When a trio of author’s decide to write a book set in Scotland, they obviously need to visit the countryside for research. The women visit a castle where a renowned writer holds a retreat and all become suspects when he dies under mysterious circumstances. As the investigation proceeds, each of their motives come to light. As the DCI on the case is determined pin the murder on one or more of them, the women take it upon themselves to run their own investigation in order to find the real killer. Filled with intrigue and a bit of romance, ‘The Author’s Guide to Murder’ is a page turner and fun whodunnit.

The Author's Guide to Murder is sold as a locked room mystery, a twist on Agatha Christie and Murder She Wrote, but for me that wasn't quite my impression. As with previous Team W books, we have three main characters, who narrate in alternating chapters. All three main characters are authors, on a research/girl's trip to a castle in Scotland, but all is certainly not as it seems. Cassie Pringle is a mom of 6, happily married, and author of cozy mysteries. Emma Endicott is a New England blue blood from a well-heeled but impoverished family who primarily writes well researched historical fiction. Kat de Noir is an author of erotic romance, and purported expert in all things sex. When the lease holder for the castle, Brett Saffron Presley turns up dead, all three women are the prime suspects, and the book revolves around their attempts to clear their names.
For anyone who has read the previous books from Team W, this is very different stylistically, and I could tell all three authors were having a bit of fun. For me, as I mentioned, this didn't really live up to the expectations of locked room Agatha Christie mystery, but it was still good fun, with a nice mystery that kept me guessing through most of the book. All is certainly not as it seems in the town, and with the authors who are friends, or are they?
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I really wanted to like this one, but just could not get into it... The characters were fairly ridiculous. This may have been intentional - there is a fair bit of snark here, after all - but I found it irritating rather than funny. They talked like tweens in adult bodies so often, and I found it weird. I do not know any adults who refer to their friends as "besties" or "BFFs" - that's language my 11 year old uses, and even then semi-ironically half the time. That was bizarre considering the references to sex and romance, which felt very adult. It all felt cobbled together. I don't know if this is a result of the three authors or what, but it just didn't work for me. Add in a not-very-accurate description of a locked room mystery, which had me waiting for the actual mystery (which never really arrived, at least not in the traditional locked room way), and the result felt like a hodgepodge that I lost interest in fairly quickly. I'm in the minority in my opinions here, but I just never connected to this one.

I was really hoping for the advertised “locked room Agatha Christie murder mystery” but never really got it. This book was a murder mystery set in the Scottish Highlands but definitely not quite as billed. The three women writers who happened into this story and murder, honestly were not super likable to me but the detective and side characters were a bit better. It just felt a little scattered and I had a hard time keeping myself engaged into the story.

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was already a big fan of Ms. Williams work, which is what drew me to this book, along with the setting and the mystery angle. I thought this was a very clever twist on my favorite genre and I love the parallel of the three authors in real life and three authors in the book. The story was fast-paced without being confusing; I thought the use of the three narrators' perspectives was very well done, whereas I am not always the biggest fan of that style. I loved the juxtaposition of the American authors and the rural Scottish setting. I hope they consider writing more novels together!

**Review of *The Author's Guide to Murder* by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White**

*The Author's Guide to Murder* is a delightful and clever romp through the world of literary glamor and intrigue, set against the moody backdrop of Castle Kinloch in the Scottish Highlands. This collaborative effort by bestselling authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White spins a locked-room mystery that is as engaging as it is entertaining.

The plot revolves around the murder of Brett Saffron Presley, a flamboyant literary figure found dead under peculiar circumstances in his own castle. The setting—a gothic castle turned literary showcase—adds a delicious layer of atmosphere to the narrative. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, with his gruff demeanor and skepticism of American authors, provides a refreshing counterpoint to the three intriguing prime suspects: Kat de Noir, a sultry erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern cozy mystery author; and Emma Endicott, a refined historical fiction novelist.

The authors skillfully blend satire and mystery, offering a pointed commentary on the literary world while unraveling a gripping whodunit. The interactions between the three suspects are fraught with tension and humor, revealing the complex dynamics of their seemingly amicable collaboration. As McIntosh delves into their backstories and motives, the layers of deception peel away, leading to a satisfyingly twisty conclusion.

What truly shines in this novel is the interplay between the characters and the deftly crafted mystery. The authors’ shared voice creates a seamless narrative, and their exploration of friendship, rivalry, and romance within the literary community adds depth to the story.

In summary, *The Author's Guide to Murder* is a witty and engaging mystery that will captivate readers with its sharp satire and well-drawn characters. It's a must-read for fans of literary fiction and cozy mysteries alike, offering both a charming setting and a compelling puzzle to solve.

The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White is such an amazing and hilarious story that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED!

