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.

‘Her dying day’ has a lot going on for me as far as thrillers go and in some ways I felt like the two main storylines could almost be separated into two full novels.
The story follows ‘June’, a film student who is making a documentary into the strange disappearance of her favorite mystery writer, Greer Larkin. June investigates Larkin's life and finds several suspects and with the twenty year anniversary tensions are high. June could be in danger and so finds solace in the place she grew up, the place she escaped from- her family’s commune: So in parallel to Larkin’s mysteries, June has to confront her own past demons.
I found the narration quite witty and awkward which for me felt fresh and more dynamic than some traditional thrillers I have read. However, as much as I wanted to, I just couldn’t connect with June’s character, for me I don’t have to like a character but I have to feel some emotion towards them to fully embrace a story. Perhaps this wouldn’t have been an issue if June’s own story was expanded on more fully in a separate volume but that is just my personal preference.
I loved Carlson’s style of writing and enjoyed this mystery overall; I can’t wait to see what this author does next.
(3.5 stars)

First of all: DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS OF THIS BOOK! I unfortunately did and there is a major spoiler for an event that takes place around 70% in, so if you don't want to be spoiled please don't read the synopsis.

Now that's out of the way onto the story; this book was both good and bad in very equal measures, which is why it ended up with a very middle of the road type rating.

I shall start with the good; I really enjoyed the reveal with what happened to Greer, even though I had worked it out quite early on it didn't detract from my enjoyment of finding out. I also really enjoyed the backstory of June and her parents and was glad of the way her story turned out.

Now onto the bad; I absolutely detested the storyline about the affair, it appeared right on the very first page and found it really unnecessary. This also made me not warm to the character of June as much as I would have hoped, her attitude about this "relationship" she was having was sometimes worse than the actual affair itself; her constant eye rolling and catty remarks about Paul's wife as if somehow she was an inconvenience, when in actual fact it was June that was in the wrong. There were also parts of the story that were written really poorly, as in some of June's reactions to situations were just really cringey and unrealistic. And to finish off, I didn't like the big reveal of whodunnit; I just felt it was really anticlimactic and pointless, like I didn't see the actual point of any of it.

After all that, I do feel that there are people out there that will really love this book but it wasn't one of the best I've read.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Mindy Carlson for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Her Dying Day by Mindy Carlson.

June is a hopeful film student creating her first documentary. The topic? The still unsolved disappearance of author Greer Larkin (great name!) who coincidentally writes murder mysteries.

There is a whole host of possible suspects that June must interview, from mom, to BFF, to fiance. And they all would have a good reason to want Greer gone. But the closer June gets to finding who is responsible for Greer's disappearance, the more dangerous, and even deadly it gets. Someone desperately doesn't want the truth revealed.

This was okay. I feel comfortable giving it 2.5 stars rounded up. I was never fully hooked. For starters, I didn't like the relationship June was in, at all, and I didn't find it imperative to the story. I also struggled to care about June's connection to a cult in her earlier days. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there was never anything strong enough about the story to really help me latch on to it.

