I don't need a pretentious character in the author's voice telling me. Then you can't even get to the solution because, wait for it, now there is a PLAY with all the characters and you, the reader, are part of it and have LINES to act out....Yes, the last fourth of the book is spent to the inane idea of now that we've aggravated the reader, let's make them throw the book by inserting a play.....Not sure who approved this one without serious editing, but it needs a rethink and quickly. I have not given a one star review in years, but it's time again...avoid this one if you love mysteries.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for my advance electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

What a ride! McDorman was obviously having fun playing around with the genre, just like he had fun playing around with the structure of the narrative. This one runs the gamut of literary forms and devices: the narrator inserts him/herself as an element of the story from the first, telling the reader what to observe and what conclusions to draw (positively smashing the fourth wall). S/he doesn't so much guide the reader but jump in your face and tell you what to think. The narrative switches between third-person universal to first-person singular to first-person plural and more. It is regularly interrupted by essays on cogent subjects that tie back into the clues being left, but which also provide an interesting history on the mystery genre. The clues and literary references were delicious! All the changes and sharp turns could have made it feel like a fever dream, but I was surprisingly able to keep up and found it to be vivid in a roundabout way--cinematic, almost--and the dialogue to be snappy. (Research shows that McDorman is also an award-winning screenwriter, so it makes sense). Along this vein, most of the book is formatted as traditional narrative prose, but there are sections shaped as interviews and some important ones written as a play. The atmosphere was fairly consistently dark, ominous, and sad--it felt like "noir" to me. The purposeless depression felt by the characters and the way that the book ended left me feeling a bit directionless and dissatisfied, but not regretting having gone for the ride. Ultimately, I felt that this was entertaining but was also intended to be a philosophical exploration of guilt vs. innocence, crime vs. sin, and who, in the end, is responsible?

2.5/5

This book has an incredibly unique voice and structure throughout that is very meta...it obliterates the 4th wall at every turn. I LOVED that about this book. Unfortunately, things like the characters or the mystery we were trying to solve or the setting I didn't really care for as much...I would love to see this author's future books if they still had fun writing choices but had other elements that were of more interest to me!

The premise of the book sounded interesting and while a classic murder mystery is not my preferred genre I do enjoy them from time to time. That being said this was painful to get through. The way the story is told - sometimes narration, sometimes speaking directly to the audience and sometime acted out like a play complete with scene setting made this a disjointed story to follow and really get submerged into. While I credit the author for the unique approach to narration it did not work for me, it took away from the story.

I am a sucker for a meta-mystery (see: 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle or Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone) so I was instantly drawn into this story. A private detective visits a hunting club on the bicentennial holiday weekend and the bodies start piling up. But interspersed throughout this standard murder mystery were reflections and explanations of genre tropes. We get real-life and classic story examples of locked room mysteries, crime author pseudonyms and the story of Agatha Christie’s disappearance.

It was all a lot of fun, especially for anyone who reads a lot of detective novels, but the ending landed a little too firmly on the esoteric side for me, ultimately knocking it down half a star to 3.5.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Absolutely hated the writing style, it was confusing and irritating. The story was okay.

1.5☆

3.25 stars

Adam McAnnis is a detective heading out for a weekend to a college friend’s hunting lodge. It’s the 1970s and the people who are members of this lodge have known each other pretty much all their lives. When a storm hits while they are there, blocking any way to or from the lodge, people start turning up dead.

I thought this was clever. My synopsis is the actual mystery part, but much of the book was done in different styles. That is, much of the book was told directly from the author to the reader, breaking the “fourth wall”. We went off on various tangents talking about what might happen, traditionally (or not), at various parts of a mystery story. Also, there were tangents that focused on classic mystery authors and stories. Again, I thought clever and very different.

I also thought the atmosphere was done well – I definitely pictured the ‘70s hunting lodge: all brown wood paneling with hunted animal heads on the walls and such. But, I also found it quite “literary” and a bit dry. I certainly didn’t care about the people. I did, however, like the twist near the end – that, I definitely didn’t see coming. I also liked the way things were revealed at the end. Again, the author changed the way he was telling the story, and this time, it was done in the style of a play. I didn’t mind all the different things going on in how it was told, but I guess there was a lot going on that way. Mostly because I found the story quite dry, I am rating it “ok”, but with an extra ¼ star for the uniqueness of the book.

2.5/5 stars

This is billed as a unique murder mystery, and I would agree with that. It is interspersed with insights and basically nonfiction material relating to the topic of each chapter of the fictional story.

A private investigator (Adam McAnnis) insinuates himself into the Bicentennial celebration of members at the West Heart Club in upstate NY. As characters begin to die, the reader follows along as Adam questions and pieces together the sordid goings-on (for generations) at the club…the secrets, lies, greed, adultery, etc.

While the mystery part of the story was fine and had an added twist I really did not see coming, it was the author’s added chapters of explanations of plot devices, tools of the trade, etc. that I did not appreciate. Honestly, I felt they were a bit condescending to the reader (as they were skewed toward the author’s own opinions), and in all honestly, these “insights” interrupted the flow of the storyline without adding much of anything of interest to me. So, while it’s a novel/unusual format to use, it just served to distract me.