When three American authors travel to a Scottish Island to write a book together, it's all tropes and puns until the owner of the castle they are staying dies. The detective investigating doesn't really see how the three stories are adding up.

This is such a fun book, from the crazy antics to the descriptions of the Scottish landscape.

What I would describe a cozy mystery with TONS of satire and tropes, this is a fantastic story I absolutely LOVED!

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗
Genre: Mystery
Violence: 🪓
Spice: 🔥
TW: Discussion of sexual assault (off pg), Abandonment

Synopsis: 3 American writers/besties retreat to a Scottish island to co-write a book. When the owner & fellow writer dies, the detective finds their stories don’t add up.

Thoughts: The writers bill this as a satire with lots of tropes & puns. So prepare for silliness & suspension of disbelief. But also expect descriptions of the island & its castle that evoke the wintry setting in the imagination. I found continuity issues with both content—snow is a plot point until it conflicts with narrative—and writing, which lacks seamlessness. The 2nd half is stronger in this regard but creates a disconnect. For example, DCI MacIntosh bumbles through the interview transcripts but shows finesse in his later interrogations. The MCs, as well as some supporting characters, read as caricatures in the 1st half, leaning hard into stereotypes. Perhaps this is intentional, & the character arcs for the 3 leads do make them more realistic by the end. I did enjoy their professional & personal resolutions and found it believable a lasting bond evolves from shared trauma. I also liked the mystery’s unexpected solution. In reviewing the narrative, I’m not convinced this ending plays fair with the reader. But the twist surprised me, something I always appreciate in a mystery. Though a little long, this is a good read for someone looking for a light, cozy mystery that gives the brain a break.

Prepare to suspend your disbelief, and settle in for a rollicking good time. The Author’s Guide to Murder is the most fun book I’ve read recently. It’s part romance, and part mystery with a hefty dose of satire and tropes. Each of the main characters is so overdone that they’re nearly a caricature, and it’s hilarious. I loved the tropes, and the over the top plot lines. This book is clearly poking fun at itself, and if you’re a fan of either genre you’ll likely enjoy it.

I'm really struggling through this book to be frank. It very difficult to follow and therefore very difficult to get immersed in. I find myself getting confused which character I am reading from, what any of their motives are, and why there and now? I understand it is a mystery but really? This is like walking around with a blindfold on. Not my cup of tea.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. So many things seemed promising about this book and I really only half liked it.

I really wanted to love this.  It should have been super fun! A book written by three authors ABOUT three authors writing a book together?!  How fun!!  (At first, I wasted my time trying to guess which fictional author is aligned with the real-life author.  But after reading the first chapter, I decided each fictional author is truly very fictional.  But to really give Beatriz Williams a dig, there's a sheep named Beatrice.  Because of course.)  On a scene remote island in Scotland?  with a castle?! and some romance??  and there's a murder???!!   Perfect, right?

The three aforementioned authors go on a writers retreat to Scotland, and shortly after their arrival, the famous author-in-residence is found dead, probably murdered, and an investigation ensues.  This is told from three POVs. Each chapter in part 1 starts with part of the police interview transcript with one of the authors, and then segues into what happened a few days before the murder from that author's POV. The police transcripts were hilarious and I found myself wanting more of that and less of the rest.

Once the murder finally happens, the book does away with that format and there are no more transcripts, which was a shame. It's at this point that the book becomes a hard slog. Carry on, skim if you must, it gets better towards the end. I promise.

The parts that were from each woman's POV were a bit annoying because they kept mysteriously referring to things that happened "if he ever found out ... but I'm not thinking about that now ... because of what happened that night ..." etc etc.  I hate vaguey vague teasing like that.  If I'm inside the character's head, I should know everything that character knows.  Each woman had a reason to hate the murder victim, as is gradually revealed, and I think this book, and the mystery, would have been so much stronger if that had been clear from the start.

This book was too long.  In general, I prefer a short book, please just get to the point, keep the plot rolling forward, and give me a snappy ending.  I don't MIND a long book if the plot is interesting or if I enjoy spending time with the characters, but neither was true in this case.  The plot is simple:  a guy is killed, who killed him?  The three authors wander around the village of Kinloch being clueless.  There are a lot of annoying time jumps, where we follow the characters around as they do nothing, and then leap to the next morning, where gradually we learn what they did the night before. I don't know whose idea it was to structure it that way, but it was a bad idea.  And the characters were not appealing, I did not enjoy spending time with them because each one was a self-centered, insecure, prickly nitwit.   I believe the nitwit bit was for humor purposes, but it was never funny, just annoying.  The book sagged under its own weight in the middle.

