Description
Book Synopsis'Doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as crash through it in a bulldozer' Guardian 'Engrossing, surprising, clever, genre bending' Val McDermid 'Diabolical' Chris Pavone You are reading the blurb for an experimental novel by a debut author called Dann McDorman. It is book set sometime in the 1970s, in an exclusive US country club and if you read the book itself, you will very quickly meet the man you think will be the protagonist, private detective Adam McAnnis. You don't know who has hired him, but you do know from the very first line of the book that someone will die (maybe him? maybe the driver of the car he is a passenger in? maybe someone we are yet to meet?). But you can't imagine in what ways this story will unfold. We can absolutely promise you that.
West Heart Kill is an outrageously original and imaginative novel that plays with the very nature of story telling, beginning with a detective but definitely not ending with a solution 'Well, I have no idea how this ended and need someone to talk to about it!' Rachel S, booksellerTrade ReviewDoesn’t so much break the fourth wall as crash through it in a bulldozer ... very well executed indeed * Guardian *
One of the most unique and meta murder mysteries you will read all year * i *
A crime novel that unpicks traditional storytelling …
engrossing, surprising, clever, genre-bending -- Val McDermid
Fun, clever, and innovative. A remarkable novel by a major talent, who has created a crime novel that
feels entirely unique -- Stuart Turton
Phenomenal … totally unique …
a treat for every murder mystery fan -- Janice Hallett
West Heart Kill is a
brilliantly crafted crime novel that wears its influences on its sleeve, and in doing so
manages at once to wrong-foot the reader and the genre entirely. A terrific, thrilling and novel debut -- A. E. Gauntlett, author of forthcoming The Stranger at the Wedding
A highly original and hugely entertaining novel, West Heart Kill breaks new ground, in a classic way * BookTime *
A
thoroughly original suspense novel that hops across elements of the genre—a diabolical locked-room mystery interspersed with a fascinating primer on the form—while always being
tremendous fun to read -- Chris Pavone, author of Two Nights in Lisbon
A brain-teaser and a crowd-pleaser. I loved it -- Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone
Both honouring the classic crime genre and turning it on its head, this is a talented, unique read that we predict will perform superbly * Belfast Telegraph *
West Heart Kill may well prove to be one of the most discussed mysteries of the year … a writer to watch out for -- Set the Tape
In this
re-imagining of the classic detective story McDorman tweaks aside the curtain to show us the nuts and bolts, revealing just how easily we get hooked and why. And in contradiction to of accepted wisdom that detective stories must sacrifice stylish prose in service of plot, McDorman’s prose is a delight to read * Good Reading *
West Heart Kill is perfect for those who love classic murder mysteries, and those who are more interested in experimental and ambitious crime writing. Bold and original, McDorman’s debut is a wondrous achievement that succeeds in making the reader a cast member -- Aurelia Orrs, Readings website, Australia
