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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Charley Carpenter loves running her own clothing store, Old Hat Vintage Fashions, and she loves reading mysteries. She decides to join the Agathas Book Club to network among the wealthy residents of her town and hopefully have fun discussing various books along the way. The meetings aren’t as fun as she had hoped since most of the women are not friendly to those they consider outside small circle of friends, but Charley keeps with it for the sake of her business. Then, a murderer strikes and Charley figures out the crime have been committed in ways that have been described in two of the books on the club’s reading list. Soon, Charley finds herself assisting her nemesis Detective Marcus Trenault to solve the murders.
I love the premise of the book and found the tie-in between the crimes and the reading list books to be well-done. However, knowing a reading group was at the center of the book, I had expected a group of friends getting together to discuss books, socialize, and maybe do some crime-solving on the side. I wasn’t prepared that Charley didn’t care for most of the members and with a couple of exceptions, the other women didn’t like Charley, who was considered an outsider, or each other! Some of the woman were so pretentious and judgmental, it was hard to enjoy the exchanges between these catty women. Once the investigations of the murders began, the book get much better.
Charley’s relationship with Marc starts out as contentious and their interactions immature, but things improve once the two are able to put past grievances aside. In fact, there are a couple difference scenes between the two that were very romantic. Charley’s best friends Frankie and Dmitri are also likeable and help make up for the unappealing Agathas. There was a twist at the end that I actually saw coming. I was disappointed that Charley, an avid mystery reader and fan of Agatha Christie ended up in a dangerous situation because she overlooked an important clue that should have been obvious to her. Nevertheless, once I made it through the slow-starting beginning, I did become invested in the story and interesting to find out what would happen next. Overall, the book is light, entertaining read for mystery fans. (3.5 stars)
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Alibi. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
I love the premise of the book and found the tie-in between the crimes and the reading list books to be well-done. However, knowing a reading group was at the center of the book, I had expected a group of friends getting together to discuss books, socialize, and maybe do some crime-solving on the side. I wasn’t prepared that Charley didn’t care for most of the members and with a couple of exceptions, the other women didn’t like Charley, who was considered an outsider, or each other! Some of the woman were so pretentious and judgmental, it was hard to enjoy the exchanges between these catty women. Once the investigations of the murders began, the book get much better.
Charley’s relationship with Marc starts out as contentious and their interactions immature, but things improve once the two are able to put past grievances aside. In fact, there are a couple difference scenes between the two that were very romantic. Charley’s best friends Frankie and Dmitri are also likeable and help make up for the unappealing Agathas. There was a twist at the end that I actually saw coming. I was disappointed that Charley, an avid mystery reader and fan of Agatha Christie ended up in a dangerous situation because she overlooked an important clue that should have been obvious to her. Nevertheless, once I made it through the slow-starting beginning, I did become invested in the story and interesting to find out what would happen next. Overall, the book is light, entertaining read for mystery fans. (3.5 stars)
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Alibi. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Charley Carpenter lives in a small town with her invalid father and his linebacker sized care giver. She also owns a vintage clothing store, Old Hat. To make the store a success she'll do anything, including putting up with a bunch of insufferable snobs in a murder-of-the-month book club called The Agathas. When one of the members sisters is murdered the Agathas come under suspicion. Unfortunately, the detective investigating the crime is Marcus Trenault , her high school crush and the person who broke the heart of his mother, her father's best friend.
Along with her best friend Frankie Bright (a real spitfire who I think may be my favourite character) Charley decides to investigate. When another murder occurs Charley realizes that the two are connected as they have been staged to resemble the murders in the books the Agathas have recently read.
Each of the Agathas is pretty annoying but snotty rich bitches usually are.
Needless to say, sparks fly between Charley and Marcus, she gets caught in a dangerous situation and all's well that ends well. I will say that I was really happy it was her other best friend, Dmitri, who saved the day and not Marcus. I might have not liked a "damsel saved by knight in shining armour" ending.
Along with her best friend Frankie Bright (a real spitfire who I think may be my favourite character) Charley decides to investigate. When another murder occurs Charley realizes that the two are connected as they have been staged to resemble the murders in the books the Agathas have recently read.
Each of the Agathas is pretty annoying but snotty rich bitches usually are.
Needless to say, sparks fly between Charley and Marcus, she gets caught in a dangerous situation and all's well that ends well. I will say that I was really happy it was her other best friend, Dmitri, who saved the day and not Marcus. I might have not liked a "damsel saved by knight in shining armour" ending.
Oakwood Mystery Series #1
A series of murders in Charley’s hometown leaves the local police department - and the members of the Agatha’s Book Club - at a loss for the motive, killer, or what ties the victims together. Charley’s unusual relationship with a detective on the case makes trying to help him challenging once she discovers that the murders mirror scenes from classic mystery books being read for the Agatha’s Book Club. The Agatha's book club includes Kitty, Ronnie, Kelly, Wilson, Midge, Lindy, Charlie, and Frankie. All women, but I thought the number of "man" names was oddly high.
Set in Oakwood, Ohio, we closely follow Charlie, Frankie, and Marc as they all work together to try to solve the murders going on. This is a really fun, cute, cozy mystery. It’s not perfect but I still really liked the story and absolutely couldn’t put it down until it was finished. I am definitely keeping my eye out for more books in this new series.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A series of murders in Charley’s hometown leaves the local police department - and the members of the Agatha’s Book Club - at a loss for the motive, killer, or what ties the victims together. Charley’s unusual relationship with a detective on the case makes trying to help him challenging once she discovers that the murders mirror scenes from classic mystery books being read for the Agatha’s Book Club. The Agatha's book club includes Kitty, Ronnie, