Mystery

West Heart Kill

West Heart Kill

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-10-26 17:21:31
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Dann McDorman
  • ISBN：0593537572
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Summary

LOOKING FOR AN ANYTHING-BUT-ORDINARY WHODUNIT？ Welcome to the West Heart country club。 Where the drinks are neat but behind closed doors 。 。 。 things can get messy。 Where upright citizens are deemed downright boring。 Where the only missing piece of the puzzle is you， dear reader。

A unique and irresistible murder mystery set at a remote hunting lodge where everyone is a suspect， including the erratic detective on the scene—a remarkable debut that gleefully upends the rules of the genre。

An isolated hunt club。 A raging storm。 Three corpses， discovered within four days。 A cast of monied， scheming， unfaithful characters。

When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York， he finds himself among a set of not-entirely-friendly strangers。 Then the body of one of the members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later， a major storm hits。 By the time power is restored on Sunday， two more people will be dead。

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Reviews

Ethan ，

My profound love for reading has always been closely linked to my affection for mystery novels。 As a kid， I was captivated by characters like Nate the Great and Encyclopedia Brown。 This love for mysteries has remained a constant throughout my life。 Even now， I relish the excitement of solving a case before the book reveals its secrets， and I'm particularly delighted when the revelation catches me off guard。 When I had the opportunity to read author Dann McDorman's debut novel， West Heart Kill， I My profound love for reading has always been closely linked to my affection for mystery novels。 As a kid， I was captivated by characters like Nate the Great and Encyclopedia Brown。 This love for mysteries has remained a constant throughout my life。 Even now， I relish the excitement of solving a case before the book reveals its secrets， and I'm particularly delighted when the revelation catches me off guard。 When I had the opportunity to read author Dann McDorman's debut novel， West Heart Kill， I eagerly embraced it。 The book promised a modern take on the classic murder mystery， a premise that was too intriguing to ignore。The novel begins with a setup reminiscent of an Agatha Christie mystery。 Private Detective Adam McAnnis reunites with an old college friend for a weekend at the exclusive West Heart Club in upstate New York。 This isolated lodge is a retreat for the wealthy elite， a place where they can escape their busy lives。 As the story unfolds， it becomes clear that these seemingly friendly strangers have their own secrets and disregard for the rules of the normal world。 McAnnis begins to hear whispers of financial troubles and the potential sale of the club。The plot takes a dramatic twist when the lifeless body of one of the club members is discovered on the shore of the lake。 Is this a tragic suicide stemming from desperation， or are there more sinister forces at play？ As tension mounts， a fierce storm descends upon the area， plunging the property into darkness and cutting off all access。 Before McAnnis can even embark on a proper investigation， yet another body is unearthed， all but confirming the presence of a cunning murderer among them。 As suspicions intensify and paranoia spreads among the club members， McAnnis faces the daunting task of restoring order to the chaos and unveiling the true identity of this malevolent killer。At first glance， West Heart Kill appears to follow the conventions of a typical whodunit。 McDorman skillfully sets the stage for a classic locked-room mystery， complete with a cast of deceitful characters， an isolated setting， and a young detective who harbors suspicions about everyone in his midst。 It doesn't take long， however， for the narrative's contemporary twist to become apparent。 The story unfolds through the lens of a fourth-wall-breaking narrator who acknowledges that we， the readers， are seasoned experts in the mystery genre， well-versed in its classic tropes。 This narrative approach breathes fresh life into the traditional framework， offering a unique perspective that keeps readers questioning the unfolding events and the reliability of the characters。 As the story introduces new revelations and red herrings， the narrator is there to provide insight and encourage readers to scrutinize it all。A mystery's ultimate success， though， hinges on its resolution， and this is where West Heart Kill falls short。 While the story weaves an intricate web of mystery and reaches a shocking twist in its third act， it is the explanation of this twist that ultimately disappoints。 McDorman's narrator provides historical context to justify this turn of events， but it leaves this seasoned mystery reader feeling unsatisfied。 West Heart Kill undoubtedly showcases a promising debut from an author with a fresh perspective on the genre。 Still， the absence of a truly satisfying conclusion detracts from an otherwise engaging narrative。 。。。more

Charlene ，

A witty interesting read！ Very entertaining with lots of complex characters。 A fast paced story with lots of twists and turns， murder and mayhem， making this a real page turner and a must read！

