West Heart Kill is a completely original mystery set in a remote hunting lodge. Adam McAnnis joins his old college friend at his family home in the exclusive West Heart Kill enclave. As Adam gets to know the other members of the club he begins to see some cracks in the facade of this once great community. Tensions are palpable as he discovers that some members want to sell the club because they need the money but others are against it. Adam is a private investigator but no one knows who or why he is investigating at the club. When there is a murder and then another murder everyone becomes a suspect even the private investigator and the reader becomes part of the story, too.

The writing style is unusual as it often speaks to the reader. It took me awhile to get into this mystery but I stayed with it and I am glad I did. The twists and turns and the ending will surprise you. If you like unusual, atmospheric mysteries, give West Heart Kill a try.

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

This is a closed-circle mystery set in upstate New York at a hunting lodge. It's isolated; the characters aren't nice; and people begin to die.

But that is where everything you think you know about the genre changes. It's unique and fun, and I highly recommend it.

Dann McDorman's WEST HEART KILL is a clever take on the murder-at-the-manor genre, complete with a compelling cast of characters and a great twist!

I've struggled with this review and have finally decided to tell you what I really think even though I gave it 4 stars. You know love-hate relationships, well I had a dislike-love-hate relationship with this book, long on the love part. I was warned that this book was different & that was putting it mildly. So it was oddly written which I disliked at first but pushed forward slowly. Then, the strangest thing happened, suddenly I loved the book. The narrator mentioned being in a theater at some point and before I knew it, the way it was written made me imagine I was sitting on the front row of an empty dark theater with the narrator standing at a podium to the side with a spotlight on him, and the characters on stage acting their parts out only when they were "speaking" and freezing in place when the narrator started again. It sounds weird and I've read thousands books and not once has this happened. I continue to love the book including the weird interruptions in the story, but then we get near the end and that's where the hate happens. The interruptions get longer and it's even mentioned that it could be a stalling tactic which is fine once or twice, but then there was so much of it, it annoyed me. Then, the writer did two unforgivable things. I will not give it away, but if I hadn't been reading an ebook, I would have thrown the book. What really made me mad was I felt like the author did it on purpose just to mess with the reader. I could be wrong, but it doesn't bode well for their career if I'm right. It was well written, but ended up frustrating me. I don't know if anyone will agree with me and oddly because of the large chunk of the book I loved, I hope others read it it too. Maybe the warning of frustration will prepare the next person, so they won't be so upset like me.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

A classic mystery feel with an original twist. Locked room mysteries are one of my favorite genres and I had so much fun reading this. I'll be recommending it to any patrons looking for a mystery.

this was probably the most unique book i’ve ever read! classic whodunit vibes but with a very unconventional twist - the story is written with multiple different narrative structures and povs throughout. it was a bit jarring at first, but once i got accustomed to this writing style i actually really started to enjoy it! i do think though that this style of book would be very polarizing to readers. the authors voice can at times seem patronizing to those who are incredibly familiar with the history of mystery and detective novels, but overall i enjoyed it. i’d be curious to read a future book by this author to see what he does next!

This book was not for me. The author comes across as a smug know-it-all and he probably will think I'm just not smart enough to appreciate this book. First of all, the lessons or dissertations about mystery authors, books, and styles were completely annoying. It constantly pulled me out of the story and I ended up skipping them near the end. And the ending was ridiculous and infuriating. What the hell was that play with the Reader and who writes a mystery without solving the murder?

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman in exchange for an honest review. This is a who-dunit with a new twist. Who killed one of a group of strangers? This is a fun mystery that's keeps the reader interested until the last page.

Diving into "West Heart Kill" was like embarking on an unpredictable rollercoaster of creativity and experimentation. Initially, I couldn't help but applaud author Dann McDorman's daring approach to storytelling. The narrative seemed poised to blend the intrigue of classic mysteries. It had me genuinely excited, at least until the final stretch.

