This was a great murder mystery that has me guessing throughout who was the killer/killers. I felt engaged the whole time I was reading and it was a fairly fast paced book. I enjoyed the main character and her determination to redeem herself and try to find out who the killer was. She was dealing with something similar with her brother who has gone missing and had not been found. I didn’t predict how it would end and I enjoyed the book overall.

Thank you for letting me review this book.
Great characters
Fast paced
Good plot
Quick enjoyable read.
Honestly give it a chance.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It was a very great storyline and easy to follow. Very hard to put down once I started. Can’t wait to read more from this Author!

Honest Netgalley ARC Review: This was a really fun mystery story that I got sucked into. The plot and the characters made me invested and I was eager to find answers just like the main character. Marty lives in a small town and is known as the weird girl. After her brother goes missing in the woods when they are kids she is seen as an outcast. Everyone has been able to move on with their life but Marty can’t. When she is adult she starts a Podcast about two tourists who visit the local ghost town and the tragedy that follows. Although she has the best intentions the Podcast is a major failure and adds to the ostracization of Marty. When a women she knew in school is arrested for the murder of three men she is intrigued and befuddled by the story. Marty is not convinced that the police are doing their job and starts looking into things herself. With grief for her brother still heavy in her heart and hate mail from her failed Podcast still flowing, Marty starts an investigation to find out the truth once and for all. The mystery aspect of this book was really enjoyable. Slowly finding clues and learning the connections between all the incidents and people was really exciting. The more I learned about all the characters the more invested I became. I really enjoyed Marty and found her to be so human. She was passionate about wanting to help others find peace and closure even if it didn’t go the way she wanted. I think Marty is a very relatable character and anyone who has experienced loss in their life can understand her actions. There was a bit of suspense and thrilling action towards the end that had me flipping the pages very quickly. This was a great mystery book and a very enjoyable and quick read. Check this out if you enjoy mystery books with intrigue, finding justice, Podcast elements, small town setting, investigations, grief, and learning to live without all the answers.

Thank you for letting me read this book in advance. It was so entrancing. Had me captivated from the start and couldn't put it down. Stayed up until 3 am trying to finish it in one night.

Small town? Quadruple homicide? Final showdown? YES PLS!

I genuinely enjoy this novel. Welcome to Murdertown is a fun, engaging, and twisty new mystery, and I absolutely loved the way it was written. It was so conversational and I felt like I was on the same level as the main character in terms of lightbulb moments, which I find very rarely in mystery books. I thought the writing was excellent, the dialogue was meaningful and realistic, the characters were fleshed out and relatable, and the plot was well thought out and very intriguing. And the open ending was so perfect, I loved it!

I felt myself trying to solve the mystery and unable to rest until I got to the bottom of it. It was definitely a crazy ride, and I would highly recommend this to all mystery lovers and Lisa Jewell fans out there (It seriously gave off None of This is True vibes!)

My only qualm was that I never felt I knew the main character very well. We got a clear sense of how out of place she has felt since the disappearance of her brother when she was little, but who was she before? She was young so I understand the inability to dive too deep into her background, but a little more insight into the kind of kid she was and how much she changed would’ve been interesting!

I love a podcast aspect in books and the failed podcast makes this one even better bc no one believes poor Marty. Who does a great job solving the mystery. I found this easy to read, it was quick, and the story made sense at the end.

Well, it has a potential in writing and plotting but I think, an editor is needed to trim unnecessary plot/scenes. The chapters also felt disjointed I got confused before finally understand. But seriously, it's way too long.

I love a good suspense story and this book was no diffeeent. I really enjoy the psychological mind games and the characters throughout this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rian Wynne for this ARC!

I actually enjoyed this so so much!

I loved following our main character go through hell and back to solve this small town mystery. I ended up feeling really connected to Marty and her story.

I was constantly wanting to keep reading to find out what would eventually happen, this book really kept me hooked from the very first chapter.

Although I did guess correctly on some of the things in this mystery I still enjoyed it a lot.

Without giving too much away… I kinda hope we can see another story following Marty and seeing where she gets with the one unsolved mystery, I think that would be really fun to see where how this would wrap up, and also because I’m dying to know what really happened!

I’m super excited to see what this author brings out next! I loved the writing style and the pace so can’t wait for more 🫶

Welcome to Murdertown is a unique murder mystery. We are introduced to Marty aka “Weird Marty Gray” who lives in a small(ish) Oregon town. The same town her little brother went missing in 20 years ago. She becomes obsessed with the deaths of two young women on a mountain in the area. Marty starts a true crime podcast on the mysterious deaths and…. things don’t go to plan. In a pursuit to rectify her wrongs, Marty starts investigating yet another local murder. Will she finally get the answers she seeks?

