I did not like the way this was written although I can appreciate it. I didn't like the switches from first to second person and including the reader. The plot itself was just okay. I found the writing way too distracting for me to even be able to get into the plot more deeply. I thought it was cool how the author tried something different and I am sorry it just didn't click for me personally.

West Heart Kill in one word: unexpected. And for a mystery novel, that’s exactly what you want. You want a narrative that subverts tropes and bends the rules (sometimes even breaking them!).

Everyone is a suspect and things get messy very quickly. The novel follows the elite members of the West Heart hunting club and as their secrets get revealed you realize no one is safe.

Anyone who reads this book will be sure to feel like an active participant in revealing the truth, which makes the book so much more enjoyable than other books that I’ve read before.

I’m not as familiar with the mystery genre, but I did appreciate the history sprinkled throughout the book. At times, it did feel overwhelming and unrelated to the plot but as a novice to the mystery genre, I really do think that it added a unique detail to the narrative.

West Heart Kill has star quality and fans of sleuthing will devour this novel.

West Heart Kill is two books inside one cover: one is a manor house, mystery novel complete with a big storm, loss of electricity, dark woods, and murders; the other is a primer by the author on the history of such books and how best to read them. These two sides of the coin complement each other and are integrated in an easy – to – read fashion.

The writer and reader are co-conspirators in this novel. While the story plays out, the author is constantly speaking with the reader who he assumes to be a lover of detective novels. It makes the book fun and engaging.

In addition, the author uses many different conventions: first person and third person narration, dialog when the detective is interviewing suspects, and even a play within the novel. This book is never boring and often catches the reader off-guard.

But it is the ending that is the most surprising and has had me thinking since I finished the book. I’m not sure if it was satisfying or not, but it was certainly unexpected.

This is one of those books you either love or just don't get. I'm in the latter category. The book isn't written in a traditional fashion andI found the format distracting. Give it a go if you're looking for something different.

This was not a book for me. I found the history and style of mystery writing parts tedious and boring. The many different writing styles did not add to my enjoyment. The ending was terrible and unsatisfying.

Sometimes, when reading ARCs, I'll take notes. My notes for West Heart Kill are completely chaotic, so many questions marks and exclamation points. This book took me on a journey and I learned something about myself... and that is that I enjoy a linear mystery with a traditional book structure. Unfortunately for me, West Hearth Kill is not that book.

There is so much unique and non-traditional about this book, included but not limited to: a LARGE vocabulary (I had to look up like 5 words in the first 20 pages), the 4th wall is completely shattered, there's mystery trivia, history of mystery-adjacent words, there's a play, and there's ALL the perspectives/persons (1st, 2nd, AND 3rd).

All of this to say that while West Heart Kill was not the book for me, if you're looking for a unique, tongue in cheek spin on the traditional mystery novel, it very well may be the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great Murder mystery a la Agatha Christie. I could never solve hers and I definitely didn’t solve this one.. Surprising deaths, lots of conflicts and animosity. Loved the snobbery! Now for the disappointing part. I still don’t know who the killer is! I don’t want to give anything away but the manner in which this book ends was very frustrating for me. Imagine that little kid looking for the surprise in a box of cereal only to find out there isn’t one. That’s me! I want someone else to read this book and tell me who did it!

It is really hard to describe West Heart Kill. I really loved how different this book was from other mystery books. It’s such a great palate cleanser if you want something that will keep you guessing the whole time.

West Heart Kill’s energy reminds me of:
🎬 The Appeal
💊 Knives Out
🩺 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
🔎 Clue 1985
♟️ Murderville

That being said… this is a weird and quirky book. It isn’t for everybody. And it isn’t a read that’s any fun if you’re distracted. You really have to be content with buckling yourself in for the ride and rolling with sudden detours and jarring pit stops. This one was really edging toward 5 stars for me, but the ending was… unfulfilling? Confusing? But it did absolutely make me want to buy a final copy so I can put all the pieces together.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and Knopf publishing for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review! West Heart Kill comes out October 24th

This was a fun attempt at a book, but it fell kind of flat for me. The mystery was fun, but I'm not a fan of authors "breaking the 4th wall" like you do on stage or screen. Not mad I read it, but not my favorite book of the year.

this book was hard to get into for me. i didn’t really like how they tried to include the reader in the story. i would rather just prefer to read it. i did like the concept, but i think the execution ended up making the book feel prolonged

🕰️ West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman, Two Minute Book Reviews 🕰️

🔪 WHY I read it: I was lucky enough to get a review copy from @aaknopf!

🌲 WHAT I got out of it: What sets this book apart is its fearless exploration of different narrative techniques. McDorman seamlessly transitions from traditional narrative to engaging history lessons to even breaking the fourth wall, creating a dynamic and immersive reading experience. The way the narrative unfolds keeps readers on their toes, constantly guessing and second-guessing as they try to unravel the mysteries alongside the characters.

