I enjoyed listening to Eva Kaminsky reading this locked room murder mystery which I suspect is the first in a series featuring the nameless ghostwriter narrator. Some elements of the plot stretched my belief, but all told, this was an entertaining, easy listen. I would certainly read or listen to more in this series by Kemper Donovan, and will also look out for other books narrated by Kaminsky.

The Busy Body is a whodunnit mystery that is, unfortunately, unremarkable. At first, the euphemisms for real-life people and the snarky narrator were fun, but it all eventually became very...irritating. I'm mystified that this book is the first of a series about a ghostwriter, given the ghostwriter was unnamed and didn't do a whole lot of sleuthing (or writing). In fact, she didn't do a whole of anything other than offer some out-of-pocket commentary that was trying too hard to be funny.

These types of mysteries are only enjoyable if the investigation is entertaining. The plot of The Busy Body is drawn out, boring, and unsuspenseful. The main characters weren't in danger (they had no relevance to the mystery), and there weren't any red herrings or substantial unveilings to keep my interest. The final "here's what happened" was far too long and not nearly shocking enough to be considered a grand reveal. Adding the cliche and abhorrently cringey romance was unnecessary icing on an already inedible cake.

Needless to say, the best part of this book is the cover art.

I received an advanced audiobook copy from NetGalley and RB Media in exchange for an honest review.

**As an aside, I think it is important to note that the audio's narrator was quite good. She captured the personalities of the characters well and had a lovely cadence.

This was a hard one to get through because it was boring for me. I can often extend disbelief for a story line, but this was unbelievable in a bad way.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
A former Presidential Candidate turned amateur sleuth, Dorothy Gibson, is a delightful character who is witty and entertaining. This cozy mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I thought it was a fun read with engaging writing.

The political gripes were a bit excessive and it felt like the author was pandering to a specific extreme audience.

The Ghostwriter wasn’t as dynamic of a character as the others, so I hope we’ll get more insight into her backstory in Book 2.

Thank You to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has it all! From the wit to the mystery, this is like if Agatha Christie and Richard Osman had a baby. Character development and the plot were well thought out. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job delivering the book.

This book was a little slow at first, but it quickly drew me in. I love a good mystery, and this one kept me guessing until the twisty reveal! The audiobook narration was great! I liked the way the author wrote the ghostwriter’s inner monologue! Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook copy in échange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting book. When I saw that it was being talked about as an Agatha Christie book mixed with Veep I know i had to ready it. There were times that I thought it was slow, but overall I'm excited to see where the series go and what comes next for The Ghostwriter.

Narrator Eva Kaminsky did a great job balancing the ghostwriter character with the mystery of the storyline. I thought it was a fast listen and found 2.0x to be the sweet spot for listening.

Thank you for the gifted ALC.

Woah this audiobook just blew me away! I was completely hooked from the very beginning, and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next!

I enjoyed this Agatha Christie-ish story. The main character is a ghostwriter working on her biggest project to date. Dorothy is a famous politician who just lost her bid for president. While Dorothy and the Ghostwriter visit a neighbor, they are pulled into a murder investigation.

I liked the main character even though we never learned her name. She sometimes seems fearless but isn't willing to commit to any relationship. She is funny and willing to emerge into Dorothy's life.

The ending is in true Agatha Christie style, with all suspects in one room when the murderer is revealed. I guessed the twist early, but the journey with the author was entertaining. If Donovan continues this series, I will read the next book to see where he will take the ghostwriter.

I love Eva Kaminsky, the narrator. I know Kaminsky from other books she narrates. She has a pleasant voice and can change slightly for the different characters.

3.5 stars story
4.5 stars narrator

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan has all the vibes of a classic Agatha Christie with a contemporary flair! A blended mix of mystery, political intrigue and humor. Let's not forget that the author is the host of the podcast "All About Agatha!" 

I enjoyed how each woman in this novel is flawed and yet powerful in their own way. A ghostwriter landing the assignment of a lifetime, a former Senator who lost a Presidential run and the side characters that help build the plot. The mystery was intriguing and I can't deny I enjoyed the sleuthy ways of our MCs.

The writing style is modern, witty and wonderfully sarcastic. I also had the ability to listen to the audio from Recorded Books thats narrated by Eva Kaminsky. Between the accents and hints of twang and delivery of sarcasm, I adored the audio rendition too. I don't think I can pick a favorite format, both equally come alive whether in written or audio.

Huge thank you to recorded books for the gifted ALC. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves Agatha Christie type mystery! True rating 3.5/5.

This was a fun read! So many details from today's current society made this more interesting. I can't wait to see what our Ghostwriter gets up to in the next installment of this series. This was my 1st book by Kemper Donovan and it did not disappoint!

#TheBusyBody
#NetGalley

I wanted to love The Busy Body but unfortunately, it did not work for me. I had a hard time staying interested in the storyline and deciphering the intended tone.

Thank you Kensington Books & RB Media for the advanced copies.

This was SO FUN. I greatly enjoyed the writing style and overall humorous tone. I really vibed with the main character. I enjoyed the classic mystery elements of this story and how it still meshed with modern elements. The political component of the story was definitely interesting and I think an accurate representation of how people would act towards her.