Nicole （Nerdish。Maddog） ，

This book surpassed all my expectations for a locked room murder mystery。 The writing style is fresh and offers a unique perspective of a tried-and-true genre。 Private detective Adam McAnnis is spending Bi-centennial weekend with his college friend in an exclusive hunting club in upstate New York known as West Heart。 In the span of four days three bodies will be discovered， and a storm will cut the club off from the outside world。 Everyone has secrets that they wish to remain hidden， but with a This book surpassed all my expectations for a locked room murder mystery。 The writing style is fresh and offers a unique perspective of a tried-and-true genre。 Private detective Adam McAnnis is spending Bi-centennial weekend with his college friend in an exclusive hunting club in upstate New York known as West Heart。 In the span of four days three bodies will be discovered， and a storm will cut the club off from the outside world。 Everyone has secrets that they wish to remain hidden， but with a private detective in their ranks its not long before the truth will find its way to the surface。 I think that everyone who considers themselves fans of murder mysteries should pick up a copy of this unconventional book。 It is a quick and fun read and throws all your expectations out the window。Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me and advanced copy of this book。 This book is now available at your local independent bookstore。 。。。more

Denice Langley ，

A very different kind of murder mystery with special emphasis on VERY。 This is the debut story of Dann McDorman and it's not really capable of being slotted into a genre or even a sub-genre。 It is a book for anyone who has every said。。。。I could write a better book than that。 Set at a remote hunting lodge in the 1970's， a group of people have been stormed in and now someone is killing them。 When the storm ends， there are three bodies and a lodge full of suspects。 A simple back story to outline wh A very different kind of murder mystery with special emphasis on VERY。 This is the debut story of Dann McDorman and it's not really capable of being slotted into a genre or even a sub-genre。 It is a book for anyone who has every said。。。。I could write a better book than that。 Set at a remote hunting lodge in the 1970's， a group of people have been stormed in and now someone is killing them。 When the storm ends， there are three bodies and a lodge full of suspects。 A simple back story to outline what quickly becomes anything but simple。 The reader will be transported to the crime scene， becoming a witness and an investigator as McDorman displays his research skills by immersing us into the story itself。 This is not a book you can multitask while reading。 If you're not paying attention you could easily be accused of the murders。 Finding the killer（s） is an entertaining trip through some excellent crime fiction。 Enjoy at your own risk！！！ 。。。more

Linda Foster ，

This book is very divisive as to it’s unusualness of style。 I was asked if it was Fiction or Non-Fiction。 In fact， it’s both in different parts， but mixed together。 Maybe it would have worked better if there were clearly defined sections for each。 Sadly， it’s not the easiest read。I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley。 I am writing an honest voluntary review

Erin Crane ，

Too meta - best for folks who read a lot of mysteries。

Jasminegalsreadinglog ，

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is a suspense/mystery novel unlike any other mystery。 Set in an elite community during July Fourth weekend， this story has many secrets。 Everybody has a secret and who has a secret that compels them to murder。 I had a difficult time with this book。 The story itself was good， although the ending was not my favorite。 The constant references to old classic mysteries from Agatha Christie， though， were good， it took away from the original story for me。 I skimmed this West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is a suspense/mystery novel unlike any other mystery。 Set in an elite community during July Fourth weekend， this story has many secrets。 Everybody has a secret and who has a secret that compels them to murder。 I had a difficult time with this book。 The story itself was good， although the ending was not my favorite。 The constant references to old classic mysteries from Agatha Christie， though， were good， it took away from the original story for me。 I skimmed this part quite often。 Though this book was not my favorite， I was still invested till the end and felt dissatisfied。 Having said that， this is a novel very unlike a traditional mystery。 If a reader is looking for a very classic mystery with a twist， this is a perfect book for them。Thank you， Knopf Publishing， for this book。 。。。more

Kim ，

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman will not be a lot of people’s type of book， but there will be a cult following that comes from it。 I can see people who enjoy reading theater/movie scripts or history books enjoying this one。 I had a very hard time getting into it， after trying numerous times。 I enjoy quirky books （Geek Love by Katherine Dunn is a favorite！）， but at times I found it very dry， just listing things， and the characters felt one dimensional to me。I feel like this would be the type of West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman will not be a lot of people’s type of book， but there will be a cult following that comes from it。 I can see people who enjoy reading theater/movie scripts or history books enjoying this one。 I had a very hard time getting into it， after trying numerous times。 I enjoy quirky books （Geek Love by Katherine Dunn is a favorite！）， but at times I found it very dry， just listing things， and the characters felt one dimensional to me。I feel like this would be the type of book you would find people who frequent coffee houses to read their poetry or gather to discuss the vast history of mystery writing， really finding fun to discuss。 。。。more

