This one was not for me. It started off strong and had some humorous moments but ended up really dragging. I just wanted them to get to the investigation and instead we got insta-love and a lot more information about the characters’ lives and histories than we did an investigation into the murder mystery.

None of the characters were particularly likable. Cassie was the nicest person who has ever walked the earth and she always had something in her bag to help in any situation. I’ve seen some big bags/totes, but hers must have been the biggest that anyone's ever carried with everything she had in there. Emma couldn’t get through five minutes without spouting a historical fact or getting hyper-focused and correcting the most trivial errors made by others, and Kat couldn’t say one word without that word containing sexual innuendos. That pretty much sums up their entire personalities. It’s hard to feel invested and root for characters when they all feel like caricatures.

As for the murder and the investigation, it wasn’t a big shock when the culprit was revealed. Based on the relationships between different characters and the roles they played in the story it was somewhat easy to narrow it down to who was most likely to have committed the murder.

Ultimately, this felt like it was confused about what it was supposed to be. Yes, it was a locked room mystery, but it turned out to be less about the murder and subsequent investigation and more a book about self-discovery, personal growth and overcoming past traumas, with romance thrown in.

The premise was compelling, but the execution fell short. Handled differently this could have been an amazing story.

Giving it two stars because it did start off well and had some funny moments.

Thanks NetGally and William Morrow for the advanced copy.

THE AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO MURDER is a plaid-covered mystery with well-placed reveals, witty banter, and even a little revenge on the side. Together, Williams, Willig, and White crafted a brilliantly addictive read.

Set in the Highlands of Scotland, three writers are visiting a historic castle to research a new novel, or at least that is how it all begins. As the pages flip by, the reader begins to realize that there is much more going on with Kat, Cassie, and Emma than is on the surface. With twists, turns, and, of course, a suspicious death, these ladies begin to shed their pretenses and hunt for what really happened to Brett Saffron Presley to clear all their names.

Having read books by all three authors, I was thrilled to learn about this book. From beginning to end, it did not disappoint. The way their writing seamlessly blends into one voice is perfection. And then you have the characters they created. Kat, Cassie, and Emma, along with the rest of the cast, jump off the page and feel very real. Their emotions, flaws, past experiences, and humorous interactions all round out who these characters are. I absolutely adored spending time with them. For this mystery-loving reader, this Scottish-themed cozy whodunit was completely entertaining. Can I request a second book featuring these three ladies? Pretty please?

When three unlikely authors came together to craft a book, they never anticipated the intertwining of murder both on and off the page. The Author's Guide to Murder evokes the enchanting vibe of Agatha Christie while drawing upon the captivating lore of the Scottish Highlands. Although the three protagonists do provide insights into the contrasts between public personas and private selves, their perspectives ultimately hinder the story's flow and burden the characters. Much of the depth given to them makes them insufferable, relegating the murder mystery and the plot to the background. As a result, the book often feels long and tediously drawn out.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book as I wasn’t sure what it was really about before going in. I will admit that the cover caught my eye, and I just knew I wanted to read it. There was an air of lightheartedness to this novel that was nice and it wasn’t over done that some other books that I read recently.

I want to preface that I adore Beatriz Williams. Absolute adore. But this wasn't for me. 2 / 5 stars
I think you can tell, unfortunately, that this is written by 3 different people. The story follows three authors who meet at a conference, realize they all have a shared hatred of an encounter with a man, and hatch a plan to show up and extract revenge on him. But the language for the authors just doesn't work, it somehow splits the mark between romance and mystery without ever really being great at either, and I felt like this was really slow and off kilter all the way to the last few chapters. It disappoints me because I LOVE BW and would easily read any other book for me, but man, I just didn't like this.

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

The Author’s Guide to Murder was… fine. It had its moments—witty jabs at the literary world, a Scottish castle setting straight out of a cozy mystery fever dream, and a locked-room murder with plenty of suspects. But for a book written by three powerhouse authors, it didn’t quite live up to its potential. The pacing dragged, the twists felt predictable, and the characters never fully leapt off the page for me. It wasn’t bad by any means; it’s an easy, light read with a few chuckles and some entertaining banter. Just don’t go in expecting Agatha Christie-level brilliance.

I have read all the books by these three authors collaboration (the first one is my personal favorite). I had one of the typical time getting into this book than their other collaborations, I also had an easy time picking up which character was written by which author. I found that I was into the book about 150 pages before I relaxed enough to find myself truly enjoying it. I did end up becoming invested in the characters, and I did have my personal favorite of the three. It was entertaining and I am glad that I was able to hear the audio version as the narrators did a great job with the voice work.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one. I thought it was terribly slow, the main characters unlikeable, mystery was not very intriguing, and I probably wouldn't have finished had I not received a complimentary review copy. I did like the Scottish castle setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What a fun book! Three authors writing about three authors who visit a castle in Scotland - to write a book.

But it seems as though all three have another reason for visiting Castle KInloch. The writer who is hosting the writers' retreat, Brett Saffron Presley (BSP), has a history with all three of the women writers. When BSP turns up dead, the three American writers, Kat, Cassie, and Emma, become suspects in the murder. As the investigation into BSP's death continues, the three authors interact with a variety of Scottish characters from the local town. A caretaker who's sheep, Beatrice, goes everywhere with him, a Detective Chief Inspector who is not thrilled with these American writers, and Fiona, who happens to be the DCI's sister and the local doctor, medical examiner, and part-time barmaid at the local pub.