The narrator was absolutely perfect and really made the humor of the story come alive. If you like Agatha Christie and classic mysteries, you will like this.

This was an interesting book. It says it is book one in the ghosterwriter series and I am not sure it will work for a series I am intrigued enough I will check out the second one. This book is a mix of contemporary lit and Agatha Christie style mystery. I’m a big an of Agatha Christie and I love a good locked room mystery, but I could have done with a little less of the political comparisons and I didn’t need a character that let inspired by Hillary Clinton playing Nancy Drew (it was as weird as it sound). The ghostwriter (I don’t believe her name was ever revealed which is also weird for me) has a dream assignment. A woman who fell into politics has just run for president and lost and wants help writing her memoir. The ghostwriter comes for an interview and ends up staying as her client, Dorothy, wants it to be an authentic as possible. When Dorothy’s neighbor is killed Dorothy and the ghostwriter get caught up playing amateur sleuth and all kinds of twisty chaos occurs. I started this one b audiobook and I thought the narrator did a good job. I switched to physical book because the mystery was moving slowly for me and I wanted to read it faster to get to the good and twisty mystery solution bit I was hoping to find. Overall I gave it 3.5 stars which I rounded up for star selection.

The (unnamed) ghost writer has been selected to write a memoir for Dorothy Gibson. Dorothy had just completed her election run for President of the United States. In an all too real scenario the election did not end in Dorothy’s favor.

As Dorothy is trying to get back to normal life she gets caught up in a murder investigation. Dorothy’s neighbor Vivian approaches her to commiserate the loss. The next day Vivian is murdered. As the investigation begins Dorothy and the ghost writer can’t stay away

Many thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for the eaudiobook!

The premise of this book really hooks you right away but unfortunately, at least for me, quickly becomes boring. The two characters - the unnamed ghostwriter and Dorothy make a weird detective duo team that I thought could be fun and interesting but I found them flat and boring. I wish I loved this more than I did.

The Busy Body is the first book in a stylish classic modern mystery series by Kemper Donovan. Released 23rd Jan 2024 by Kensington, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a first person classic-pattern mystery with a protagonist who remains anonymous throughout. She's a ghost writer, with a new dream assignment to shadow a Hillary Clinton-esque independent candidate (Dorothy) who has split the vote enough that a dark horse outsider (he who shall not be named) has successfully gained the presidency. When Dorothy's neigbor dies in odd circumstances, they decide to investigate on their own, to the chagrin of the local constabulary.

Although it's an odd (too clever?) twist to have the ghost writer remain anonymous, the prose is well crafted and it won't be problematic for most readers. Mr. Donovan manages to convey a female voice reasonably well, and the fact that the character wasn't continually referred to by name never made it feel like she was genderless or masculine.

The story culminates in a Poirot-gets-the-suspects-together denouement, and although many readers will be expecting the big reveal, it was well written and entertaining. Definitely plans for future volumes given the epilogue. It's not at all derivative, but fans of modern intellectual classic mysteries like those by Anthony Horowitz, Nita Prowse, and Richard Osman will find a lot to like.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours 6 minutes and is capably narrated by Eva Kaminsky. She has a slightly earthy alto voice with a neutral accent (east coast American but not distinctively regional) and does a good job of delineating the various characters of both sexes and a range of ages. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars for both print and audiobook formats.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan was an outstanding read. Told from a first-person perspective, the story is that of an experience of a ghostwriter engaged to ghost write an autobiography for the latest failed presidential candidate. As a first-person narrative, it necessarily includes inner thoughts, observations, and barbs.
She chronicles her own adventures, misadventures and frankly, stupidity along with the actions of her co-sleuth, the failed presidential candidate.
The clues are woven into the story well. Some are detectible, some leave one thinking back and discovering the instance the clue came along. All the clues are there to be discovered by the characters and the reader.

At first, I did not appreciate the narrator. To be honest, the style is a bit of an acquired taste. However, once into the story, it lends itself to the overall feel of the story as her personal perspective.

Perhaps one of the most refreshing parts of the story was the entire lack of political messaging and nudging. The only agenda to the book was to solve the murder and for the ghostwriter to set her life on a path.

HIGHLY recommend.

I guess I’m in the minority here, but I totally enjoyed this one!
(As I’m reading some other reviews, it seems like they did not like it as much, but, to each his own…)

Dorothy Gibson is a former senator who just ran to be president, but was defeated. But, people come up to her throughout the book expressing their disappointment and just being in awe of her! 😮😉

She decides that she wants to write a memoir, and hires a ghost writer. And she asks that she move into her home while they work on this project.

Shortly after arriving, a neighbor is found dead in her home…and the former Senator gets involved, with her writer, to try to solve the mystery.

It’s frightening. It’s funny. And at times it’s hilarious!

But, the cops are NOT happy that these two are getting involved in the case AT ALL! Except, they are the only ones who seem to be making any progress!!

As it all seems to be wrapping up, there’s another twist… and then finally, the truth is revealed!

No, I never saw it coming!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#TheBusyBody by #KemperDonovan and beautifully (hilariously) narrated by #EvaKaminsky.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RecordedBooks for an ARC of the audiobook which was released on 1/23/24.

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