The final 25% of the book is a madcap ride, full speed ahead, as one thing after another is revealed.  It's cute!  It's fun! It's exciting!  It's a great murder mystery (finally)!  I'm really glad I finished the book, because the ending was fantastic and left me feeling very happy. If only the entire book had been like this, I'd be giving it five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early uncorrected e-proof.  


<b>words I looked up:</b>
Weejuns - I know penny loafers, and I know Bass, but I've never heard the term "Weejuns" before!

Unfortunately, this one fell a bit short for me. I understand that it was a biiiiiig satire, and maybe I just wasn't in the mood for that, but I had a really tough time getting into this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a novel about three writers coming together to write a novel by three writers coming together to write a novel. Only the three real authors have done this before. And they are very good at it!

In their latest work, three authors meet at a writers group in Scotland. They are posing as "besties", but in reality, they are not the best of friends. In fact, it's fair to say that they aren't really fond of each of other. But they are together for a common goal. The male author who is hosting their event has a track record with each of the three female authors. And we aren't talking about Olympic gold. They all three have reasons to kill the host. And that's exactly what happens!

Not only is this a ripping good read, but it's a lot of fun. The authors use humor and witty dialog to tell the story. Each of the three characters' distinctive personality is well developed. In short, this book is a hoot. Enjoy!

3.75 stars

This was just a rollicking, doesn't take itself too seriously mystery featuring three well-drawn main characters. The conceit of the three successful real life authors and how the book came about is a fun side story.

Cassie, Kat and Emma meet at a book conference. Turns out they have all been victimized by the same predatory male writer who now lives on a Scottish island and ostensibly runs writing retreats. The three plot some revenge and sign up for one of his events.

The three female main characters each have an interesting back story and very different personalities: Cassie is the happily married mother of 6 who writes cozies with cats, Kat is the seductress dwelling in supernatural noir, and Emma is the ultimate queen of researchers.

But when they arrive and are ready to put their plan into play, they are too late. Their nemesis is already dead. All kinds of facts come out during the investigation and many suspects: the true owner of the castle who hated what the author was planning, the locals who resented him digging up old negative stories, and the inhabitants of the castle who all had reason to despise him.

The finale is unabashedly over the top, dramatic, unbelievable and fun. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was really excited about this mainly because I'm a huge Beatriz Williams fan and this sounded really fun. However, I couldn't get through it and ended up DNF'ing. I don't think I like when 3 authors write a book together. It doesn't flow well with 3 distinct voices. I didn't like the interviews with the cops at the beginning of the chapters and I was honestly just bored with it and couldn't stand the author characters lol. It seems popular with other reviewers, so maybe I'm just picky with how it was executed. But I couldn't get into it unfortunately . :/

I absolutely loved this book. The concept and delivery are perfect. It's a book written by three authors about three authors trying to write a book in the middle of a mystery. Perfect!!! Please don't compare it to Agatha Christie; it's not the same style. Each Author brings their own flair to this story.

Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I was wholly invested in Kat, Cassie, and Emma. Their Publisher sends them to a Scottish Castle to write a book together about a mystery from the past. At Least, that's what they say. Of course, it has nothing to do with a man they all have a history with. Now, someone is dead on this small island, and guess who the main suspects are. These three must figure out how to clear their names and maybe find a little time for romance.

Buy This Book NOW!!!

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley for my Honest Review.

The Author's Guide to Murder follows three women mystery authors who travel to a writer’s retreat in a Scottish castle owned by a famous author. Their goal is to coauthor a book about the castle’s history and a famous murder that occurred there. However, things take a turn when a new murder happens during their stay. The three women decide to solve the mystery, getting to know the town's colorful characters along the way. This cozy mystery has a fun, engaging story with a bit of an edge.

I appreciated how the story kept me guessing about the true identity of the murderer. There were some amusing moments, and I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the locations, which made it easy to visualize the setting. The historical references and ties to characters from the authors' other books were also a nice touch.

That said, I initially struggled with the characters. Their personalities felt a bit exaggerated and could have been toned down. While the storyline was believable, it did veer into campiness at times.

If you enjoy historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, books about books, and anything Scottish, this book is for you. Think Murder, Scones, and Kilts. The Author's Guide to Murder provides a delightful mystery that's perfect for enjoying on a cozy winter's day when you're all snuggled in.

I was given a copy of The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams; Lauren Willig; Karen White as an ARC from NetGalley. The Author's Guide to Murder follows three authors on a writing retreat, where inevitably a murder happens. The book rotates between the three authors’ perspectives, but unfortunately at the beginning our authors have rather low opinions of one another, making it difficult to be endeared to our protagonists. Eventually a bond is formed among our three heroines and as a reader I started to cheer that they would not end up guilty. If you enjoy zany hijinks in your murder mysteries this book is for you.