The book has its moments—there are pockets of profound reflection that are both beautiful and insightful. At one point, everything seemed to click into place, promising a harmonious convergence of genres and tones. Yet, just when I thought I was in for a satisfying finale, the story took a turn, introducing a twist that felt questionable but salvageable. However, it wasn't the only plot twist thrown our way; the genre and tonal switch that followed, while potentially intriguing, left me bewildered.

The final chapters were a letdown. Instead of a fulfilling conclusion, it felt like the author was patting himself on the back, reveling in a sense of self-congratulation and pretentiousness. It was as if the primary goal was to showcase the author's literary gymnastics rather than craft a genuinely compelling narrative. The ending, particularly, left a bitter taste. After investing hours of my life, I was met with a conclusion that seemed more interested in making me feel foolish than providing a satisfying resolution. It wasn't earned, and the abrupt shift in tone felt more like a cheap shot than a clever twist.

I would like to express my gratitude to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

PI Adam MacAnnis has wrangled an invitation to a private hunting club from an old friend. The friend doesn’t know Adam is there on a case. The club is remote, and a terrific storm is predicted for the Bicentennial 4th of July weekend. West Heart’s members have belonged for generations and there’s more than enough drama, just below the surface and simmering to the top, before the weekend starts off with a dog getting hit followed the next morning by a hunting accident.

Then a club member is found in the lake. Her death appears to be suicidal, but is it really?

Told in alternating points of view—primarily Adam’s p, but occasionally an unidentified narrator’s, interspersed with a study of the mystery genre, this novel is anything but typical. #WestHeartKill #NetGalley

If you are a fan of detective mysteries, this book is for you. Not just because it is a detective mystery, but because it spends a great deal of time exploring the genre.

West Heart Kill is a standalone detective murder mystery novel by Dann McDorman in the vein of the locked room mystery. The thing that made this a 5-star read for me was the atmosphere and the interesting narration.

Adam McAnnis is a private detective who has reunited with a college friend and joined him on his 4th of July weekend family vacation. They are going to the West Heart Hunting Club in New England, where several other monied families are members. The 4th of July weekend is a tradition passed down through generations. But is a nice vacation all Detective McAnnis has in mind? It seems McAnnis has been hired by somebody at West Heart, though we don't know who or why. The families in attendance are all pretty dysfunctional. There are affairs, drug use, shady business dealings... All in all, it was great fun.

The atmosphere of the novel is kind of dark and moody, the characters are all deeply flawed, broken, and jaded. I loved the setting and time period. The narration was interesting because the omniscient 3rd person narrator spoke directly to the reader and would intermittently speak to the detective genre and the process of writing a detective novel. Book nerd that I am, I enjoyed his asides immensely. I was left with some questions at the end of it, but the mood of the book trumps that for me, it was a solid 5-star read.

I want to thank everyone for my gifted copy of West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman.

I thought that this book had a really interesting take on a classic whodoneit mystery book. I liked that the book had "facts" about these types of books throughout the story, and that you, the reader, who a character within the story. It kept me interested for most of the story, but towards the end, I found myself very confused as to what actually happened in the story. lol

An elite hunting club is the scene of several deaths while an outsider private investigator happens to be visiting, but this is as much an exploration of the detective mystery genre as a detective mystery novel, so we also explore the structure and history of the mystery novel, how information is disseminated, how that changes the reading experience, etc. I adored the way it played with tense and perspective and tone to craft both a mystery and a meta-mystery. I can see the final twist being divisive, but I thought it was deviously clever in the best way.

Hmmm. I’m not totally sure how to explain this or my feelings about it. I wasn’t feeling it for the first 15-20% but several reviews compared it to Evelyn Hardcastle, and since I loved that, I figured I’d make it to the end. There were a few times I found myself really frustrated but also thought it might all play out well.

While I applaud the creativity and experimental nature of the book, it honestly doesn’t work. It feels very self-congratulatory and pretentious, as if the writer was way more interested in being like, “hey look what I can do” than he was in writing a good book.