Unfortunately, this one was just not on par for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing the free early arc of West Heart Kill for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Interesting mystery that tips it‘s hat and pays homage to the best mystery writers through history. It has an unique 4th wall format going on but it was a bit too cute and pretentious for me, it kept pulling me out of the story. Pretty bold for a debut though so I will definitely read more from him. Releases October 24th.

An interesting tale of a triple murder and suspense. This novel is unique as it involves the reader.
Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn't like the way the story was told. I kept reading because I thought that it would get better, but it never did. It felt confusing and all over the place.

A brilliant tribute to the mystery genre.

This debut breaks down the fourth wall to present the reader with all the pieces that make up the story of one July weekend at the exclusive West Heart Kill hunting club, and all the pieces that make up a murder mystery historically. In fact, the reader accompanies the narrator from the beginning paragraphs, joining the protagonist, whom you quickly learn is a detective that may or may not be on a case. The detective and driver enjoy a joint as they make their way to West Heart Kill; the whole drive, the narrator addresses observations to you about the nature of murder mysteries, the way there is a deliberate unrolling of the setting to develop atmosphere, how the two characters’ dialog about hunting game might recall to mind scenes from a short story you may or may not have read. In arriving, you are introduced to the characters that make up the plot of the mystery, the narrator feeding you tidbits that serve to enlighten, amuse and ultimately distract. This is a fantastic way to read the book, as if you have an enlightened, sardonic expert on mystery novels following you around, just as you follow the characters of West Heart around.

Because of this, the characters are never unflattened; your guide recites their flaws, their habits, their histories in such a way that you cannot see them as more than potential victims or potential killers. Even the detective is scrutinized. This is a brilliant effect, and one that not only puts you into a state of constant awareness – you are actively collecting clues and making connections – but also into a growing, uneasy awareness of the gruesome nature of reading and enjoying novels about murder as an atavistic voyeur.

The action is set in the 1970s, and the characters are, for the most part, a jaded, snobbish set of entitled individuals who are casual about everything – indulgence has gotten them here, and it’s this time, in July of the year that may or may not be the bicentennial, that many arrive at the destinations they’ve driven or been driven to.

Because you are so actively present in the plot, the reading goes more slowly. You are prompted to examine clues, but you overlook many. As a result, this is a book that will be a pleasure to re-read. Because I am a mystery fan, I have read many of the short stories and mysteries alluded to; you won’t necessarily be lost if you haven’t read them, but I would certainly hope that you take the time to pause and read some Poe or Chandler, Christie or Hammett, because this book cannot be enjoyed to its fullest if you don’t get the allusions.

Reader advisory: adult fiction, suicide, murder, drinking, drug use, oblique references to sex

Thank you, Alfred A. Knopf and NetGalley, for granting me a copy of this book for review. Any opinions are my own; I’m not receiving any kind of douceur for my write-up.

My thanks to NetGalley and Borzoi Books/ Alfred Al Knopf for the ARC of "West Heart Kill" in exchange for an honest review.
I'm at a complete loss as to whom this book would appeal to beyond graduate students or doctoral candidates seeking M.F.A.'s or PhD's in literature.
Yes, there's a murder mystery that sporadically wanders and in and out of the book, but about 75 per cent of "West Heart Kill" is devoted to an exhaustive academic treatise on the murder mystery as a literary art form.......origins, beginnings, histories, the breakdown of all the sub-genres and their individual tropes.
And the author uses the actual plot he's concocted as a sort of a slide-show visual aid for his 'Murder Mystery 101' college course lectures.
While I admire the ambitious intent here, it makes for a tedious, annoying read. And I really began to run out of patience with the book as it swung back and forth from its whodunit storyline to the author's meticulous analysis of the characters and events as they apply to his literally forensic research into mystery genres.
The story used to illustrate the lectures involves a private eye who managed an invite to an uppercrust hunting lodge on the July 4th weekend of 1976. The vast upstate New York club's membership consists, naturally of ultra-wealthy families afflicted with endless dysfunctions and secrets........infidelities, shady finances, dark histories, and tragic accidents that maybe weren't accidental. So with such a toxic collection of individuals, more dead bodies don't come as a big surprise.
Once I realized the author's pushing these obnoxious characters around like chess pieces to illustrate his points, I lost all interest in who did what to whom. All the academia stuff does display some sharp wit from time to time, as do the P.I.'s interrogations of the various suspects.... and halfway through the book, Dann McDorman gives up on prose altogether, reducing the mystery sections to simple Q. & A's or in the form of stage play excerpts. Just as well, since the plot's only used for the author's power point presentation anyway.
English majors who read mysteries may get some overall entertainment out of this, but as for me....... sorry, but I didn't sign on for a college course.

