Jaime Lynn Hendricks is one of my favorite authors and I was very lucky to get an Advance Readers Copy of her newest book through NetGalley.

I didn’t do it is an amazing thriller that grabs your attention from the beginning. This story switches the point of view from Mike, Vicky, Davis, Suzanne, and Kristin. It takes place at a thriller author conference where Kristin, a beloved author and award nominee, is murdered and 4 other authors are pulled together to figure out who did it and why.

Through lots of twist and turns this book keeps you guessing and everyone’s secrets are revealed! I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend this read and all of Jaime Lynn Hendricks’ novels.

Let me start by saying what a huge fan I am of Jaime Lynn Hendricks. I loved It Could Be Anyone, so I was super excited to dive into I Didn't Do It.
I Didn't Do It is the ultimate thriller about a thriller writer's conference, where a bestselling writer turns up murdered in her hotel room. Murderpalooza is the premiere annual thriller writer's conference, where all the great authors meet at this gala for their awards dinner and showcase in New York City. Not only is author Kristen Bailey dead, but several other thriller writers are getting cryptic messages. Will they be next? They are all connected to Kristen, and some may say her competition as thriller writers. They decide to team up and solve the murder mystery before one of them becomes the next victim.
The varying POV's, the twists, and holy smokes what an ending!!! This will keep you on your toes, flying through pages, and devouring every word.
Jaimy Lynn Hendricks is a master at her craft, and if there ever was a Murderpalooza, she would be getting top awards!

This one is definitely for all of us thriller lovers!! So many twists and turns - I definitely recommend checking it out!

Writing thrillers can be deadly!

I feel like I’ve been reading the same thrillers over and over again. Similar themes, similar characters. Read…review…repeat!

Until I stumbled on to this little gem!
Time for a new direction!

Life imitates art. All the top thriller writers in America meet in New York for a one-of-a-kind convention and awards gala. Aptly named, Murderpalooza. Top authors and newbies alike, here to rub elbows and network. Now they find themselves smack in the middle of a certifiable mystery of their own!

One of the most popular writers is discovered murdered in her hotel room. And everyone is casting suspicious eyes, in fear of who will be next!

Does writing thrillers make you paranoid? (Who said that?!)

Four authors are getting cryptic tweets that have them viewing each other in a new light. Is the murderer amongst their group? Or is it some crazed fan who has targeted them.

This was definitely a fun read. Something completely different and out of the box! I had some of the mystery figured out. But with so many layers, I was also treated to plenty of surprises as well.

You will never think of our beloved thriller authors the same way once you finish reading!

This is the second book I’ve read from this author and I’m a true fan! Can’t wait for the next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers

I loved this author's previous novel, but unfortunately, I was disappointed with this one. I couldn't stand any of the characters and the story didn't pull me in. I also wasn't blown away by the ending. It fell flat for me!

Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc!

Another shocking and suspenseful read by Hendricks! This one was a slow burn in all the right ways. I had some suspicions about the twist, but I never would have guessed the extent of it! And just when you think all the twists are done and you have the ending figured out, she hits you with yet another one and you’re left with your mouth hanging open. Her writing style is so easy to read, and I loved that it changed with each different POV. The story is told in multiple POV and that just adds to the suspicion you feel toward each character. This is the second book I read by this author, and I cannot wait to read more in the future! This was a 5-star read for sure.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, and Jaime Lynn Hendricks for providing me with this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book—twisty, hilarious, and suspenseful to the last page. The setting: Murderpalooza, a crime writers’ conference. The crime: a prizewinning author has been murdered. Suspicion falls on four other writers: a hot new author whose first novel has just sold at a high-profile international auction; a formerly famous writer whose career has stagnated lately: a promising midlist author; and a wannabe author who hasn’t got an agent yet, let alone a publishing deal. Clues and speculation flood the Twitter feeds, backstories are revealed, motives and alibis swirl around. This fast-moving novel will keep you entertained as you keep turning the pages for just one more chapter—and you may not guess the ending!

I've read every book of Jaime Lynn Hendricks, and I have enjoyed every one. I DIDN'T DO IT is no exception. We have classic Hendricks and the multiple POVs, everyone throwing shade at one another. I think the premise is spectacular, and I liked how Hendricks made sure the characters had distinct voices. However, the ending fell a little flat for me.

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was instantly drawn in. A murder convention and a murder. What more could you possibly want?

We follow multiple thriller authors throughout this story who are attending a convention called Murderpalooza. When one of the authors is found murdered in her hotel room, four of the other rival authors get targeted. And all of them have secrets.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s very fast paced and had me wanting to know who murdered her and why. I really liked the different POVS and getting some of the backstory on all of them. This book had some twists that I never saw coming.