Elements were good. There were some beautiful and insightful reflections I truly enjoyed. At one point, it was starting to pull together very nicely and I almost felt like it was a mix of classic mysteries, House of Leaves, and Gatsby. Since I enjoy all of those immensely, I was very excited to finish the last 15-20%. Then there was a twist that was iffy. But it could have still worked. And then we had a genre and tonal switch, which also could have worked. However, the ending…. Man. Do you want to waste hours of your life only for a writer to basically be like, “aren’t I clever and don’t you feel dumb?” If so, have at it. But it wasn’t earned and made me mad. I consider myself well-read and enjoyed some of the side commentary (almost pedagogical content). But at the end, it felt insulting, and I was left way more annoyed that I’d basically succumbed to this pretentious experiment and thought exercise when I just wanted to read a damn book.

Also, calling out misogyny, anti-Semitism, and racism while perpetuating them isn’t really the solution. It felt more like “hey, what are you gonna do? People weren’t as enlightened in the 70s. Tee hee.”

Ugh. I’m so angry. But it had such potential and the creativity was exciting until it didn’t play out.

Although the tone/narration of this book took some getting used to, I found this to be a pleasing and entertaining whodunit mystery.

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is a mystery with a slightly different format. The setting is a hunting lodge, and everyone is a suspect, including the detective. The first part of the story is narrated by the detective. Then the next part is narrated by an unknown character. There’s an interview format and even a play format included. I enjoyed all these differences, but the story itself was lacking a bit. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The set-up for West Heart Kill is a great one. Rich New Yorkers at their private country club retreat in the 1970s. Everyone has secrets. But who would kill to protect their own?

Author Dann McDorman took an experimental approach to telling his story. And while playing with story form is admirable - especially with a genre like mystery that has specific formulaic beats and well-worn tropes - I was constantly wishing this tale was told to me straight.

I found myself struggling the most with the third-wall-breaking narrator. Always speaking directly to the reader as “you” and stopping to interject what the reader must be feeling or thinking. It’s very jarring to be wrongly told what I’m thinking while reading a story.

Even the publicity around the release of West Heart Kill admits that this book is not for everyone. And I agree. It most certainly was not for me.

[Definitely read a variety of reviews before picking up this book. I have a friend who reads a ton of mystery and rather enjoyed the dissection of different writing styles and tropes in the mystery canon.]

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for sharing this ARC.

I really wanted to get into this book. I loved the premise of it, but it fell a bit flat for me and I couldn’t get into it. I love how the author writes directly to the reader and was saying what I was thinking.

West Heart Kill is a MUST READ for fans of the murder mystery genre! It is such a fun and creative take on the typical murder mystery: it is very meta, breaking the fourth wall and inviting the reader to participate in the story. It interrupts the narrative with commentary on the genre itself that will make you ruminate on why we enjoy murder mysteries so much, why do we derive entertainment from murder? It changes POVs and has multiple formats. I was completely hooked and loved every minute of it. You will be too if you enjoy outside the box storytelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a digital ARC from the publisher, but started reading it as an audiobook. Audiobookers, this is phenomenal in that format. Two hours in, I loved the book so much I had to order a physical copy for my shelf.

Remember watching movies on DVD and scouring the DVD extras section for entertaining tidbits like bloopers, etc.? Remember the one thing you never watched, because it was so annoying? Yup, the option to watch the entire movie accompanied by the director’s (or various actors’) commentary. Well, this book basically feels like that. The whole time we’re reading, there’s a meta-y commentary breaking the fourth wall to address the reader about the tricks of the genre. It’s all very knowing and at some level amusing, like the author knows we are wise to how these things work but is going to fool us anyway. This had the potential to make things more impressive, the way it’s fun to be fooled by sleight of hand even if we think we are too sophisticated to be tricked. The problem is that is makes reading the actual mystery kind of a pain. It’s hard to stay interested when there is a momentum-breaking interruption every chapter or so calling attention to the narrative trickery that’s happening right in front of us. This would have been more effective for me if there had been just some kind of introductory chapter challenging the reader to figure it out, followed by the actual uninterrupted story. (And maybe a final “here’s how I fooled you” summation.) Instead was left appreciating the cleverness at an intellectual level but without actually having fun reading the book. It took me almost ten days to get to the end—not a sign of a compelling entertainment.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for a digital advance review copy.