4.5 stars
This is my eighth Matt Goldman novel and is, so far, my favorite! It grabbed my interest from the beginning and never let me go. I was invested in the characters. (So invested that I’m hoping there’s a sequel? Please?) The Murder Show is one of those novels with a larger cast of characters, but they’re developed well enough that it was easy to keep them straight. And it was fun seeing Nils Shapiro, from Goldman’s earlier series, pop into a few scenes. I found the pacing just right, fast enough to be a page-turner, but not so fast that I couldn’t keep things straight. I had a hard time putting this down and finished it in a day. I loved the mystery, the multidimensional relationships, and Goldman’s signature humor. And the audiobook narrator did a great job. My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining read that could have been great. I liked the premise, but the execution was a little lacking. Maybe too many characters that didn't allow for enough character development? This kept my attention but also wasn't a stand out that I feel I'll remember much of. I thought the narrator did a good job,

The voice acting in The Murder Show was strong and really brought the characters to life. The story had some interesting elements, but there were a lot of twists that felt like they came out of nowhere and weren’t fully earned. Some parts had potential but lacked build-up. Also, the female characters were written in a way that made them all come across as overly flirty, which felt one-note and unnecessary. A little more variety in how the women were portrayed would have gone a long way. Overall, some good moments, but uneven storytelling.

**Review: A Disappointing Read with Weak Execution**

I had high hopes for *The Murder Show* by Matt Goldman, but unfortunately, it fell flat in several key areas. While the premise had potential, the execution left much to be desired.

One of the biggest drawbacks was the narration. Rather than drawing the reader into the story, the writing felt distant and unengaging. Instead of immersing us in the world, Goldman relies heavily on telling rather than showing, making it difficult to connect with the characters or feel invested in the mystery.

As for the audiobook narration, it was severely lacking. If Matt Goldman is going to do a crossover, the publisher needs to ensure that the new narrator is pronouncing names correctly,

The plotting was another major issue. The story meanders, lacking the tension and urgency a good thriller needs. At times, it feels like scenes drag on without adding much to the overall narrative, making the book feel much longer than necessary. By the time the resolution comes, it doesn’t feel particularly satisfying or earned.

Overall, *The Murder Show* struggles with pacing, character development, and an over-reliance on exposition. While there were moments of intrigue, they were too few and far between to make up for the book’s shortcomings. A disappointing read that could have been much stronger with tighter plotting and more engaging storytelling.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of The Murder Show by Matt Goldman in exchange for an honest review. I really liked that this wasn't just a murder mystery, it was a cold case mixed with a screenwriter trying to find an idea. There was conspiracy, false leads, red herrings and more! I got hooked fast and couldn't stop. I recommend this book.

A Thrilling Homecoming with Secrets That Won’t Stay Buried!

Ethan Harris had a hit TV crime drama, *The Murder Show*, but when his pitch for Season 4 gets vetoed right before a writer's strike, he heads back home to Minnesota in search of inspiration. Enter Ro Greeman, his former classmate-turned-cop, who has fresh intel on the tragic hit-and-run that killed their friend Ricky the summer after high school. She wants Ethan to help her investigate—better yet, she thinks writing the case into a story for *The Murder Show* could finally bring Ricky’s killer to justice.

Ethan isn’t convinced Ricky’s death was anything more than a horrible accident, but with his career in freefall, he's willing to give it a shot. What starts as a creative gamble quickly turns into a dangerous game—because someone is determined to keep the past buried, even if it means adding another body to the count.

~My Thoughts~

I was really excited to dive into this one! I love a good “returning home to unravel a mystery” setup, and this book delivers on that front. The pacing is solid—there aren’t any slow patches, and something is always happening to push the story forward. It doesn’t reinvent the thriller genre, but it’s a gripping ride for anyone who loves suspense.

While I enjoyed it, there were moments that left me wanting *more*—either from certain characters or the way some storylines wrapped up. I did see a few twists coming, but that didn’t take away from the overall fun. Ethan and Ro are a great duo, and their dynamic really shines. And Ricky? Even with his limited presence, he felt so real—like someone I knew in high school—which made his fate hit even harder.

