This one had so much potential. I was really excited about the premise and loved the idea of three authors—Emma, Kat, and Cassie—teaming up for a revenge plot against one man. Each POV felt distinct, and I enjoyed how their unique backgrounds and personalities brought something different to the story. The audiobook narration also stood out, with different voice actors for each woman, which helped keep the perspectives clear and engaging.

That said, the book started off strong and then... kind of lost its way. The pacing dragged in the second half, and by the end, the plot didn’t feel like it fully came together. What started as a sharp, fun concept ended up feeling a bit muddled and flat.

If you’re a fan of the authors or like books about writers behaving badly, it might still be worth a try—but for me, it didn’t quite deliver on its promise.

In this cozy mystery set in remote Scotland, three female authors, who cannot stand each other, pretend to be friends jointly writing a novel at a writer’s workshop held in a celebrated author’s castle. Turns out each has a vendetta against their host. But when he’s murdered shortly after the women arrive, they become suspects along with most of the village, who all hate him. Will the American writers be able to set aside their distaste for one another in order to work together to solve the mystery of who killed their insufferable host?

Honestly, this book was really difficult to get into, but having read everything else Williams, Willig, and White have written together, I knew it would be worth persevering through. The first half was a slog; the second half had more of the un-put-down-able feel we count on in a good mystery. While the story itself was not my favorite of theirs; it read like they wrote the book as a fun distraction from the far more serious novels they traditionally pen together. Who doesn’t want to take a break every now and then and just have fun?!

Things I didn’t enjoy: The three protagonists aren’t really likable, the story feels forced at times, and there are more sexual innuendos than really necessary.

Things I appreciated: The sheep, the humor, the celebration of Scottish culture, and the strong triumph of the #metoo storyline.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

Three authors congregate at a Scottish Castle to research a book they are cowriting. Or are they?

This book as fast paced and fun. There are castles, hags, a secret Laird, sheep and murder. Our three author's (Kat, Cassie and Emma) are prime suspects. Kat is the author of a series of erotic Scottish romances, Cassie writes cozy mysteries and Emma writes very serious historic fiction. Can they use their diverse literary skills to solve the murder of literary superstar and noted jackass Brett Saffron Preseley?

I’m so sorry to say this was a DNF for me. I had high hopes since I really enjoy one of the authors, but I struggled to continually pick this one up.

You win some, you lose some. This just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy.

Three authors who say they are writing a book together are staying in a castle on a Scottish island. When their host is found dead, they become suspects. A fun story by three wonderful authors.

This was a DNF for me. I think the plot was just moving to slow for me and I really just couldn't get into the book. Every time I went to pick it up, I was dragging my feet and found myself looking for distractions.

I was expecting a modern, maybe meta, Agatha Christie based on the blurb for this book, turns out it's more Sex and the City....if that city was a bog. This was more rom-com chick-lit than the cozy mystery I was expecting, the characters seemed like cardboard cutouts and pages spent on their development went on and on with side plots that felt irrelevant.
Didn't like this, don't have anything else to add that hasn't been mentioned in any of the other reviews. Thanks NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have some thoughts on this book. Overall, I enjoyed it, but there were some things I wanted to mention.

It took me a long time to figure out which character was which in this book, and I don't know if that was intentional, or just poor character development.
I also found the writing out of the Scottish accent extremely annoying, We all know what a Scottish accent sounds like, we didn't need it spelled out on the page.
Emma singing the wrong words to the songs was cringeworthy, Nobody does that in real life.
The constant use of "Yo" and "Dude" was also cringeworthy.
How did Morag get Archie to the cave? That was never explained to us.
How did Chip get there?! That was also never explained to us, and honestly, a bigger mystery than how Morag got Archie to the cave. If just seemed too convenient of an answer to me.

I was excited to read this one for the setting and it being about 3 women authors but it couldn’t hold my attention. DNF at 30%. Just not for me.

