Dann McDormanReseñas

Set in the 1970s, the novel revolves around the members of an exclusive hunting club in upstate New York. Long-standing members gather to discuss and disagree on the club’s finances, the admission of a new member and much more. Joining them for the Bicentennial weekend is a detective who manipulates his old college friend whose family is among the members to invite him along. Unbeknownst to the friend or the others, the detective has been hired to gather information about the club and its members and report back on the goings-on to his client, whose identity is gradually revealed. The weekend festivities take a sinister turn when the club turns into the scene of crime for a series of deaths. With inclement weather cutting them off from outside assistance, it is up to the members to find the killer in their midst. As the narrative progresses, it becomes evident that more than one person has secrets they would kill to protect and nobody is above suspicion.

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is an interesting locked-room murder mystery that certainly keeps you guessing till the very end (and beyond). The novel pays homage to Golden Age murder mysteries with a few twists added to the mix, adding a touch of uniqueness. Shared from the perspective of the detective in the first part and an unknown narrator (we assume to be one of the guests) in the other also, the narrative is shared from multiple perspectives switching from the first-person to the third person, also featuring a metafictional element in the form of the author’s commentary, directly addressing the reader, interspersed throughout the narrative. Atmospheric and suspenseful with a healthy dose of wry humor thrown into the mix, the plot development was well executed, but I can’t say the same about the dénouement. While I can appreciate the author’s use of multiple formats to tell the story, the ending leaves much to the reader’s interpretation and imagination. I also had a few issues with the structure of this novel. I enjoyed reading the segments on classic mystery writers, the discussions on the format and tropes used in crafting stories in this genre and the author’s musings on the same. However, these segments interspersed throughout the primary narrative of this novel impacted the flow of the story, often distracting the reader. It is evident the author is a skillful storyteller who knows much about his craft and has not hesitated to demonstrate the same, but that does not necessarily translate into a particularly satisfying reading experience.

In short, while I did have fun following the mystery, I can’t say that I enjoyed this book in its entirety.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley and the gifted hardcover edition. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

An author takes a risk when breaking the fourth wall. Here, there is not only a brief aside to the reader but a whole attempted dialog. I found it tedious and didn't finish the book.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.½

West Heart is an exclusive country enclave owned by a number of wealthy families. As they gatehr for a bicentennial celebration, issues come to the surface and the body count rises. Can the detective purportedly hired by one of the members solve the crime, or is this story about something different after all.
This is a high concept book. McDorman wants to explore the whole genre of detective fiction and its rich heritage and he shows great learning and understanding. However the story is too disconnects from the concept and it becomes a little too clever for this reader. in fact I found it rather smug after a promising start.

West Heart Kill is simultaneously an engrossing mystery and a dissection of the mystery genre. On one level, it’s a conventional variation on the “And Then There Were None” trope. Private Detective Adam McAnnis is on a case and finagles an invitation from a college friend to the 4th of July celebration at West Heart Kill, an exclusive lakeside hunting club in upstate New York. It’s seen better days but the descendants of the founding families continue to come to enjoy the lake and illicit hunting.

As soon as McAnnis arrives, it’s obvious these are not happy families. One man kills another’s dog and some suspect it was deliberate, revenge for a tragic accident that happened a few years back. McAnnis is clearly more than a casual visitor, his observant questioning riles some guests and attracts others. A torrential storm hits the area, washing out the bridge and cutting off contact. A woman’s body is found by the lakeshore, but it’s unclear whether it’s suicide or murder. However, the next body to fall leaves no doubt. Nor is there any doubt about the next murder.

West Heart Kill is one of the most fun, and direct, examples of metafiction I can think of. From the outset, we are part of the narrative as Dann McDorman treats us to the history, rules, and conventions of the mystery genre. He involves the Reader directly, demanding our participation in the solution.

I want to run down the street with this book hollering “Read this book!” to everyone I meet. It’s simply brilliant. I loved it from start to finish, a finish that surprised me completely.