If anything, the least compelling part for me was Ethan’s Hollywood background. But everything else? A solid, engaging thriller that keeps you hooked!

I asked for the opportunity to review The Murder Show, a book about a television showrunner (Ethan Harris) who goes back home and is presented with an idea for the upcoming season of his hit crime drama, based on the one sentence description that described Matt Goldman as an Emmy Award winning author. Although I wasn’t familiar with his previous novels, I learned that his credits included Seinfeld, Ellen, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. His Emmy actually came from his work on the Wizards of Waverly Place. My kids would be impressed! His qualifications to write this book set my expectations high.

Although I really enjoyed this book, the one thing that struck me as odd was at the beginning of the story when Ethan readily accepts a case suggestion presented by his childhood friend, Ro Greeman, who is now a police officer. Ethan had previously pitched ideas to his network executives for The Murder Show’s next season and none of them had been accepted. The idea presented by Ro, that they look into the death of their high school friend Ricky, certainly made sense for Ethan as he had unresolved feelings for Ro that dated all the way back to childhood. It did not strike me, however, as something that he could sell to the network executives. Of course, I do understand that Matt Goldman would know better than me what would likely sell!

Once the investigation starts, things develop quickly, and the case becomes one which I believe would absolutely be of interest to the executives. I enjoyed Goldman’s twists and was curious throughout as to how things would settle. There wasn’t a dull moment in the story, and I was satisfied in the end with the resolution. Based on this book, I will watch for other Matt Goldman books down the road.

This audiobook is narrated by Dan Bittner. Because my previous exposure to his work was with multi-cast books, he felt like a new narrator to me. I thought he did a fine job of creating distinct voices for the main characters and I would definitely listen to him read other novels.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to listen to The Murder Show. The above opinions are my own.

Phenomenal book! There was a lot of care put into this story and it is easy to see. I loved the details that Goldman included to bring the story to life, like being able to hear the blood dripping from the tree. This story came together as a cold case and spiraled into a massive multi-state manhunt but never felt goofy or unrealistic. The narrator brought the story to life well; kudos to them. I was drawn in by the title, but the story proved to be so much more than just one show runner trying to make another season of true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Matt Goldman, and Macmillan audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

There’s no place like home.
A crime writer for the series called The Murder Show, Ethan Harris returns home to Minnesota from the Big Apple. Now, with the next season on hiatus, Ethan is looking for new ideas to pitch.

Well Ethan, you came to the right place!

While home, he reconnects with his long-time friend Ro, now a police officer. And Ro has a proposal for him. She wants to dive into the mystery surrounding the hit and run death of their childhood friend. A cold case which, if they can solve, may turn into a great storyline for his show!

This was an entertaining, (yet somewhat overdone) premise of returning home to solve a mystery that the police have never been able to close. But Matt Goldman included plenty of interesting characters and a storyline that held me.
Overall an enjoyable book/audio. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

🎧: audio narration provided by Dan Bittner who did a great job with the characters though a tad overly dramatic at times. (Perhaps that’s just me?)💁🏻‍♀️


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio

I really enjoyed this book by screenwriter Matt Goldman. I was hooked from the started and listened to this in less than a day. You could really see his expertise in the TV world shine through, with the main character being a show runner for a show called The Murder Show. The narrator was fantastic, really brought the story to life and made all the characters unique.

Ethan is a writer on strike so decides to return to his family home in Minnesota. He is stuck for an idea for season 4 of his show and is looking for inspiration. His former neighbour Ro is now a cop, and the pair of them set out to find out what really happened to their high school friend Ricky, who died in a hit and run when they were teenagers. They believe there is something more to it and set out to prove it. It turns into a dangerous situation and they have no idea what they are getting themselves into.

A fast paced story full of action and suspense. Highly entertaining

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy on NetGalley to listen to. Out on April 15th.

