The setting and mystery were fun, but I found the lead characters unlikable until about three quarters of the way through the book.

Having been a fan of all these authors, this book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. There were parts that were really good but then others that kinda stunk. The mystery within the book was good. I probably could have done without the epilogue too. It was crazy.

This is an arc review for The Author's Guide to Murder. Thank you to #netgalley and #williammorrow for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Three authors have written a book about three authors from three different genres writing a book together. Ostensibly the three authors in the book meet at a writers conference become best friends and decide to go off on a girl's trip and write a book together. In reality, they have a darker purpose and that is to seek revenge upon someone who has harmed each of them. Two of the authors are single and one is married. They journey to Scotland to a writer's retreat to work on their book and enjoy the castle and spa. Of course, romance ensues for the single ladies and then there is a murder. The authors, like all author characters in books, tv programs and movies believe they can solve the murder better than the local police. Miscommunication and other hijinks ensue. It isn't a bad book but it is very cringeworthy. The authors thought so too because at the beginning of the book, they apologize to the people of Scotland. I give this book 2.5 stars.

I had a really difficult time with this book. I was never invested in the plot, the characters felt like caricatures of their most base archetypes, and the element I most enjoyed (the police style interviews at the start of each chapter) weren’t present throughout the whole book.

This was a good story, but was not what I was expecting. It was a murder mystery and it did include some silly hijinks. For me the characters were hard to connect with which made it hard to be invested in the story. I enjoyed the Scottish castle setting. The first half of the book felt quite a bit slower than I would have expected from these authors. The second half moved a bit quicker, which led to a satisfying conclusion.

Three authors, posing as friends, set off to Scotland to write a mystery novel together in “The Author’s Guide to Murder”. As you will come to find out, they may have a vendetta and a secret plan. I was drawn into this story from the very beginning. The Multi-POV writing style made it easy to understand the distinctions of the main characters. The humor and book-references were a fun addition to the storytelling. I enjoyed the added romance to the story as well! I do recommend checking the content warnings on this one.

For those who love:
📕 Scotland
📕 Cozy Mysteries
📕 Old & New Mysteries to Solve
📕 Multi-POV
📕 Opposites Attract Friends
📕 Meddling Sheep

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Author’s Guide to Murder is a delightful concoction of mystery, satire, and literary homage, brought to life by the collaborative genius of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. This novel is a must-read for fans of classic whodunnits and contemporary thrillers alike.

Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Castle Kinloch, a remote and gothic estate in the Scottish Highlands, the story kicks off with the sensational murder of literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley. Found dead under mysterious circumstances in the castle’s book-lined study, Presley’s demise sets off a chain of events that intertwine the lives of three authors who are attending a writers’ retreat at the castle.

The novel’s strength lies in its richly drawn characters. Each author brings a unique voice and perspective, making the narrative both engaging and multifaceted. The protagonists, all writers themselves, offer a meta-commentary on the art of storytelling, adding layers of depth and intrigue. Their interactions are laced with wit, rivalry, and camaraderie, making for a dynamic and entertaining read.

The trio of authors masterfully blends their distinct styles into a cohesive narrative. The alternating points of view keep the story fresh and fast-paced, while the seamless transitions between chapters showcase the authors’ collaborative synergy. The prose is sharp and evocative, capturing the eerie beauty of the castle and the tension of the unfolding mystery.

The Author’s Guide to Murder is a celebration of the mystery genre. It pays homage to the greats like Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, while also addressing contemporary issues such as the #MeToo movement. The novel deftly balances its homage with modern sensibilities, making it relevant and thought-provoking.

The Author’s Guide to Murder is a clever and stylish tale that offers three mysteries for the price of one. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration and the enduring appeal of a well-crafted whodunit. Whether you’re a fan of classic mysteries or looking for a fresh take on the genre, this novel is sure to satisfy your literary cravings.

This book is a testament to the authors’ ability to craft a compelling narrative that is both a tribute to and a reinvention of the classic murder mystery. It’s a perfect read for a cozy night in, with a cup of tea and a penchant for puzzles.

4.5 stars rounded up.

