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Off Book: A Murder Most Camp with Nicolas DiDomizio & Dinah Alobeid

  • Writer: genredpodcast
    genredpodcast
  • 21 hours ago
  • 4 min read

Cozy Mystery Chaos, Camp Drama, and One Very Good Twist


This week on Genre’d, we are joined by our first-ever returning Off Book guest, Nic DiDomizio, along with Dinah Alobeid, and this episode is exactly what you want it to be. Funny, chaotic, a little unhinged, and somehow also deeply insightful about writing, publishing, and what makes a mystery actually work.


Nic is back to celebrate the release of A Murder Most Camp, and we finally get to talk about it in full. And yes, that means spoilers. But before we get there, we get into everything from messy first drafts to how this book almost had a completely different killer.


Also: Annabelle supremacy. Obviously.



⚠️ Spoiler Warning

We start spoiler-free, but there is a clearly marked spoiler section later where we get

into the ending, the twist, and what almost happened instead.


You’ve been warned.



What We Cover


Genre & Vibes


This is a cozy mystery with teeth.


Think:

  • Campy (in every sense of the word)

  • Found family chaos

  • Nepo baby redemption arc

  • A genuinely solid mystery underneath all the humor


It’s giving Schitt’s Creek meets summer camp meets true crime brain rot.


Characters to Watch


Mikey:

A chaotic, slightly lost nepo baby forced to do something “good” before he can access his inheritance. Should you root for him? Maybe. Will you anyway? Yes.


Annabelle:

The 12-year-old aunt. The moment. The star.

Doesn’t care about camp. Does care about solving a potential murder. Deeply relatable.


The Camp Misfits:

A rotating cast of chaotic children who absolutely should not be running an investigation… and yet.


What It’s Giving


  • “Fish out of water but make it rich and deeply unserious”

  • Summer camp but everyone is a little suspicious

  • True crime documentary energy

  • Nostalgia-core pop culture references

  • Cozy mystery structure with a modern, chaotic twist


Would Our Mother Read This?

Yes… but she might not expect how funny it is.



Behind the Book (aka what we learned from Nic)


This is where it gets interesting.

  • The book started from an editor wanting a funny mystery set at a summer camp

  • Nic was literally paid to write the first three chapters

  • The first draft was, in his words, “a pile of garbage”

  • The killer completely changed during edits

  • Major elements (like Mikey’s film obsession) didn’t exist at first


Which leads to one of our favorite takeaways:

A great editor doesn’t just refine the book, they help reshape it entirely.

And honestly? It worked.



🚨 SPOILERS AHEAD 🚨


If you haven’t read A Murder Most Camp, pause here, go read it, then come back.

We’ll wait.



The Twist


The missing staffer was murdered… but not by who you think.


The real killer is tied to:

  • A sorority hazing scandal

  • A long-term cover-up

  • And a very calculated decision to protect access to wealth and power


And the best part?

You figure it out right before the characters do.

Exactly how a mystery should work.


Why the Twist Works


There are:

  • Multiple red herrings

  • False clues planted intentionally

  • A layered setup that keeps shifting what’s real and what isn’t


At one point, even we were like… wait, now I’m confused.

In a good way.


What Almost Happened Instead


Originally?

The killer was completely different.

Less layered. Less satisfying. More… delightfully messy.


The final version adds:

  • A stronger motive

  • A more integrated twist

  • And way more payoff


Shoutout to the editor. Truly.


The Unexpected Emotional Moment


In the middle of all the chaos, there’s one line that stuck:

“Happy people aren’t mean.”

And hearing how a reader shared that with their kid who was being bullied?

We’re unwell.



Final Thoughts


Katy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Give me 10 more of these. Annabelle in LA solving crimes on a movie set? I’m sat.


Elyse⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is exactly what the genre should be. Familiar structure, but with a fresh voice and characters you actually care about.



Fast Facts

a murder most camp cover

Book: A Murder Most Camp

Author: Nicolas DiDomizio

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Vibes: Campy, chaotic, funny, nostalgic

Tropes:

  • Fish out of water

  • Found family

  • Amateur sleuths

  • Hidden past / long-buried secrets




Join the Conversation


Have you read A Murder Most Camp?

  • Did you figure out the twist early or right on time?

  • Are you also obsessed with Annabelle?

  • And most importantly… would you read a sequel?


Let us know.



Listen & Follow


👉 Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

👉 Explore more episodes of Genre’d Podcast

👉 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok @genredpodcast


⭐ If you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe.

📚 Remember: no genre shaming unless it’s funny.


And if you want everything we talk about, from books to products to random hyper-specific recommendations, check out our ShopMy.




Mini FAQ


Is A Murder Most Camp a series?

Not yet… but if Katy has anything to do with it, it absolutely will be!


Is it actually funny or just “marketed as funny”?

It’s funny. Like actually funny.


Do you need to like mysteries to enjoy this?

No. If you like character-driven chaos, you’re in.


Is it more cozy or more thriller?

Cozy, but with enough mystery to keep you hooked.



Reading Essentials

Everything we actually use while reading. If we talked about it, it’s probably here.



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