Her Dying Day certainly catches you with its very first line! June (aka Pear Blossom) grew up on an isolated commune and left as soon as she could and hasn’t looked back. She’s finishing her last year in college and making a documentary film about the mysterious disappearance of Greer Larkin twenty years ago. After an altercation with her fiancé, Jonathan, Greer went missing and hasn’t been seen since. With the twenty year anniversary looming, June decides that Greer is the perfect subject for her film. Everything points to Jonathan, but there’s just not enough evidence to convict him. As June digs, she starts to wonder if there’s a chance he’s innocent, after all her mother and best friend also had motives. Getting closer to the truth, June finds herself in danger and takes refuge in the one place she never wanted to see again. Through the danger, June comes to grips with the life she’s been living as well as unearthing a deep family secret. Will she also find the answers no one else has been able to uncover about the fate of Greer Larkin? A promising debut by Carlson.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected pub date: TODAY! June 7, 2022 (Happy Pub Day!)
Pear Blossom Jubilee Masterson, now calling herself June, has finally escaped to the big city, New York, after spending her childhood years living in a secluded commune, with only her parents and her cousins for company. Now, June is studying to be a documentary filmmaker (and sleeping with her married advisor) when she gets the idea for her first film, focusing on the disappearance of author Greer Larkin, and she eagerly sets off to investigate. But after meeting Greer’s mother, fiancée, agent and best friend, it is very evident that Greer had some secrets, and when June starts getting threatening messages she starts to wonder- what lengths will some people go to to protect their secrets?
Mindy Carlson’s debut, “Her Dying Day”, is entertaining, pulse-pounding, and absolutely enthralling. June’s childhood, which led to her current life choices and romantic entanglements, make her all the more likable and I wanted instant success for the documentarian/homewrecker. Through it all, June’s dedication to her craft and her desire to achieve made her put her life on the line, and how do you not respect a girl for that?
The story is told from the POV of June, although there are snippets of Greer’s books at the beginning of each chapter, which are apparently based loosely on Greer’s real life. Carlson wants us working right alongside with June, solving the mystery of the disappearing writer, and it worked like a charm- I was instantly pulled in.
Of course, no novel like this would be complete without June returning to the commune and reuniting with her parents. The secrets of June’s childhood are just one twist of many in this non-stop novel! The ending could have gone in any number of ways, and I’m so glad that Carlson chose to end the novel the way she did, with all the questions answered but June still holding true to her values and beliefs. It made me love June all the more.
“Her Dying Day” is a twisty debut, and I look forward to seeing what else Carlson will deliver!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me a digital copy of the debut novel by Mindy Carlson - 4.5 stars!

Pear Blossom Jubilee Masterson was raised in upstate New York by hippie parents who sheltered her from anyone outside their little commune. The minute she turned 18, she left for college and became June and hasn't spoken to her parents since. Now working on her master's thesis in filmmaking, she once again changes her topic to explore the disappearance 20 years ago of Greer Larkin, a teenage prodigy author whose mystery books June devoured. While exploring the disappearance, she discovers that many people had motive and opportunity for Greer's death, and June may well have brought danger to her own doorstep with her investigation.

I really enjoyed this mystery and the way it was eventually resolved. It kept me guessing and changing my mind along the way. Even though June didn't always make smart decisions with her life, her character made me laugh with her rules of dating a married man and her dealings with the other supporting characters. I can't wait to read more from this author!

3 stars

This one was okay. It was fine. It had two storylines that were intertwined in not-so-surprising ways, and although the basic premise was initially intriguing, it didn’t hold my attention as well as I’d hoped. Full disclosure, I was listening to the audiobook and kind of fell asleep for a brief chunk in the middle; I didn’t end up rewinding because I didn’t seem to have missed anything that wouldn’t allow me to keep following the story, but I guess the fact that I didn’t want to go back was a bit of a testament to how I was feeling about it. Anyway, this one was an okay mystery with some interesting bits, but it wasn’t my favourite.

Her Dying Day was a surprising story of mystery and love. Lots of thriller and mysteries have aspects of love but this one blew it out of the park for me. June grew up on a compound in the mountains of NY and goes to school for film when she finally leaves. She was obsessed with a mystery author who disappeared 20 years earlier and decides to do some investigating of her own to make a movie for her final thesis. What she discovers along the way is much more than what happened, but she also learns so much about herself and about story telling. Genuinely was surprised by this and would felt it was a new take on mystery that I’m not used to.

"Her Dying Day" by Mindy Carlson is a book about a woman who tries to solve the disappearance of one of her favorite mystery authors. Throughout the book she meets a few different suspects, and you're never really sure who did it, until about 2/3 of the way through. Even though I figured out the ending, it was still a good read, and I can see it being a popular thriller.

