From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Do you read genres by season? I do! When the temperature drops and the leaves begin to fall, I can be found inside tucked up in a throw blanket with a cup of tea and a murder mystery in hand.
My first up for the season is The Author’s Guide to Murder which released today from three favorite bestselling authors: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, & Karen White. AKA Team W, the ladies have written several collaborative novels together over the past ten years. I have read them all and recommend them highly.
Here is information on The Author’s Guide to Murder, and my thoughts.
Best, LA
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.
There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for literary Americans, finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists.
The prime suspects are Kat de Noir, a slinky erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern mom of six juggling multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood and author of critically acclaimed historical fiction. The women claim to be best friends writing a book together, but the authors’ stories about how they know Brett Saffron Presley don’t quite line up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious.
Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? And what really happened the night of the great Kinloch ceilidh, when Brett Saffron Presley skipped the folk dancing for a rendezvous with death?
A crafty locked-room mystery, a pointed satire about the literary world, and a tale of unexpected friendship and romance—this novel has it all, as only three bestselling authors can tell it!
ADVANCE PRAISE
- “A pure delight from start to finish! Williams, White and Willig are in top form in this clever, engrossing whodunnit with a heart.”— Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of The New Couple in 5B
- “Three pros unite again for this fun, dramatic mystery with an exotic setting and delightful characters”. — Library Journal (starred review)
- “Though the plot is rather run-of-the-mill, its pieces fall into place gracefully, with surprise romances and knowingly silly deus ex machinae propelling the action. The characters are both sympathetic and hilarious, and there’s an unapologetic glee in how much everyone hates the boorish victim. While the story’s meta-aspects are perhaps a touch self-indulgent, genre fans will eat it up. This is good fun.”— Publishers Weekly
MY THOUGHTS
As a long-time Team W (Lauren Willig, Karen White, & Beatriz Williams) fan, their new books go straight to the top of my reading list. The Author’s Guide to Murder was no exception. Besides the stellar line-up of bestselling authors, it had an intriguing murder mystery premise, an enchanting setting at a Gothic Scottish castle, and the promise of cheeky humor and cutting satire.
This time Team W decided to diverge from their usual dual timeline plot structure and stay in one era, alternating between the viewpoints of the three female authors who are at a writing retreat at Castle Kinloch, the historic home of literary luminary Brett Saffron Presley. Shortly after their arrival, their host is murdered in his library, inciting the start of the whodunnit investigation. The real treat of reading this mystery is the multi-layered backstory of the three authors which slowly reveals their motivation to be there. The plot is so well executed it becomes a page turner that few will be able to put down.
The Author’s Guide to Murder is a very clever homage to multiple genres – mystery, satire, humor, history, and romance. You will see gentle nods to Agatha Christie, the Queen of country house murder mysteries, followed by the atmospheric and enlightening Scottish historical details a la Diana Gabaldon, and a romantic secondary storyline reminiscent of all those too-numerous-to-name historical romance novels set in Scotland. One of my favorite characters was Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, the local man who conducts the investigation. My second favorite was Beatrice the pet lamb.
If you are in the mood for sharp wit, cheeky humor, and a well-crafted murder mystery that keeps you up until the wee hours, then I cannot recommend The Author’s Guide to Murder more highly.
5 out of 5 Stars
BOOK INFORMATION
- The Author’s Guide to Murder: A Novel, by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig. And Karen White (Author)
- William Morrow (November 5, 2024)
- Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook (416) pages
- ISBN: 978-0063259867
- Genre: Detective Mystery, Cozy Mystery
AMAZON | PUBLISHER | ADD TO GOODREADS
We were gifted a copy of the book from the publisher. Cover image and book description courtesy of William Morrow © 2024; text Laurel Ann Nattress © 2024, austenprose.com, an Amazon affiliate. No AI: material on Austenprose.com may not be used in datasets for, in the development of, or as inputs to generative AI programs.
If you enjoy the content on Austenprose.com, please like, comment, share, and subscribe to receive email notifications of new posts.
Discover more from Austenprose
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Please join in and have your share of the conversation!