June Masterton is a 24-year-old student at the New York Film School. To graduate she has to submit a film and she has chosen to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her favourite author, Greer Larkin.

Greer is a prodigy in the literary world, as she published a bestselling novel aged fourteen. She disappeared off the face of the earth twenty years ago and June always wondered what happened to her.

She begins to investigate the people nearest to Greer at that time:

Blanche Larkin, Greer’s controlling mother.

Bethany Allen, Greer’s agent, who was never successful after her bestselling author went missing.

Rachel Baumgartner, Greer’s best friend. The two women had a falling out, which resulted in Greer taking a restraining order against her friend.

Jason Vanderpoole, Greer’s fiancé and number one suspect. During the original investigation, the police discovered a bank account in the Caymans under his name, with a hefty balance of eighteen million dollars.

Soon, June starts to receive threatening notes telling her to stop filming… What happened to Greer all these years ago?

I really enjoyed this book.

I liked June as a character: she had a wicked sense of humour and I just loved her narrative.

June was multidimensional – she was raised in a commune in the middle of nowhere, which brought resentment towards her parents. However, there was a reason for that, which is revealed at the end of the book.

As for the other characters, it was quite hard to warm to any of them.

I immediately disliked Greer’s mother who appeared bossy and entitled. The same goes for Jonathan, you could tell he was lying through his teeth!

The ending was a nice puzzle, which I haven’t figured out.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for approving my NetGalley request.

Mystery Writer’s Disappearance

Her Dying Day is a strong debut that combines humour, suspense, and a deep dive into the world of documentary filmmaking. Mindy Carlson's ability to weave a compelling narrative with multidimensional characters makes this book an enjoyable read for fans of mystery and thriller genres. While the protagonist's flaws may not endear her to all readers, they add a layer of realism and complexity to the story. Overall, Her Dying Day is a promising start for Carlson and a must-read for mystery enthusiasts.

Aspiring filmmaker June Masterson has high hopes for her first documentary, the true story of the disappearance of famous mystery author Greer Larkin. Everyone has a theory. Her mother, Blanhe, and best friend, Rachel, believe that Jonathan, the author's fiancé, is responsible. Greer's agent believes that she committed suicide, and Jonathan believes that either his mother or his friend is responsible.
The proposal for the book was very interesting, so as soon as I saw it, I ordered it from netgalley. The ending I felt was weak, something I had expected but could have been developed better.
I went into the book with no expectations because I only had an idea of what it would be about from what I saw on the website, and I liked the book, but I felt that it was underdeveloped for my taste.
Watching the betrayed relationship between June and her teacher, in my opinion, felt like a good part of the book and while I wondered if she really hated herself so much that she had to humiliate herself with the way he acted towards her, the moment when she finally had the realization that she was a person was relieving not to have to read about.
I recommend reading it, but I wouldn't go in with too many expectations of a conclusion different from what you can already imagine, but enjoy the journey of the investigation and the development of the characters.

Thoroughly enjoyed! I stayed up all night to finish! Couldn't put it down! Very impressed with this author's writing and character development! I hadn't heard of her before but now will definitely be on the lookout!

This was fun! The story itself was pretty plain but the wrap up was some really well. Not the best, but good!

While I was initially put off by how this book started I pushed through and I am so glad I did! I can often figure out where books are leading, this one kept me going. Wonderful read!

College student June Masterson decides to make a documentary about a famous mystery writer Greer Larkin for her thesis. Greer disappeared without a trace twenty years ago. No body was ever found and no one ever charged.

June left her parent's commune a few years ago - not a cult, a commune. Once very sheltered, she does whatever she wants now. And her mind is made up that she will make a movie about Greer, despite getting threats.

The main players in Greer's disappearance: Greer's mother Blanche - Is she Mommy Dearest? Greer's boyfriend Jonathan - Did he manipulate her and steal millions? Greer's agent Bethany - was Greer her golden parachute? Greer's best friend Rachel - Is there a love triangle here? With everyone still accusing everyone else of murdering Greer, the parties are lining up to sling mud.