The setting of the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York is rich and captivating. McDorman paints a vivid picture, immersing readers in the atmospheric and secretive world of the hunt club. The sense of isolation and the brewing storm add to the tension and make the setting an integral part of the story to the point where the club felt like a character itself.

🔎 READ IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE...If you want to have a little fun and read a novel constructed in a non-traditional way. It deftly combines classic murder mystery elements with a refreshing and inventive narrative style, so if you're looking for something both familiar and unfamiliar, you'll love this.

An isolated hunt club. A raging storm. Three corpses, discovered within four days. A cast of monied, scheming, unfaithful characters.
So our story begins.

While I appreciate the mix of writing styles, this felt more like a screen play idea. I lost interest quite quickly.

West Heart Kill is a mystery book, a book about mystery books, and a book about the act of reading mystery books all mixed together, in a fascinating jumble of puzzle pieces. It takes chances with where it goes with both format and style, and those risks are definitely going to lose it some readers.

Unfortunately the actual mystery is the bit that never quite comes together - the components are there and have potential, but many of the players don’t receive enough attention to stand out as distinct entities; they’re all just a jumble of ‘rich, vaguely condescending person’. Which I almost think might be the point given how they’re introduced. Does it really matter once you’ve read your hundredth version of a ‘murder in a group of rich people in the country’ plot what the personal details are? Don’t they all start blurring together?

Don’t read this if you need a straight-forward story and an ending where every loose end is tied up. There’s not much closure here. Do read it if you enjoy a strong narration that frequently diverts into analyzing itself and the history of its genre and plays around with them. Honestly, it lost me from time to time, but overall I enjoyed the originality of the style. If it had just been the mystery I probably wouldn’t have finished.

I am an avid reader of mysteries and am always intrigued by the author's choice of plot devices. Something about a "new twist on a time-honored genre," prompted me to pick up this novel. In this case, the twist was the author carrying on in between chapters about the origins and tropes of mystery novels. If I wanted to read about that I would have chosen a more substantial nonfiction tome on the subject. There were no interesting (or even new to me), insights into the genre. The author also thought it would be clever to shift the point of view from the detective to the club members and then finally, to make us (the reader) the audience for a play. Gimmicky, but I was willing to play along. Unfortunately, when all that is stripped away, the actual mystery is pretty thin. There's nothing wrong with a traditional "locked room" mystery - in this case set at an isolated hunting club whose members all have sins and secrets to answer for. However, it's as if the three deaths (four if you count the dog, and then there's the "accidental" shooting), are an afterthought. Who did what and why are rather clumsily revealed leaving a most unsatisfying ending. Read only if you enjoy being led in circles.

Did not like this book. Alternating between a mystery and a lecture on the art of mystery. Really disliked the ending and the oh so clever trick.

Unfortunately I have to agree with the other reviewers. It seems like the author is trying for something new and interesting with the style, and it completely fails. :-( It reads as pretentious and trying too hard to be artsy, and it's impossible to connect with the characters. I gave up after a little while and skipped ahead to see if it got better but, nope.

This mystery was like Clue but messier. Set in the 1970s at a hunting lodge, you follow a detective as he investigates business dealings, and then he meets danger. I can't reveal too much more but certainly a lot happens. Lots of death and secrets! I thought it was really interesting that the detective was (most of the time?) narrating, but then the author took a step back and analyzed mystery tropes and the history of murder mysteries.
Thank you Netgalley and Knopf for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

At first, I enjoyed the book but after a couple of switches from story to analysis and lectures of what a mystery was I had enough. I read the whole book but it was a chore. I did want to know how it ended. A mistake. It definitely is not my type of book. I do know the author is talented and capable of masterfully telling a story. I just wish he would have just told the story. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is not your typical murder mystery. Our detective finagles an invite to a "wilderness" hunting club/resort with his old college friend. While there, three deaths occur--are they all murders or something else? Why is the detective there? Who hired him and why? If the author had stuck to a classic "Mystery & Detective" story, this would have been much better. The fact that McDorman verges off track to give readers a history of the genre, changes viewpoints, writes a play and basically is trying to ask readers if they think they are smart enough to solve the mystery of who is the murderer is very off putting. I struggled through to the end, hoping that at last all would be revealed and the murderer revealed - no such luck. A very unsatisfying read with no clear resolution at the end. As a reader who does not read a lot of crime/murder/mystery fiction, I needed some of those obvious clues dropped in to help me along the way.

This was an interesting take on a locked door mystery. It's part mystery and part homage to mysteries which I found fun. If you haven't read a lot of the classics of the genres (i.e., Christie, Doyle, Chesterton)., that may not appeal to you as much and it will also give some spoilers for those books. As an avid mystery reader, I really enjoyed that part. I also liked the mystery as well but there is an abrupt change in style 80% into the book that threw me for a loop. It took me out of the story and confused me for awhile. I did get into the new rhythm and tone and enjoyed the ending but it felt like a different book. Still, I would definitely recommend this read to mystery lovers - it's a unique approach and worth the read. Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.