HER DYING DAY - MINDY CARLSON
4⭐

PLOT - June Masterson decides to make her 1st documentary based on true story of disappearance of fames mystery author Greer Larkin.
As she digs deeper the darker the story gets.
Everyone has a theory Greers mother, her best friend who believe it's her fiance Jonathan, her agent feels she committed suicide and Jonathan feels it's her mother or her best friend. But Rachel turns up dead just as June makes a shocking discovery but the killer won't stop to keep their darkest secret.

MY THOUGHTS
This was a well crafted debut slow burn mystery and a lot of plots were intertwined quite well...where everyone seems to have a motive and benefit from her disappearance.
June's personal story was also quite intriguing i would hv loved of it had a detailed follow up or mention ..may be a new story..
So in all quote enjoyed it!
Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane publishers for this arc in exchange of my honest opinion.

Pear Blossom Jubilee Masterson grew up in an isolated commune and when she breaks away she leaves most of her name behind. She is now June and she is embarking on a film project as she finishes college. As a teenager her reading escape came through books written by Greer Larkin but then Greer vanished. Twenty years later June decides to make that event the subject of her final class project. It won't take long before the past comes after her as she interviews Greer's mother, her agent, her fiancé and her best friend. They all blame each other for her disappearance but most of the focus is on her fiancé. As June goes deeper into the past with the cache of papers, etc. given to her by Greer's best friend, Rachel, Rachel is murdered. Did Greer's mother do it? Or Jonathan? Or was it her agent? Or maybe someone else entirely. June needs to know.
I enjoyed this debut mystery for its complex puzzle and cast of characters. If it's the start of a series I will want to read the next one. If the next book is a stand alone, I'll want to read that, too. My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

<spoiler> Cheating is a big problem for me. Sleeping with a married man a biggg no... but this isn't a romance novel and it - a mystery thriller so I tried to overlook it (still </spoiler>

June investigates the disappearance of her favorite author from childhood and what she finds in the due course makes for this thrilling mystery...

Though the ending was predictable, it made for an interesting read.

Note: Received an ARC in exchange of honest review.

Will I read more novels by this author? Definitely - if it doesn't have the issue (don't mentioned in the spoiler above.

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Her Dying Day -

Her Dying Day follows June (formerly known as Pear Blossom) as she undertakes her final project for film school. After switching projects multiple times (which isn't normally allowed, but she's sleeping with her advisor Paul) she settles on the dissapearance of Greer, a young crime writer who dissapeared without a trace 20 years before.

June sets about interviewing suspects and friends of Greer's in order to discover the truth. However, once she's started these interviews she begins to get death threats whilst she is out and about.

This novel follows her discovering what happened to Greer, intwined with extracts from Greer's books which provide clues for different extract. It also examines June's strange family and her relationship with her advisor.

I really enjoyed the book, however I would have liked to know a little more about June's past as it was flung in but not really explained. However, I feel that would make a really good secondary book. Althought it was a crime book, this was more like a good old murder mystery. Highly reccomend picking up.

What happened to Greer? Is she dead? If so, was she murdered by her fiance Jonathan or did she commit suicide? That's the question June hopes to answer while making a documentary film. She's been obsessed with Greer since she was a teen living in a commune in the mountains but now she's talking to and emailing with Greer's mother Blanche, her agent Bethany, her BFF Rachel, and Jonathan. Everyone has a theory and everyone is pointing fingers but it's Rachel who ends up murdered after she gives June a pile of Greer's writings. This twists a bit as June investigates a mystery that someone doesn't want solved. There's a subplot involving her relationship with her advisor Paul (inappropriate) that felt extraneous to me. That said, it's an interesting read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A nice debut.

This debut mystery tells the story of aspiring filmmaker June Masterson - actually named Pear Blossom Jubilee Masterson - who is searching for her final project. She decides to try to solve the mystery of one of the favorite authors of her childhood who disappeared under suspicious circumstances twenty years earlier.