MDM ，

While West Heart Kill lived up to its billing as a "primer on the form" of a classic locked room mystery， it fell far short of the mark for me。 The narrator of the book manipulates the reader at every turn， while allegedly revealing clues as to the who-what-when-where-why。 Given the author's respect for the rules of the genre， I was very disappointed in the ending of this book when the rules seemed to be broken for very little payoff。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 While West Heart Kill lived up to its billing as a "primer on the form" of a classic locked room mystery， it fell far short of the mark for me。 The narrator of the book manipulates the reader at every turn， while allegedly revealing clues as to the who-what-when-where-why。 Given the author's respect for the rules of the genre， I was very disappointed in the ending of this book when the rules seemed to be broken for very little payoff。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

John ，

I have to admit I do not really know how to write a review of this book。 Obviously what follows is subjective and other readers may well reach different conclusions。So， to begin， West Heart Kill is absolutely brilliant - I've never read a 'murder/mystery' book quite like it。 Yet， at the same time it is extremely verbose and， for me， at times boring！ I've thought about how to best describe the book and I can only come up with this。 Remember when you had a book to read for GCSE （GCE in my time） En I have to admit I do not really know how to write a review of this book。 Obviously what follows is subjective and other readers may well reach different conclusions。So， to begin， West Heart Kill is absolutely brilliant - I've never read a 'murder/mystery' book quite like it。 Yet， at the same time it is extremely verbose and， for me， at times boring！ I've thought about how to best describe the book and I can only come up with this。 Remember when you had a book to read for GCSE （GCE in my time） English Literature， So to help you understand the book better you buy a Study Guide for the book containing， summaries， explanations and questions。 West Heart Kill combines the 2 books into one。 The 'whodunnit' plot progresses， slowly， and the author interjects with questions， explanations and case studies。 I even thought I would need to answer several test questions to progress to the final chapters。You have to read this for yourself when it is published later this month。 A book to remember for sometimes the wrong reasons！ 。。。more

Kara Monroe ，

So this very different writing style was just not for me。 Struggled to finish even and the ending was disappointing。Point of view randomly changes。 Has blurbs with definitions that lead to other book references throughout。 Written from mainly a private detective point of view， also had q and a format。 Just very all over the place， wanted to be like Knives out and was similar but just didn’t intrigue me or keep me interested at all。 Also was very hard to follow。 Thanks to netgalley for my electro So this very different writing style was just not for me。 Struggled to finish even and the ending was disappointing。Point of view randomly changes。 Has blurbs with definitions that lead to other book references throughout。 Written from mainly a private detective point of view， also had q and a format。 Just very all over the place， wanted to be like Knives out and was similar but just didn’t intrigue me or keep me interested at all。 Also was very hard to follow。 Thanks to netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Marybeth Taranow ，

This was an odd book for me to say the least。 I loved the premise but the execution fell short。I loved the idea of a murder Fourth of July weekend in the 70’s at an upstate New York hunting lodge。 First thing I didn’t like was being pulled out of the original story to read a history lesson on the mystery genre and novel。 I found it bothersome and dry。The second thing was it turned out to be a less than compelling story and it dragged on。The characters were flat and boring。 This felt like a short This was an odd book for me to say the least。 I loved the premise but the execution fell short。I loved the idea of a murder Fourth of July weekend in the 70’s at an upstate New York hunting lodge。 First thing I didn’t like was being pulled out of the original story to read a history lesson on the mystery genre and novel。 I found it bothersome and dry。The second thing was it turned out to be a less than compelling story and it dragged on。The characters were flat and boring。 This felt like a short story that need the filler of a history lesson。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest opinion。 2。5⭐️ 。。。more

Vicki ，

“West Heart Kill，” by Dann McDorman， Knopf， 288 pages， Oct。 24， 2023。Private detective Adam McAnnis is in the passenger seat of a car。 He and James Blake， a college friend， are traveling to an isolated hunting club， the West Heart club， in upstate New York。Soon the body of one of the club’s members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later， a major storm hits。 By the time power is restored on Sunday， two more people will be dead。What is different about this novel is the format。 The writer occasio “West Heart Kill，” by Dann McDorman， Knopf， 288 pages， Oct。 24， 2023。Private detective Adam McAnnis is in the passenger seat of a car。 He and James Blake， a college friend， are traveling to an isolated hunting club， the West Heart club， in upstate New York。Soon the body of one of the club’s members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later， a major storm hits。 By the time power is restored on Sunday， two more people will be dead。What is different about this novel is the format。 The writer occasionally speaks directly to the reader and there are questions posed to the reader。 At the end it becomes a play。 This is one of those novels that people will either love or hate; there’s no middle ground。 To me， the structure overpowered the novel itself。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review。 。。。more