This was my first Jaime Lynn Hendericks book and I’ll definitely be reading her backlist asap.

If you’re looking for a good murder mystery book with a lot of secrets then I highly recommend picking this one up on May 23rd when it’s released!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penzlerpub for the e-arc!

I Didn’t Do It by Jamie Lynn Hendricks is about a group of authors attending a NYC conference, Murderpalooza, for the thriller/suspense industry. Four writers, Davis Walton, Mike Brooks, Vicky Overton, and Suzanne Shih, with various levels of fame and backgrounds who seemingly have nothing in common are suddenly targeted by a mysterious Twitter handle @MPaloozaNxt2Die after another celebrated author Kristin Bailey is found murdered in her room. The four must uncover each other’s lies and secrets before one of them becomes another victim.

What I Like About The Book:
-the premise of a thriller conference of writers who are being stalked via twitter about their secrets and lies
-New York City setting in a hotel and surrounding areas
-short chapters with alternating POVs
-each chapter reveals additional clues and truths about the characters for added tension
-inside the world of authors and publishing
-how social media particularly Twitter can destroy a person’s reputation with just one tweet
-the red herrings and the clever ending



What I Disliked About The Book:
-the middle part started to fall flat and become somewhat repetitive
- unlikeable characters that seemed only to care about themselves and their egos
- seemed unrealistic and overly long


My rating 3 stars out of 5 (I would have given it 4 if it was 100 pages less)

My final takeaway: I found this book quite enjoyable at the beginning and I was intrigued by the premise of a thriller writers conference in NYC. However, by the middle it fell somewhat flat but regained its readability in the end. It was 100 pages too long but was entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers Scarlet for this eARC.

This was a fun and exciting mystery/thriller from page one! This is very meta - a book about a murder at a thriller writers convention. Authors from all over have come to New York City for Murderpalooza, an annual awards show where the best thrillers of the year are recognized. But when famed author, Kristin Bailey, is murdered in her hotel room the morning of the awards ceremony, everyone is left wondering if they are next.

Our main cast of characters is:

Mike Brooks, former bestselling author whose recent books have all been duds. He was working on a novel with Kristin, and this was going to be his big comeback. When she’s murdered, he isn’t sure what will happen to the story they’ve been working on…or what the police will think of the plot line.

Vicky Overton, a writer whose debut had moderate success, but her agent has been blowing her off for bigger names, and she’s worried her second book will never be published. She and Kristin used to be friendly…before Vicky hears that her boyfriend has been having an affair with the famous author.

Davis Walton, the newest breakout king of thriller writing. His debut novel was a huge hit, and every agent wants a piece of him. If his first book is any indicator, he will soon be a bigger name than Kristin Bailey, and that’s exactly his plan. And lastly,

Suzanne Shih, a young, new writer shopping her debut around, but struggling to find an agent. She had a bit of a stalking issue with Kristin in the past, which makes her worried the police will suspect her first.

The book goes through the day at the convention, and the scrambling all of the major characters do to deflect attention from themselves after the police show up. A lot of hashtags are started on Twitter, blaming people left and right. The authors all start getting strange texts, then a new Twitter account starts following only the four of them. This new account begins explaining to the public why each of these writers has a motive to have killed Kristin; now it’s just up for the police and the public to decide.

I usually don’t care for straight mysteries, but this one was quite entertaining and a quick read. The ending was great and something I never would have guessed, and then there was a second ending that I was also quite surprised by. One thing I’ll say is that Vicky’s editor would hate my writing. I really, really use a lot of super filling “crutch words”, and now all I can literally think to myself is DELETE. 🙃

Four stars for a fun book that had me guessing all the way to the end!

(Thank you to Scarlet Publishing, Jaime Lynn Hendricks, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on May 23, 2023.)

I really liked this book. I like mysteries/thrillers with authors as the main characters. The fact that this book takes place at an author's convention makes it even more appealing. I like the format the author used: she told the story from five main characters' points of view. It could have been confusing, but it wasn't. It added tension as the reader kept trying to guess who the murderer was. It was a good plot with several twists. I highly recommend this book to others.

4 thriller writer convention stars

Doesn’t this sound fun? A convention for fans of thrillers with writers on panels and a grand prize given out, this is Murderpalooza!

It is all great fun until there’s an actual murder! Kristin Bailey, thought to be the front-runner for the prize and a best-selling writer, has been stabbed in her room. Now three prominent writers and one stalker are under suspicion. Can they use their sleuthing skills to find the murderer?

