This was a quick entertaining read that read like the staging for a show (which makes sense seeing as it’s called The Murder Show). I enjoyed the characters and the underlying mystery. The end felt a little rushed and I guessed the big reveal fairly early, but overall this was a solid thriller.

2.5

Ethan finds himself uninspired and needs an idea for the next season of his hit show, The Murder Show. In the midst of a writer's strike, he returns to him hometown for a change in scenery. His childhood friend and neighbor, Ro, is now a local police officer. She wants Ethan to write about their friend who died tragically in a hit and run just after graduation. She has an ulterior motive though- she thinks it was intentional and she's found similar cases. As she pulls Ethan in, they are suddenly being followed and shot at. They must be on to something.

This was okay. The whole show aspect was kind of obnoxious and I hate the title- of the show and the book. (Specifically naming the book after the show that is only part of the story in an abstract way.)

You could see the answer to the mystery a million miles away.

Also, the relationship between Ro and Ethan was just weird. They are flirty, had feelings in high school, and the next day he is bed with her co-worker? Then the day after that is contemplating taking it further with Ro? No.

Dan Bittner's narration of the audiobook was the best part.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest mystery by Matt Goldman, narrated by Dan Bittner. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Ethan is a show runner for The Murder Show, but when a writer's strike shuts down work, he returns to his family home in Minnesota to try and come up with an idea for his next season. His high school friend and backyard neighbor, Ro, is now a police officer. The two decide to try and investigate what happened to another high school friend, Ricky, who died in a hit-and-run accident. But they may be in for more than they bargained for.

This book felt realistic, mainly due to the fact that Matt Goldman is a screenwriter himself. Ethan and Ro thought the investigation would be a good subject for the next season of Ethan's show, plus it would bring them closure on what really happened to their friend. I liked the characters and their relationships, and enjoyed following along on the investigation. The narrator was great with all the voices, and added to the enjoyment of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

This is my first novel by Matt Goldman. It was an enjoyable read. The main character goes back to his childhood home to celebrate the high holidays and helps solve a cold case that he was involved in while in high school. I enjoyed the main character dynamics, along with the interactions with the other characters within the book. I would almost consider this a “cozy mystery” but it is a smarter than that. It contained a bit of light humor and the plot was engaging throughout the novel so that it moved along very well. Also it is not very long so someone can get through it fairly quickly.
It has multiple POVs that switch very quickly. I found this a bit confusing as I received an ARC of the audiobook and there was only one narrator whose voice did not change AT ALL between characters, so the various POVs may be better defined in the print version. When there are multiple POVs, I prefer several different narrators but based on the quick changes, this may have likely been difficult.

Overall, It was a good novel with a satisfying ending. There were a few twists but they were slightly predictable (hence my opinion that this would be a “cozy mystery”).

Thanks so much for the audiobook ARC of this book!
Great book!
Very twisty and the narrator was excellent!
Will be recommending to all!

When Ethan, a crime writer for a TV series called The Murder Show, goes on hiatus during a writers' strike, he decides to go back home. After all, that’s where he does his best writing. The story slowly unravels, as Ethan reconnects with an old friend, Ro. We learn of Ethan’s past and the mysterious disappearance of his friend Ricky, who vanished after leaving Ethan and Ro to find help. Later, it’s revealed that Ricky’s disappearance wasn’t as mysterious, it was actually a hit and run. But so many questions have popped up as Ro, a police officer, believes that there’s more to Ricky’s death. This was a fun mystery with a bit of a cat-and-mouse chase that turned deadly. It kept me guessing, and the sense of not knowing who to trust added to the suspense. Dan Bittner did a great job narrating Ethan, but I did find it tricky to follow the timeline jumps between past and present. I had to pay close attention when the switches happened, but overall, it was a solid listen. I look forward to reading more by this author.

The Murder Show by @m_a_goldman is a character driven mystery with splashes of romance, police procedural, and nostalgia. The story focuses on a TV writer who visits his childhood home during the writer’s strike and ends up investigating the murder of a high school classmate. It has some great twists and the audiobook is well narrated. I listened to the whole audiobook in 2 days and really enjoyed this one.

Ethan —a TV writer currently on an industry-imposed break thanks to a writer’s strike—heads back to his hometown, expecting nothing more than quality family time celebrating the high holidays, and forced small talk with old friends. But when the unsolved death of an old friend resurfaces, he can’t resist poking around.

What starts as casual curiosity quickly turns into an amateur investigation, and before he knows it, he’s caught up in a mystery that feels straight out of one of his own scripts. Except this time, he’s not just writing the story—he’s living it.

