Ethan Harris is on strike. Not by choice, but as a television writer, he has to strike with the rest of the his fellows. So, Ethan returns home to Minneapolis to visit his parents. Learning his high school friend and neighbor Ro Greeman is now a police officer in town, the two of them get together and talk about the hit and run death of another high school friend, Ricky, that happened just after graduation. The two of them had been with him and reported him missing. They never forgot seeing his gory remains.

Ethan decides that might be an interesting plot for his TV show, The Murder Show, especially after Ro tells him she's uncovered more hit and run deaths to teenage boys in the area that cover years. The two of them decide to investigate, with Ethan thinking it might be a good plot for his tv show, though he doesn't really expect anything to come of it. But, as their lives are endangered, they discover their theories are not so far-fetched. The two of them track down the investigating officers with whom they spoke at the time of Ricky's death. One is newly dead and the other living undercover. As the danger ramps up and it becomes obvious someone is trying to stop their investigation, the two of them persist, to a thrilling conclusion.

Dan Bittner delivers a captivating narration, bringing the story to life.

I was originally drawn to the concept of "The Murder Show" and liked the idea of real life crossing over into entertainment, but it wasn't for me. Respectfully, it was a bit of a slog for me, and I barely finished it.

The main characters (Ethan and Ro) have zero chemistry, whether romantic or platonic; they don't vibe together. Additionally, I thought the TV show and real life would intersect more, but the action occurs while the TV show is on hiatus during a strike. So the TV show feels mildly irrelevant at times, and it's more about discovering what happened to a kid they went to high school with than anything else.

Also, this is a feeling more than anything, and I don't know how to describe it further, but the story felt dated. I wish I could elaborate further but that's all I got.

In terms of the audio version, that may have been part of the problem for me personally. It was grating to hear the narrator attempt female voices, and his standard voice felt mismatched with the content and tone of the story.

Unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters or the story but I bet it would resonate with someone else!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my authentic review.

Matt Goldman wrote a great novel that was immersive and suspenseful. I found the character's interesting and believable. The use of his character Nils Shapiro was enjoyable addition to this story.

Returning to your small hometown to solve a decades-old hit-and-run? Peak main-character behavior. In The Murder Show, Ethan Harris, a TV crime writer fresh off a creative nosedive, heads back to Minnesota to "find inspiration" (read: panic) and promptly stumbles into danger, drama, and a lot of bad decisions with his childhood BFF-turned-cop, Ro.

The setup screams classic crime-thriller (small town secrets! suspicious neighbors! danger at every corner!), and Matt Goldman delivers it with a wink and a nudge. Sure, the "return home and dig up old skeletons" plot isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but the characters make it fun: Ethan's a lovable hot mess, Ro’s a badass with questionable timing, and even the side characters bring a little chaos to the party.

Was the ending a little fast and furious? Definitely. Could I predict some of the twists? Yeah. Did I care? Not really. I was too busy living for the suspense, the subtle-ish flirting, and the wild feeling that anyone could be guilty.

Bottom line: If you like small-town secrets, cold cases heating up, and just a smidge of mayhem, you'll want this one on your radar.

“Twenty-two years after Ethan Harris heard Ricky O’Shea‘s blood, yes heard Ricky‘s blood as it dripped from his body and splattered on the soft ground below, Ethan wheels his carry-on bag into his childhood home.”

Though this isn't what I'd call fast paced but it isn't slow either and I couldn't put it down. Character driven for sure, it also had moments of action and suspense along with a subtle mystery.

Easily the best part was Ethan's sarcastic and sardonic humor in the way he approaches life, including warm and lighthearted moments with his parents and their Jewish heritage. After returning home hoping to be inspired with a writing idea for the next season of his TV show, he reconnects with the literal girl next door, Ro. I could relate to the musings of both Ethan and Ro as they wondered what might have been if not for past events. Those past events are slowly revealed and long kept secrets emerge. Did a friend of theirs really die in an accidental hit and run, or was it something else?