The Author’s Guide to Murder is a zany murder mystery written by longtime friends and collaborators Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. They are all accomplished storytellers, and this satirical “locked room” mystery is written, as they note, “with a wink and a nudge and…maybe a grain of truth.” It is all great fun for admirers of these authors’ previous novels!

The premise is straightforward: Three successful writers are sent on an all-expenses paid retreat to Castle Kinloch on a small Scottish island. While there, they realize they each have a complicated history with the retreat’s expert author (and womanizer) Brett Saffron Presley. He is found murdered, and so the writers 3 decide to solve the murder. This becomes an immersive read, as the personality of each woman—Emma, Kat and Cassie—shines with their warm sharing moments and witty repartee. I chuckle that this is probably very loosely based on real-life friends W, W, and W, and their imagined adventures together. There are lots of over the top extended metaphors and double entendres, sometimes cringe-worthy, as well as edgy inside jokes. Sly references to characters in their novels (Prunella Schuyler!) give a tip of the hat to their real-life works.
The denizens of the island are quirky and broadly drawn, especially frustrated DCI Macintosh, and the castle’s owner Archie, whose constant companion is Beatrice, the ewe sheep. The island’s residents remain in character throughout with their Scottish brogue and endless rrrrrrrrrrs.

This novel is very entertaining and I can imagine the fun these authors had developing the imaginative plot and tongue-in-cheek delivery. A great read by a talented trio!!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Three authors who claim to be “best friends” meet up in Scotland to research and write a book together. While visiting, a murder takes place, and the women find themselves prime suspects.

I genuinely wanted to loved this story, as I love this author trio. Sadly, this one didn’t work for me. I did enjoy the 3 POV between Kat, Emma and Cassie, but I didn’t particularly like any of them. I enjoyed the Scottish setting, and I did laugh a few times at the cast of supporting characters. I did enjoy Part 1, as it had snippets of the police interrogation, but that was lost totally in Part 2. This book is not these authors’ typical historical fiction, and I just didn’t vibe with the story. I also think the synopsis didn’t really tell readers the right thing, so I went in thinking I was getting a locked room mystery, but left without that.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for an e-copy arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

Cozy mystery: CHECK
Humor: CHECK
All the references (books, movies, et.) : CHECK

3 Authors (of completely different genres) meet at a bar and decide to write a book together in none other than Scotland. Different country, small town, big castle with an interesting past, murder, and a sheep.

I loved the writing style and layout of the first 50% being a mix of the present and the past with hints of what has happened and what was to come. Sadly in my opinion it went down hill from there with a detour of The Match, Scotland edition. They were trying to solve a murder and prove innocence while also going on fill page distractions of how someone is hot or smells nice. If it kept with the plot i could see it working but it really just come out of no where at times making me roll my eyes so hard and debate if i should just skip pages until the characters were back on track. Picture watching the Scooby Gang only to have full 5 minutes of Fred and Daphne stopping looking for clues and just standing there talking, flirting, and acting like nothing else matters multiple times. It just got me out of the story and didnt more the plot along 75% of the time. The last 15% or so is when it started to get good again and the random side conversations started to feeding into the plot moving things along in the right direction.

I have to admit this book kind of stumped me. Half way through i had a prediction that in a sense turned out correct but with a twist (i wont say more because of spoilers). So it was an easy mystery to solve but also not with some holes and turns involved.

Over all not a pretty good read. This was marked down due to my interesting going down hill at the half way mark until it came back at about 80-85% and the romance idea (no smut just the forcing of everyone getting a partner and happily ever after) down my throat when i just wanted more murder mystery solving. There was also the ending that just was out of the blue with two characters showing up for a task then the book to end almost like it was a rewrite that didnt have enough time to go back and add more to the book to make it logical.

I get so excited when the W’s get together to write a book.

Three VERY different authors get together to write a novel, or get their publishers to pay for a girls trip. Kat de Noir, a slinky erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, who writes multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, historical fiction author head to historic Castle Kinloch in Scotland…it is best known for grizzly murder, they are going to figure out who did it..that is until their host is found dead.

