This book is one of the best murder mysteries I've read in a while (and I'm currently in my detective phase, so Ive been reading a lot!). Set in the nearly isolated town of Plymouth, Weird Marty Gray is known as the Missing Boy's sister. Unable to move on after her brother vanished when he was a kid, Marty's parents have all but abandoned her. With no friends except the resigned Peabody, Marty is pretty much the town outcast. Certain events from the past make Marty even more of a recluse. The mysteries begin when two Norwegian backpackers disappear in the nearby Ghost Town and its haunted woods. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the women is discovered dead in the woods with a mysterious blue stain on her hand. After a half-hearted investigation and search by the town police and residents, the disappearance is brushed under the rug (like everything else in this town).

Nearly a year later, another string of murders, dubbed the "Parking Lot murders," involving the sons of Plymouth's two rich families shakes the town. They are discovered in a pool of their own blood, strangled to death. Another unknown man's body is found next to them, unconnected to these boys unitl now. A local dogwalking girl, who is as strange as Marty, if not more so, is found kneeling in their blood with no recollection of the events. The town is quick to accept another botched investigation, preferring to blame the weird lonely girl rather than their darling golden boys.

After Marty's podcast investigating the disappearance of the backpackers goes horribly wrong, turning the town's existing dislike of her to hatred, Marty has sworn off asking questions. She keeps her head down, avoids certain streets, visits her brother's false grave once a year, and diligently keeps the porch light on, hoping it'll act as a beacon for her brother to come home. However, some clues and a pleading request by the dead man's sister set off her inquisitive mind, and unable to sit quietly while a possibly innocent woman is sent to jail, Marty restarts her detective work. Amidst threats, glares, broken windows and vandalism from the townspeople, Marty is determined to find out what happened to the two lively girls and how it's connected to the three Parking Lot murders. And how does it tie in with her past and her brother's disappearance?

*spoilers ahead*

What I loved about this book:

The writing is simply amazing. It does not feel like a debut novel, but rather that of a seasoned writer. The author takes you on a journey hiking through the Oregon woods. I, a person who's never been to the US, much less Oregon, was transported to the other side of the world. I could feel the wind blowing through the dense trees, the sunlight falling in sheets on the forest floor, the stale smell of the bars, and the tense environment of the woods holding its resident secrets close. The author does a great job of making you feel like you're right there next to Marty. You feel her apprehension, her skepticism, her grief, her fear, and her unwavering determination to not take no for an answer. I kept rooting for Marty the whole way, even though she was a bit dense at times. I liked that I literally could not guess who the killer was until the end. With the inclusion of excerpts from Marty's podcast and newspaper articles, the book felt very similar to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, but more dark and dangerous. So if you liked that book, you'll love this one for sure!

I do wish that the one final mystery was solved. I really hope that's covered in the next book.

But overall, it's a great quick thriller with all the elements in a perfect combination. I'd love to explore more of the author's work.

This book was very boring to me from the start to the end. My cousin recommended this book to me she absolutely loved it gave it a 5 star review but for me it was just not it, it was very dragged out and slow and not very exciting I won’t be recommending this book to my friends.

This is a fast-paced and engaging thriller that hooks you from the very first page. The story follows the protagonist, Marty Gray, as she investigates two interconnected crimes, unraveling a mystery that keeps you turning pages. The writing is easy to follow, making for an effortless yet gripping read. While the answers to the crimes feel logical, the ending still managed to surprise me, which I loved. I do find many of these types of books, easy to figure out before the end. This is the kind of book you can finish in one or two sittings because you just have to know what happens next. A great pick for mystery lovers who enjoy a well-plotted, quick read!

╭──── 🌿 Welcome to Murdertown by Rian Wynne
╰ ❝The answers are never what you want them to be; there is seldom a good solution to the story of a missing boy or two lost girls or three men murdered in a parking lot. Waiting haunts us, but only because we don’t know the monster that lurks behind it.❞


╭──── 🌿 A B O U T – T H E – B O O K :
Welcome to Murdertown by Rian Wynne is a gripping thriller set in a small town where two seemingly unrelated crimes—two missing backpackers and a triple homicide—begin to intertwine in unsettling ways. Marty Gray, a woman haunted by the disappearance of her brother, takes it upon herself to investigate. She runs a podcast about the hikers' case, though her previous attempts at investigation have led to ridicule. As she digs deeper, Marty uncovers the dark secrets of her town, facing dangers from both the past and present.