June acted like a college student much of the time. She made a lot of stupid decisions but I liked her. The story was a good mystery. I didn't know what happened to Greer until the end.

This book is a debut novel and the writing flowed well. One mystery was left hanging. I know an author would not ignore something so obvious so I'm thinking there's a sequel coming.

First of all, how is Her Dying Day a debut?! I was completely addicted to this book, and I am such a huge fan of the way Mindy Carlson wrote it. I'm STILL thinking about her dedication, as silly as that is, but it made me immediately like her, and then her writing made me like her even more. The only thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was June sleeping with her married advisor, but otherwise, I actually loved June and was more than happy to be right beside her as she tries to figure out what happened to Greer. There is no cult in this story, but there IS a commune which I thought was interesting, and all of the twists ended up surprising me in the best way. I think one of my favorite things about this book, besides June and her 'amateur sleuthing is how funny it was. It was completely unexpected and made the book (and story) that much more enjoyable.

Another wonderful thing about Her Dying Day is that the audio is narrated by Hillary Huber. She is the bee's knees when it comes to narrators, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out she was the pick for this book. Huber's narration for June was spot on, and she did an excellent job of getting across all of the humor, but also the emotion in the story. June's relationship with her parents is strained, and I really felt it thanks to the audio. I also couldn't help but love the route the ending took, and I was captivated by the addition of excerpts from Greer's books scattered throughout the story. I would recommend going into Her Dying Day as blind as possible as I honestly think it was a lot more fun that way. This is a solid debut and I hope Carlson's sophomore book will be just as good!

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

June Masterton is making a film about missing writer Greer Larkin. She’s been a fan of Greer’s books since she was a teenager on an isolated commune. As she digs into the investigation, someone is trying to stop her from digging further.

This was a nice debut! I’m looking forward to reading what Mindy Carlson writes next. I wouldn’t really call this a cozy because it does have some grit to it, but the main character has an innocence and naivety that makes it feel that way. I liked the Agatha Christie type mystery and the investigation. The solving of the mystery was a little sudden for my taste, but it was still a good read.

“Let sleeping monsters lie. This is not a game, little girl.”

Lemme tell you about the opener to this book, "If you’ve never been stuck under the bed while your lover has sex with his wife, I suggest you skip it. It’s no trip to Disneyland." You read that correctly... I had a moment of wondering if I skipped a few pages, but no - they ripped the bandaid right off.

The story follows June Masterson, a film student searching for a subject for her documentary. Settling on a 20 year old cold case, June begins to unravel the truth behind the disappearance of Greer Larkin - a well known writer. As June begins her research she meets with a host of characters and it becomes clear that those who know the truth are threatened by June's interference.

This was a fabulous debut novel from Mindy Carlson. It is a fun read, and June has a unique way of uncovering the truth. If you're a fan of neatly wrapped up storylines, then this whodunit-esque story is for you.

I was given a copy of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read this book!

This was, unfortunately, an DNF for me. I found the main character to be fairly grating, but I was willing to keep reading. Then, while on a date with her married professor, she escapes a restaurant hiding in a serving cart while lamenting that it's not fair that he chooses his wife over her in this situation? Nah. Not for me.

My jaw is permanently on the ground.

How? Please, someone tell me HOW is this a debut? Mindy Carlson, you literally slayed with this book and I am here for it.

Her Dying Day, is a book that will instantly grab your attention and put you on a wild roller coaster ride of twists and turns you will not see coming. The pace is perfect and the storyline is done with perfection.

Now, we all know I don't have much of an attention span and I am easily distracted BUT I promise you, once I picked up Her Dying Day, there was no way I was able to put it down until I concluded.

I love all things thriller but I also love how Mindy Carlson was able to incorporate a bit of humor within the pages. All in all, this is a suspenseful novel that will keep readers engaged and entertained from start to finish. Carlson will be on my radar here on out.

This was such a great addictive thriller that I could not put down. Such a twisty, engaging thriller.

I generally enjoyed this book well enough, although I wouldn't necessarily pick up another book by the same author.

I found the writing style a little lacking considering the build-up of suspense which is vital for a mystery/thriller. It picked up speed towards the end but the first two thirds of the story were a bit too slow for my liking.

