This book pretty much drove me nuts! I like a good "old fashioned mystery, from the ages." But the author chose instead to write encyclopedia snipets about the different types of mysteries throughout the ages. The worst part, is that those segues tend to come just as the story gets going.
I have to both laugh and quote the author's own words on page 29, as it was so laughable at the mirror image of his own writing style..."Obviously, the reader's patience is tested, if not soon exhausted, by this sort of play. But for the writer of murder, a principal interest of the Oulipo school lies in how one prominent member (Raymond Queneau) described them: 'Rats who construct the labyrinth from which they plan to escape.'"
This ties up the book very well. I was torn between a 1 or 2 star review, as the story line seemed decent, without the extras, until the end, then it was just plan stupid and a waste of time for anyone reading it.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC, and sorry it was such a disappointment of a review.

A delightful romp with breaking of the fourth wall and switching POV. I've never read a book like it. Not sure that the ending was my favorite, though it kept me guessing until the final pages.

Thank you NetGalley for this book!

So in the end I did enjoy the rollercoaster that this book was. It was definitely a unique writing style. I enjoyed how it often broke the fourth wall and acknowledged what you might be thinking as you're reading, or give you a little extra insight into what was going on. There were fun tid bits throughout the book which taught me a little history about mystery books. However... the POV changes that randomly happened throughout the book when the story was being told got confusing to me at times.

Honestly, I may have given this a 4 star rating if it weren't for the ending which I found to be.... failry unsatisfying. I'll settle with a 3.5 star, which is what I have given it over on Storygraph.

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC of this book. Unfortunately, this was a DNF at about 30% for me. I didn't like the POV and being told what I'm feeling and doing. It was also just hard to follow along and pay attention to. Might be for others but not for me. I did like the cover, and the premise sounded good. Again, may be for others but not for me!

Take a bit of Roger Ackroyd courtesy of Agatha Christie, throw in a bit of Anthony Horowitz and you still might not be able to describe the set up for this interesting book. In fact, I would venture to guess that Agatha Christie would have been quite envious of the first 3/4 of it. Do we have an unreliable narrator? Are we voyeurs of a murder mystery social evening? Nothing is what it seems here. It is a bit confusing I will admit that. I would definitely suggest reading this rather than listening to an audio version or you will be complete list.

It is obvious from the start that the author has more than a passing interest in the murder mystery genre and in fact appears to be quite the devotee. I’m not usually a fan of the third party narrative ( there are exceptions……take the Book Thief for example) but some how this works or it worked up until the reader took control.

The dialogue is clever. The bits and pieces about the genre thrown in, bery interesting. It’s compelling and oddly noir-ish. Is that a word? My son once described a book he was reading as being similar to those old movies my husband liked to watch. It’s a bit like that.

When the dialogue switched to a play, I was baffled but read on. It was only when I reached the end that I went “what?” I honestly don’t know what happened. I was willing to forgive the format up to that point but ended up with significant disappointment.
The positives here then rely only on the following: the author writes really well, has a knack for dialogue, and is very well read. That leaves me with a dilemma. I seriously need someone to explain the ending. I would give this author a second chance but was left unsatisfied with this effort.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a pre-publication copy of the book.

I am soooo sorry but I had to DNF this book. I tried, I really really tried to read this book but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe if I had listened to an audio version I could have gotten through it.

But for me I felt like I was in school and I was being lectured to. I never really got to a murder but like I said I didn't finish it so maybe there is a murder and I just didn't get to it.

The book is very well written and I know there is an audience out there for this type of book. I'm sorry it just wasn't for me, but thank you for allowing me to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Unfortunately, this was really not for me. I think it was both unique and creative, but the writing style was very off-putting and I found myself unable to really get into it (despite the book's best efforts to literally include the reader in the story). Ultimately I was somewhere between rolling my eyes and nodding off the whole time.

You might enjoy this if you are particularly interested in the mechanics of writing a murder mystery and if you enjoy experimental writing styles. However, I think if you're looking for a quirky murder mystery that similarly breaks the fourth wall while still being engaging, I'd recommend EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE by Benjamin Stevenson, which was much more successful for me.

A highly memorable locked room mystery! It gives major Agatha Christie vibes! I will be adding this to my mystery book club list and will be recommending it to those who are looking for a new twist on a traditional mystery.

📚 Book Review: "West Heart Kill" by Dann McDorman

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

"West Heart Kill" offers a thought-provoking exploration of the mystery genre, deconstructing its tropes and delving into the psychology of why readers find comfort in stories about murder. Drawing on academic analysis and historical facts, this novel breaks the fourth wall, providing an abundance of information and genre-awareness. While the concept is intriguing, the execution can be overwhelming, especially towards the ending, which takes on an academic essay-like quality. The unconventional conclusion subverts expectations but may not satisfy traditional mystery enthusiasts. Overall, this book will appeal to a niche audience familiar with the genre and seeking a unique and intellectual reading experience.

A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher West Heart Kill for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The way that book is written is so interesting! I love locked room mysteries and it definitely delivers on that- but it gives so much more! There’s a narrator you follow along with, but the narrator feels…sinister in a way and then there’s the “how to write a mystery” aspect. It’s brilliantly written and I’m excited to see what this author does next!

