Goldman's ability to build and maintain suspense makes this novel a captivating read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Matt Goldman's *The Murder Show* is a compelling blend of suspense, nostalgia, and sharp storytelling that will captivate fans of character-driven thrillers. Set against the backdrop of Minneapolis, the novel follows Ethan Harris, a television showrunner whose hit crime series faces cancellation. Seeking inspiration, Ethan returns to his hometown and reconnects with Ro Greeman, a former classmate turned police officer. Together, they delve into the unresolved hit-and-run death of their friend Ricky O'Shea from two decades earlier, uncovering a web of secrets that someone is determined to keep buried.

Goldman's experience as a television writer shines through in his crisp dialogue and well-paced narrative. The interplay between Ethan and Ro adds depth to the story, blending professional intrigue with personal history. As someone who lives in a suburb of the Twin Cities, I enjoyed the setting- it was richly depicted and offered readers a vivid sense of the place. The suspense builds steadily, leading to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.

*The Murder Show* is a standout addition to Goldman's repertoire, showcasing his ability to craft a gripping tale that resonates on both an emotional and intellectual level.

I really loved the premise of this book. I love all things murdery and mystery. When you add some true crime elements into the main characters life, it's just better for me.

I did enjoy this book. It was as thrilling as I was hoping it would be but the mystery for sure there. They main complaints I had for this book is that it was a little slow and I found bits of the book a little confusing.

I wasn't able to really connect with the characters, but I did love the story and seeing it unravel.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

While I guessed what was happening pretty early on, I still enjoyed this and thought it was an easy ready overall. Decent characters and plot line, could have been a bit more suspenseful but still good.

This was my first Matt Goldman novel. I was intrigued by the premise but the writing/execution didn’t grab me. The audiobook struggled to hold my attention. The narration is a bit choppy and I didn’t care for the voice portrayals. For me, this one just missed the mark.
Thank You to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars rounded up)

The Murder Show by Matt Goldman is a fast-paced and suspenseful thriller centered around Ethan Harris, a successful TV writer who returns home to Minnesota during a Hollywood writer’s strike. Seeking inspiration for the next season of his hit crime show, Ethan unexpectedly becomes entangled in a real-life murder investigation.

The storyline is compelling, with sharp dialogue and short, punchy scenes that keep the tension high throughout. I found the characters to be well developed and believable, and the pace of the book made it easy to stay engaged. It had just the right balance of action, suspense, and entertainment to keep me listening.

However, there were moments where the writing style wasn’t quite for me. Some plot points were left vague or implied, only to be confirmed later. While this might appeal to readers who enjoy piecing things together themselves, I found myself having to rewind certain parts for clarity, which pulled me out of the experience a bit.

The audiobook, narrated by Dan Bittner, was a strong addition to the story. His delivery was clear and easy to follow, with well-paced narration and distinct character voices that made it easy to stay immersed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Murder Show is now the third thriller I've read by Matt Goldman, and I was again reminded just how cinematic his stories are!

Ethan Harris returns to his hometown after his season four pitch of The Murder Show is rejected and becomes re-united with his former classmate, Ro Greeman. Now, a local police officer, Ro, is investigating an unsolved crime, and Ethan hopes that by helping her, he will get some inspiration for his next TV script. As both Ethan and Ro were on the outskirts of their friend Ricky's death, they're seeking justice to find out if he was actually murdered or if his death was just a horrible accident.

Always succinct and never letting his descriptions overpower the story, Goldman captures readers' attention and instantly pulls them in. Goldman has a way of writing that paints such vivid imagery, creating scenes that would translate well to the big screen (which is his background). Managing again to write a little "will they, won't they" action within this story adds another real-life aspect of two high school flames reuniting. Goldman throws in a couple morally gray characters, although this time they're not as front and center as in his other books.

Dan Bittner was a fantastic choice to narrate this audiobook! His voice translated well throughout the many characters with this third-person omniscient viewpoint that Goldman does so well. Bittner is never once dramatic, which truly lets the story unfold as intended.

I can see this book being a hit with crime show TV watchers!

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

The Murder Show sounded like it would be a hit for me! A television show with someone who solves murder that detectives can’t?? Matt Goldman is usually someone I rush to download when a new book is released.

This one unfortunately did not work for me in audio format. I was unable to connect to the characters and was getting extremely lost in the story. I’m not sure if it was the story itself or the narration but I made the decision to dnf around 20%.

Thank you for the opportunity!

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!