This murder comedy is reminiscent to “Only Murders In the Building” - with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc read.

#netgalley #arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a fast-paced read with a couple of solid twists that kept me engaged. The blend of crime, mystery, and a touch of romance made for an entertaining story, though I think I would have enjoyed the romance arc more if it had ended differently. Ethan and Ro’s investigation into their friend Ricky’s hit-and-run death had some gripping moments, and I liked how the plot balanced their personal stakes with the broader mystery. While some parts felt a bit predictable, the tension and suspense kept me invested until the end.

Thank you, NetGalley & Macmillan Audio, for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I had been eager to read this book for a while so I was very pleased to receive an advance copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. It did not disappoint. Matt writes a good and clever mystery and it’s pretty funny in places as well. As a Minnesotan for part of my life (full disclosure went to HS w Matt) I loved the specific Minneapolis and surrounding area references. Also, knowing that Matt has been a TV writer it was also interesting and fun to glean some of those insights he sprinkles throughout. Don’t want to give away too much here…it’s a fun read, perfect distraction for our turbulent times…

I'm a fan of Goldman's Nils Shapiro series, specifically the audiobooks narrated by Macleod Andrews. I've been disappointed that the later books in the series as well as Murder Show are different narrators because they just don't touch the skill of Andrews. I liked Dan Bittner just fine except he did a terrible voice for Nils--though very cool that he features in this book!

The Murder Show follows Ethan, a TV writer of his show titled The Murder Show. He visits home and reconnects with an old sort of girlfriend who digs up old memories and drama that lead to a wild hunt for a murderer. It's small town drama, some romance, and a neat cast of characters. I really dig Goldman's style: conversational, steady pacing, great drama to dialogue to introspection ratios. And best of all, I didn't guess any of the twists!

There are some on the page and implied intimacy. Great action thriller. I do recommend reading Nils Shapiro first to get the most out of this book, but it's not a part of the series and can be read alone.

4.5 stars
This is my eighth Matt Goldman novel and is, so far, my favorite! It grabbed my interest from the beginning and never let me go. I was invested in the characters. (So invested that I’m hoping there’s a sequel? Please?) The Murder Show is one of those novels with a larger cast of characters, but they’re developed well enough that it was easy to keep them straight. And it was fun seeing Nils Shapiro, from Goldman’s earlier series, pop into a few scenes. I found the pacing just right, fast enough to be a page-turner, but not so fast that I couldn’t keep things straight. I had a hard time putting this down and finished it in a day. I loved the mystery, the multidimensional relationships, and Goldman’s signature humor. And the audiobook narrator did a great job. My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining read that could have been great. I liked the premise, but the execution was a little lacking. Maybe too many characters that didn't allow for enough character development? This kept my attention but also wasn't a stand out that I feel I'll remember much of. I thought the narrator did a good job,

The voice acting in The Murder Show was strong and really brought the characters to life. The story had some interesting elements, but there were a lot of twists that felt like they came out of nowhere and weren’t fully earned. Some parts had potential but lacked build-up. Also, the female characters were written in a way that made them all come across as overly flirty, which felt one-note and unnecessary. A little more variety in how the women were portrayed would have gone a long way. Overall, some good moments, but uneven storytelling.

**Review: A Disappointing Read with Weak Execution**

I had high hopes for *The Murder Show* by Matt Goldman, but unfortunately, it fell flat in several key areas. While the premise had potential, the execution left much to be desired.

One of the biggest drawbacks was the narration. Rather than drawing the reader into the story, the writing felt distant and unengaging. Instead of immersing us in the world, Goldman relies heavily on telling rather than showing, making it difficult to connect with the characters or feel invested in the mystery.

As for the audiobook narration, it was severely lacking. If Matt Goldman is going to do a crossover, the publisher needs to ensure that the new narrator is pronouncing names correctly,

The plotting was another major issue. The story meanders, lacking the tension and urgency a good thriller needs. At times, it feels like scenes drag on without adding much to the overall narrative, making the book feel much longer than necessary. By the time the resolution comes, it doesn’t feel particularly satisfying or earned.

Overall, *The Murder Show* struggles with pacing, character development, and an over-reliance on exposition. While there were moments of intrigue, they were too few and far between to make up for the book’s shortcomings. A disappointing read that could have been much stronger with tighter plotting and more engaging storytelling.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of The Murder Show by Matt Goldman in exchange for an honest review. I really liked that this wasn't just a murder mystery, it was a cold case mixed with a screenwriter trying to find an idea. There was conspiracy, false leads, red herrings and more! I got hooked fast and couldn't stop. I recommend this book.