It took me a bit to get used to Matt Goldman's writing style, which in some ways felt a little like a script due to the change in character perspective from one paragraph to the next. The nice part about that was knowing each person's thoughts about the same situation, which I always love.

The audiobook was done well, with narrator Dan Bittner having distinct voices for most of the characters. However, the voices for Ethan and Ro were not different enough for me especially given the writing style. Sometimes I had trouble following whose thoughts were being conveyed. That being said, Bittner's delivery of Ethan's humor was spot on!

THE MURDER SHOW is a compelling mystery, and an exploration of first love, family, and revisiting the past. There's a dark hidden underbelly to this tale but there's also a redemptive satisfying feeling of coming full circle. If you enjoy an investigative duo, witty banter and thought provoking moments, definitely grab this one!
____

Thank you Kaye Publicity, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio for my free copies. All thoughts are mine.


Though this isn't what I'd call fast paced but it isn't slow either and I couldn't put it down. Character driven for sure, it also had moments of action and suspense along with a subtle mystery.

Easily the best part was Ethan's sarcastic and sardonic humor in the way he approaches life, including warm and lighthearted moments with his parents and their Jewish heritage. After returning home hoping to be inspired with a writing idea for the next season of his TV show, he reconnects with the literal girl next door, Ro. I could relate to the musings of both Ethan and Ro as they wondered what might have been if not for past events. Those past events are slowly revealed and long kept secrets emerge. Did a friend of theirs really die in an accidental hit and run, or was it something else?

It took me a bit to get used to Matt Goldman's writing style, which in some ways felt a little like a script due to the change in character perspective from one paragraph to the next. The nice part about that was knowing each person's thoughts about the same situation, which I always love.

The audiobook was done well, with narrator Dan Bittner having distinct voices for most of the characters. However, the voices for Ethan and Ro were not different enough for me especially given the writing style. Sometimes I had trouble following whose thoughts were being conveyed. That being said, Bittner's delivery of Ethan's humor was spot on!

THE MURDER SHOW is a compelling mystery, and an exploration of first love, family, and revisiting the past. There's a dark hidden underbelly to this tale but there's also a redemptive satisfying feeling of coming full circle. If you enjoy an investigative duo, witty banter and thought provoking moments, definitely grab this one!

Loved the audio but this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Just not for me (sorry). But the audio was fab! Thanks!

I will always be drawn to books set in Minnesota, since I lived there for the first 18 years of my life. This was an entertaining storyline and a compelling mystery, and I did not predict how it would end! Dan Bittner did a great job with the narration, and he captures the range of emotions throughout the investigation so well. I liked that this book featured a television writer as the main character and that he was looking into a cold case.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Forge Books for the gifted audio copy. All thoughts are my own.

In the book The Murder Show, author Matt Goldman writes about Ethan Harris who is the writer of the hit television crime drama The Murder Show. But with the writers strike and writers block, Ethan is struggling for ideas to pitch for the upcoming season. So he returns home to Minnesota to find inspiration, maybe from the tragic accident that killed his classmate, Ricky. It’s perfect timing because his childhood classmate, Ro Greeman, is now a local police officer and some new information have come to light. But was it an accident? And what secrets was Ricky hiding and who was he involved with? Where did all Ricky’s money come from? And will they solve the mystery in time to save Ethan’s career? This was a good fast-paced story that kept you wondering what was happening. I would recommend this book. The audio-book narration was very good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was my first book by Matt Goldman, and I really enjoyed it. The story follows a TV writer who returns to his hometown and unexpectedly gets pulled into a cold case from his past. The main characters and the supporting cast were great. I really enjoyed this mystery. For me - the beginning was a little slower but then it picked up and the pacing for me for the rest of the book was solid. Overall, a great mystery that kept me hooked.

The Murder Show is easy to pick up and impossible to put down, with short scenes and sharp dialogue. While I found the plot a bit transparent overall, I still had fun with this book from beginning to end.

