Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder is a witty and fast-paced mystery with a unique premise and a quirky, relatable heroine. Maeve Gardner is a fantastic protagonist—smart, resourceful, and just the right mix of sassy and vulnerable. The houseboat setting adds a delightful touch of charm, and the cast of supporting characters is both fun and intriguing. While the pacing is a bit uneven at times, the twisty plot, suspense, and Maeve’s witty narrative voice kept me hooked. A great choice for readers who love cozy mysteries with a dash of crime, humor, and unexpected friendships.

Melinda Mullet was a new writer for me, and I loved The Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder. The plot was well done, and I did not guess the killer until he was actually exposed. The London setting included a quaint pub, and some characters living on houseboats in a canal. I loved the characters--a pub owner, a loner on his own houseboat, a writer, and the writer's best friend. They worked well together and I am hopeful to find additional novels featuring them, Thanks to NetGalley for an arc and no pressure for a positive review.

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a cast of quirky British characters, this is the book for you. Maeve is a ghostwriter of a popular crime series, longing to become established as an author under her own name, and living on a houseboat in London following an unpleasant breakup when her canine companion The Captain chews open a tire on her dock which happens to have 50,000 pounds hidden inside it. This seems like it should be a lucky break for Maeve except when she does the right thing and reports her find to the police they return only to find a dead body and Maeve as the prime suspect.

To clear her name, Maeve draws upon her detecting skills from her writing and her trusty crew of friends, Paul, India, Ash, and an unlikely ally in the police department. Of course The Captain plays an important role too. The whole cast of characters were interesting,relatively diverse, and had backstories which rounded them out and made them more than just props in Maeve’s story. The reader sees their perspectives in addition to Maeve’s which moves the plot along well.

The “bad guys” (and gals) in this are also portrayed as complex characters which defy stereotypes and keep the reader guessing about who really is “bad” in the story. I appreciated that the characters showed empathy to morally complex characters.

The criminal plot which was central to the found money and framing of Ma eve was very convoluted and hard to keep track of. I was able to figure out at least the general idea, but it could have worked as a simpler plan. The ghostwriting plot ended up being mostly relevant at the end. While Maeve makes frequent comments along the lines of “what would Simon do” (the fictional detective she writes), there isn’t much about him beyond that so for readers looking for a book within a book story, this is not one of those.

This was a cute book and ideal for readers who enjoy relatively lighthearted mysteries.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion

Maeve is a ghostwriter who suddenly finds herself in a situation that could easily be one of her plots when her ex-boyfriend is found dead in the water next to her houseboat and she's the prime suspect. Together with her friends, India, Paul and Ash, and her faithful canine companion, she sets off to prove her innocence. Throw in a dodgy real estate developer, a bigtime drug boss, a local enforcer (who happens to be one of her ex's friends) and a copper determined to close the case quickly, regardless of whether or not they've got the bad guy, and you have a mystery with every ingredient you might need.

I enjoyed the story and it's a quick and easy read. The chapters alternate between the characters' POVs and once you get used to that, it moves the story along very quickly. There are a lot of elements and a ton of red herrings but the ending is satisfying enough. The characters all have big backstories and I can see how this could turn into a series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A ghostwriter for a mystery writer finds herself in hot water when she discovers money hidden by her houseboat dock. Despite the name, her profession barely enters into the story filled with red herrings. Despite all the slightly madcap adventures by herself and her friends to clear her name, I just didn't get into this book. I'm not sure why. It was fine but a little too much racing around in constant danger

I just could not get into this one... I'm apparently in the vast minority here, but the writing style just never drew me in the way I wanted - or expected - it to. I like the concept, but just couldn't find my way into the story or the lives of the characters.

Great book! The mystery keeps you on your toes and is very gripping. It sometimes gets a bit slow and drags. But once you overlook it, you'll definitely enjoy the book!

Looking forward to exploring more works of Melinda Mullet!

I am assuming this is written for the American market given the use of American terms and somewhat cliched language of the “heavies”. Despite this I enjoyed the clever story and the budding romance between the characters. I particularly love the comment Maeve makes about the new caution, it does make no grammatical sense and was a real mouthful to get out in real life. We all struggled to learn it and get the right rhythm ( the earlier one had a lovely cadence). Anyway back to the book, the was a great climax and I recommend it for those who love a cosy crime set in Britain

This book was an absolute blast to read. Melinda Mullet does a fantastic job of crafting characters with distinct and engaging personalities which made them easy to connect with and root for! The story kept me guessing from start to finish, directing my suspicions toward one character after another. I loved how each character brought something unique to the table, even the Captain! I think he may be my favorite character, I'm a sucker for dogs. That being said though, I absolutely adored Ash and I truly hoped he got the girl in the end, but I appreciated that the potential romance between him and Maeve wasn't wrapped up neatly at the conclusion, as it often is in other books. I prefer it to remain open to interpretation, and in my mind, I see Maeve and Ash living happily ever after — after everything they've been through, they deserve it! I genuinely loved this book and look forward to reading more from this author. The only critique I have is the cover. While I love the concept, I feel the execution falls a bit short. It just seems a little too simple for such an exciting and layered story.

It is always great to find a new mystery writer, and I enjoyed A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder so much, I will be looking for more books by Melinda Mullet.

First, I loved the premise of our main character, Maeve Gardner, being a ghostwriter for a very popular mystery series. As she is working through the tedium of another formulaic plot, she becomes a suspect in the murder of her former boyfriend. She lives on a houseboat on the London canals, and she finds money hidden in one of the tires abutting her boat. Soon, her ex-boyfriend’s body is also found floating dead in the water. Her little community comes to her aid in clearing her name.

What I loved about the book was the well-developed characters, the setting, and the comaraderie of the group in this particular area of London. The mystery was well plotted and believable. So, the background of being mystery writer, the engaging characters, and getting to know a microcosm of London made this book a winner.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Hijinks ensue... this book was fun! It reminded me a bit of Finlay Donovan with how many things this character gets herself into. I loved it!

Maeve Gardner enjoys her job as a ghostwriter for the Simon Hills Mysteries. In the safety of her houseboat home on London’s picturesque canals, Maeve claims to have planned the perfect murders. But her perfect life is suddenly turned upside down when her cheating boyfriend’s dead body is found floating on the water outside her boat.
Maeve is suddenly faced with what could be a crime of her own, one that she had always dreamed of writing. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding her boyfriend's death have made her a suspect. After she finds a large sum of money inside a tire attached to her boat, she is suddenly confronted by the local police, and the ensuing investigation involves her being faced with violence, extortion, and conspiracies against her.
With the killer still lurking, her friends come to her aid in the investigation, hoping that they may be able to prevent another death.

Enjoyed it immensely. Well written and paced, the gradual uncovering of clues is nicely balanced with growing tension. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.