I was provided with this audiobook from the publisher to review. This book was an interesting read. I found the narrator to have a great way of keeping me enraptured into the story. Augusta is a novelist who has found herself caught in the middle of a real life murder mystery after a dinner party, where the guests do not seem to be the most trustworthy members of society. Augusta goes to solve this murder by herself by going on investigation. I will say, the ending was a bit of a twist, but not an overwhelming shock. This book was just OK, not my favorite, but still finished it. I would probably mot read the next book in this series.

I just could not get into this book. It was extremely confusing who was talking because it was one narrator covering multiple voices. Unfortunately for an audio listener it made the book really hard to follow along to. I gave it till 40% until I DNF it. I had really high hopes for the story.

3.5 Stars
Augusta Hawke is a crime fiction author who is approached by Callie to ghost write her political life as a fictional work. Augusta is lukewarm about ghostwriting Callie’s life. Callie invites Augusta to a dinner party to better sell the idea. As dinner parties go, it was typical except when Doc Burke is found dead. The death is ruled a heart attack and the case is closed. Augusta has nagging doubts about Doc Burke’s death. As Augusta starts to investigate Doc Burke and their death many pieces of information don’t add up. Through her investigation she comes across, a manuscript, a niece, and a mysterious wife or two. In order to draw the killer out Augusta host’s a mystery weekend writers retreat and invites all the attendees of the dinner party. What secrets will come out during the weekend and will the killer be caught? Follow Augusta while they put the pieces of the puzzle to this mystery together to bring a killer to justice.

I enjoyed the book and didn’t realize it was the second in a series. It is good as a stand-alone book and I didn’t feel lost about the story line. I felt a little empty about some of the characters and others I wanted to ignore. There were a couple of character that I couldn’t understand why they mattered and thought of them as the red shirt guys from Star Trek TOS. That is until the very end of the book when everything was wrapped up quickly and then understood why they were in the book. Overall, I did enjoy the book but I didn’t feel quite fulfilled. I felt like something was missing and incomplete but unsure what it was. I would recommend this book to general mystery readers.

I listened to the first chapter at normal speed and then sped it up to 1.75. I really liked the narrator’s voice at 1.75 speed. There were not as dramatic in the fluctuations of their voice for various characters, but I was still able to differentiate the various characters without it.

#Net Galley provided an advanced listeners copy

Despite one excessive plot twist, this was quite fun.


Review copy provided by publisher.


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This was an interesting premise with a likable and realistic protagonist. The plot and pacing was good up until about the 80% mark, where it started to get weird and convoluted. Despite the fact that I was not a huge fan of the narrator, and the writing was choppy at points, my interest in the plot and characters kept me interested until that 80% mark. The resolution felt way too deus ex machina for my taste.

This book sounded so good and when I started listening to the audiobook I couldn’t get in the groove with the narrator because for one thing she doesn’t change her voice for the different characters it’s so it just sounded like the same person was talking whether it was a male, female or whatever. Then like most times when I don’t like the narrator I want to buy the kindle book but the author wanted $15 for a Kindle book that cost pennies to produce an author I thought that I was just done with the book. I didn’t like the narrator and although I listened for over three hours I just couldn’t get into it and wished I could’ve read the Kindle book but I am not spending almost $20 on digital content. This is so disappointing because this book sounds so good in either they get a new narrator or the narrator does a better job of character distinction or maybe make your books less expensive because I will spend five dollars on a book I’m not sure I want to read but I will never spent $15 on a Kindle book… Ever! I know we are supposed to be reviewing the book until I listen to the audiobook this is my review I tried multiple times to start listening again but every time I couldn’t get into it I mean the whole purpose of an audiobook is to make it sound more real… Right? This is just so upsetting to me you would think if they’re charging that much for the book the narrator would be stellar and don’t get me wrong she sounded like a nice person it’s not that she doesn’t have a good voice she just has no character distinction and reads a book in one mode… I hope I’m explaining this right I just didn’t like it and I apologize but I don’t. I gave it to stars because the summary sounds really good and unless the books go down in price or they get a new narrator or she learns better character distinction that is the best I can give it. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I wasn't aware that Invitation to a Killer was the second book in the series. However, I never felt lost in this one. Just a little curious about the first story. First, I should say that I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of this novel. I grew up in DC, and was excited for the story to take place in my old stomping grounds. I thought Malliet did a great job of talking about the culture and dynamics of the area.
The book's biggest drawback for me was the final third. None of it sat right with me, and after the pacing of the first 2/3 of the novel, it felt very rushed. However, it was an intriguing storyline with interesting characters.

