A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder

by

Melinda Mullet

With its unique setting and ensemble effort to solve a murder, this mystery is a winning series debut!

The Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder by veteran author Melinda Mullet is a wonderful traditional mystery, and with its unique setting and characters’ ensemble effort to solve a murder, absolving one of their own of the crime, makes for a winning series debut. Ghostwriter Maeve Gardner is deep into writing book forty-three in the old-school Simon Hill detective series, originally penned by author Harlan Oaks, who, though caught in the throes of early-onset dementia, was still a big moneymaker for his publishing house. While Maeve longs for the day when she’ll be free to write her own novel, her current circumstances require her to defer to Simon Hill’s adventures for now. 

After the breakup of a long-term relationship, Maeve moved onto a houseboat and became part of the unique floating community of Regent’s Canal. When Maeve and her dog, Captain Jack, discover a large cache of money hidden at their mooring, she heads off to the nearest station to inform the local police of her find. But when she and the police return to the boat, the money is gone and the body of her ex is floating off the Revenge’s stern. Maeve suddenly finds herself suspect number one in his death. 

The story unfolds from multiple points of view, including Maeve’s and a couple of her nearest waterside neighbors, who have her back every step of the way. I loved their teamwork as they tried to clear Maeve’s name by finding the real killer. While Maeve has some idea of how her fictional detective would conduct an investigation, the others must all venture out of their comfort zones, be it physically or mentally, to help their friend, and some commit to extreme measures to do so. The author does a fabulous job building these characters’ deep, heartfelt friendships, and the results fairly radiate off the page, making this a group of friends you’d want to know in real life. 

As the police are set on Maeve as their perpetrator, it is up to her and her friends to discover the truth. I enjoyed how they divvied up their investigatory tasks and met up later to compare notes. Their inquiries into the dead man’s life lead them in a number of directions and introduce some additional characters whom I feel may reappear in future cases. Mac “The Machine” Toliver, in particular, still has a lot of story left to tell. Gradually, a picture of what really happened begins to form, and the story’s climax is absolutely gripping. 

I recommend A GHOSTWRITER’S GUIDE TO MURDER to readers of traditional mysteries, especially fans of Anthony Horowitz and Richard Osman. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.