Becca wants to be a published writer. With one novel written, she has sent it to a few publishers and is waiting for any feedback. While working in a restaurant to make ends meet, she meets a group of writers that call themself the Mystery Maidens. Eagerly, she joins the group but is quickly frustrated when she realizes all the other writers seem to be making quicker progress than she is. But even worse than that, messages with creepy black hearts begin appearing again - it had been nearly a decade since they stopped. Someone knows Becca’s past, but why are they choosing now to confront her about it? As the fictional murders the women write about start happening in real life around her, Becca begins to wonder if someone in her writing group knows her secret.

I always love reading stories where the main character is a writer! I think it adds a unique layer of creativity to the story. This story took that to a whole new level - fictional murders coming to life, creepy anonymous messages - “The Writer” was everything I love in a psychological thriller. Though the pacing was a little bit slower than what I usually like, it was intriguing as Becca’s past slowly came to light. And I was NOT expecting things to take the direction they did at all! This was the first book I read by this writer but it won’t be the last :)

Thank you to Bookouture, and Miranda Smith for the ARC! “The Writer” will release April 15, 2024!

This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Wow! To say I didn’t see that coming was an understatement. If you are a fan of Freida McFadden, you will love this one! I was absolutely hooked in this who done it!

WOW!!! This was the easiest five stars I have given all year!!!

Following Becca, the main character who to be honest at first I didn’t really like so much, she seemed like a bitter budding writer, jealous and had no other life prospects going for her at all… paranoid because of something happened in the past.

Now, although most of that is in fact true, as the story progresses I started to warm up to her. Her secret, her past and the secretiveness of it helped to keep the suspense building as the pages turned.

The Writer holds one of the biggest mystery stories I have read in a long time, as always the amateur detective when reading, I didn’t even try to figure out who was behind it all… because I knew i just wouldn’t have been able to do it!!

This was an incredible book filled with plenty of twists and turns and is definitely not a book that should be missed off your TBR!!

Great book with an amazing twist. I really liked how well planned out the storyline was for the characters. It was thought out and carried over the whole of the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. When I read the description this book really caught my attention. It sounded so interesting and I expected such a great read but unfortunately I was let down. Becca was pretty annoying and it made me not to want to continue the story. I think this author had such a great story and it was well written but the plot could have been executed better. It’s also almost the same exact cover as The Therapist by S.A Falk and having both in my library really irritated my eyes.

If you like to keep guessing, this one is for you. I would categorize this one between psychological thriller and mystery. Someone is definitely playing games with Becca's mind. The mystery is a little more complex. Something tragic happened to Becca 10 years ago. Something that completely threw her life off course, and someone does not want her to forget it. You will not know what happened until later in the book, but it will explain so much.

Becca works at a pizzeria part-time while also trying to write a book. She is a member of a group of ladies known as the Mystery Maidens. These ladies are budding authors who critique each other's writing. Now someone has taken Becca's stories and made them come to life. So, not only does she have a stalker that has been stalking her and reminding her of a fateful night 10 years ago, she now has someone trying to pin crimes on her. This is some mind boggling stuff to deal with.

It started out a little slow, but it was necessary in order to build the story, in my opinion. The pacing ended up being perfect as things got hotter and hotter the further you read. I suspected everyone at some point and time. I just know that I could not stop reading it. I was riveted until the chilling ending that I never saw coming. I am still a little stunned.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC! For the past ten years Becca has been consumed with guilt since her best friend Layla was murdered. Having a dead end job and trying to write a book her only outlet is a writers group Maiden Mysteries. This story weaves the greaving process and trying (unsuccessfully) to get on with life. For years since the murder Becca receives letters with black hearts delivered randomly sucking her back to when her friend died. Now strange occurrences come to life from stories the Maidens write. Many twists and turns take us thru Becca’s desire to find out the truth thst makes this book hard to put down!

I really wanted this to be a five star read. The premise sounded truly great, but in the end I felt like the execution could have been so much more. It did not help that I did not connect with the main character and felt like she lacked personality. Also, the pace was a little off: very slow in the beginning and almost too rushed towards the end.

What I appreciated the most was the 'Mystery Maidens' group dynamic: I loved learning more about each character and finding out that they were all somehow connected to each other, some more directly than others, through their past, their friendships or acquaintances.

The plot-twist came out of nowhere and the big reveal was underwhelming for me, unfortunately.
What I like the most about thrillers is to get all the clues, build the pictures and connect the dots to find out who is the person/people responsible of it all...but here there was none of that, it truly came out of left field. Also, for as much as Becca talked about the 'black hearts' and how much stress and paranoia they cause her through the years, I felt like they should have been more at the core of the big revelation.

All in all, the premise was good, the write style was easy and interesting even if the pacing was a little off at times and the last 30% will have you hooked. If you like being completely shocked, then this is the thriller for you.

The Writer by Miranda Smith has an unusual premise for a thriller, a book club and the members thereof. This is unique, original and unexpected for the genre and as such, I was intrigued.

Becca wants to be a writer, but things are not going well. Her manuscripts keep getting rejected, she is unhappy in her day job and her mother is perpetually disappointed in her. Luckily, for a year now, she has her book club, the "Mystery Maidens" to escape to once a week. This is central to the storyline and works well in the character building

Becca is also haunted by nightmares, and decides to start using the content to write her stories, however, there begins to be terrifying parallels in daily life.

I enjoyed the build of this book, I really did not know where it was going at the beginning (which piquued my interest even further), but the author was directing the reader to invest in the characters and dynamics, to become familiarised and comfortable in preparation for the rollercoaster of the second half of the book.