Mystery writer, Augusta Hawke, has been approached by the wife of a DC lobbyist who wants Augusta to ghostwrite her memoir. Augusta has no real interest in the project, but agrees to attend the party the woman’s throwing; it’s being attended by the all the Washington glitterati . Before Augusta gets a chance to meet guest of honor, humanitarian Doc Burke, the man dies of an apparent heart attack. But she doesn’t believe the good man’s end was natural, and arranges a gathering of her own, with all the prime suspects invited so she can suss out the killer, Christie style. An enjoyable cozy style mystery with elements of a classic Agatha Christie tale

I enjoyed this storyline and the whodunit because it kept me guessing. There were some twists and turns and you never really knew until the end who the person was that out it in motion. Which are my favorite types.

A socialite wants to write a book on her memoirs, but needs a ghost writer. Enters Augusta who is asked to be the writer of her story and a dinner that takes place with a mix of people. One of them ends up dead, but they have no idea what happened was it murder or a heart attack.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

2 stars

This book lost me in the first 3 chapters. The book is written through the eyes and especially the mind of Augusta Hawke, who is some sort of wanna be MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin, a pretty frustrated writer. You know that internal voice that everyone has inside their mind that one tries to shut it up and get some silence? Well GM Mallilet made it her mission to transcribe ever single thought that might have going through Augusta Hawke. So in the first 3 chapters you get 3 sentences and non stop internal judgemental, absolutely useless chatter. Back stories and scenarios and opinions, mainly negative.
And the book keeps going like this till the end, when GM Mallied decides to pull out an Agatha Christie thing and gather everyone in a room and very cleverly reveal the criminal.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this book!

I picked up this book without realizing that it's book 2 in a series. That didn't turn out to matter, however, as Malliet gives us sufficient rundown on what we need to know from book 1 at the beginning of this story. Augusta Hawke, our amateur sleuth, makes a living writing mystery novels when she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery.

This book is clearly modeled after an Agatha Christie style and I generally enjoy those types of mysteries. Unfortunately, this was actually the reason why this book lost me. At the end of the book we get a big dramatic Poirot-style readout of what happened. This felt forced and over-dramatic. It also didn't feel in keeping with Augusta Hawke's character. She isn''t nearly as pompous as Poirot and it didn't work.

Nevertheless, this was a solid mystery audiobook for a car ride and I enjoyed it overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Highly Recommend this hilarious, yet gripping mystery read by Erin Dion who is does a fantastic job of differentiating many character voices and bringing life to the very quirky and down to Earth, Augusta Hawke

After a reading at her local bookstore, Augusta, a known crime writer is approached by a wealthy wife of a Washington Lobbyist. Callie Morgan wants Augusta's help in writing her life story and she won't take no for an answer. Before long, there is a death at a dinner party and Augusta finds herself immersed in a murder investigation. One of the apparent problems, however, is that the police do not suspect foul play. Add an Agatha Christie twist that brings all the potential suspects together again and you have a delightful, laugh out loud murder mystery. If you like your heroines, real and down to earth, want to know more about Washington politics or the publishing industry or just are a fan of Agatha Christie inspired mysteries, I highly recommend Invitation To A Killer to you! #Dreamscape #InvitationtoaKiller #GHMalliet #ErinDion

DNF @ 65% or so.

Some people will love this book, but it just had too many things I don’t enjoy: cop co-protagonists, cheesy civilian detectives, and altogether too many eye-roll moments. It’s not that it’s badly written, but it’s not my genre; I thought it was going to be more of a thriller than a cop drama/mystery, but by 2/3 of the way through, I hadn’t even gotten to the part I wanted and thought would be central to the narrative (the group of people stranded together in a storm), plus my attention was wandering, so I called it quits. Moving onto something more my style.