My only complaint with this book is that it was a little long. I loved the idea of the women authors going to a Scottish island to write a book together -- or is that what they're doing? I loved how they didn't even seem to like each other and how different they were, and the mystery was interesting. I usually avoid romance but there was a lot of romance in this mystery and it was a lot of fun. My favorite part was how the authors ended up solving little mysteries by the end that I didn't even realize were mysteries. This was a fun modern mystery.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun little read. The story moved fast and the characters were great. I like that it was written by three different authors, but the story was still smooth and flowed well. A quick cozy mystery with some humor and romance.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣’𝕤 𝔾𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕄𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣
𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘇 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝘀; 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴; 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲

I had a tough time getting into this one. It has a fun premise: three women authors go to a writing retreat of sorts, but they have an ulterior motive. They all want justice for past grievances.

I couldn’t connect with the characters. One of the women really got on my nerves. One was a mom with big-time mom behaviors, and the other was a bit bland. However, I did find myself chuckling at some of their shenanigans.

The story has many good parts, and it is well-written. How could it not be with these authors at the wheel? It just didn’t grab me like I thought it would.

I will say the ending was cute, and the whole way the story came about in real life was a fun idea; it was explained after the story ended.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for providing me with this ebook to read and review.

Authors Kat de Noir, Cassie Pringle, and Emma Endicott all had their own reasons for not wanting to hear Brett Saffron Presley's keynote address at Bouchercon. Which is why the bar was the place to be for those not worshiping at the altar of the "great man." The three authors walked into the bar and became besties at first sight. Besties with plans to concoct for their future collaboration, Fifty Shades of Plaid! At first it was a joke, a way to write, tour, and more importantly, drink together, with their publisher picking up the tab. And at first their shared editor, Rachelle Cohen, laughed off the suggestion, but she wasn't laughing a month later when they brought her a real book proposal. Which is how Kat, Cassie, and Emma end up at Brett Saffron Presley's Scottish castle. Years ago he rented Castle Kinloch from it's destitute heir and turned it into an overpriced writer's retreat where he could indulge his womanizing ways with the nubile young authors who were desperate for a leg up. Thankfully that descriptor fits none of the three collaborators. The trio are more interested in Naughty Ned than Badly Behaved Brett. Naughty Ned was the laird of Kinloch Island. Known for his sexual depravity and orgies, he was poisoned during a house party in 1900 and his murder was never solved. And this lewd laird is the perfect inspiration for Fifty Shades of Plaid. Though that might prove to be problematic as the locals don't like to talk about Naughty Ned. His murder is the most notorious thing to happen on the island until Brett Saffron Presley is found dead the night of the ceilidh. His body is bound in strategic strips of black leather, surrounded by erotic tapestries, and pseudomedieval accouterments in the castle's tower. The three female American writers staying at the castle soon become the prime suspects. But why could they possibly want Brett Saffron Presley dead? They're best friends, they're there to write... Or are they? Because at that Bouchercon over a year ago Brett Saffron Presley announced his new book, a "graphic and no-holds-barred memoir of his life as the most innovative and controversial writer of his generation" and all three women have had previous run-ins with him. Emma, when she and Brett were a couple, Kat when she was an up-and-coming author at Yaddo, and Cassie at the 2019 CrimeLovers Convention in New York City. But what happened between them and Brett Saffron Presley for them to fake friendship in order to exact revenge and possibly murder? How bad could it be?

