Sweet Spot by Kemper Donovan Review: Ghostwriter Mystery #3 Audiobook

🎧 Listened in audio | 📢 Narrated by Eva Kaminsky
⏱ Duration: 11 hours | Genre: Mystery
🏷️ Publisher name: Recorded Books and John Scognamiglio Books
📅 Published: 30 June 2026

Book Blurb:

Ghostwriter Belle Currer, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, takes on Genevieve Caraway’s memoir. At 14, Genevieve was abducted from her bedroom by a couple and held for three months. Now a married mother with a thriving career, she lives in a guarded Utah compound called Sweet Spot. When Deirdre Gregory, one of her kidnappers, is paroled and turns up begging to see her, she is turned away. The next day, Deirdre is found dead on the grounds. Belle joins Detective Kay Adams to sift through the suspects, and secrets start to surface, including her own.

Trigger warning:

This book touches on heavy subjects. Although neither is described explicitly, there are references to child sexual abuse and suicide. If these topics bother you, please read with caution or skip it altogether.

Let’s talk … murder!!!

Belle Currer has the worst luck EVER!!! My gosh, lady! Your self-preservation skills are almost non-existent, and if this weren’t fiction, it would only be a matter of time for you.

Humour aside, I enjoyed this one more than the previous book. It is funny and insightful, and much more humane than the earlier books in the series. Belle is opening up and trusting more people, going so far as to consider some of them (gasp) her friends. That is major character development. We also learn a little more about where Belle comes from and why she likes her incognito status, which is rewarding after following her journey for three books.

Genevieve’s journey has been nothing but traumatic, and it is painful to read through everything she has gone through. Kemper Donovan keeps it mild and never talks about it explicitly. That is a kindness, though our imagination does fill in the gaps.

Kay Adams is a wonderful addition to Belle’s circle and a very reliable one. When she was first introduced, I came in with the same hesitation as Belle, but she soon became an integral part of the journey. Through and through, a great person.

Denny and Abby are such good friends too, although I don’t know how Belle will stay friends with both of them, considering her history with Denny and the past between her and Abby (no spoilers). There is huge potential there, given the kind people they are, and I’ll leave it up to Kemper Donovan to figure out how to handle that equation. I am excited to read more.

Eva Kaminsky, my lady, you are one amazing narrator. The sighs, the emotions, the frustrations, the raw sensations: you nailed it. If there is ever another narrator for this series, I will personally petition to have them removed and bring you back. You breathe life into Belle Currer, even better than the author himself. I am in love with your narration.

And the ending… I can’t wait to see where this journey continues in the next book (if that’s the route).

Would I recommend it?

Would I recommend Sweet Spot? Absolutely. If you like a mystery with real heart and a heroine whose luck is truly TERRIBLE, this one is for you. It is my favourite of the Ghostwriter Mystery series so far, funnier and more humane, with Belle finally letting people in (she has friends now, gasp). Go in knowing it references child abuse and suicide, though never graphically. And if you can, listen to it, because Eva Kaminsky’s narration had me hooked from the first sigh…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you liked this, try these

1. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz: another mystery where the writing world is the playground, with a Golden Age flavour like Sweet Spot.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
2. The Appeal by Janice Hallett: for readers who like piecing together suspects and secrets from the inside, with a warm, clever voice.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
3. The Guest List by Lucy Foley: a closed-off setting full of secrets and a body found on the grounds, for readers who liked the compound mystery in Sweet Spot.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
4. The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths: a warm, funny mystery where a small, unlikely group of friends comes together to chase a killer, much like Belle’s growing circle.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
5. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie: the Golden Age classic behind the spark Sweet Spot is chasing.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy

Who Would You Trust Like Belle?

Belle is slowly learning to call people her friends. Have you started the Ghostwriter Mysteries? Who is your favourite in her circle so far, Kay, Denny, or Abby? And are you team audiobook or team print for this series? Tell me in the comments.

Book Links

Want to purchase this or any of your favorite books while supporting a local bookstore? Consider purchasing using the sites below. These sites work with independent local bookstore owners to fulfill your book orders. #SupportLocal

Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
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