Kerri C ，

The style of this book is unique and I personally enjoyed it。 I felt like I was part of the writing process but still very invested in the story of the West Heart Club。 I enjoyed the rich club members with secrets。。 and then there is a murder。。。。 but I need the answer to be more obvious at the end！ I need things completely spelled out for me！I liked the tid bits of history of how a murder mystery should be written。。 and how I never really knew who was the narrator of the story。 It was as if I wa The style of this book is unique and I personally enjoyed it。 I felt like I was part of the writing process but still very invested in the story of the West Heart Club。 I enjoyed the rich club members with secrets。。 and then there is a murder。。。。 but I need the answer to be more obvious at the end！ I need things completely spelled out for me！I liked the tid bits of history of how a murder mystery should be written。。 and how I never really knew who was the narrator of the story。 It was as if I was watching a murder mystery play with the voice over narrator。 。。。more

Cynthia ，

The setting is in NY at a hunting lodge called West Heart Country Club。 A group of wealthy are attending a Bicentennial weekend， among one is Adam McAnnis whom happens to be a Private Detective。 During this weekend three come up dead。 I can't call this book a "cozy read"， maybe a murder mystery， but I can't really say it's a， "who done it"， kind of mystery either。This book was an intriguing book to read， I do like the storyline。 It did seem a bit complex to read but in all I personally enjoyed i The setting is in NY at a hunting lodge called West Heart Country Club。 A group of wealthy are attending a Bicentennial weekend， among one is Adam McAnnis whom happens to be a Private Detective。 During this weekend three come up dead。 I can't call this book a "cozy read"， maybe a murder mystery， but I can't really say it's a， "who done it"， kind of mystery either。This book was an intriguing book to read， I do like the storyline。 It did seem a bit complex to read but in all I personally enjoyed it。Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Shaina ，

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dann McDorman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for West Heart Kill coming out October 24， 2023。 The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own。 An isolated hunt club。 A raging storm。 Three corpses， discovered within four days。 A cast of monied， scheming， unfaithful characters。When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York， he finds himsel Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dann McDorman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for West Heart Kill coming out October 24， 2023。 The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own。 An isolated hunt club。 A raging storm。 Three corpses， discovered within four days。 A cast of monied， scheming， unfaithful characters。When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York， he finds himself among a set of not-entirely-friendly strangers。 Then the body of one of the members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later， a major storm hits。 By the time power is restored on Sunday， two more people will be dead。The elements of the classic murder mystery are all present in West Heart Kill， but it’s the daring structure and mischievously subversive narration that set this debut apart。 This is no ordinary whodunit。 Both an homage to the masters of the genre， and a wholly original spin on the form， it’s a sheer delight from start to finish。This was a fun read。 I love the whodunit genre， so all the references to famous authors like Agatha Christie was fun。 It was a fairly short read。 I wasn’t completely a fan of the long chapters。 It would go back to the beginning of the chapter if I didn’t finish a chapter， so I had to keep going。 I prefer shorter breaks。 However， I did enjoy the different formats in writing。 I love a lot of dialogue so I enjoyed the parts of straight dialogue and playwriting。 I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries！ 。。。more

Nikki ，

This novel reads like a cross between regular fiction and a stage play。 There are also tidbits of "historical mystery facts" thrown in and around in order to help you better understand the story。 Or explain the tropes。 Either way， I was a tad confused by it。 It just seems like a gimmicky way to tell a story instead of just letting a slow-burn mystery unfold。 The narrator also breaks the fourth wall and tells the reader exactly what the reader is thinking。 （Even if that's not what you were thinki This novel reads like a cross between regular fiction and a stage play。 There are also tidbits of "historical mystery facts" thrown in and around in order to help you better understand the story。 Or explain the tropes。 Either way， I was a tad confused by it。 It just seems like a gimmicky way to tell a story instead of just letting a slow-burn mystery unfold。 The narrator also breaks the fourth wall and tells the reader exactly what the reader is thinking。 （Even if that's not what you were thinking。） Basically， it's 1976 （it seems like from the descriptions certain items， new events， etc。） and private detective Adam Macannis is on his way to the West Heart Hunt Club w/ his friend James Blake。 We find out a bit later that Macannis was hired by an unknown client to dig up some dirt on this club。 Across the 4 days of the rainy July 4th weekend， there is a suicide and 2 murders。 *Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for this e-arc。* 。。。more