Further, I found the narrator very hard to like/understand which kept me from enjoying the story more. The plot twist at the end made the book more entertaining, however it did feel slightly far-fetched.

Finished this incredible thriller I one sitting - the author did a fabulous job of scattering all the clues like pieces of a missing puzzle and joining them all together in the end - it was so well done! definitely recommending :)

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. I loved the premise of this one, a mystery writer goes missing, presumed dead, with a few possible suspects and an amateur sleuth with a tongue in cheek sense of humour is determined to find out what really happened. This book held my attention throughout, well written, with interesting characters and some unexpected turns I didn't anticipate. Well worth reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #mindycarlson #herdyingday #netgalley #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #tea_sipping_bookworm #thriller #bookqueen #bookstagram

Greer Larkin was a famous young author, writing best-sellers, about to get married, the world at her feet, when she suddenly disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Is she dead or alive? Was she murdered or did she take her own life? Her partner Jonathan had always been a strong suspect in her disappearance, but nothing could ever be proven. And what about her wealthy overbearing mother? What part did she play?

On the 20th anniversary of Greer’s disappearance these are all questions college student June start asking when she decides to do a documentary on the author.

A huge fan of Greer’s work, June feels it’s the perfect assignment for her. Unfortunately for June she soon realised this story is bigger than she could ever have imagined and there are very clearly people out there that don’t want the truth to come to light.

This was a super easy book to read with enough depth to keep me engaged and turning the pages. Plus can we just pause for a moment to acknowledge our main character’s name…Pear Blossom Jubilee Masterson. Well, if that doesn’t scream a character I’m clearly either going to love or one I’m going to want to strangle – lol. Thankfully I loved her even if she did frustrate me a little at times.

I didn’t really work out who did it or fully see any of the twists but then admittedly I wasn’t really looking for them, I was just happy enjoying the story.

There were a few areas and storylines that I would have liked to see explained in a little more detail, especially June’s past, but still a great read to curl up with over one weekend or over a few evenings in.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read Her Dying Day.

This had me hooked from that opening line - what a start!

I wasn’t too sure if I was going to like this book, as I tend to stay very far away from books that involve affairs. However, this is one of the new tropes I love - person has an assignment/podcast/YouTube channel/instagram/tiktok page and is using social media and technology to uncover a past cold case, so I was willing to stick with it and I’m glad I did.

It kept me guessing until the very end, with all the twists and turns, and I was on tenterhooks waiting to see who had done what to the famous author. The secondary story about June and her upbringing melded quite well within the main storyline, and I could understand a bit more about why she was the way she was.

I thought this was a well paced book and, given I read it off the back of The Book of Cold Cases, I thought it held its own really well. If you like a twisty thriller then give this one a try.

Real Rating: 2.5 / 5 Stars

Crooked Lane Books rarely lets me down. I am usually a huge fan of the imprint’s titles. Crime procedural mysteries and thrillers are essentially their bread and butter, and for someone like me (who basically spends every day mainlining syndicated crime procedural dramas) this means that usually a Crooked Lane book is a guaranteed solid read.

That’s why I was beyond frustrated and absolutely disappointed in “Her Dying Day”. I was looking forward to this book so much, because if there’s one historical tale that has always made me chuckle it’s the mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie in December of 1926 after her husband told her he wanted a divorce and then took off on a vacation without her but with his mistress in tow. When Christie was found 10 days later in a hotel/spa, she was registered under a false name, the surname of which belonging to her husband’s mistress. There were (and still are), so many theories as to why Christie did what she did, and some of them are paralleled in this book (the author who disappeared in this book is named Greer Larkin): Christie’s car was found abandoned at the top of a chalk quarry (Larkin’s is found abandoned by a lighthouse), and a few of the theories on why Christie disappeared are echoed in why Larkin may not be dead and simply disappeared into thin air instead.