I went into The Murder Show expecting an intriguing mystery, but unfortunately, it didn’t deliver. The premise sounded promising, but the execution fell flat. The pacing dragged, the characters felt underdeveloped, and the twists weren’t as engaging as I’d hoped. Instead of being a gripping, immersive read, it left me feeling underwhelmed. Not for me.

The narrator did a great job, unfortunately I wasn't able to get into the story.

Thank you @netgalley and publisher

The plot of this one truly intrigued me, it sounded so interesting, unfortunately for me it didn't hit the mark. The narration was also missing something to keep me hooked. I had to DNF.

3.5 stars. I'm a sucker for any story about teens circa the late 90s, so I enjoyed this story about two high school friends reunited to discover what happened to a third friend who was killed in a hit-and-run in rural Wisconsin after the car the three of them were in broke down. Ethan is a TV writer who is back in Minnesota during the writers' strike, looking for a new idea for his show. Ro, his next door neighbor is now a police officer, and wants Ethan to help her investigate their friend's death--which might be connected to others that have happened over the years. There is as much a present-day thriller aspect as there is investigation into the cold case, as someone isn't happy that Ethan and Ro were investigating. I don't think I was able to completely make sense of how all the threads of the case fit together when everything was resolved, so I think there are things about the mystery that could have been tightened up, but overall it was an entertaining mystery that held my attention. There was a lot between Ethan and Ro that felt unresolved at the end, so I'm curious whether this is the beginning of a new series, and I would probably check the next one out if so.

I mostly liked the narration, but there were some weird pronunciation choices. I don't remember them all, but why are we calling Nils "Niles"? The voice the narrator used for Nils (who I have enjoyed as a main character in some of Goldman's previous books) was offputting.

Matt Goldman uses his TV writing credentials to good effect in this novel about a show runner sidelined by the Writer’s Guild strike. He decides to visit his hometown and look into the death of a friend from high school as possible fodder for S4 of his series, The Murder Show. While there he meets up with a woman for whom he’s carried a torch for decades. She’s now with the police force and somehow is happy for him to tag along in her extracurricular detecting into the death of their friend. She’s now convinced it’s murder, but why and who?
Lots or twists and red herrings in this well-structured whodunnit. Excellent narration of the audiobook.
My thanks to the author, publisher, Macmillan Audio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 15 April 2025.

Title: The Murder Show
Author: Matt Goldman
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Dan Bitter
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: April 15, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars!
Pages: 304

The Murder Show was a big hit television crime drama that features a private detective who solves cases the police couldn’t. However, after the fourth season Ethan Harris’ hit show is rejected by the network. Additionally there is a writers strike so Ethan decided to returns home to Minnesota to visit his mother and also hopes to come up with some inspiration for a new plot for the show.
While visiting his mother he reconnects with high school friend, Ro Greeman who is now a Minneapolis police detective. She has uncovered new information about a cold case where their mutual friend Ricky who had been killed in a hit-and-run accident shortly after graduation.
Ro talks Ethan into helping her and suggest it as a plot for “The Murder Show” (kind of a dateline episode) and perhaps the publicity may bring Ricky's killer to justice.

I have read other Matt Goldman stories and loved them so went into this one with high expectations. I have a low tolerance for excessive profanity and I honestly don’t remember any in the others I read. However, I do know if I really enjoy the story my tolerance is in check. However, this one I struggled with it and found myself rolling my eyes.
I hung in there and I liked the ending but all in all it wasn’t my favorite.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio /Tor Publishing Group for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 15, 2025.

Author Matt Goldman is new to me but not to the world of both tv script writing and mystery book authors. . In The Murder Show we meet Ethan Harris, writer of the hit tv police series by the same name. . All is not well in the world of tv production as the writers’ strike has put programming on hold. Matt takes a break from Hollywood and return to his hometown in Minnesota to his doting parents , childhood friends and memories he had left behind.

When his old friend Ro Greeman, now a police officer, suggests that their old friend Ricky’s traffic death may have been a more sinister act of murder, the two set out to seek evidence that might open a new official investigation. Almost immediately there are more deaths and a bounty of suspicious activity surrounding what looks like related homicides. Ethan is hoping to find a plot for the next season of his show but is stymied by unexpected circumstances which might be related to unofficial inquiries conducted by the two old friends.

With a strong plot, memorable well developed characters, some unanticipated twists and turns and a hearty sprinkling of romance, this book held my interest throughout. Dan Bittner did a wonderful job as narrator of the audio version, which was provided to me by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in r. Hand for my unbiased review. . It will be available on April 15, 2025. I highly recommend this one and anxiously await Mr Goldman’s next book!

Thank you for the advanced audio copy. Well, I wanted to like this book and thought I would but it just fell flat. The story was ok, the narration was ok...it just didn't hold my attention, I liked Ro and Ethan and their relationship. I guess it is just not my type.

Ethan Harris is the producer of a the hit TV series, The Murder Show. After being turned down for a fourth season and an industry wide strike, he decides to come home to visit his parents. At home he catches up with highschool friends including Ro Greenman, who is now a Minneapolis Detective. Ethan starts to dig up his past to look for other pitches to save his show. In highschool, Ethan and Ro were left on the side of the road while their friend, Ricky, went to get help for his broken down car. Ricky was found dead on the side of the road. New information comes to light, and Ro and Ethan begin to investigate the death/murder.

The Murder Show is an excellent novel. It is fast paced and keeps you invested. Mr. Goldman always seems to keep you guessing in a number of fronts from who could be behind the death to how each character feels about each other. It makes for an excellent read that you don’t want to put down. Everything is woven seamlessly together and there is a twist to turn around every corner.

Personally I liked the setting in the Twin Cities being from there. I am familiar with a lot of the places mentioned, so it made it easier to paint a picture in my mind of the background. The narrator also did a good job changing the inflection in his voice to reflect different characters. He also pronounced most of the local spots correctly.

This is a top notch thriller that is worth picking up when it publishes on April 15th. Thank you to NetGalley, Matt Goldman, and MacMillan Audio for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

First off, yay! I found a book set in the Midwest, more specifically, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Love seeing my part of the world represented in books! I did not know this author has written 7 other books and they are usually set in Minneapolis, which I have visited a lot because my oldest brother has lived there for almost 50 years. That makes it really cool to read about actual places that I’ve been or at least know about. I will have to check out some other books Goldman has written to get that same vibe.

One of the other things I liked about this book was the well thought out characters and a complicated plot that makes you really pay attention. Also, there are dashes of humor which is always appreciated in a dark and twisty thriller, to mix things up a bit.

Without rehashing the plot too much, Ethan works on a television series, but there’s currently a writer’s strike going on. So, he visits his family in Minnesota and tries to comes up with ideas for the next season’s shows. One of his old friends is now a police officer, Ro. Through a series of events, they decide to look into the death of one of their mutual friends, who died tragically in a hit-and-run not long after they all graduated some years before.

Dan Bittner was the audiobook narrator and did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life. While he didn’t resort to trying a Midwest accent (thankfully!) he kept the story going with an engaging voice and inflections that added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

The Murder Show is an engaging thriller without a lot of gore that is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and thrillers who enjoy their stories set in the Midwest.

A faced paced detective thriller.
Ethan is a writer for a hit series called the Murder Show, who returns to his home town to try to find inspiration for the next season. Upon his return, he reunites with Ro, his best friend from high school, who is now a police officer. Ro is looking into the accident that killed their high school classmate years ago because she no longer believes it was an accident, but that he was murdered. Ro believes his case may be tied to other cases. she convinces Ethan help her by stating he can use the idea for his show.
The closer they get to finding answers, the more secrets they uncover and the more danger they find themselves in.
Will Ethan survive to be able to pitch his idea for his show.
The narrator, Dan Bittner was great.
expected published date April 15, 2025
Thanks to Net Galley, Matt Goldman and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy to review.