I enjoyed this mystery. I could imagine how much fun The W’s had writing it together.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC. #TheAuthorsGuidetoMurder #NetGalley

DNF at ~30%. How can you not be intrigued to read a very meta-mystery novel written by three authors that is about three authors on a retreat to write a mystery novel? It sounded perfect for me, but ultimately I think it was more of a me-problem than a book-problem in that I just struggled with the story as a whole. I got to about 30% when I realized that even though I could differentiate the three main characters, they just felt too much like caricatures for me to care too much about what was happening to them. There was quite a bit of suspension of disbelief that was required as well. At the same time though, maybe this lightness/silliness was intended, and I just wasn't in the mood for it? I appreciated some of the turns the story took even from the beginning, but at the same time it was a strange combination of too much action going on while also not being enough to keep me engaged. So very much in a "life's too short" state of mind, I decided to put in down in lieu of something different that better fit the reading mood I found myself in.

Really enjoyed the book as a whole, the way the story developed and built- but the characters drove me crazy. Regardless, it was a great book and one I’d definitely recommend.

This fun mystery is about three authors - cozy mystery writer Cassie, detailed historical fiction writer Emma, and paranormal romance writer Kat - who book a trip to an exclusive writer’s retreat at a castle in Scotland to write a novel together. Except the bestselling author who owns the estate ends up dead - and the women end up as suspects, especially since they each have their own secrets. So they team up to try to solve the murder themselves.

This was a fun genre mash up - part mystery, part romance, part literary satire. Definitely gives it a unique vibe, almost like Liane Moriarty crossed with Agatha Christie. You can tell that writing it was a little bit of an in joke for the authors - three authors who are best friends writing a novel together about three authors pretending to be best friends - writing a novel - but it’s also a fun and light read. If you combine the novels I’ve read by each of these three authors individually, I’ve read almost 40 of their books, plus one of their previous collaborations. This has a different feel than their usual books, but I really enjoyed it!

Oooh, this book was fun! Much lighter than the previous "W" novels, but still well done. It reads like a cozy mystery. There were times I chuckled out loud at the purposeful absurdity, and the poking fun. The book revolves around three authors who are BFFS, and sent to Scotland to write a book. Leaves you trying to figure out which book character is supposed to represent Beatriz, Lauren, and Karen. There are references to real life (The Poison Pen Bookstore, the authors interactions in real life) and references to Beatriz Williams' other books and characters. (I am less familiar with Willig and White books, there may be references to theirs too). As always, I am impressed that 3 authors can work so well together to have a seamless blend to the story. Loved the Scotland setting and the Scottish legends and stories in the book, and the way 3 bumbling American tried to live their life "authentically". If you are expecting a serious historical fiction as their previous novels, this is not it. But it is a rollicking good time. Leaves me hoping that the "fake BFF trope" is all fun for this book, and not how they actually started out!

Thanks to Harper Collins and Net Galley for the digital copy for early review.

I’ve been a fan of Willig, Williams and White’s historical novels and anxiously wait to gobble up their new books when they are released. This novel is a vastly different detour from their previous novels and is a choppy, campy, tongue and cheek exploration of 3 authors who travel to Scotland to write a book. I wanted to love this so badly; but it fell flat with me with the continual plaid references, drawn out Scottish words, pantaboot and sheep jokes (one is enough). But, I loved the characters of Caddie, Kat and Emma. The authors are at their best when they write intricately layered historical fiction with well developed characters. I felt that some of the scenes weren’t fleshed out and the writing was choppy. There were some serious elements reminiscent of “the me too movement” but the impactfulness was distracted by some of the goofy, out of this world moments. I felt the novel was written for the author's entertainment only-and I found myself trying to figure out which character was modeled after the authors. Karyn BLack was clearly based on (Karen white's character or an inside joke). If you’re looking for a light, satirical novel this is for you. I hope the authors delve back into historical fiction with a well written story and I look forward to reading them again. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc!

This was...fine.

Calling this an Agatha Christie meets locked room mystery book is quite a choice, because it's really neither of those things.

The breaking of the fourth wall (a book about three female authors writing a book together, written by three female authors) is a cute idea, but there was just so much that didn't work for me. The phonetic spelling of the Scottish brogue was incredibly distracting, and there was already SO much going on in the first half of the book that I think it hindered the progression of the story more than anything. I also didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, which also made it a bit of a slog. I usually like the unlikeable, but all three women were insufferable and I just couldn't bring myself to care about ANY of them at all.

