I enjoyed this book. The story is told by four friends, as they each do there part to prove one of there own innocent of killing her ex boyfriend. Each chapter is from the point of view of that character. This works well because you experience every angle of the investigation and don't need to be brought up to date in conversation style talk. The characters have very different personalities and skills, making a very misfit group but it works and they come together nicely. It also has it required loveable pet in Captain. I also liked that it was set around London and on canal houseboat, which makes it stand out from the usual cosy mystery settings. The mystery was good with lots of twists and suspects to keep it entertaining and I hadn't worked out who the killer was. Will definitely be getting the next book.

Maeve aspires to be a writer but before she can write her own stories, she has to become establish and to do that she has to write other people's stories. So when she finds herself caught up in her own Murder mystery she has no choice but to put herself into her character place and solve it herself. When she discovers money hidden near her houseboat she does the right thing and goes to the police. The problems start when she returns with the law in toe. The money is gone and read body is found floating in the river. A body she has a connection too. The death of her ex makes her the prime suspect in the police's eyes. Joined by a misfit group of friends, Maeve must clear her name by finding the real killer.
The story has four narrator's which actually works well because they have very different sounding voices, making it easy to follow along with which characters perspective you are listening too. They all do a good job, it was a pleasure to listen too and time seemed just to fly by.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Imagine you're a ghost writer, penning a new novel for a beloved series, and find yourself smack dab in the middle of a real life murder mystery. What's worse-the victim is your ex-boyfriend AND the crime happened right outside your house AND the police suspect you are the murderer. A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder is a fun murder mystery for fans of Anthony Horowitz.

Thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the advance copy.

Narrated by a full cast, the audio version of this novel was nicely done. It really helped differentiate all the different POVs and kept the story moving along at a quick pace. Although I found most of the plot twists fairly predictable, I enjoyed being along for the ride. If there is a follow-up to this one, I'd love to see a storyline involving the Wiccan ladies who live next to Maeve. I'd bet they have some tales to tell!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review! I absolutely adored this book both in its ebook form and as an audiobook. It has so much of the cozy mystery vibe, but also adds the higher stakes and bigger criminal players like a thriller, and I think it is an extremely successful mix of the two subgenres. The cast of characters, especially the Captain, are wonderful and you really begin to see their found family as your own as they take the case on. The most unique aspect of the book is the setting of the canal boats. The author really made the boats seem like characters in and of themselves, and the canal boat culture and neighborhood add a ton of charm and personality to the book! Highly recommend!

Fun and quick paced, The Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder is set in London amongst the ‘Houseboat’ community. Maeve writes a mystery series for a successful author who suffers from Alzheimers and she lives in a houseboat that until recently, she shared with her ex. Now, her ex, has turned up dead in the canal, close to their boat, and Maeve finds herself charged with his murder. Her friends and Houseboat buddies show up for Maeve, determined to absolve her of all charges.

I enjoyed the unique setting and look forward to reading more mysteries by Melinda Mullet.

An excellent narration of the audiobook is performed by Hannah Curtis, Liam Gerrard, Rhys David, Dédé Davi.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was browsing audiobooks when I was lured in by the title and cover of A Ghostwriter's Guide To Murder... Then I read the blurb and saw it was a full cast audio, and I simply HAD to add it to my shelves. While it's true that I don't usually read a lot of cozy mysteries, there was just something about the description of the main characters and that houseboat setting that I couldn't resist. And I'm SO glad I didn't, because I ended up having an absolute blast listening to this audiobook! In fact, this has been my favorite audiobook experience so far this year.

This book is being compared to Richard Osman's work, and in this case I think it is a comparison that fits as it has the same type of quirky characters and humor. These same two elements are also why I ended up enjoying A Ghostwriter's Guide To Murder so much... The characters themselves are absolutely brilliant. The story uses a multiple POV structure, switching between Maeve, India, Paul and Ash along the way. This structure not only added dept, but their different personalities also livened up the plot along the way. The true star of the show is Maeve's dog Captain Jack of course; I loved how present he was in the plot! The banter between the main characters was spot on for me as well.

As the title already suggests, this first book of what is going to be a new series also has a bookish element with Maeve being a ghostwriter. And her occupation isn't just a prop either, as the Simon Hills mysteries she is writing will have a direct impact on the plot in various points. It truly seems as if Maeve has fallen into one of her own crime books! I also really enjoyed following the sleuthing Maeve and her friends undertake along the way, and how they are able to discover information along the way. Humor is mixed with more serious moments, and the balance was spot on for me.

As for the audiobook itself... A Ghostwriter's Guide To Murder has a full cast audio, and it truly enhanced the experience with this book for me. The four narrators fit the different characters SO well, and it was a true joy to listen to them. Their accents weren't too difficult to understand, and I loved how they made the characters come alive... Paul's narrator is probably my favorite, but all four were excellent. The only niggle I could find was that the pacing was a tad too slow, but that was easily solved by listening to the audio at 1.25x speed.

A Ghostwriter's Guide To Murder is an engaging cozy mystery filled with plenty of twists and turns to keep you busy along the way. The more serious moments are mixed with humor, resulting in a well-balanced story that was a joy to listen to. If you like cozy mysteries and quirky characters, I can highly recommend this one! Even more so the audiobook itself, because that full cast audio was simply fantastic.

3.5 stars

This is a charming cozy, and I will happily follow Maeve around on more ridiculous adventures.

Maeve is a ghostwriter, and she lives a pretty fulfilling life. She lives on a houseboat and is surrounded by an intriguing community of friends. What doesn't she have? A cheating boyfriend. That's because she has - had - a cheating EX-boyfriend who suddenly shows up dead in the water right near her floating home. While she may have jokingly daydreamed of this in some dark times, Maeve isn't the murderous type, so it's extra unfortunate when it seems more and more like she's being set up.

While I was definitely interested and enjoying myself once I got rolling with this one, it took me several starts to really get into it. I'd get about 10% in, realize I had dialed out, and start over. Not an ideal entry point, but I'm glad I committed to focusing and getting beyond that early mark because this became a fun cozy with a great m.c. for me.

I'm hoping for more shenanigans with Maeve.

Maeve is a ghost writer living on a Canal boat in London. This is number 40 something of the mystery series she’s been turning out and she’s getting more than a little restless. Be careful what you wish for, because when Maeve’s ex is found floating facedown in the canal, she’s the number one suspect. This was a fun, cozy that put me aboard a canal boat on the waterways of London with a cast of colorful and likable characters.

Title: A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder
Author: Melinda Mullet
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Hannah Curtis, Liam Gerrard, Rhys David and Dede Davi
Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks and Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Audiobook Pub Date: July 20, 2025
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages 320

Maeve Gardner is a ghostwriter, writing the 43rd installment of Harland Oaks’ Simon Hill mysteries. She is bored with it as the stories in this series are all formula driven as well as predictable, so she is unmotivated to write.
However, she suddenly finds herself in a situation that seems like the beginning of a murder mystery,
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.

I love a good audiobook and one with multiple narrators is a +

Additionally enjoyed reading: Melinda Mullet’s Acknowledgements!

Want to thank NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks and Crooked Lane Books for granting me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 20, 2025.