The Book Club Murders

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Much as I love to read about grisly murders and psychological drama, every now and again, my head needs a break and I look for something on the lighter side. When I saw the description of this cozy mystery - the first of a series - it sounded great on several levels. As the title suggests, it's centered around books and a group of rather stuffy women who get together to read and discuss mysteries as part of the Agathas Book Club - and as an avid reader of that genre, it couldn't be more perfect. Adding to the appeal is that the book is set in Oakwood, Ohio - a Dayton suburb quite familiar to me for the first 18 years of my life as I grew up on a farm perhaps 45 minutes away. I didn't hesitate to request an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, and I was elated when that request was approved. While the main cast is white, there are some key Chinese-origin characters. Through some of the townspeople’s interactions with them, we get a glimpse of how racism is a part of life for anyone who looks or sounds different. As some of this is pretty offensive (and realistic too), it provides an indicator of the said characters’ narrow-mindedness. This is exactly how racism works in the actual world. I suppose the title does give it away a little, but although the death of Toni Jones is murder, it isn’t actually at the book club. Her naked body is discovered, scattered with geranium petals, in a local park. Toni was a bit of a pain, it’s true, and had caused a scene at the meeting the previous evening. But who hated her enough to bump her off? Circling the not so cosy book club is the psycho ex, several of the above husbands, a loan shark, and three generations of a Chinese family who provide healing herbs for Izzy’s medical issues as well as much needed support when things go pear shaped.

Thursday Murder Club Series by Richard Osman - Goodreads Thursday Murder Club Series by Richard Osman - Goodreads

What a book! Every character is so well drawn and very real. The inclusion of a transgender character made it a book I connected with so deeply. I have a transgender 15 year old son, so I got so emotionally involved in Stephanie and how her coming out affected the people around her. Chapter 81 hit me. Her parents' reaction, Alan Gorevan, has written it perfectly. I understood the emotions and how parents can struggle to accept or understand. Especially when their child is so old. Isolated and insecure, Izzy is relieved to be embraced by a tightknit group of female neighbours, who invite her to join their book club. This book was entertaining 😄. It’s not the usual dark and somber mystery/suspense that I’m used to, but interesting nonetheless (with humorous parts). I could actually see this book being adapted into a film. The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel is only the first book in this mystery series but it's one you can really sink your teeth into. It technically can be considered a cozy mystery where the amateur sleuth offers her assistance to the tough guy cop who finds her a nuisance (although unsurprisingly a love interest) but that's where the "coziness" ends. Nowhere in this book will you find cupcakes or kittens. It is a gritty mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. When Izzy relocates from the city to the seaside town of Dun Laoghaire to escape a controlling ex, she thinks she's found the perfect haven. The town welcome her and she's soon invited to the local book club - but the group is established and tight-knit and each has their own issues that drag Izzy down.The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a fast paced read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching the action taking place all around me. I could see the vintage clothing in my mind and hear conversations as though I was right there in the room. I really enjoy when this happens. One of my Facebook book clubs chose this for the November book, and I was happy because I already had it in my Kindle library. I can't believe I hadn't read it before now--it was so good! Fairly fast-paced, but lots of detail. I didn't want to put it down. A good ending is essential in any mystery or crime thriller: it should ease up on tension, answer questions, and tidy up loose ends. Does the ending accomplish those goals? And all things considered, it served all its intended purposes. I enjoyed glimpses of places I've been, books I, too, have read, and the respite from head games as the story played out in a somewhat predictable manner (as cozy mysteries are wont to do). The heroine, Charley Carpenter, is a character with whom I could be friends (well, on most days, at least), and certainly one I'll be willing to read more about as the series continues. When Kate, one of the members of the book club is found dead, they are all left wondering how she died.

Murder at the Book Club | Crime Fiction Lover Murder at the Book Club | Crime Fiction Lover

Written by Betsy Reavley — A group of nine women gather for a book club meeting in Cambridge. Can you think of a more innocuous premise for a work of crime fiction? There’s tea, homemade cake, even a bottle of wine… but all is not well with this lot. From the off, there’s an undercurrent that sets everyone on edge. Then, a mere few hours later, one of their group is dead. Who could have predicted that? The Book Club Murders was a really nice fast paced sort of crossover between a cozy mystery and a mystery/thriller read. The main character in this story does do some investigating on her own like you would find in a cozy mystery but a lot of the book also involves the police investigation that you would find in a normal thriller. Neighbour, Louise, invites her over for the local book club where she meets more of her neighbours.I’m so glad I’m not a member of this book club. I don’t think they ever get round to discussing the books. Too busy with the local gossip. And that’s before things get really serious. We only talk about crime novels and serial killer thrillers at any book club I belong to. We don’t act them out for real – thankfully. At least I don’t.

Murder at the Book Club: A Gripping Crime Mystery that Will Murder at the Book Club: A Gripping Crime Mystery that Will

There is much to enjoy about this debut, though I would classify it less as a cozy mystery and more as a romantic suspense. The mystery is extremely well-crafted and kept me guessing right up until the very end. We get the best of both worlds with the amateur sleuth as well as police procedural. The romance – whew – the chemistry is through the roof, and the author does a fantastic job creating a tangible electricity between them. The characters are fun and vivid, and at a certain point you like all of them so much you don’t want the killer to be any of them. And then for a while you like so few of them that you hope the killer is EACH of them lol. I really enjoyed the characters that made up the police department, at least those we encountered in this investigation, and I love Frankie and her husband as my favorite secondary characters. Oakwood, as far as small towns go, is quirky and cute and full of potential for future murders books. I liked the premise of the story of it being centered around a mystery book club who call themselves "The Agathas". The story was well developed with mostly likeable characters. The MC sometimes drove me nuts, but I liked her. It's an interesting read that keeps you wanting to read. I had expected the book club to pay a greater role in the plotline. ( A part of me had expected a closed-door mystery where the members of a book club are rounded up by a book-hating maniac, or maybe by someone who hated the book chosen for discussion. Wouldn’t that have been something!? 😄) However, there’s only one scene set during an actual book club meeting, which was entertaining, no doubt. The references to books are also limited only to the start. So what I got was good, but I wanted far more, considering the title. Thank you. This isn’t one of our Book Club books. The most recent one we’ve done (as of this post) is The Rabbit Factor: https://crimefictionlover.com/2022/01/the-rabbit-factor-by-antti-tuomainen-2/Overall, a well crafted murder mystery to keep readers thinking. Charley is a heroine readers will love and want to read more about. I know I do. I’m looking forward to more books in this new series.

Tuesday Club Murders: Miss Marple’s Thirteen Problems The Tuesday Club Murders: Miss Marple’s Thirteen Problems

Shirley considers her husband Grant useless, as he doesn’t provide enough, spends lots of time with his friends at the pub and spoils their daughter. What is your definition of a useless husband? My thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours and author Alan Gorevan for a complimentary copy of “The Book Club Murders”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. I found this book to be thrilling and set a new pace to a coach series. Charley is my new favorite protagonist and the Agatha's book club is a group I would join even with murder swirling around. I personally liked that the murders were tied in with a variety of novels that the group read. I also loved how the romance/heat between Charley and Marc was instant but one they both feared.In a Nutshell: A fast-paced thriller set around the members of a book club. Murders and mayhem combined with complicated characters provide an entertaining ride. Briefly, Izzy’s first day in Dun Laoghaire and she meets a friendly neighbour who invites her to her book club that evening. It soon becomes apparent that each of the members and their husbands/ partners have issues to contend with which Izzy gets dragged into. Meanwhile Adam won’t accept her moving out and continues to harass her.