Stacey Feehley ，

This was a difficult book to get into for me。 It did not read like a book but more of a screenplay which was a little hard to follow along and keep my attention。 I wish it would have read as a straight mystery because that part was good but I feel like there was too much excess involved to really enjoy it。 Thank you Netgalley， the author and publisher for my ARC。

Steph N ，

One of my college roommates was a film & tv major， & this reminds me a bit of subject matter for screenwriting class。 I used to teach & judge creative writing， & it also feels like an example I could’ve used for that。 A P。I。 procedural meets a writing/reading procedural。 Bonus of genre history amongst the actual mystery。 Things broken down。 The story becomes more than just the story。 The author stops & talks directly to the reader。 The reader’s eyes are openly directed where the author wants。Voi One of my college roommates was a film & tv major， & this reminds me a bit of subject matter for screenwriting class。 I used to teach & judge creative writing， & it also feels like an example I could’ve used for that。 A P。I。 procedural meets a writing/reading procedural。 Bonus of genre history amongst the actual mystery。 Things broken down。 The story becomes more than just the story。 The author stops & talks directly to the reader。 The reader’s eyes are openly directed where the author wants。VoiceSetting Mood Characters The characters list even seems to have bits of info missing。I found it interesting that I didn’t know if the narrator was leading me in the right direction or not。 I thought many times about the possibility of being completely misled。 The author addresses that very thing。 The author’s note of common frustrations readers have regarding POV in mysteries is perfectly timed。 It was literally crossing my mind。 Calling out exactly what I’m thinking happens later， too。 A little unnerving， but also oddly reassuring。The Word Problems chapter is brilliant as foreshadowing。 The unusual questionnaire goes from shallow to ocean depth in no time flat。 I was definitely echoing Emma @ the end of the final scene。 All this being said， I found the mystery， the characters， & the unique writing style compelling enough to wade through the asides。 I’ll finish by saying I’m glad I read it， & turning my brain off to go to sleep after finishing wasn’t easy。 I might have to read parts of it again…Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read & review an advance copy。 。。。more

Darla ，

While for the most part entertaining， this felt a bit like being cornered by the know-it-all at a cocktail party。 This is a whodunit or more accurately a whydunit that has some interesting structural distinctions。 The first part is in the voice of our detective -- Adam McAnnis。 Then the second half is an unknown narrator from among the residents of West Heart。 The author also uses a play as a storytelling device in the last 1/3 of the book。 The Narrator is almost omniscient。 So， as noted above， While for the most part entertaining， this felt a bit like being cornered by the know-it-all at a cocktail party。 This is a whodunit or more accurately a whydunit that has some interesting structural distinctions。 The first part is in the voice of our detective -- Adam McAnnis。 Then the second half is an unknown narrator from among the residents of West Heart。 The author also uses a play as a storytelling device in the last 1/3 of the book。 The Narrator is almost omniscient。 So， as noted above， I found it an entertaining read。 The ending is a bit ambiguous， possibly even pretentious。 Not a fan。 So， 3。5 stars rounded up to 4 for a strong debut。 Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Lori Leaf ，

This was a quirky， weird mystery book but I liked it。 It’s so different as it mixes the traditional mystery novel with a tutorial for readers in solving the mystery to talking directly to us readers and involving us in a screenplay。

