When Maeve Gardner's ex shows up dead in the water near her boat, Maeve becomes the prime suspect in his murder. It doesn't help that she is the ghostwriter for a beloved crime fiction series, and so she has all sorts of notes in her cabin about ways to kill people, including a few about how to kill her ex. But just because she writes about murder, that doesn't mean she would ever actually kill someone!

But that's exactly what it looks like she's done. And it's up to Maeve, with her fictional hero Simon whispering in her ear and her real-life neighbors in tow, to discover who the real murderer is. It's the only way to clear her name and ensure her freedom!

Cleverly written and enjoyably narrated, I loved the hodgepodge collection of unusual neighbors and "found family" that all contribute to solving the mystery before it's too late. And I do hope this is the beginning of a series. (It left off as it if might be?) I'd really like to continue seeing what this group of friends gets up to!

Thank you to Melinda Mullet, Spotify Audiobooks, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I liked this mystery and it's cast of characters but there were a LOT of characters and they sounded a lot alike not just the voice actors but in the way they talked so I got confused a couple of times. But by the end I was invested in seeing who committed the murder and who would get the money.

That was a fun read, kind of "Thursday Murder Club" with Millennials, and a dog. A small group of 30-and-40-somethings work together to solve a murder when one of them is suspected by the police. The settings were clear without too much detail, and the character motivations made sense. I'll definately be looking out for more of this author's work.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC!

This was a cute read. I liked the premise and it followed a classic cozy mystery set up without being boring. I can see this becoming a series I would pick up again!

My biggest gripe is that there were a LOT of POV changes. I think the book would have been fine from one or two POV - four narrators was just too many and got choppy at times. Still, it's a fun "gang" of friends to hopefully solve future murders!

The setting on the river with all the houseboats was cool, but the characters were the fun part about the book as they conducted their own investigation when Maeve is accused of her ex's murder. Who doesn't like a plot with a goofy and unusual collection of people trying to work together, with all their secrets and quirks? It makes my working conditions seem so much more cohesive. The plot is a little more thriller-y and less cozy, but not anxiety-inducing. Enjoyable puzzle and puzzle pieces.

I feel like the author comparisons were a bit oversold, It was a cute cozy mystery with quirky characters, but I had a hard time getting into it. I really liked the full cast narration though.

A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder
Author:Melinda Mullet
Narrators:Hannah ,Curtis Liam Gerrard ,Rhys David, Dede Davi
Cosy crime
4 star
Good narrators

A cast of quirky characters, with the main protagonist living on a canal boat ghostwriting books for a crime writing author suffering from dementia with her large dog Captain. She finds or rather Captain finds a stash of fifty thousand pounds in a tyre on the boat but when she returns with the police the money is gone but the dead body of her ex is found in the water.
Maeve quickly becomes the prime suspect which leads to her friends investigating the crime and trying to clear her name.
The mystery is fine but didn’t blow me away , there did seem to be a lot of going around in circles which made it feel overly long. The characters have potential to became more rounded as I assume there will be more books to follow . An enjoyable easy listen , good narration from all the narrators .
Thanks to NetGalley for advance copy .

I listened to the audible version of this murder mystery and couldn’t put it down. I loved the accents. I loved the characters. The story was fast paced and realistic.
A great example of acquaintances becoming friends becoming family, of people lifting each other up and creating community.

This was a fun mystery with a diverse set of characters coming together to prove Maeve’s innocence. The killer was cleverly veiled and the twists and turns satisfying. I enjoyed the setting on a canal boat and the varied backgrounds of the characters and the dog sidekick. A multi-narrator cast effectively conveys characters and pacing, with a special shout out for the Machine’s voicing. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an audio review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is less of a tea cozy mystery and a bit more regular mystery. Not to say it is hard boiled at all. I have never read this author before and I thought she was pretty good. I would recommend it.

This is a good mystery with a strong ensemble cast of characters. I appreciated the four different narrators voicing those characters. Each brought something to enhance the overall quality of the audiobook. I would definitely recommend this to readers of cozy mysteries and British mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC!

Overall I enjoyed this cozy mystery that felt a bit like a slow burn that took a while to get lit! Loved the setting of the houseboat and the dog Captain. I think Mauve and her friends are just getting started on their adventures and I look forward to seeing what else they may encounter. Would have liked to have the ghostwriting of the novel play a larger role in the story. This was my first full cast audio book listen and I really enjoyed that aspect of listening to this novel. It helped to move the story along! Big thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audio books for the opportunity to review this audio book. This feels like the beginning of a series so I look forward to Melinda Mullet’s next book and would welcome the opportunity to give it a listen.

"Maeve Gardner kills people for a living."

OH YES? Tell me more??

"... as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has planned the perfect murder time and again and she enjoys it."

Aww.

Maeve is a solitary writer living on a houseboat surrounded by strange, but benign, neighbours. Her dodgy ex turns up dead nearby and Maeve has to befriend her neighbours and use her writer's creativity to get to the bottom of the murder before she's put away for the killing.

Interesting idea and unique setting (on a houseboat), but I found the whole ghostwriter aspect was underused- except when needed in one specific situation, of course. The characters were interesting and I was invested in Maeve and co. resolving the case. A nice start to a series, not without flaws (how many times can someone be detained?) but I'm sure I'll read the next one when there is one.

I received a free audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I'm totally thrilled with this new-to-me-author discovery (and hopefully a series!) Reads very much like a British crime drama. I am addicted to that genre and listening to the multi-narrated audio book added to that BBC feel. Hannah Curtis, Liam Gerrard, Rhys David and Dédé Davi did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life. Love the way their voices seamlessly flowed together to create a stellar listening experience. Highly recommend the audio edition of 'A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder.'

Grittier than a cozy mystery but still contains some of the charm associated with that genre...just edgier. Love the canal boat setting in the middle of London! ( I kept picturing Max's boat from The Chelsea Detectives - see British Crime Drama nerd!) And love Maeve's indomitable team of misfits with eclectic skill sets! India, Paul and Ash have their own backstories and reasons for becoming involved in helping Maeve clear her name because, of course, she becomes a murder suspect.

I really enjoyed the multiple POV storytelling which allowed me to really get to know all four characters. Maeve is definitely the heroine, but the others all play significant roles. Loved the way their friendship gels as the investigation puts them through their paces. And the mystery! Brilliantly executed with plenty of gasp-out-loud moments to keep even the most experienced armchair sleuth on the edge of her seat! I am really hoping this is the first in a series.

Of note: contains some coarse language.

My thanks to Spotify Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

This was such a fun murder mystery! I loved the group of friends trying to solve a murder and really enjoyed the different narrators. They brought each character to life and I felt like I was right there in it. I would consider this more of a cozy mystery but I really enjoyed everything about it. I really hope it becomes a series!

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.