I received a copy of West Heart Kill from the publisher through NetGalley.

West Heart Kill at Knopf | Penguin Random House
Dann McDorman on Twitter

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2023/11/11/west-heart-kill-by-dann-m...

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman will not be a lot of people’s type of book, but there will be a cult following that comes from it. I can see people who enjoy reading theater/movie scripts or history books enjoying this one.

I had a very hard time getting into it, after trying numerous times. I enjoy quirky books (Geek Love by Katherine Dunn is a favorite!), but at times I found it very dry, just listing things, and the characters felt one dimensional to me.

I feel like this would be the type of book you would find people who frequent coffee houses to read their poetry or gather to discuss the vast history of mystery writing, really finding fun to discuss.

I loved it and I hated it! The story takes place over a holiday weekend at a resort/hunting lodge. It’s a club that has a long history with members who descend from the early settlers in America. The wealth of the members can be deceiving. The club is in financial trouble and the members have a plethora of dangerous vices.

I loved the mystery of it and thought the critiquing of the mystery set up was at times interesting and at times annoying. I was 100% invested in trying to figure out the mystery and the murderer(s). But alas, at the the crucial part of the story, I was only left with a huge disappointment. I guess I’m not that clever at solving mysteries or maybe the writer couldn’t decide whodunit.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon Vintage & Anchor for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review.

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman is a highly recommended murder mystery for the right reader. In this unique metafiction locked-room mystery the author frequently writes directly to the reader.

PI Adam McAnnis accompanies an old college friend for a long Fourth of July weekend at the West Heart club in upstate New York. McAnnis is there to look into suspicious activities, which start with a suspicious drowning followed by an accidental shooting. The plot is actually a basic locked-room mystery, which the author acknowledges. What make West Heart Kill unique is the ever present commentary of the author about writing, the history of mysteries, diverse plot devices, comparisons between various mystery novels, etc.

The murder mystery embedded between the commentary is a perfectly serviceable story, but West Heart Kill is not simply a novel, it is an instructional and informative ode to the whole genre via the author. What will make readers like or dislike the novel will be directly related to their reaction to McDorman's candidly addressing them in his commentary. It does feel a bit disjointed at the start and does take some getting used to. Some of the topics of discourse are more interesting than others. At times it also distracts from the actual mystery.

In the end it was a very entertaining novel/educational resource to read if you enjoy literature and mysteries, but in other ways the metafiction additions to the narrative made the novel more convoluted than it needed to be. It might have worked better to include fewer remarks by the author and the ending wasn't entirely satisfying.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/10/west-heart-kill.html

3.25 stars

Adam McAnnis is a detective heading out for a weekend to a college friend’s hunting lodge. It’s the 1970s and the people who are members of this lodge have known each other pretty much all their lives. When a storm hits while they are there, blocking any way to or from the lodge, people start turning up dead.

I thought this was clever. My synopsis is the actual mystery part, but much of the book was done in different styles. That is, much of the book was told directly from the author to the reader, breaking the “fourth wall”. We went off on various tangents talking about what might happen, traditionally (or not), at various parts of a mystery story. Also, there were tangents that focused on classic mystery authors and stories. Again, I thought clever and very different.

I also thought the atmosphere was done well – I definitely pictured the ‘70s hunting lodge: all brown wood paneling with hunted animal heads on the walls and such. But, I also found it quite “literary” and a bit dry. I certainly didn’t care about the people. I did, however, like the twist near the end – that, I definitely didn’t see coming. I also liked the way things were revealed at the end. Again, the author changed the way he was telling the story, and this time, it was done in the style of a play. I didn’t mind all the different things going on in how it was told, but I guess there was a lot going on that way. Mostly because I found the story quite dry, I am rating it “ok”, but with an extra ¼ star for the uniqueness of the book.

This was in the Read Now section on NetGalley.

This book was a little tricky for me. I wanted to like it so much more than I did. I expected that it would be a love letter to detective stories and in some ways it was, but it also felt like the author was looking down on mystery novels and their readers at times.

