ARC Book Review: With A Kiss We Die by L. R. Dorn

A popular podcast follows two suspects of a vicious murder..

Welcome!

First, I would like to give a big thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy of With a Kiss We Die in exchange for my honest opinion.

Second, this book was told in the style of a true crime podcast and was inspired by very real murders that happened in the 80’s. So, if you’re a fan of mysteries and murder, this may just be for you.
Me? Not so much.
Continue scrolling to find out why!

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With A Kiss We Die by L. R. Dorn

Publication date: July 11, 2023
Pages: 528
Genre: Thriller. Crime Fiction. Mystery.
Standalone

First line: “It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.”

Three Stars ⭐⭐⭐

Characters: Frustrating.
Storyline: Interesting but fell flat.
Pace: Even throughout.
Writing: Intelligent.
Cover: 3.5/5

POVs: Many.

The popular podcast, The Raines Report, is contacted by the two main suspects in a brutal murder.
They claim they’ve been set up and, feeling persecuted by both the police and the media, they want Ryanna to share their story.

Embedding herself in their lives, Ryanna observes and documents the young couple’s case as it unfurls.
Did this modern day Romeo and Juliet do it? Or are they as innocent as they claim?

My Thoughts:

Because this book is written as a true crime podcast, we alternate between the main character, Ryanna Raines, her producer and cohost, Jess Monay, and a whole host of others connected to/or in connection with the murders of Anthony and Lauren De Carlo. Our Romeo’s parents.

Each chapter is one episode on Ryanna’s podcast, The Raines Report. Consisting of five team members—Ryanna, her producing partner, a researcher, a sound engineer, and their editor—they’re a group that prefer to consider themselves independent audio crime investigators rather than podcasters..
They stick to the facts, which is why Jordan and Victoria (the suspects) chose them to tell their side of things.

I wasn’t a fan of the format, not that I haven’t enjoyed similar styles before, but the way it’s done here just smooshed everything together. Ryanna is the main voice of the book, which would be fine if there were some distinction between her own thoughts and actions.. and everything else she’s recounting. It lost my interest when she began to describe conversations, car rides, meetings, and observations of other characters—all while we’re also reading her opinions, bits of her history, the history of the podcast, connections with other characters, details of the case.. No. Just no.

I read to get out of my own head, not get crammed into a mess of someone else’s.
I think that, had we seen the perspectives of each character, it would have given the story more depth and substance.
Do not get me wrong. These kinds of books do sometimes work.. but the balance between, and the separation of, the character and the story must.be.discernable. or it can quickly become a jumbled, confusing mess.

The writing was intelligent. The story, while predictable, had a lot of potential. And while it wasn’t for me, I can easily see this book being popular with a good many mystery and true crime fans.

And that’s a wrap!
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my review, I do hope it was helpful.
Stay Safe, Have a wonderful July, and Happy reading!