I enjoyed Welcome to Murdertown and found it to be unique in that it wraps us up in SEVERAL mysteries. It was fun to play around with my own theories and find invisible strings connecting the crimes. The plot was not predictable and I found the pacing to be good. I would have liked to see Wynne fully commit to making Marty “weird”. Her character felt incomplete and pretty vanilla. She had quirky moments but was really rather boring and one dimensional.

Overall, Welcome to Murdertown was a fun mystery and a quick read. I will read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rian Wynne for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When they were kids, Marty Gray’s brother vanished, it’s been over 20 years and nobody knows what happened to him. Marty holds on hope he’ll somehow come back one day - leaving the porch’s light on all the time, while visiting an empty grave and telling him about her life. She’s a complex woman that has a really hard time letting go. To say the least. Loved her so much from the get go.

After the disappearance of two hikers near her very isolated town, she starts a podcast claiming that she knows who’s responsable and that doesn’t go too well. She’s been pretty isolated and hated even since the last episode aired. She has one friend and that’s it. Another former weird kid who decided to investigate her brother’s disappearance back when he went missing. Now I would like a second book to explore that relationship cause we didn’t get enough of it.

Three men are murdered and a woman is arrested, she doesn’t think much of it (except that she has bad history with two of the men) until the sister of the third guy asks her for help. She wants to know what really happened to her brother, she doesn’t believe in what the police are saying.

Marty is just so lovable, she’s the typical amateur detective who keeps getting in trouble because she’s looking in all the wrong places. What I loved about this book is that just like in real life we don’t get all the answers by the end, there’s not here’s everything that happened with one nice little bow. Just like in real life the good guys and the bad guys are not nicely placed in one camp or the other.

I’m a sucker for any thriller that centres around a podcast! Like, immediately yes.

Unfortunately I struggled with the pacing of this one and felt a bit bored at times. The ending was satisfying enough while still leaving a few things up to the reader.

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

There was just something about the blurb of Welcome To Murdertown that I was unable to resist... Then again, I do always love a good podcast angle in my thrillers, and I was also intrigued by the promise of not one, but two mysteries to solve. The small town and Ghost Mountain setting was an added bonus... Unfortunately, while I can't deny that there were parts of the plots that I really enjoyed, as a whole I somehow did end up having mixed thoughts.

Like I said, I can't deny that this story has an intriguing promise and there are actually not two, but three mysteries in play if you count the disappearance of the main character Marty's missing brother Max when she was little. The main focus of this story seems to be on the two missing backpackers though, since this what Marty's failed podcast was about... Although there is focus on the most recent event as well with Marty trying to figure out what really happened.

I think that one of the things I ended up struggling with a bit was the pace, which was a lot slower than expected especially in the first half. I somehow struggled quite a bit to stay focused on the story for quite some time, as it just didn't move fast enough for me and some parts were repetitive. Sure, the final part was without doubt a lot more intense, but it took a long time for the ball to truly start rolling. I wasn't sure what to make of the ending either; it felt a bit too convenient and there was too much telling instead of showing (which made it feel too much like your regular infodump). I was also quite disappointed by the fact that Max's disappearance remained unsolved.

As for the characters... I also ended up having mixed thoughts about Marty to be honest. Sure, she made for a quirky and flawed character and I liked the fact that she remained stubborn and asked the difficult questions. But she could also be really frustrating at times... I did really like Peabody as a character though. I could also really appreciate the incorporation of the podcast episodes into the plot, and they complemented the plot very well. The final podcast episode was also the part of the ending I did appreciate.

In short, there were things I enjoyed about Welcome To Murdertown, while there were other elements that didn't quite work as well for me. It was slower than expected for the most part and it didn't answer all the questions, but the podcast element was a great touch and the small town Oregon setting made for an excellent backdrop.

**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A Gripping Thriller That Keeps You Hooked!**

*Welcome to the Murdertown* by Rian Wynne is an absolute page-turner, a fast-paced thriller that never slows down for even a second. From the haunting mystery of Ghost Mountain to the shocking triple murder in a mall parking lot, the story is packed with twists, secrets, and an investigation that pulls you in right alongside the determined protagonist, Marty Gray.