This novel is broken into 2 parts. First, the typical detective story where we view the world through the detective’s eyes and see him interview people and snoop. The other part is more meta, the book talks to the reader about mystery fiction as well as some real cases. I particularly enjoyed the Case Study passages. One was about the locked room trope, another about examples of detectives being the guilty party. Just know that some of these passages may spoil other books for you.

What I didn’t like was the actual mystery in this book. I didn’t care about Detective McAnnis going to a hunting lodge and people dying. All of the characters that owned property at the lodge felt the same. They were boring and rude and I kept mixing them up.

Overall, this just didn’t match my expectations.

Private Detective Adam McAnnis contacts a college friend he hasn’t seen in quite a while and finagles an invitation to join him during The Bicentennial Fourth of July weekend at a private upstate New York hunting club. Why is he really there? The corpses pile up among the moneyed, adulterous residents in this creative, unconventional mystery.

This is a very unique approach to a mystery story. The narrative styles vacillate. The reader’s role changes from that of voyeur to that of sleuth; the writing style devolves from narrative into play script. Along the way, through multiple digressions, the reader is schooled in the nature of mysteries and techniques of their writers through the ages.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this book. I give the author credit for his clever reimagining of a traditional mystery and I enjoyed the references to classic stories and tropes of this genre.
However, I was disappointed in the way it concluded, having felt that it deteriorated near the end leaving this reader less than satisfied.

Those looking for creativity or who enjoy metafiction will like this book. Just don’t go into it expecting a customary whodoneit.

Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for the ARC

This is one of those books you either love or just don't get. I'm in the latter category. The book isn't written in a traditional fashion andI found the format distracting. Give it a go if you're looking for something different.

Review of eBook

In upstate New York, private detective Adam McAnnis arrives at West Heart, an exclusive hunting club, to meet up with James Blake. Friends since their college days, Adam has joined James for some hunting over the Bicentennial weekend.

The club, established by earlier generations, was once a bastion of wealth. But now the members are trying to decide between selling the club and bringing in a new, very rich, member.

When a storm makes the only two roads in and out of West Heart impassable, it isn’t long before the power goes out. And then the bodies start piling up.

=========

The author of this “locked room” mystery frequently interrupts the telling of the tale with supposed-to-be-clever asides that generally seem condescending and presumptuous. As a result, the book seems to be part mystery, part textbook, and part treatise on the murder mystery genre.

It is likely that readers are not going to appreciate the author “stepping out” of the telling of the tale to tell them what they should be thinking about the unfolding story. And the crude, unnecessary language will be offensive to many readers. But the switch from story to play is probably something akin to the final straw.

For readers who enjoy meta mysteries, this very creative tale is definitely worth a look. But most readers are likely to find it confusing, frustrating, and disjointed.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf and NetGalley
#WestHeartKill #NetGalley½

closed-circle-mystery, detective, historical-fiction****

Designed for the mystery genre literati.
The plot is very good, the detection references are really fun for those of us who geek classic mysteries, and there is just enough wit to entertain. But. The format of presentation is so not my reading preference. But a friend gave it a thumbs up after listening to me whine because he really liked it.
I requested and received an EARC from Knopf/Pantheon/Vintage and Anchor via NetGalley.

This book "takes place over the course of four days during the Bicentennial weekend"--that's a direct quote from an imagined review of this book, in this book (quote taken from the ARC, so it may appear differently in the published version).

As that might imply, this book subverts a lot of novel traditions and is pre-occupied with a sort of navel-gazing meta-approach to writing a murder mystery. While some may love this take on the mystery genre, it felt forced to me, like I was watching someone do their research before writing their own mystery book, and they really, really wanted me to know how much work they had put in.

McDorman clearly has a hearty appreciation for mysteries and wanted to make a unique contribution to the genre, which he has accomplished. Whatever else I may think, the writing was strong and the concept was intriguing and engaging.