When TV writer Ethan Harris returns to small‑town Minnesota while waiting out a writer strike, he’s roped into revisiting the long‑cold hit‑and‑run that killed his high‑school friend Ricky. Teamed up with his former classmate, who now wears a badge as Officer Ro Greeman, Ethan hopes that dramatizing the case on his struggling TV series might finally flush out the driver. But the deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes that someone will kill to keep the past buried.

While seasoned thriller readers may spot the culprit early in the book, Goldman still manages to keep the plot entertaining even when I thought I knew where it was headed. The audiobook elevates the experience: Dan Bittner delivered a solid performance and Macmillan Audio’s clean audiobok production kept distractions at bay. Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Matt Goldman for the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review. 3.75 stars rounded up.

Fast paced mystery thriller.

When Ethan Harris returns to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to visit his parents for the High Holidays, he's also escaping New York while the show he runs is on hiatus due to the writer's strike. He's desperate to come up with a possible plot arc for the next season lest his show be canceled, but he never dreamed that inspiration would come in the form of a decades old tragedy. When he lived there while in high school, a local boy and friend of his, Ricky O'Shea, died in an apparent hit and run that was never solved. Now his old crush, Ro Greeman, who is now a cop and who has just returned to live in the house across the way, is trying to entice Ethan into investigating that death that she thinks was actually a murder. Can Ethan help her investigate and come up with a new show idea at the same time?

The story went in a direction that I hadn't really anticipated, but it was entertaining and had the elements of a going home reunion and a crime thriller. The characters were interesting but it was easy to see that there was something off about a couple of them. I liked the writing style and the bits of the backstory so the reader knows the history between the main players. Not sure how realistic it all was considering the level of involvement that Ethan gets in the law enforcement aspect, but it held my interest and I read it in a single sitting.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publishers. I enjoyed the narrator, Dan Bittner, who did a good job voicing all the characters. I had to laugh, however, at the replacement of a certain make of car with another brand in the audio version. Listening while reading always enhances my enjoyment of a book if it's done well.

As a girl in her late twenties, I’ve obviously spent a lot of time in the true crime media genre. And as a reader, I love thrillers with main characters that just insert themselves into investigations. So The Murder Show immediately grabbed my attention. The story follows Ethan, a showrunner for a crime TV show, who has returned to his hometown and finds himself investigating his friend’s death decades earlier.
The dialogue and plotting of this book were quick-paced and snappy, which is aligned with Goldman’s experience as an Emmy Award-winning television writer. The tensions grew between the main characters and in the plot simultaneously, leaving me feeling stressed and obsessed at the end of every chapter.
There’s a lot of crime thrillers with a main character who’s in the media in some way, either as a podcaster, an author, or an investigative journalist. This book fits neatly into this subgenre, and will not leave you disappointed if that’s a writing style you enjoy! A quick PSA for audiobook listeners: there’s only a male narrator, and there’s a LOT of female dialogue, and it got a little confusing for me.
Thanks to Netgalley, Forge Books, and Macmillan Audio for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

The Murder Show is Matt Goldman's new novel

Our lead character is Ethan Harris. Ethan has run a TV crime fiction program for three successful years. But the higher ups have rejected the fourth year case he’s chosen. He’s going to have to come up with something really good to change their minds. And he thinks he has - there’s an unsolved mystery in his own town. It’s an old one, but it has a personal connection. The victim was one of Harris‘s best friends in high school.

I must say, I really enjoy cold cases. They are more difficult to solve and different methods have to be used. There’s another layer to The Murder Show. Ethan has to face what he did in the past, and if he can redeem himself in present day. Both layers pace the book.

I chose to listen to The Murder Show. The reader was Dan Bittner and he did a great job. Bittner was perfect for this character. He’s got a bit of smooth operator in his voice. He was very easy on the ears. He enunciate well and the pace of reading was right on. He has created and used voices that bring the characters to life. He doesn’t simply read, he performs. A new author for me to follow and a new narrator to follow as well. Well done.