I enjoyed this book, but felt as though the plot "plodded" along for the first portion of the book, and then the mystery resolved fairly quickly and neatly.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of this title.

In this unique, high stakes, and exciting new murder mystery novel, Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White team up to bring three authors -- erotica writer Kat de Noir, cozy mystery writer and mother of six Cassie Pringle, and New England blue blood historical fiction author Emma Endicott -- to life at Castle Kinloch in the Scottish Highlands. Owned by literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley, his bizarre death during the women’s writing retreat at the castle makes them prime suspects for DCI Euan McIntosh’s investigation. As the locked-room mystery evolves and secrets are revealed, readers have the chance to solve this unique and fascinating mystery before the police do. With three brilliant and totally different protagonists alternating the narration, readers experience the mystery and narrative evolving from uneven stances and perspectives, so the picture is unclear until it all comes together. The atmosphere and motivations around the mystery and the characters’ actions are fascinating, complex, and realistic, and readers will love the meshing of multiple authors in this novel. The characters are the star of the novel, and their relationships with other characters really bring Castle Kinloch, the locals from the village, and the mystery itself to life in fascinating detail.

This one was just not a good fit for me. I am sure it will work better for others. The pacing was just pretty erratic.

Overall - 2.5/5. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! There were definitely parts of this book that were super unique - the fact that it was co authored by 3 women as well as starring 3 women authors as the main characters. I can only name a handful of books I’ve read with multiple authors. I will give the authors credit - they did do a fantastic job with the 3 main characters and the creation of their very different personalities.

Unfortunately - other than that I just wasn’t really sold. I think one of the hardest things for me to get over was the fact it was based in Scotland with Scottish jargon through a lot of the book. I found myself often just skimming to say that I finished it.

An Author's Guide to Murder is such a fun cozy mystery! I love these ladies, Team W, so much! We picked this for our bookclub pick and it was perfect! It made for a fun discussion, and made us all decide where we'd bury a body! LOL

This was a wild ride and no one is as they seem! Although the writer in residence did get what was coming to him...

This was 1st book by Beatriz Williams but it will not be my last!

#TheAuthorsGuidetoMurder
#NetGalley

LOVE, love, love these authors. Unfortunately, the tone of this book did not resonate with me as much as past collaborations. While I love a cosy mystery and these authors' sense of humor, this book included one too many inside jokes for my preference. I also missed the dual timelines and depth of history found in their prior books. Overall, this is a fast, fun romp set in a delightful Scottish setting. The winter equivalent of a "beach read".

I love these three authors and was very excited to read this book. Three authors writing a book about three authors writing a book.....This is a clever idea and it had me hooked.

The book is a fun read even though the three main characters are not likable. I found them all annoying especially towards the beginning of the book. They were almost a little too cliche so it took me a while to get into the book.

The castle in a Scottish village was the perfect setting for a murder and Brett Saffron Presley is the perfect victim since there are a lot of people who want him dead.

Now Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh is taking the statements of the three authors in an attempt to find the murderer. Kat de Noir, Cassie Pringle, and Emma Endicott will bumble their way through the interviews pretending to be best friends. Why are they really at the castle and who committed the crime?

The ending was unfortunately predictable and the book, while fun, did not live up to my expectations.


Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book, all opinions are my own

What a fun book! I can only imagine how these three authors collaborated but it was so fun to read! Tank you to Netgalley and the authors as well as the publisher!

Emma, Cassie and Kat are mystery authors on a retreat at Kinloch Castle to collaborate on a book dealing with the castle’s history and the murder of one of the lairds. They met at an authors’ event and supposedly became best friends, but from the first moment that you meet them you know that is a lie. The castle’s current resident is Brett Saffron Presley, a well known author who has renovated much of the castle and plans author retreats. He is currently working in a tower on the property and is not to be disturbed. Shortly after their arrival Presley is found dead in a puddle of mead with a stag’s horn embedded in his back. The DCI considers the women to be prime suspects. As he interviews them, each of the women reveals a connection to Presley. He was a womanizer and a user who destroyed each of them in some way. Emma was in a relationship with him in college until he stole her first book and ghosted her. Cassie was the victim of an assault after being drugged and when Kat stood up to him he ruined her reputation. While each had a reason to hate him, they all deny killing him. These are mystery writers and the only way they are going to prove their innocence is to solve the mystery themselves.

Cassie is married with six children. She loves her husband but he was not happy with her leaving for the retreat. Her biggest fear is that her husband will discover that Presley is there. Communication is spotty and she has not heard from him in days, causing anxiety. When the going gets rough, Cassie bakes. She even packed a muffin pan. Emma is struggling to make ends meet. She is developing strong feelings for Archie, the estate’s manager. What she does not know is that he is the current laird and he also has reason to despise Presley. Kat is rather brash. Dressed in black leather and boots with four inch heels, she is not someone to cross, but her outward appearance covers a vulnerability that she hides. While they sometimes snap at each other and have little patience, their mutual need to prove their innocence is bringing them together and an actual friendship begins to develop.

Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White are each wonderful authors. When you put them together you cannot lose. Filled with puns, romance and atrocious Scottish accents it is obvious that they had some fun writing this and it guarantees fun for the reader as well. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this book.

A cute, cozy mystery set in the Scottish countryside. With these three authors, I was expecting something very cutesy and fun, I wasn’t expecting the darker themes of coercion and sexual violence. While I really enjoyed this book, if you find themes of sexual violence and misconduct triggering- I would encourage you to proceed with caution. I really loved the overall plot and how the authors were able to take a fun, silly plot and make it substantive.