The thing is, if they had centered the whole book on June (the protagonist) being intent on making her documentary about Greer Larkin’s disappearance and then getting in too deep as she gets closer and closer to the truth as she decides to move from simply documenting the disappearance to trying to actually solve it, then I could’ve gotten behind this book 100%. But Mindy Carlson (and, if I can be honest, probably her editor too) couldn’t leave it at that. A great deal of this book was devoted to a terrible subplot about June being her thesis advisor’s mistress that was shoehorned in whenever Carlson got the chance, even though most of the time I couldn’t see the relevance or connection between the affair and the mystery of Greer Larkin. It’s not only until the end of the book that the affair makes any difference to June’s state of mind at all, really. And even then, it seems rushed and, again, shoehorned in. The book would’ve been better off had this subplot been ditched entirely. Also, there were “excerpts” from Greer Larkin’s books plopped into the book in intervals, with seemingly no rhyme or reason. I suspect they had something to do with something coming up soon in the story, but they honestly had the feeling of when someone writes a term paper and just plops in quotes just to look like they’re smart and clever but it just looks and feels clunky, ruining the flow of the paper entirely.

All in all, this book suffers from bad characterizations, poorly-structured plot, stuttered flow, poor pacing, and a serious case of too much unnecessary stuff shoved into a book that just ends up being padding. It could’ve been so much better, and that’s the worst feeling in the world.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for granting me early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. Per personal policy, this review will not appear on social media or bookseller websites due to the 3 star or lower rating.

After changing the topic for her final class project several times, 24 year old filmmaking student June Masterton has decided to make a true crime documentary based on the her favourite author, Greer Larkin, who vanished twenty years ago, in a mystery to rival that of Agatha Christie’s disappearance. Greer’s debut novel, written at the tender age of 14, was such an overnight success that her mother Blanche subsequently started home schooling her so she could concentrate on her writing. Greer went on to write several more bestsellers before her disappearance ten years later when her car with her purse and traces of her blood was found at a lighthouse near where she had dinner and argued with her fiancé Jonathan Vanderpoole. As neither Greer not her body were found, the police were never able to establish if she committed suicide or whether someone killed her and threw her over the cliff.

With five weeks left to make her film, June set about contacting all those involved in Greer’s life to organise interviews for her film including her fiancé Jonathan, her mother Blanche, her best friend Rachel and her agent Bethany. And what a cast of unlikeable characters they turn out to be! Jonathan has long been considered by many to be the main suspect for Greer’s disappearance, especially when it was revealed that millions of Greer’s money had been systematically filtered into an account in his name, but the police were never able to find enough evidence to charge him. Blanche certainly believed he killed her, but she has never liked him and always suspected his motives in chasing Greer. Greer’s agent Bethany claimed he was controlling and had caused her writing to suffer while Rachel, obsessed with Greer and jealous of Jonathan, claimed he physically abused Greer.

In addition to her interviews, June tries to get hold of the original police reports and through her membership of an online fan forum dedicated to Greer, seeks out further information and theories. A suitcase of Greer’s writing given to her by Rachel also gives her clues. However, as June starts to close in on the truth, she receives threats to stop her investigation and starts to fear that she is in danger.

Woven through the plot is June’s own story. Christened Pear Blossom Jubilee by her hippie parents, she grew up in a small commune in the Adirondacks, home schooled and isolated from the outside world until she left to go to college. As a child reading was an escape for her and Greer became one of her favourite writers, reading and rereading her books so many times that she could quote passages from them. June’s upbringing has made her selfish and immature, with few friends and poor taste in men. She is sleeping with her married course advisor, who has no intention of leaving his wife and treats her very shabbily. In many ways there are similarities between June’s and Greer’s lives – both had sheltered, isolated childhoods and are vulnerable and naïve about men. While the background about June’s upbringing might have seemed unneccesary and secondary to the main plot, a revelation towards the end of the novel, suggests it may be leading into a future sequel.

There is plenty to enjoy in this gripping debut novel. The mystery of the author’s disappearance is intriguing and builds up gradually with each interview, intensifying as June’s investigation progresses and culminating in a suspenseful climax. There are plenty of clues to keep readers guessing as the plot twists one way and another until the pieces in this complex puzzle start to fall into place. Although there are some lose ends and unresolved questions remaining at the end, this is an enjoyable read with a pleasing resolution.