Marty is a compelling lead, grappling with the unresolved disappearance of her brother while throwing herself into another tangled mystery that no one else seems to care about. She feels incredibly real—flawed, persistent, and easy to root for. The story unfolds from multiple perspectives, yet everything ties together seamlessly in the final chapter, delivering a satisfying and well-thought-out resolution. The addition of podcast transcripts woven into the narrative is pure genius, making the story feel even more immersive.

Despite having a large cast of characters, the author does a fantastic job introducing them in a way that never feels overwhelming. The mystery itself is gripping and realistic, avoiding over-the-top gore in favor of a plot that feels disturbingly plausible. And let’s talk about the twists—brilliantly executed, never forced, and always logical.

The ending ties up the immediate mystery beautifully, but it leaves just enough open to make you crave a sequel—especially regarding Marty’s brother. And Peabody? Absolutely love him! We *need* more of him in the next book.

Overall, *Welcome to the Murdertown* is a must-read for mystery lovers who enjoy clever storytelling, realistic characters, and a suspenseful plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

Complex and creative. Plenty of red herrings — or are they?? — with enough bread crumbs to follow that it doesn’t all feel impossible. Enjoyed and will be looking for more from this author.

The premise was very interesting and this book kept me entertained. Thank you for the early reading! I loved the main character searching for answers on ghost mountain. I was surprised by the way things happened in this book but it was a good surprise. I would definitely recommend to others. Thanks.

This book is one of the best murder mysteries I've read in a while (and I'm currently in my detective phase, so Ive been reading a lot!). Set in the nearly isolated town of Plymouth, Weird Marty Gray is known as the Missing Boy's sister. Unable to move on after her brother vanished when he was a kid, Marty's parents have all but abandoned her. With no friends except the resigned Peabody, Marty is pretty much the town outcast. Certain events from the past make Marty even more of a recluse. The mysteries begin when two Norwegian backpackers disappear in the nearby Ghost Town and its haunted woods. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the women is discovered dead in the woods with a mysterious blue stain on her hand. After a half-hearted investigation and search by the town police and residents, the disappearance is brushed under the rug (like everything else in this town).

Nearly a year later, another string of murders, dubbed the "Parking Lot murders," involving the sons of Plymouth's two rich families shakes the town. They are discovered in a pool of their own blood, strangled to death. Another unknown man's body is found next to them, unconnected to these boys unitl now. A local dogwalking girl, who is as strange as Marty, if not more so, is found kneeling in their blood with no recollection of the events. The town is quick to accept another botched investigation, preferring to blame the weird lonely girl rather than their darling golden boys.

After Marty's podcast investigating the disappearance of the backpackers goes horribly wrong, turning the town's existing dislike of her to hatred, Marty has sworn off asking questions. She keeps her head down, avoids certain streets, visits her brother's false grave once a year, and diligently keeps the porch light on, hoping it'll act as a beacon for her brother to come home. However, some clues and a pleading request by the dead man's sister set off her inquisitive mind, and unable to sit quietly while a possibly innocent woman is sent to jail, Marty restarts her detective work. Amidst threats, glares, broken windows and vandalism from the townspeople, Marty is determined to find out what happened to the two lively girls and how it's connected to the three Parking Lot murders. And how does it tie in with her past and her brother's disappearance?

*spoilers ahead*

What I loved about this book:

The writing is simply amazing. It does not feel like a debut novel, but rather that of a seasoned writer. The author takes you on a journey hiking through the Oregon woods. I, a person who's never been to the US, much less Oregon, was transported to the other side of the world. I could feel the wind blowing through the dense trees, the sunlight falling in sheets on the forest floor, the stale smell of the bars, and the tense environment of the woods holding its resident secrets close. The author does a great job of making you feel like you're right there next to Marty. You feel her apprehension, her skepticism, her grief, her fear, and her unwavering determination to not take no for an answer. I kept rooting for Marty the whole way, even though she was a bit dense at times. I liked that I literally could not guess who the killer was until the end. With the inclusion of excerpts from Marty's podcast and newspaper articles, the book felt very similar to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, but more dark and dangerous. So if you liked that book, you'll love this one for sure!

I do wish that the one final mystery was solved. I really hope that's covered in the next book.

But overall, it's a great quick thriller with all the elements in a perfect combination. I'd love to explore more of the author's work.

This book was very boring to me from the start to the end. My cousin recommended this book to me she absolutely loved it gave it a 5 star review but for me it was just not it, it was very dragged out and slow and not very exciting I won’t be recommending this book to my friends.