I loved this meta- detective/mystery story that simulates a Knives Out sort of story at a hunting lodge. It's a murder mystery with all of the accruements - there is intrigue, money problems, romance and jealousy. Big gambling, big debts and big cheating -bring in a great storm and everyone is stuck at the lodge with the murderer!

Dann McDorman takes the well known mystery and turns it inside out, all the while giving us lots of fun facts about mystery history and mystery writers in general. This is a must read for any Agatha Christie fan or fan of serial detective stories. It is guaranteed that Dann will entertain you, stump you and teach you! This is a book I recommend and will read again for all of the Easter eggs, history and layers of clues. If you like detective stories, meta writing and amateur sleuthing, West Heart Kill is for you!
#knopf #Pantheon #WestHeartKill #DannMcDorman

One of my favorite mystery subgenres is that of the meta-mystery, which plays with the whodunit form. Authors like Anthony Horowitz, Elly Griffiths and Peter Swanson have done a great job of subverting the well-worn tropes of the traditional mystery. So when I saw that "West Heart Kill" was being billed as a meta-mystery, I rushed to read it.

"West Heart Kill" gives us all the ingredients of a good old fashioned crime novel, with a bunch of WASPs gathering at their isolated hunting club over the weekend of July 4, 1976. Of course, all of these people, who have mostly known each other their whole lives, and are often second-generation club members, have lots of good reasons to hate each other, but it's all simmering below the surface -- until one member accidentally (?) kills another's dog, and then someone winds up dead. Enter Adam McAnnis, a private eye who was brought to the club to investigate someone or something, but just what he's up to is not immediately clear. Will McAnnis be able to unmask the culprit before there's another victim?

The book's narration careens from third person to first person to second person, digressing into notable points in the history of the genre (Agatha Christie's disappearance, Sherlock Holmes' post-Reichenbach Falls resurrection etc.). When McDorman actually presents the reader with the etymology of the word "murder," I had to applaud his sheer audacity. At least he didn't try giving us, "Webster's defines 'mystery' as..."

The denouement is pretty bonkers, but my main problem with the book is that I felt all of the WASPy men were sort of interchangeable. (The women are far more interesting.) "West Heart Kill" is nothing if not meta, but it didn't quite work for me.

An interesting mystery tale, told from several perspectives. An ending without a solution, at least for this reader, and I don’t have the time to go back and re-read to see what I may have missed.

Our story begins at an upstate New York hunting lodge in 1976. A detective, along with a colorful cast of characters, is there for the 4th of July celebration. Sounds like an ordinary set-up for a murder mystery, huh? Well, buckle up because this is definitely not ordinary.

How to describe this? I went in knowing nothing and I’m glad I did, but for those who need to know more, it could be good to know that this is more of a philosophical treatise on the detective story than a true mystery novel. That doesn’t mean it’s boring, quite the opposite! McDorman uses a unique, experimental structure. For example, several different types of narration are used, including (I think?) first person plural, which I’ve never encountered before. There are numerous literary references and short essays about the history of detective novels, among many other things. It kept me turning pages but I could understand if it is off-putting or exasperating to those who like more typical genre fiction. You’ll probably either have a smile on your face when you’re done, or you will want to throw the book across the room. I was smiling.

I enjoyed it immensely and it kept me captivated. I’ve never read anything quite like it.

I will publish this review on social media closer to publication date.

So many characters…it was difficult keeping them straight. Mystery and intrigue kept the story moving. Realistic characters added to the suspense. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author.

It's hard to resist a summation like the one used to market West Heart Kill. It certainly grabbed my attention. When it comes to readers' reactions, they will either love it or hate it. Unfortunately, I fell into the latter category. The narration is incredibly unique and creative, but it didn't pull me in the way I want when I pick up a thriller. In a sense, the voice and structure overpowered the mystery itself.

That said, this is such a standout approach to the genre. For readers who want something fresh, you need to pick up this book.

I’d read any book if it involved a murder mystery, and this certainly didn’t disappoint. Initially, I was intrigued by the cover, and I’m so glad I was granted an ARC because this book was so great. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong, and I honestly kept guessing until the end. If you love thrillers and mysteries, definitely pick this up!