The actual story is fine, pretty standard cozy mystery plot. This is told in a multi timeline and multi format manner as well, which I think can be confusing--particularly at the beginning of the story when you're trying to figure out all of the characters and whose backstory ties to whose.

Overall, I think this was a clever idea for a book and I didn't hate it, but I also don't think I'd ever pick it up again and will probably forget the plot by tomorrow.

This book is full of mystery and plot twists Three authors go on a writing retreat held on a small scottish island but nothing is at it seems with the writers or in the castle. The mystery got more complex as the book went on and I enjoyed trying to work it out.

I loved learning more about the main characters and their motivations as the story went on. They are all so different but complement each other nicely. This Scottish island seems to be inhabited by only the most beautiful of men so I'm going to need the specific coordinates immediately!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
A new book from the Three Ws is always a treat, and I was over the moon when I got approved to read an ARC for The Author’s Guide to Murder. While I did have some minor concerns, like that it seemed to lean on the cozy side of the mystery spectrum, I had faith in the self-anointed Unibrain to pull it off. And “pull it off,” they did.
I’m a sucker for meta books about authors and writing, and this one is that to a bonkers degree. I had to chuckle at the Deanna Raybourn name-drop in a situation that I half-wondered was inspired by something that actually happened to the spoofs of publishing house names.
But having picked up each of their collaborations, and having also read some or all of Willig, White, and Williams’ respective individual works, I also loved the playful jabbing at both certain aspects of their author personas through the central characters, making this almost transparent who wrote who ( I say almost, because while certain Easter eggs suggest one thing, I know they’ll likely never confirm it for sure). The story also pokes fun at their collaboration as a whole, playing against the idea that they were set up by their editor, and riffing on one of their early, more ridiculous ideas. While I can’t say whether someone who doesn’t know these authors that well, and is just going in cold will enjoy this aspect quite as much, it’s an absolute treat for those who’ve been with them at least since they began writing together, as I have.
But that’s not to say that the satire is all there is in the book, although there’s a heavy dose of it. The “why” behind bringing the three central characters, Kat, Emma, and Cassie, together, is a compelling one that comes to light throughout the book. It’s clear that they’re not the “best friends” they claim to be, although kinship does develop between them to the point that this changes. They’re not always the most likable; they’re flawed and rather messy. But I couldn’t help but find them endearing, and it grew more so once I discovered their (and their editor’s) respective dark histories with the murder victim.
Speaking of which, I do think anyone going in specifically for the mystery might be let down. There is a mystery element, yes, and I did like the initial choice to juxtapose the early “pre-murder” scenes with transcripts between the detective inspector working the case and each of the women as he questioned them to set the tone, while the story simultaneously unfolded, depicting the events leading up to the murder. This part is a little slower, but no less entertaining, due to the compelling characters. The intrigue somewhat picks up in part two, post-murder, but while the authors are involved in the investigation, it takes a backseat to the personal developments, with the revelation of the murderer not even being all that shocking. This is why I say that the satirical elements and really being familiar with the authors is what carried it for me, and I don’t know if the publisher is selling it quite as well on those merits.
This was such a fun read, and a potential contender for one of my favorites of the year. With the caveat that it’s a more meta satire of the author community with a mystery twist than the promised “locked-room mystery,” I’d recommend checking it out if you go in with the right expectations, especially if you’re a fan of some or all of the authors’ prior works.

Thank you Beatriz Williams ( @authorbeatriz ), Lauren Willig ( @laurenwillig ), Karen White ( @karenwhitewrite ), William Morrow ( @williammorrowbooks ) , and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read The Author’s Guide to Murder early (publishes November 5, 2024).

Three authors from different genres team up at a writing retreat in Scotland to research a new novel. The mysterious host winds up murdered and it’s up to these authors to find the murderer or end up in jail themselves. Along the way, will they uncover a centuries old mystery?

I was hooked on the three very different main characters, romance and strife, and the multiple mysteries within the book. I especially enjoyed to friendship between the three authors. It is such a good book, and I found it hard to put down!

#TheAuthorsGuidetoMurder #NetGalley #BeatrizWilliams #LaurenWillig #KarenWhite #WilliamMorrow