Then the group members all start getting anonymous threatening social media messages. They are being told one of them might be next to be murdered. They all have secrets and connections to Kristin. Is one of them guilty of the crime?

One of the people, Suzanne, was stalking Kristin, she wants to hide all the evidence.

Davis Walton is a writer with a hot book about to come out. Was he threatened by Kristin’s success?

Mike Brooks has fallen off the bestseller list and his wife is pressuring him to get a bigger, more expensive place in New York. How would he benefit?

And finally, Vicky, did she take care of the competition?

As the award ceremony looms, the action really heats up. I loved the surprises and twists at the end of this one.

This book was a fun look into the world of writing, and I loved feeling like I was getting an insider’s peek into that world. This fast-paced book really kept me engaged.

AMAZING THRILLER! Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! So many plot twists & fast paced book that takes place at a thriller author convention, #murderpalooza, where a famous author gets murdered, and then there is a suspicious Twitter account that spies on a group of 4 attendees, while they discover each others' dark secrets. Hendricks does it again with a gripping, tense, & suspenseful book!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc of this in exchange for review.

I will admit when I first started this, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy the multiple perspectives but it ended up working well. However the ending was kind of predictable but I still ended up really enjoying it.

I have been a huge fan of Jaime Lynn Hendricks since her first novel Finding Tessa, and I Didn’t Do It is everything I expected it to be and more! This is her snarkiest, snappiest, twistiest story yet and I could not put it down.

With the setting being a thriller writers conference, and the four POV characters all writers, there is an unlimited amount of hilarious, meta commentary on thrillers and writers mixed in with an impeccably paced plot.

Add this to your TBR right now!

A ‘who dunnit’ at the Murderpalooza conference is the perfect plot for murder mystery novel….. except the book hasn’t been published yet and now it’s not fiction. I Didn’t Do It is easily read with short, quick chapters that identify the time of day and the character (point of view) to help you keep up with the 4 most likely suspects. I liked it.
Thank You to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC

Pop that popcorn 🍿 and get ready to have some fun!!

And, the Murderpalooza Thriller of the Year AWARD goes to…..

But, let’s backtrack….

Murderpalooza is the premier annual thriller writer’s conference which culminates with an awards dinner and the presentation of the equivalent of an Oscar, to one preeminent author.

But, this year’s gathering is tarnished when bestselling author and industry favorite Kristin Bailey is found dead in her hotel room on Friday morning.

And, she may only be the FIRST.

As her body is removed from the hotel, a new tweet is posted on Twitter. @MpaloozaNxt2Die, and the user is only following 4 people:

Davis Walton, a shoe in for next year’s award. His book hasn’t been published yet, but this golden boy already has a lucrative movie deal

Vicky Overton, another writer competing against Kristen for this year’s award, who could probably take the next step, if she could just stop using so many adverbs!

Mike Brooks, was once an industry darling, with four massive slow burn detective crime bestsellers, but his latest books have fizzled, as thrillers with twists you won’t see coming, take center stage and garner all the sales.

and

Suzanne Shih, a newbie to the industry, who is also Kristen’s stalker, and just wants to be famous.

These same four writers each receive a text from an anonymous #, which reveals a SECRET that the sender somehow knows about, and suggests that they might be the next to die.

As the Twitter stalker threatens their lives, everyone shares their opinions-“retweets and going viral-that’s what counts. Not the truth.”

And, these four will bond as they try to uncover that truth, before one of them becomes the next Victim.

Jamie Lynn Hendricks delivered a sneak peek into a writer’s world, tossing around terms we all know and love (like ARCs, Sophomore Slumps, telling vs. showing, and how thriller writers poke fun at self published romance writers) and, she did so in an entertaining, fast paced book which alternates between the POVs of the four authors being threatened, with short, snappy chapters!

Oh, and of course, there is a twist or two!!

I loved her debut “Finding Tessa” but was disappointed by her sophomore effort, “It Could Be Anyone”, but this one returned to form, and I loved every minute of it!

4.5 ⭐️

Expected Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Thank You to Scarlet for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Finding Tessa still holds my favorite book from this author this book was fun and well written. I loved the plot twists they were fun and roller from one to the next. This book centers on the how real life is competition wise in the thriller book world at thrillerfest. I personally enjoyed the first-person perspective within most of the chapters. I enjoyed this read. I just wish it was a longer read.

Starting with the positive, I was very surprised at the ending and definitely did not see it coming. Liked the female characters but kind of got the two main male characters confused at times. This is told by each of 4 characters but often tells the same scenario from a different perspective. Maybe that's why I felt this one dragged a bit. Normally I like a page turner. Four stars because it surprised me! Compliments of NetGalley ARC!