A Thrilling Homecoming with Secrets That Won’t Stay Buried!

Ethan Harris had a hit TV crime drama, *The Murder Show*, but when his pitch for Season 4 gets vetoed right before a writer's strike, he heads back home to Minnesota in search of inspiration. Enter Ro Greeman, his former classmate-turned-cop, who has fresh intel on the tragic hit-and-run that killed their friend Ricky the summer after high school. She wants Ethan to help her investigate—better yet, she thinks writing the case into a story for *The Murder Show* could finally bring Ricky’s killer to justice.

Ethan isn’t convinced Ricky’s death was anything more than a horrible accident, but with his career in freefall, he's willing to give it a shot. What starts as a creative gamble quickly turns into a dangerous game—because someone is determined to keep the past buried, even if it means adding another body to the count.

~My Thoughts~

I was really excited to dive into this one! I love a good “returning home to unravel a mystery” setup, and this book delivers on that front. The pacing is solid—there aren’t any slow patches, and something is always happening to push the story forward. It doesn’t reinvent the thriller genre, but it’s a gripping ride for anyone who loves suspense.

While I enjoyed it, there were moments that left me wanting *more*—either from certain characters or the way some storylines wrapped up. I did see a few twists coming, but that didn’t take away from the overall fun. Ethan and Ro are a great duo, and their dynamic really shines. And Ricky? Even with his limited presence, he felt so real—like someone I knew in high school—which made his fate hit even harder.

If anything, the least compelling part for me was Ethan’s Hollywood background. But everything else? A solid, engaging thriller that keeps you hooked!

I asked for the opportunity to review The Murder Show, a book about a television showrunner (Ethan Harris) who goes back home and is presented with an idea for the upcoming season of his hit crime drama, based on the one sentence description that described Matt Goldman as an Emmy Award winning author. Although I wasn’t familiar with his previous novels, I learned that his credits included Seinfeld, Ellen, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. His Emmy actually came from his work on the Wizards of Waverly Place. My kids would be impressed! His qualifications to write this book set my expectations high.

Although I really enjoyed this book, the one thing that struck me as odd was at the beginning of the story when Ethan readily accepts a case suggestion presented by his childhood friend, Ro Greeman, who is now a police officer. Ethan had previously pitched ideas to his network executives for The Murder Show’s next season and none of them had been accepted. The idea presented by Ro, that they look into the death of their high school friend Ricky, certainly made sense for Ethan as he had unresolved feelings for Ro that dated all the way back to childhood. It did not strike me, however, as something that he could sell to the network executives. Of course, I do understand that Matt Goldman would know better than me what would likely sell!

Once the investigation starts, things develop quickly, and the case becomes one which I believe would absolutely be of interest to the executives. I enjoyed Goldman’s twists and was curious throughout as to how things would settle. There wasn’t a dull moment in the story, and I was satisfied in the end with the resolution. Based on this book, I will watch for other Matt Goldman books down the road.

This audiobook is narrated by Dan Bittner. Because my previous exposure to his work was with multi-cast books, he felt like a new narrator to me. I thought he did a fine job of creating distinct voices for the main characters and I would definitely listen to him read other novels.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to listen to The Murder Show. The above opinions are my own.

Phenomenal book! There was a lot of care put into this story and it is easy to see. I loved the details that Goldman included to bring the story to life, like being able to hear the blood dripping from the tree. This story came together as a cold case and spiraled into a massive multi-state manhunt but never felt goofy or unrealistic. The narrator brought the story to life well; kudos to them. I was drawn in by the title, but the story proved to be so much more than just one show runner trying to make another season of true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Matt Goldman, and Macmillan audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

There’s no place like home.
A crime writer for the series called The Murder Show, Ethan Harris returns home to Minnesota from the Big Apple. Now, with the next season on hiatus, Ethan is looking for new ideas to pitch.

Well Ethan, you came to the right place!

While home, he reconnects with his long-time friend Ro, now a police officer. And Ro has a proposal for him. She wants to dive into the mystery surrounding the hit and run death of their childhood friend. A cold case which, if they can solve, may turn into a great storyline for his show!

This was an entertaining, (yet somewhat overdone) premise of returning home to solve a mystery that the police have never been able to close. But Matt Goldman included plenty of interesting characters and a storyline that held me.
Overall an enjoyable book/audio. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

🎧: audio narration provided by Dan Bittner who did a great job with the characters though a tad overly dramatic at times. (Perhaps that’s just me?)💁🏻‍♀️


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio