This was a tough one to get into for me, but I certainly can appreciate the thought and research that went into the book. The author was extremely successful in educating the reader about the history of the mystery story, but for me a bit less successful with the entire book itself.

I think the audience for the unconventional narrative style will be pretty small, but I certainly commend the effort.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loves a meta murder mystery and this time even with a little murder genre history!

A genre-defying detective novel. It’s perfect for fans of Knives Out and Agatha Christie. If you love a dead body- closed door thriller with elevated storytelling devices. This one is for you.

I ripped my nails off trying to figure it out!

Diving into "West Heart Kill" was like embarking on an unpredictable rollercoaster of creativity and experimentation. Initially, I couldn't help but applaud author Dann McDorman's daring approach to storytelling. The narrative seemed poised to blend the intrigue of classic mysteries. It had me genuinely excited, at least until the final stretch.

The book has its moments—there are pockets of profound reflection that are both beautiful and insightful. At one point, everything seemed to click into place, promising a harmonious convergence of genres and tones. Yet, just when I thought I was in for a satisfying finale, the story took a turn, introducing a twist that felt questionable but salvageable. However, it wasn't the only plot twist thrown our way; the genre and tonal switch that followed, while potentially intriguing, left me bewildered.

The final chapters were a letdown. Instead of a fulfilling conclusion, it felt like the author was patting himself on the back, reveling in a sense of self-congratulation and pretentiousness. It was as if the primary goal was to showcase the author's literary gymnastics rather than craft a genuinely compelling narrative. The ending, particularly, left a bitter taste. After investing hours of my life, I was met with a conclusion that seemed more interested in making me feel foolish than providing a satisfying resolution. It wasn't earned, and the abrupt shift in tone felt more like a cheap shot than a clever twist.

I would like to express my gratitude to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Irritating

I wish I could give this book a negative review. What a waste of time. I read someone describe this as the ramblings of the one prick in your college class, and it is so accurate. the continued change of POV is horrible and jarring. I skipped all the background information about mystery writing terms/genre because it takes you out of the story.

Who let this go to print?

Oh man, what to say about this one? Big points for bringing something unique to the world of mystery, even bigger points for clearly doing a ton of research into the genre and cleverly adding it into the book. However, a big fail for me on the actual meat of a mystery novel. The central mystery was DOA, deadly boring, I kept skimming hoping we’d get the narrator to interrupt the proceedings with more asides about the genre (which happens not infrequently). I was in the author’s corner, hoping this was my book of the year, but I got burned like so many 40s detectives falling for the femme fatale.