Silver Screen Videos ，

Usually， if a reviewer says they’ve never read anything like the book currently under review， it means they either have short memories or a small lifetime bookshelf。 That’s especially true with mysteries， where every shocking new plot device like those in Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Aykroyd” or “Witness for the Prosecution” is soon copied and parodied to death by lesser writers。 I’ve been reading classic mysteries for over 50 years， long enough to remember the thrill when a new Rex St Usually， if a reviewer says they’ve never read anything like the book currently under review， it means they either have short memories or a small lifetime bookshelf。 That’s especially true with mysteries， where every shocking new plot device like those in Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Aykroyd” or “Witness for the Prosecution” is soon copied and parodied to death by lesser writers。 I’ve been reading classic mysteries for over 50 years， long enough to remember the thrill when a new Rex Stout or Ross MacDonald title came out。 My bookshelf rivals some branch libraries。 And I can tell you this: I’ve never read anything like Dann McDorman’s new novel， “West Heart Kill。” I was stunned twice， fooled more than twice， and constantly amazed by this book。“West Heart Kill” takes place on the Bicentennial Independence Day weekend in 1976 at a large hunting and country club for the very rich in the distant suburbs of New York City。 It’s a prestigious club that often plays host to celebrities。 （Charlton Heston paid the club a recent visit。） Members spend weekends in their “cabins，” which are larger than most people’s homes。 And over the course of that weekend， two definite murders and one apparent suicide that may have been a murder take place。 Among the various wealthy family members at the club that weekend is not-so-wealthy Adam McAnnis。 He’s a private investigator and old college friend of James Blake， the scion of one such family。 The two ostensibly met by coincidence shortly before the weekend， and Blake asked McAnnis to tag along。 One of the few surprises in the book I can reveal is that McAnnis manipulated the meeting and invitation because he’s on the job this weekend。 That job later turns into investigating the various crimes that take place。 And thanks to a heavy storm that’s washed out the only road to the estate， McAnnis is the only detective of any sort on the job。If the above plot synopsis was all there was to “West Heart Kill，” the novel would be a good but unexceptional example of the mystery genre。 But it’s not。 Instead， the author continually shatters reader expectations by playing with and often discarding the mystery genre’s conventions。 He starts by writing much of the novel in the second person as he addresses the reader。 He mentions what the reader expects at this point in a mystery and what the reader is thinking。 Some of this involves an author’s good understanding of reader expectations。 For example， at one point， the weekend’s entertainment includes the traditional bonfire by the beach。 When I read this， I immediately thought the bonfire would be a good place to dispose of evidence or even a body， as Laird Cregar did in “Hangover Square。” As if by magic， the author notes at about the same time I had these thoughts: “[Y]ou think that a clever killer could exploit this bonfire for purposes of plot。 A killer with a theatrical disposition might enjoy the private joke of secretly burning his evidence in full view of a crowd， knowing the final bit of proof needed to prove his guilt had been immolated before a hundred witnesses。”“West Heart Kill” is filled with similar addresses by the author to the reader。 Sometimes， the author appears psychic when he does so; at other times， the device allows for a non-obvious information dump。 Using the second person isn’t the only device the author employs。 He often switches from third person to first person， having McAnnis narrate portions of the story。 He even uses a first-person plural narrator in places， with the various characters discussing what “we” did at that point in the story。 The author includes some digressions and “case studies，” including providing the origins of the word “mystery。” He discusses famous genre authors， including Arthur Conan Doyle， Agatha Christie （and her disappearance）， Dashiell Hammett， and John Dickson Carr。 More importantly， he discusses locked-room mysteries （Carr’s specialty）， a favorite of classic crime fiction fans。 That information is particularly relevant when a subsequent murder involves a locked room。One of the book’s most unusual stylistic conventions is a questionnaire where the author asks readers to predict， among other things， who the probable murder victim（s） and the probable murderer（s） are。 He then adds a couple of bizarre philosophical questions。 “Do you ever look at your spouse or lover， during moments when they’re unaware of your gaze―reading a book like this one， perhaps―and calculate the sum of your regrets？ Do you ever imagine a life without them， and consider what you’d be willing to do to make that happen？ Do you ever wonder if they’re thinking the same about you？”Some readers may find the author’s style pretentious or insulting， as when he deigns to know what the reader is thinking。 Others， like me， will find it fascinating， with the tidbits of genre lore dispensed along the way as entertaining as the main storyline。 But then come the last twists， the ones I didn’t see coming。 At that point， I rethought what I had assumed I knew about the story。 And that’s where the book’s true brilliance lies。 All the author’s digressions and stylistic conventional quirks help disguise the clues he plants throughout the novel。 They misdirect the reader while entertaining them at the same time。 The end result was a couple of shocking surprises that the author left all the clues readers needed to guess。 “West Heart Kill” is a remarkable work， even more so because it’s Dann McDorman’s first novel。 I might quibble with some of the author’s discussions， but I feel he only really came up short once， on the very last page。 When I read this， I understood what he had done， but he could have worded it better on a second try。I can’t remember if I have ever been that impressed with a mystery writer’s first genre work since Agatha Christie’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles。” I fear that， like M。 Night Shyamalan after “The Sixth Sense，” McDorman may not be as effective in future works， since readers know what to expect。 However， I admire the author’s grasp of the genre and his continuing ability to twist the story to fit his desires。 If “West Heart Kill” doesn’t receive prime consideration at next year’s Edgars， that will be a literary crime more egregious than any that occurred in the book。 NOTE: The publisher graciously gave me a copy of this book。 However， the decision to review the book and the contents of that review are entirely my own。 。。。more