This novel blends suspense, mystery, and domestic drama, with plenty of twists and tension. It is expected to be released on March 1, 2025.


｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

♡ M Y – L I K E S
✦ The investigative side of the story. I loved all the details.
✦ A good amount of twists!

↴ M Y – D I S L I K E S
✦ Was relatively slow until like 70% through the book.
✦ The name Peabody.

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

╭──── 🌿 O V E R A L L:
╰ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

I enjoyed the book a lot, I just felt it could have been a little more action packed sooner then over halfway through.
I feel like 70% of the story was just investigation and buildup and it took a while to get to the climax.
But my god, when it got there it was all hell breaking loose!

I enjoyed the writing style, a little wordy and drawn out at times.
But overall it was a great thriller, plenty of suspense!

Thank you NetGalley and Rian Wynne for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked how the story was set up. It has a great foundation and sets itself up well to have more parts to the story. The characters where all flawed yet likable.

I liked the concept of a podcast host who helps find missing people because of what happened to her brother!

Overall an enjoyable read.

Wow! This book was phenomenal. I had no idea that the ending was coming. Weird Marty Gray is what everyone calls her after her brother goes missing- followed by her becoming an outcast for her podcast and search into other murders that have happened in this “ghost town”. When she decides to look into other cases again fuelled by her wanting her own answers she gets sucked into everyone telling her to stop asking question because she just happens to be on the right track. My review of this book could never do it justice- it’s one you just have to read. It gets better and better with every chapter. The author does a great job of giving detail. I am so happy I was given the opportunity by both Netgalley and the publishing company to review this book ahead of its release date.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Are you looking for your next murder mystery to read? Check out Welcome to Murdertown by Rian Wynne. It’s a good read.

Rian Wynne has written one of the best thrillers that I have read in a long time. Welcome to Murdertown was full of suspense and many twists that I would have never expected. A wonderful job tying the end of the book together in such a perfect ending.

This is a dark, suspenseful mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Marty Gray’s relentless investigation into two seemingly unrelated events uncovers chilling secrets, making this an addictive, fast-paced read. With a gripping plot and a determined protagonist, this book is perfect for fans of small-town mysteries and thrilling suspense! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was a ride. It had everything I look for in the genre — suspense, unexpected twists and a satisfying ending that didn’t leave me with lingering questions. From the start, the story pulled me in, keeping me on edge as I tried to piece everything together.

One of the things I appreciated most was how well the twists were executed. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would take a turn that caught me off guard in the best way. It kept the suspense high without feeling predictable.

I also loved that all the loose ends were tied up by the end. There’s nothing worse than an unsatisfying ending but this ending wrapped everything up perfectly. It was just the right balance of intrigue and resolution.

Overall, this was a great read that had me hooked from start to finish.

even if the twist were logically, they were nearly impossible to predict. a incredible crafted book were the author not only made sure the characters were life like but the plot was so well thought out one just needed to keep reading.. a great who did it and i cannot wait to see more of this author.
Marty is a great Character, definitely in need of some good therapy sessions but so life like. She gives of a quirky version of Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
i hope there will be a sequel so we can see how much Marty Grows in her own shoes.

"Two young backpackers hike up Ghost Mountain to spend the night and are never seen alive again.

Three men are found murdered in a mall parking lot next to an unregistered black van.
A woman kneels in the pool of blood and is arrested for the crime."

Weird Marty Gray, my gal, with her failed podcast (and new nickname of Liar Marty Gray, decides to look into two different murders that appear unrelated at first, but Marty notices similarities to both cases. Marty takes us on a journey where the twists keep coming and the suspense keeps us turning the pages.

I definitely enjoyed this book. The suspense kept me turning pages while the twists kept me from fully guessing what would happen next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of Welcome to Murdertown in exchange for a honest review.

Chilling, suspenseful, atmospheric and everything else that I adore in books like this. I couldn't put it down and I sped through it in a couple of hours.

Welcome to Murdertown by Rian Wynne is a chilling and atmospheric mystery that follows Marty Gray, a quirky and determined investigator who isn’t afraid to dig deeper when the authorities have moved on. The novel begins with two young backpackers vanishing without a trace after hiking up Ghost Mountain, followed by a gruesome triple murder in a mall parking lot. Both cases seem unrelated at first, but Marty discovers eerie similarities that lead her to believe there’s more to the story.

