West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

​This was advertised as an irresistibly clever Meta murder mystery. Well, then, guess it worked because I was unable to resist it. And having read it, am glad to report that there is indeed truth in advertising in this instance.
This book IS clever.
Viciously, deliciously so.
I’ve been pretty burnt out on modern thrillers: too predictable, too formulaic, too trite. I was looking for something like this…a book that simultaneously plays with genre presets and dares to defy them.
On a surface, it’s a typical locked private club mystery. A group of wealthy individuals that goes back a while gathers together to hunt. Or rather, a group of ostensibly wealthy incestuous liars and cheats gets together to play games with each other.
Some games are deadlier than others.
In their midst, is a private detective hired by (mystery) there to (mystery). AT first, he just enjoys the high life, but then the bodies begin to drop, and he has to get to work.
And while all of that may sound like a very familiar mystery plot, nothing about this novel itself is familiar. From its structure to its twist.
From the very first chapter, the author essentially takes a sledgehammer to the fourth wall, and he doesn’t stop until the very end. He talks to us or at us. He switches perspectives and tones to suit the mood. He goes on discursive discussions of mystery genre and its masters. It’s all rather brilliant. It really is.
It can also probably seem like a lot, especially for readers who are used to the conventional the-wife-or-the-husband-did-this-because-of-the-secrets-in-their-past, etc. sort of mystery thrillers.
This is very much a thinking person mystery. Like most very clever (and aware of it and not ashamed to flaunt it) things and people, it won’t be for everyone. But it definitely worked for me. Strikingly original and yes, clever, impressively clever, this is a mystery for mystery lovers looking for something different, something with substance and intelligence to charm and wow. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.