Megan Houde ，

A hunt club is meeting in an isolated cabin for a retreat， but as a storm approaches them， they realize there’s no escape… and one of them is a killer。 This is definitely a trapped who-done-it。 Where the finger can point at literally anyone。 I mean imagine being in a locked， can’t escape， situation。 The voices and narration were definitely unique and different。 There are times the author speaks at you and I think that threw mw off at times。 While definitely interesting it was also weird。 So I th A hunt club is meeting in an isolated cabin for a retreat， but as a storm approaches them， they realize there’s no escape… and one of them is a killer。 This is definitely a trapped who-done-it。 Where the finger can point at literally anyone。 I mean imagine being in a locked， can’t escape， situation。 The voices and narration were definitely unique and different。 There are times the author speaks at you and I think that threw mw off at times。 While definitely interesting it was also weird。 So I think of you want a unique way of a story being told than definitely check this out。 I liked it but wasn’t overly thrilled by it。 It didn’t lack imagination， I just think it wasn’t for me or my mood wasn’t for it。 But I definitely don’t want someone else to not try it because you might enjoy the story。 I think those who love who-done-it’s will love this。 Think like escape room meets knives out。 Where you can’t escape until you solve who’s doing this。 So for all my who-done-it lovers， this book will definitely gravitate towards you！ 。。。more

Sarah K ，

While I did not finish West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman， I will certainly be recommending it to those who like an interesting take on the mystery genre！ The concept was so intriguing。。。 but I had a hard time getting into the story， and found myself confused by all the details/storylines/back story。 The way the reader is inserted in the plot was just too much， in my opinion， and all different formats of the story distracted me from the plot。 However， a different type of reader will certainly enjo While I did not finish West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman， I will certainly be recommending it to those who like an interesting take on the mystery genre！ The concept was so intriguing。。。 but I had a hard time getting into the story， and found myself confused by all the details/storylines/back story。 The way the reader is inserted in the plot was just too much， in my opinion， and all different formats of the story distracted me from the plot。 However， a different type of reader will certainly enjoy this book。 I am glad I gave it a try but it is not for me at this time。 Thank you to the author， publisher， and NetGalley for the eARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Kelly Parker ，

This was definitely the most unique mystery novel I’ve ever read - part crime story， part mystery writing how-to， part history lesson on sleuthing。 The writing style took a little while to get used to， and， at first， I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue with it， but ultimately， I got sucked in， and actually started to enjoy the off-kilter feel of the whole thing。 Not sure I’m completely satisfied with the “wrap up”， but it was an ironically fitting end。 Thanks to #netgalley and #knopfpublishing fo This was definitely the most unique mystery novel I’ve ever read - part crime story， part mystery writing how-to， part history lesson on sleuthing。 The writing style took a little while to get used to， and， at first， I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue with it， but ultimately， I got sucked in， and actually started to enjoy the off-kilter feel of the whole thing。 Not sure I’m completely satisfied with the “wrap up”， but it was an ironically fitting end。 Thanks to #netgalley and #knopfpublishing for this #arc of #westheartkill in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Ty Brandon ，

Just finished this novel by Dann McDorman。Imagine if you will “Clue”， but written。Set in the high hills of New York at a hunting club， “West Heart”。Several families， of old and well to do， have gathered for a weekend “sixers” social， hunting and bonfire。You get a quick intro of all the families in addition to the grounds keeper ， and new member hopeful， Jonathan Gold。From there， “the game is a foot” with detective Adam McAnnis。From there， your plot develops seamlessly， and includes a suicide， ad Just finished this novel by Dann McDorman。Imagine if you will “Clue”， but written。Set in the high hills of New York at a hunting club， “West Heart”。Several families， of old and well to do， have gathered for a weekend “sixers” social， hunting and bonfire。You get a quick intro of all the families in addition to the grounds keeper ， and new member hopeful， Jonathan Gold。From there， “the game is a foot” with detective Adam McAnnis。From there， your plot develops seamlessly， and includes a suicide， adultry， a shooting， and a murder。 All the makings of a classic “whodunit”。However， this read also contains several anecdotal passages/ sections on the origins or how to’s （for lack of a better phrase） on mystery writing。 This for me， was distracting and took away from the books flow。 It became choppy in some parts because of this。 Also to consider is the way this story is told。 From multiple narrative persons: 1st， 2nd， and 3rd， and the author at times。 Almost as if reading from lines with regard to a stage play in certain instances。 This was a little difficult as I had to focus on a paragraph or two off and on throughout the book， to be certain who was telling the story for better understanding at that point in time。This ended on a cliff hanger which I don’t usually mind， as it may indicate a sequel。 But to find a key character murdered， it leaves an opening， like mouth opening “you’ve got to be kidding “。 Maybe author McDorman will give us a sequel; I would like to know “whodunit”。Overall 3 stars from my perspective of West Heart Kill。Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House publishing for an advanced reader copy for my honest review。 。。。more