One part mystery novel, one part commentary on the genre, West Heart Kill is a unique read for those who enjoy mysteries. I enjoyed the commentary, finding it an education, especially on some of the classic mystery writers, and felt like it was nicely mixed into the actual story of the novel. Thank you Net Galley, Dann McDorman and Knopf for the ARC.

An interesting plot, with characters I found compelling. The atmosphere of the setting’s buildings and landscape were so well written I immediately felt as if I was there, walking beside the detective. Overall, I enjoyed the ride of this murder mystery…. Except that the book’s interruptive style of including sidebars of various authors approach to this genre were, for me, a distraction I could do without. If you enjoy a good “who done it”, this book might be for you!

Whew!

I finally finished reading this story, I thought it would never end. The beginning is unusual, the author explaining how to write a mystery novel. The plot thickens as you learn a detective has been invited to the Bicentennial weekend’s festivities at West Heart Country Club. Things get murky as more and more people are added to the cast, to the point that it becomes a chore to try to remember the names and their relationship to each other. The detective is the main character at this point, hired to infiltrate the group for inside information.

A horrific storm hits the area and West Heart is completely cut off from the rest of the world when people start dying. Now we have a murder mystery that is interspersed with infidelity and interruptions by the author comparing the story with other famous tales from literature. I’m getting bored and it is getting more difficult to convince myself to continue reading. I finally did finish the book, though, and found the ending to be quite disappointing.

I received an advance copy of West Heart Kill from NetGalley, this is my honest opinion of the book.

West Heart Kill is a mystery novel set in the 1970s. There’s an unnamed narrator who reminded me of Kolchak: The Night Stalker (which fits because Kolchak was a 1970s show). Except in West Heart Kill, it’s not a friendly reporter narrating between scenes. It’s a narrator that feels cruel, or at least above it all, playing with the reader like a mouse in a maze. It made me wonder just how reliable the narrator is.

The story is brilliant. Kudos to McDorman. But a brilliant story doesn’t mean that it’s entertaining. The meta and the trickery (like leaving out certain information in the list of characters) started feeling too cutesy after a while. But that’s just me. Others will LOVE this book. It’s so fresh (and yet uses old hat tricks, like I said, brilliant).

One thing’s for sure. I’d REALLY like to see West Heart Kill on the big screen!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance reader copy. I am happy to give my own opinion.

A group of wealthy couples and families gathers at their hunting camp in the Northeastern U.S. over the 4th of July weekend in the late 1970s, Among them is detective Adam McAnnis, college friend and guest of one of the members. Over the course of the weekend, secrets are revealed and bodies pile up. Part locked room mystery, part encyclopedia, part interrogation transcript, this story is told from multiple viewpoints and ultimately suffers from a lack of cohesion and direction. What should be a clever device leads to an unsatisfying and anti-climactic conclusion.

Thank you netgalley for this arc!

What a wild ride! Unpredictable but also such a cluster of different things that it was enough to keep me engaged and turning the page

DNF - page one. This book insists upon itself. I would give zero stars if I could.

This is where I thank the publisher for the ARC, and I do. I just wish I could travel to an alternate universe where this book made sense to me. Made it with a lot of struggle to page 200, then lightly skimmed to the end.

From the back cover:
"The elements of the classic murder mystery... ...but it's the daring structure and mischievously subversive narration..."; It goes on, but sad to say the reality of that second part of the quote is what lead me to 1 star.


The narrative style, while unique, was not my taste. The narrator (aka the writer) speaks directly to the audience (aka the reader) occasionally.... i couldn't.

I am struggling to find the right words to describe my feelings about this book. I am a mood reader and was looking for a mystery or thriller. West Heart Kill appeared as “read now” on NetGalley, so I snatched it up.

I quickly could tell that this wasn’t your typical murder mystery. It reminded me of “Knives Out,” specifically Benoit Blanc. There were parts that I flew through and was really engaged in. Others, I struggled.

Throughout the plotline, the narrator stops and gives you a history of mystery novels and authors. This was not for me, but I could see how some people would enjoy it.

I also became very frustrated with the ending. I think that there were a ton of great ideas, but this book might have tried to do too much, and it fell flat for me

Talking directly to the reader - telling me what I may or may not be thinking - was completely off putting to me. While I absolutely hated this, I do feel my husband would love it. I came for a thriller / mystery and felt it was more literary fiction than anything else (which isn’t my jam).

I did not feel any connection to the characters or the story itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

West Heart is a hunting club in NY. A detective was invited to come for a weekend and no one knows who invited him and why he came. You learn about the families and their secrets in the club.

The structure of this book was different than I was expecting. It tells you how to write mystery novels. I think I liked it. I found myself getting lost in the middle of the book during some of these sections and at times not following the story well. I did like the section on Agatha Christie, and I liked learning about her disappearance, but then remembering I was in a different story. As far as a mystery, it was interesting, but I was a little dissatisfied at the ending. I had a thought that this would be an interesting book to re-read, because there is a lot that I probably missed with it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.