Marty, armed with little more than her curiosity and a podcast history filled with failure, sets out to uncover the truth that no one else seems willing to pursue. As she unravels the sleepy town’s darkest secrets, the reader is taken on a tense and suspenseful journey, where the past and present collide in unexpected and dangerous ways. The book is rich in atmosphere, with Ghost Mountain itself adding an eerie and haunting backdrop to the unfolding mystery.

Wynne crafts a gripping tale, balancing the small-town charm with a dark undercurrent of suspense. Marty is an engaging and relatable protagonist, whose dogged determination makes her an underdog worth rooting for. Welcome to Murdertown is an immersive and cleverly woven thriller that will keep readers hooked until the very last page, as Marty uncovers unsettling truths that threaten to expose more than just the town’s secrets. Perfect for fans of character-driven mysteries with a touch of the eerie and supernatural.

"I definitely don’t have an off-switch in my brain that says it’s okay to let this one go."

That's the book, basically.

Summary:
Marty Gray is our main character, and she never learned how to let go. Her brother disappeared when she was eight years old. Twenty years later, she still lives in the home her parents fled ten years ago, desperate for a new start.

After spending most of her life investigating her own brother's disappearance, Marty starts an ill-fated podcast about two hikers who went missing in a local ghost town. Nearly a year after the spectacular failure of this podcast, three men are murdered in a parking lot in Marty's town. Like every other mystery Marty has ever heard of, she can't get this one out of her head.

My Thoughts:
Marty really grew on me. Like, she definitely needs a fantastic therapist and also maybe a nap. But she feels like a real person with real trauma. She makes several stupid choices, but you always see where she is coming from.

If there is ever a sequel. More Peabody, please.

I think the pacing was pretty good. It always felt like something new was happening, but not so quickly that it was hard to keep up. There is a section right at the end that felt a bit infodumpy, but it made sense, I suppose. Felt more like a recap than a rushed ending, which was nice.

As for the mystery itself: I genuinely did not see a lot of these twists coming. Yet they all felt logical. There were enough hints that I think a reread would be fun, but not so many that it gave the game away too quickly. I do think that in the early middle of the book there starts to become a lot of names and dates to keep up with. By the time I finished the book, though, I knew who everyone was and what had happened when. So hang in there!

Final Opinion
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, satisfying read. I would love to read more from this author, and I would be interested in seeing a return from Marty Gray.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

This book was a ride. It had everything I look for in the genre — suspense, unexpected twists and a satisfying ending that didn’t leave me with lingering questions. From the start, the story pulled me in, keeping me on edge as I tried to piece everything together.

One of the things I appreciated most was how well the twists were executed. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would take a turn that caught me off guard in the best way. It kept the suspense high without feeling predictable.

I also loved that all the loose ends were tied up by the end. There’s nothing worse than an unsatisfying ending but this ending wrapped everything up perfectly. It was just the right balance of intrigue and resolution.

Overall, this was a great read that had me hooked from start to finish.

Two young backpackers hike up Ghost Mountain to spend the night and are never seen alive again. Three men are found murdered in a mall parking lot next to an unregistered black van. A woman kneels in the pool of blood and is arrested for the crime! Great read! Some crazy twists and turns! It also had great suspense, mystery, intrigue, action, murder, drugs, great characters and a fantastic who done it! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Crime 1: Two young backpackers are touring the US and stop at Golden, a 'ghost town' in Oregon. They have plans to hike Ghost Mountain to find...ghosts. They take one last photo together at the beginning of the hike, and they are never seen alive again. (Think - the two Dutch women who disappeared in Panama).

Crime 2: A local woman is found in a parking lot, covered in blood and gunpowder residue, and next to the bodies of three dead men. Two have been garroted to death, and the third was shot directly in the face.

After the two seemingly unrelated crimes occur almost a year apart, Marty Gray will risk everything to find out the truth and how the two crimes connect.

Marty Gray still lives in her childhood home. She diligently leaves the porch light on at all times because when she was a young girl, her six-year-old brother disappeared and was never seen again. The light on the porch is there, so he will always know where his house is, should he ever return.

She's known as Weird Marty Gray for years, but that changes after she creates a podcast, "Welcome to Murder Town," to discover what happened to the two young women at Ghost Mountain. After a few mishaps and accusations, she becomes "Liar Marty Gray."

Welcome to Murder Town by Rian Wynne is a small-town domestic thriller layered beyond a simple 'who did it?' premise. It's a small town full of secrets and money, drugs and rich boys, and parents who do anything for their kids and their reputation. Marty Gray is trying to solve a disappearance because she can't solve her brother's. Marty Gray has lived as Weird/Liar Marty Gray long enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book before its release.