Huh? I have no idea what to say about this book. It is 100% original and part of it is a treat for mystery readers: those who love to analyze the classics, the best whodunits or the most accomplished authors. There is a lot of food for thought about the medium itself, what we as lovers of the genre think, feel, expect and how it is an acceptable outlet for our possible sociopathic tendencies. In between, there is an actual whodunit. More than one body, possibly murder, a cast of suspects all hiding something. The classic setup, in an isolated hunting club with the characters trapped by a storm. A private detective who has self-referential conversations with the suspects. So why did I not like it? Maybe it was too smart for its own good? All I know is that I kept losing my focus. I enjoyed both parts separately, but combined they distracted me enough that I couldn’t remember who was who or what anyone had been doing. And the ending? I appreciate what the author was trying to do (which, by the way Pirandello and Unamuno did a long, long time ago in different genres) but maybe I’m too dense? My brain is impressed with this book but my heart didn’t like it. Based on the reviews, you will either love it or hate it. I hope there are more of the former but I can’t say I’m one of them.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor!

West Heart Kill is a murder mystery we've all read before; a group of people locked in or stranded in a specific setting and the bodies start piling up. But what makes this story very unique is the style it's written in. At times the author breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader, while also educating the audience with the history of the genre and its better known authors. While I can understand why some would be turned off by that, I found it rather entertaining. I actually loved when the author spoke directly to me! There are a number of characters in this story and at times I had to refer back to the dramatis personae to keep them all straight. But I can appreciate that McDorman thought to include this. Days after finishing this book, I'm still thinking about it and I would think that's the sign of a really good story, especially when so many are forgotten as soon as you read the last page.

{2.5 stars}

This novel takes a locked room mystery and turns it on its head. More than once. We join a group of families as they gather at a remote hunting lodge. They are joined by a detective who won't tell them what he's investigating or who has hired him. He slowly interrogates them all in a fun banter-y way until the first body turns up. Then things get serious. And the bodies pile up.

I liked the idea of this one more than the execution. The writing style is unique, which is a big risk. I liked the tongue-in-cheek aspect but the pace didn't work for me. I also struggled to connect with any of the characters. I still need someone to root for even in a murder mystery. That was all missing for me.

Read this one if you like quirky murder mysteries like Murder Your Employer or Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone. I enjoyed both of those, but I did them on audio, wonder if that would have helped me enjoy this one more?

Thanks Knopf for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

“West Heart Kill” by Dann McDorman ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Murder mystery imbedded in lessons on reading mysteries. Location: Upstate New York State, USA. Time: 1976 Fourth of July weekend.

Is this a book about an isolated hunt club, a storm, and 3 corpses? Or is it a book about how to write and read mystery novels? It’s all in the perspective- which changes frequently.

Private detective Adam McAnnis (35) heads upstate with old college friend James Blake for a weekend at the remote, exclusive West Heart Club hunting lodge. A body is found at the lake’s edge, a major storm hits. By Sunday, 2 more are dead. Suspects include a bunch of scheming, unfaithful, entitled characters. Secrets and lies.

Author McDorman combines a murder mystery with lessons on plot, method, narrative style. Lessons as he tells us what readers feel, suspect, wish for as we read the novel. Instead of making me feel wryly included, it made me sad to read what he thought I was thinking instead of imagining and figuring out things for myself. Other lessons are definitions and lectures-it’s like attending an “ironically cool” college professor’s lectures. Publisher Knopf describes this book as a crime mystery, not a lesson on mystery writing rules. I wonder if rules for writing mysteries might be more interesting to McDorman than to the average reader.

McDorman describes 1970s clothing brands, characters’ clothes, hair, accessories, and he does it right. I found myself transported back to the ‘70s (Jane Birkin bangs, 🎶Let ‘em in…🎶, Ultrasuede, Naugahyde, Virginia Slims.) His book’s style is definitely unique, and his descriptions of the mystery genre knowledgeable and complex. It would make a great humorous Ted Talk on the rules of writing mysteries. His vocabulary shines, and the actual mystery is interesting. But combining the many lessons and the mystery together seems just too ironically literary, so it’s a solid 3 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Dann McDorman for this early copy. Publishes 10/24/2023.

I would make it very clear to the audience that the book is narrated in second person. The description didn't give any indication that this was the case, and I found it very jarring to navigate.

I DNF at page 28. No rating. I just could not get into this one and the writing style was very off putting and I already could not keep the characters straight. I usually am one to push through, but other reviews stating similar experiences saying it only gets worse and they wish they would have put it down sooner, helped me with my decision.

I can see from other reviews that mileage varies widely on the metafictional trickery the author employs. I, for one, enjoyed it. The dissection of the genre while employing its tropes was fun, and even if at points it felt like a hat on a hat, I appreciated that the author was trying something that felt new. I enjoyed the voice switches, the foray into transcript, play script, and cinematic screenplay direction. The end felt a tiny bit like cheating, but I'm willing to overlook it as it served a larger purpose. There was some moralizing about enjoying fictional murder that felt a little bit tired and not super compelling, and I can see where that would turn some readers off. If readers enjoyed Janice Hallett's The Twyford Code, this would be a perfect readalike.