3 Things About This Book ，

Social clubs are the Petri dish of all things corrupt for rich people。 They hang out together to talk behind each others’ back， do illegal stuff， cover for each other， and hide their dirty secrets because they all have one on each other。 Especially if they have a “club house”， they are even worse。 They think they have a little kingdom and they get to run it every so often。 West Heart club was such a club。Private detective joined West Heart club for their 4th of July activities。 Someone hired him Social clubs are the Petri dish of all things corrupt for rich people。 They hang out together to talk behind each others’ back， do illegal stuff， cover for each other， and hide their dirty secrets because they all have one on each other。 Especially if they have a “club house”， they are even worse。 They think they have a little kingdom and they get to run it every so often。 West Heart club was such a club。Private detective joined West Heart club for their 4th of July activities。 Someone hired him to figure out what happened to a female club member some time ago。 However， detective got bit more on his plate than the suicide of that female resident。 Another suicide hit the community followed with a murder。 Now it was up to the detective to figure out if these suicides and/or murders connected。 How far he could go without pushing murderer to hiding？I liked the style of this book。 It was directed to the reader。 Narrator changed few times。 It was more like a how solve a murder guideline。 You might be annoyed by the ending， but it also fit perfectly with the style it was written。 。。。more

Date With A Thriller ，

This is one of those books you’re either going to love or you’re going to hate。 It’s a very different writing style， with the author using second person narration。 This put me off a little bit because I don’t like anyone telling me what I， as the reader， should be thinking about the story 😂🫣 But I did get used to it after awhile！The other thing that is very different about this book versus your typical mystery novel is that the author intersperses some history lessons about mysteries and case st This is one of those books you’re either going to love or you’re going to hate。 It’s a very different writing style， with the author using second person narration。 This put me off a little bit because I don’t like anyone telling me what I， as the reader， should be thinking about the story 😂🫣 But I did get used to it after awhile！The other thing that is very different about this book versus your typical mystery novel is that the author intersperses some history lessons about mysteries and case studies throughout。 I felt this threw me off - as I was getting interested in where the plot is going and trying to figure who did it， only to be taken out of the story into some sort of tangent。 Eventually I just started skimming through these types of sections because I just wanted to get back to the story！！ 😩🕵️‍♀️The mystery story itself was good， but the ending left me a little disappointed。 🤷🏼‍♀️Sadly for me this book was just okay， but I think that’s because I like typical mystery novels。 However， I think those who enjoy unique writing and structure or books that are just different will love this！Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage， and Anchor for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for my honest review！ 。。。more

Gisell ，

I was not a fan of the meta-instructive format of this novel。 The “fourth wall breaking” wasn’t effective in involving the reader or engaging their inner sleuth。 Instead， it was distracting and， at times， annoying。 The characters felt one-dimensional and could be easily classified using one or two words。

Sunsettowers ，

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself。 This is a mystery that defies definition。 There are murders， suspects， motives， and a detective。 But this book is also a play， a history of mysteries， breaking the fourth wall， and playing around with perspectives。 I honestly don’t know what else to say about this book。 It is clever， but the ending felt a little full of itself。 There are a ton of co I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself。 This is a mystery that defies definition。 There are murders， suspects， motives， and a detective。 But this book is also a play， a history of mysteries， breaking the fourth wall， and playing around with perspectives。 I honestly don’t know what else to say about this book。 It is clever， but the ending felt a little full of itself。 There are a ton of complex characters， but sometimes I got confused who was who。 I liked this book， but didn’t love it like I had hoped to。 。。。more

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Reference

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The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,West Heart Kill&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0