A highly compelling, tumultuous tale that belies the stereotypical nature of a book club into something much darker, deeper and ultimately, deadly. An awesome read

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author Miranda Smith for this gripping ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This book started strong with a cool story and grabbing my attention. However, as it went on it became more and more unbelievable to the point where it was almost even funny. Then the ending felt a little thrown together to me. Overall 3/5 ⭐️

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for review on NetGalley.

Becca is an aspiring writer who is hoping to quit bouncing from an odd job to odd job and finally get her big break. She meets with a group of aspiring writers once weekly who are passionate about writing mystery thrillers. Becca has been experiencing quite a bit of writers block and draws on some personal experiences to help fuel some of her more recent work.

Odd things start happening when a new member joins the group. Odd, as in the events that occur in Becca’s real life mirror those that happen in her stories. Things start out mild, a slashed tire, then quickly escalate to a hit and run and a bone-chilling murder.
Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC copy.

Becca tries to find out who is behind the string of events. And wonders, if it’s someone coming back from her past.

Overall, I thought this was a decent thriller, although I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of the characters. I felt as though the journey was better than the destination and felt as though the ending was quite rushed and left some holes/questions for the reader to ponder.

Overall a decent 3 star read for me.

Miranda Smith, The Writer, Bookouture, April 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Miranda Smith has written a well plotted novel, and amongst so many psychological thrillers where twists (flawed or not) appear to be the main source of attention, the ones she has developed are clever, make sense, and are a seamless part of the narrative. This is not to say that they are unsurprising, they are, but frequently a writer appears to introduce twists that are so illogical it can only be surmised that they are fulfilling the requirements of the genre rather than developing a narrative that is satisfying. Miranda Smith manages the genre with dexterity. So, while there are surprises, there are also clues for the astute reader.

The characters resonate, both as writers and through the fiction they present to the small group that meets weekly. When their backstories are told, a further dimension of each woman is cleverly added to the narrative. The relationships between the women as writers and later as women with universal problems are well drawn. In comparison, the backstory and feelings exhibited by Becca, the narrator, seem obsessive, and almost questionable. Are her concerns valid? Is the nonchalance exhibited by the police to whom she voices her concerns a suitable response?

I particularly liked the way in which the long-term friendship between Becca and Crystal was written, along with their concerns about Layla, their university friend. Writing about women’s responses to dealing with a sexual predator is difficult, and Smith was adroit in managing this topic.

This is the first of Miranda Smith’s books I have read, and I look forward to reading another. Amongst the plethora of psychological thrillers on the market, Miranda Smith’s writing stands out.

I have to start by saying an enormous thank you to Net Galley as well as Bookouture for the opportunity to review this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.

What I loved most about this book is that it's premise is very different than what you typically find in a thriller. A book about a book club. I enjoyed it from start to finish and kept asking myself "Who is sending these darn black hearts?!" That mystery alone kept me hooked the whole way through.

The fact that Becca only knew the ladies in her book club for a year made the story even more compelling. The killer could literally be anybody. Getting to now each of the Mystery Maidens and trying to figure out which of them might be capable of murder was a lot of fun. And I was shocked at the reveal.

My only critique is that I don't believe the final twist was needed. Had it not been included, it would never have been something that occurred to me later.

Trust me when I say you will want this one. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Publish date: April 15, 2024

I read this book in a day. A gripping, compelling thriller that I couldn’t put down. Short punchy chapters that whetted your appetite for more. A plot that unfolded at pace and some great characters thrown into the mix. Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Becca is in a creative writing group with three other women, and one day a new member joins. Shortly after, Becca notices that the the crimes in the stories they are telling in their group, begin to happen in real life. When more and more begin to happen she cannot ignore the fact that someone from the group must be committing these crimes, but why? And how is it connected to Beccas past?

This book was fine, just fine. Medium paced, enough to keep me interested but nothing special about it. I was just waiting for it to end, instead of reading to find out what happens. Everything comes together nicely, and with reason.

This was such a rollercoaster of a read! I didn't see any of the plot twists coming, which made the ending completely unexpected and very satisfying! The writing was fast-paced and kept me engaged throughout. I loved that we were finding things outright along with the main character. The premise was excellent, and it delivered.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this title! These are my honest thoughts.

I love thrillers involving wannabe writers who find themselves embroiled in real-life murder and mayhem.

Becca is a struggling writer who can't catch a break or land an agent. Her writer's group is her sole support group. Becca's mother wants her to go back to school, finish her degree and get a "real" job.

Of course, Becca has a secret which is slowly - actually too slowly - revealed. The beginning drags a bit, which Becca's shifts at the restaurant being described in monotonous detail. Yup, Becca is stuck in a dead-end job and gets nothing but rejection letters for her latest manuscript. We keep getting reminded of this a time, or two... or four!

I did not guess the twist in this one: well done! I'm rating this one a 3.8 out of 5, rounded up to a 5 because that was quite the action packed ending!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this book! If you want to take a small step into suspense thrillers this is the book for you. Slow start but picks up about half way through. I enjoyed trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together along with Becca, the main character. Laying out all the details it does make her seem crazy and suspicious. Finding out the TRUE killer and motive as well as the one year revelation. Good ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read!

OMG.... Read it in one sitting! I was kept on my toes, what a rollercoaster.......everytime I thought I had it figured out, there was a plot twist, I cant wait to read more of Miranda Smith's work.

I love the premise of this book. I have to say I didn’t figure out the ending, in fact I didn’t even see it coming. The story is well written with lots of clues throughout. This is a must read thriller.