Team W is known for their historical fiction. Intertwining narratives linking past and present. So, coming out with what basically amounts to a murderous roman à clef set in the present doesn't feel logical. Some might say that The Author's Guide to Murder doesn't feel like a Team W book at all. Counterpoint, it's the most Team W book EVER. They mine themselves and their shared history to create a meta melange where you're not sure what's real and what's not. Because them bonding in a bar and deciding to collaborate on a book called Fifty Shades of Plaid? That is one hundred percent true. As was their desire for their publisher to foot the bar bill. And all the sheep jokes. The thing is, usually an author's book isn't them unless it's a memoir. Who they are and what they write are totally separate things. But if you've ever been lucky enough to see Lauren, Beatriz, and Karen interact, to see them promoting a book, well, this book is them distilled down and then amplified. This is the Team W people clamor for on their book tours and yet so many reviews bemoan that this isn't what they wanted. What!?! This IS them. This is the pantomime version of them that then reveals a darker truth about the publishing industry. What I admire most about this book is that you really have to trust your fellow author, really be the best of friends, in order to do these caricatures of each other that aren't always the most flattering. I honestly don't think I could be this vulnerable and raw with another person let alone have it published, but that's the bond of this team. What's more, it's obvious that each character is one of the authors but that another of the authors wrote them. Kat is Karen, Cassie is Beatriz, and Emma is Lauren. Well, to a certain extent. But I can tell it's obviously Lauren writing Kat, so it's this fun tag team effort of exposing and making fun of each other that, if you know enough about them, just adds a whole level of fun to the book. And somehow this book is fun. It's dealing with three women who were the victims of one man and yet it's empowering and cathartic. When male authors have always been treated with more respect than their female counterparts and their indiscretions ignored it's nice to have women reclaiming the narrative. Especially when there's the predators out there, like Neil Gaiman, who need to be held to account. Here's to amusement and accountability!

The Author’s Guide to Murder is a clever mix of mystery and satire with a fun premise—a crime writer caught up in a real-life whodunit. The story starts strong, with witty dialogue and a quirky cast of characters that made for some entertaining moments. However, the plot loses steam midway, and the mystery’s resolution felt a bit rushed and underwhelming. It’s a decent, light read with plenty of bookish charm, but it didn’t quite deliver the suspense or twisty payoff I was hoping for. Enjoyable, but not unforgettable.

SPOILER ALERT.
What a great read. Three authors get together to write one book. Sound familiar? This book is a hoot, funny, insightful, sarcastic and laugh out loud. Three authors from different genre go on a writer's retreat to the Kinloch castle in Scotland. What we don't know (at the beginning) is their personal ties to the host Brett Presley. Then comes the murder of the host. At times slapstick, other times serious, it's a romp through Scotland by three Americans and all the puns and references, even to Outlander. The characters are clearly defined, Kat the sexy dresser and author, Cassie the writer of cozy cat murder novels and Emma a historical fiction novelist. They immerse themselves into the castle history and the village where they are staying. There are twists in trying to solve the murder of Mr. Presley. Don't worry, all the loose ends are tied up at the end.

I really, really wanted to like this book -- the cozy Scottish whodunnit setting, the unique triad POV that's also like the authors' gameplan -- it all sounded interesting to me. But everything just moved so slowly... I thought the whodunnit would move a bit faster, but only the short police interviews felt like they were moving the plot along. Everything else in between felt like the story was on pause at times. I did like how unique each character was and how each chapter flowed together despite there being multiple authors. There was no disjointed writing. For that alone I give it a few stars, but unfortunately I don't have much else great to say because I found it to be overall a slow, anticlimactic ride.

This was a clever collaboration. A book by three authors... about three authors who are writing a book together! Enjoyable read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the digital review copy of this title.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I was honestly just bored. The characters lack depth and the plot was ridiculous.

I hope others love this one.

This was our #winingdownbookclub pick for January and we received the book from @bookclubgirl!

I had high hopes for this book since I loved all of these authors and it’s a departure from their usual style. I liked the three POVs of the different writers within the book and I especially loved the Scottish manor setting. It had a lot of humorous parts and I did enjoy the way that we find out that they aren’t really friends at all, but they grow into the friendship by the end.

This book's premise had a lot to offer: A little romance, a little mystery and a great setting in a Scottish Castle with three authors. However, I struggled with the cadence of the book - I thought having three authors write would be interesting and it was but it was also jarring as their voices were very distinct.

There were some funny moments, but the predictable characters and the disjoined pace made me enjoy it less than I thought I would

Thank you, Net Galley and William Morrow, for the ARC of this book