Killer on the First Page: A Novel

Ian Ferguson , Will Ferguson
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Killer on the First Page: A Novel

Ian Ferguson , Will Ferguson
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Found in: MYSTERY., General Mystery

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Overview

CANADIANGLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER304 PAGESENGLISH

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Praise for I Only Read Murder and Mystery in the Title -

“Delightfully amusing…there’s a genuine whodunit here, and quite the good one…gosh darn, it’s a lot of fun.” - Winnipeg Free Press

“The Fergusons take the reader on a madcap caper that moves faster than Magnum’s Ferrari.”  - Zoomer Magazine

“While the Ferguson brothers are both known for their comedic chops as writers, I Only Read Murder does feature a well-constructed mystery at its core.” - Calgary Herald

“No cottage weekend should be without a smart and witty cozy mystery. And the Ferguson brothers deliver that perfectly. . . . This is all great fun.”  - Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“A lighthearted romp through murder and . . . an entertaining summer read.” - The British Columbia Review

Overall rating: 3.75 / 5 from 8 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: ["mystery","read","characters","moments","start","bear"].

Review highlights

Reviews

Killer on the First Page slays its readers

"Ian and Will Ferguson’s cast of characters just keep getting better and better. Killer on the First Page is a delightful romp that makes fun of the many mystery genres and characters read through the ages; some of whom have not aged well. It’s funny, poignant and a great whodunnit. Can hardly wait for the next instalment."

Cathy M. (5/5)

like reading facebook

"Sadly this book was a big yawn; akin to reading someone's facebook posts about their summer vacation; would not recommend"

Lorraine (2/5)

Killer on the First Page

"This book was entertaining, and if you read the first book of the series, you’ll be familiar with the characters which is always fun. The book keeps you going until the last page."

DonnaJ (3/5)

Slow start

"I was expecting a quicker start to the book and struggled to get in to it but it’s overall not bad"

Tiana (4/5)

Killer on the first page

"A very enjoyable third installment in the series. Can’t wait until the next one comes out."

Gail B. (4/5)

Clever, entertaining, and humorous

"“𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤. ” Former Pastor Fran star Miranda Abbott and the residents of Happy Rock are back in this third mystery that presents quite the puzzle: three impossible murders! Happy Rock is hosting a murder mystery festival, featuring six of the biggest names in crime fiction, with its opening reception taking place at the I Only Read Murder bookstore. The authors are bringing about their egos, their personal grudges, and a bit of mayhem, when they start to be picked off in locked rooms, one by one. Will Miranda, her assistant Andrew, and police chief Ned be able to figure out the impossible? Ian and Will Ferguson have created a zany and loveable group of townspeople. This series reminds me of Schitt’s Creek meets Murder, She Wrote. It’s humorous, meta, and over-the-top, but is rooted in a solid mystery. I loved the clever wink to Encyclopedia Brown with Compendium Cathy, especially as a fan of Encyclopedia when I was young! The Fergusons have created quite the locked-room mysteries, all three of which truly do seem impossible. The clues are well-planted though, and I love the tone of the omniscient narrator who gives readers hints of the clues that become important, almost like breaking the fourth wall. The author suspects are truly a version of ‘don’t meet your heroes’ and all have motives for wanting one another dead. Miranda, as usual, is her excessive self, but she shows some important character development in this book, especially in her consideration for how Happy Rock has become her home. Andrew and Ned continue to be delights, putting up with Miranda’s antics, but also working alongside her to solve the case. Killer On The First Page is a clever, breezy, and entertaining entry to the Miranda Abbott Investigates series. I can’t wait to return to Happy Rock in the next book."

ReadWithThomas (4/5)

Charming cozy mystery

"A charming cozy mystery, the third in a series featuring Miranda Abbott, and the first experienced by this reader. Miranda Abbott is a former TV detective, a sort of everyone’s favorite Jessica Fletcher, who traded in her sophisticated acting chops to star in a blissfully cheesy, but highly popular, television murder mystery series. With her red hair and regal bearing, Miranda is a charmingly annoying character, not at all short on confidence, who now breezes through life solving mysteries (which seem to follow her, wherever she is), falling subject to only the odd lingering question about the direction her life (her love, and her career) has taken. Now on hiatus from LA and living in the small Pacific coastal town of Happy Rock, Oregon, where she co-owns a bookstore with her ambiguously connected husband Edgar (are they married? Are they divorced? Do they still love each other?), Miranda can’t help but jump in when a Mystery Writer Festival, to be held in her bookstore, becomes the backdrop for murder. Peopled with so many oddball characters that at first, felt impossible for this reader to keep straight, once the story gets going the community of eccentrics, the visiting authors, and the layered mystery drew me in — cleanly plotted with several twists, puzzles to solve, and some truly funny moments, one cannot help but think the initial two books would be definitely worth a read for some additional backstory. An entertaining read which will keep a reader guessing and dreaming about the ocean, (not to mention, running a bookstore), I enjoyed this book and will no doubt be back to visit the folks in Happy Rock, Oregon. A great big thank you to Netgalley, the authors and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own."

Booklymatters(Terri) (4/5)

A Charming cozy mystery

"A charming cozy mystery, the third in a series featuring Miranda Abbott, and the first experienced by this reader. Miranda Abbott is a former TV detective, a sort of everyone’s favorite Jessica Fletcher, who traded in her sophisticated acting chops to star in a blissfully cheesy, but highly popular, television murder mystery series. With her red hair and regal bearing, Miranda is a charmingly annoying character, not at all short on confidence, who now breezes through life solving mysteries (which seem to follow her, wherever she is), falling subject to only the odd lingering question about the direction her life (her love, and her career) has taken. Now on hiatus from LA and living in the small Pacific coastal town of Happy Rock, Oregon, where she co-owns a bookstore with her ambiguously connected husband Edgar (are they married? Are they divorced? Do they still love each other?), Miranda can’t help but jump in when a Mystery Writer Festival, to be held in her bookstore, becomes the backdrop for murder. Peopled with so many oddball characters that at first, felt impossible for this reader to keep straight, once the story gets going the community of eccentrics, the visiting authors, and the layered mystery drew me in — cleanly plotted with several twists, puzzles to solve, and some truly funny moments, one cannot help but think the initial two books would be definitely worth a read for some additional backstory. An entertaining read which will keep a reader guessing and dreaming about the ocean, (not to mention, running a bookstore), I enjoyed this book and will no doubt be back to visit the folks in Happy Rock, Oregon."

@booklymatters (4/5)

Q&A

  • Published date: Jul 08, 2025
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 304
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
  • ISBN: 9781443475099
  • Dimensions: 6.0" W x 0.76" L x 9.0" H

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