June finds herself heading down dark trails and disturbing a villain who has hidden the truth about the events of Greer Larkin's disappearance. She has a good number of possible suspects from Greer's uber-rich and controlling mother Blanche, to her best friend Rachel, to her agent Bethany Allen, to her former fiancé Jonathan Vanderpoole. All had some reasons why they might have wanted Greer dead. Though most of them are certain that Jonathan had the most reasons.

June is busy trying to get interviews, find police records, track down witnesses from the time while at the same time conducting an affair with her married advisor Paul. Jane sees lots of parallels with her own life in Greer's. June was kept isolated on a commune hidden in the Adirondacks by her very protective parents. Since walking out with all her belongings at age 18, she hasn't communicated with her parents in any way. She equates her mother's own need to keep her overly sheltered with Blanche's determination to do the same with Greer.

When she is given a suitcase of notes, journals and other detritus by Rachel, she combs the material to try to find clues. When Rachel is killed by a hit-and-run driver and June receives threats that echo those in Greer's six best-selling books, the stakes and the dangers increase exponentially.

I liked the story and liked June though I had some questions about her relationship with Paul. I also found the excerpts from Greer's own novels to be pretty sophomoric - not altogether surprising for novels written by a teenager - but could understand why June, who discovered them as a teenager herself, was so intrigued with the author and her stories.

The plot was nicely twisty and some of the revelations were sort of left dangling, but it was an enjoyable mystery.

This was such an easy book to read & it had me gripped right to the end! I love books about true crime and stories that are a book within a book, and this was a wonderful combination of the two. As June is making her documentary about the disappearance of Greer Larkin, she gets dragged deeper & deeper into what happened, and like June, I had to know what happened. There’s some obvious villains in the story, but were they involved with Greer’s disappearance 20 years ago? I kept changing my mind about what had happened, and was on the edge of my seat for the final scenes as the truth was revealed . I really enjoyed this & can’t wait to see what Mindy Carlson does next!

There will be the twentieth anniversary of Greer Larkin's disappearance. Pear 'June' Blossom has prepared for this moment for ten years. She seems to owe Larkin because she's like her generation of Agatha Christie. Larkin's writing has saved her from abject loneliness when she was trapped in her family's commune as a child.

Larkin and Jonathan Vanderpoole, the love of her life went for dinner at a restaurant then the next day there was no trace of her - except a bit of blood in her car at the Kilmarnock Lighthouse. A tantalising, taunting clue. For twenty years, Jonathan lived under the shadow of Larkin's disappearance. They've never been able to find enough evidence to convict.

But when a threatening letter was sent to June, to stay away from the case, then she knows that she makes someone nervous. The slow-burning is almost killing me but I love the main character. Very full of herself. My random question who is Maya Davenport? Can someone shed some light? 😅😅

Her Dying Day is scheduled for release on June 7, 2022. My personal rating 3.8 ⭐

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for providing an earc inexchange of honest review.

📚

#donereading #HerDyingDay #MindyCarlson #goodreads #ebookstagram #igreads #emabaca #malaysiamembaca

Thank you Netgalley, Mindy Carlson, and Crooked Lane books for my gifted copy!

Synopsis:
It's filmmaker June's first documentary - and it's not just about anything. She wants to uncover what lies beneath the disappearance of her favorite mystery author, Greer Larkin. But the deeper June digs, the more she puts herself in danger. Because someone knows what happened. And they would do anything to keep June in the dark...

My thoughts:
I absolutely LOVED the book-in-a-book aspect, and now I kinda want to read Greer Larkin's novels! Since I studied filmmaking myself, I found it interesting to read a book on it because you don't see that trope a lot. I was absolutely hooked by the way June discovered what was going on, and I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional final chapter. What bugged me was June's affair with a married man and how she handled it. I can't say I liked her, only because of that. Also, sometimes the book felt kind of repetitive, but it was a solid read, after all.

This was my first book by this author, and it won't be my last.