Ethan Harris is a television writer for The Murder Show. Stumped for ideas as a new season comes up he heads home in hopes of finding inspiration. When he runs into his childhood friend, Ro, who is now a police officer, he starts to come up with an idea. Ro has come up with new evidence in a murder case from when they were in high school, where their friend Ricky died. Was it a hit and run? Was it a murder?

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was fast paced with lots of action and suspense. I liked the characters and their story lines. It was a quick and easy read. The ending came a tad quickly but overall I enjoyed the ending and the twists! I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Thanks to #macmillanaudio and #NetGalley for the audio ARC of #TheMurderShow. Loved this narration and the storyline! I had it somewhat figured out, but not completely. I would love to read/listen to another book with these same characters! I especially liked Ro and I hope we get a new book to see if the romantic relationship materializes.

The plot of this book was original. While amateur sleuths investigating crimes may not be original, the idea of one writing for a murder television show is. I was on to the culpret(s) early on but the author does a good job of adding in many red herrings to throw you off the scent. I really enjoyed most of the characters. The ending was a little abrupt in my opinion and didn't leave me fully satisfied. Since I am invested in the characters and because of the ending, I hope this is the first in a new series and not a stand alone.

All in all, this was a solid Mystery/Procedural novel. This was a first for me by this author and I look forward to reading more.

When Ethan, a tv show writer heads home during a writers strike, he reconnects with his old neighbour and friend. She is now a police officer, and they discuss the hit and run of their friend from high school. Maybe Ethan can use his story for the new season of the tv show, the murder show. As they begin to ask around about their old friend, and come up with more questions than answers. And someone, wants them to stop snooping.

Fast paced and fun story. They characters were a little flat, but Ethan and Ro, but the story was a ride. Investigating and Ethan learning far too much for a civilian to learn from the police.

Listened to as an audiobook, and I enjoyed the listen.

In The Murder Show, Matt Goldman presents a compelling premise that blends crime, mystery, and small-town intrigue. While the audiobook delivers moments of high-stakes action and gripping suspense, the overall pacing occasionally falters, causing parts of the narrative to drag.

There are some threads in the story that don’t fully come together, leaving a few loose ends and questions unanswered. However, Goldman’s strong concept and vivid setting help maintain interest throughout. The story has enough momentum—particularly during its more action-packed sequences—to keep listeners engaged and eager to uncover the truth behind the unsettling events in this town.

Though not without its flaws, The Murder Show still offers a solid listening experience, especially for fans of crime thrillers who enjoy atmospheric storytelling and complex investigations.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
TV showrunner Ethan Harris returns to his hometown for the Jewish high holidays. There, he reconnects with former classmate Ro Greeman, now a police officer, and together they reopen the case of their friend’s long-ago hit-and-run, uncovering secrets someone will kill to keep hidden.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
I liked Ethan right away, and his dynamic with Ro felt so natural. As someone who’s worked in TV and is Jewish, those early scenes really resonated.

But once it shifted into procedural territory, it lost a bit of spark for me. I just wasn’t expecting that based on how it started.

I listened on audio and thought the narrator nailed Ethan and the vibe overall (though the Jewish mom, not so much). And speaking of the mom - she felt off. I don’t know one Jewish mother who’d be fine with her kid skipping synagogue and dinner - even with attempted murders involved!

The lack of flashbacks and a fairly obvious whodunnit made this feel more flat than I’d hoped. Nonetheless, I can’t deny I was entertained and I did enjoy the coziness of it all.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
This is ultimately a procedural with a cozy, character-driven thread running through it. If that’s your thing, you’ll enjoy it - just go in knowing it leans more crime drama than twisty domestic thriller.

Thanks to @Netgalley and
@macmillan.audio for access to this advanced readers copy

This was my first book by Matt Goldman and I will definitely be going back and reading some of the other books by this author. This was a great introduction and I can't wait to read more.