How to write a book blurb that actually sells your novel

A blurb is not a summary. It is a promise about the reading experience, made in as few words as you can manage.

Start with the situation, not the setup. Name the protagonist once, give them one specific problem, and raise one question the reader wants answered.

Cut every adjective that could apply to another book. 'Gripping' is not information. 'She has eleven hours to identify a body that has been dead for nine years' is.