March 27, 2023
This brisk, funny thriller from Hendricks (It Could Be Anyone) begins at Murderpalooza, an annual New York City conference for writers of genre fiction. When Kristin Bailey, a nominee for the coveted Thriller of the Year award, is found dead in her hotel room, the Twitterverse runs rife with speculation. Shortly after Kristin’s death, four other conference attendees (who narrate the novel on a rotating basis) start receiving menacing tweets from a burner account that threatens to leak secrets that could end their personal relationships, careers, and possibly their lives. The group decides to band together for protection, but each new tweet breeds distrust and fear as the truth about Kristin’s killing slowly comes to light. Hendricks’s plotting is impeccable, and she knows precisely when to jump perspectives for maximum suspense. Her humor, too, is razor-sharp: she has fun taking shots at the anxieties and unchecked egos of writers at all stages of their career (“Is it really narcissism if I know I have it? Or just an overinflated ego,” one character wonders). This is good fun for anyone enmeshed in the writing world or thinking of jumping in. Agent: Anne Tibbets, Donald Maas Literary.
October 1, 2023
Hendricks's newest mystery, following It Could Be Anyone, goes meta to explore the fallout from the murder of a beloved author at a thriller writers' convention. After starting with a bang (actually, a stabbing, ) this tightly plotted audio follows four authors attending Murderpalooza as they are targeted by an online stalker who uses the hashtag #nexttodie to reveal all their hidden secrets. An ensemble of narrators tackles the rotating points of view as the inevitable double-crosses and accusations begin. Catherine Ho is the standout as Suzanne, a newbie author convinced that she and the victim had a close friendship. Ho imbues Suzanne with the perfect aura of manic energy and a hint of menace. Emily Sutton-Smith voices midlist author Vicky as hopeful but jaded, seeing her chances to break out with her second novel slipping away. Kyle Burrow pulls double duty as Mike, a former A-list writer whose prestige has faded as his financial responsibilities have grown, and Davis, the newest publishing darling with an inflated ego. Burrow does his best to distinguish the two men's narrations, but it leaves those chapters feeling somewhat stiff and stilted. VERDICT Recommended for large collections of murder mysteries and where fiction about writers is popular.--Natalie Marshall
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.