West Heart Kill is a hunting camp, decades old, run and operated by a group of families who have made this quiet, remote place in the woods their private getaway from their ordinary lives. There is just one road into West Heart Kill, so during and after a damaging storm, it would seem to be a perfect place to stage a locked room mystery. (By the way, the word kill is a dutch term for a body of water.)
This particular mystery was written in a way I’ve never encountered before. It’s a high concept sort of mystery novel, mixing points of view and passing around the narration baton. It’s also a meta novel, with the author letting us into some of the process. Reader is also a character.
For me, unfortunately, this creative style obscured the mystery. The character development in many mysteries isn’t deep, but when the writer leaves the story to wander down another path for a bit, it can make it hard for Reader to focus on the facts about the West Heart Kill denizens.
In addition, these asides killed the pace of the story. Even though I thought the information the author related was interesting, it sometimes felt like an intrusion. The ending was both intriguing and jarring.
Overall, this mystery did not keep my attention very well because of the pacing problems and my lack of interest for the characters. I was impressed with its creativity, but it served to bog down this novel more than it added interest. The writing style was pleasing, however, and I would be interested in reading more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for letting me preview this mystery.
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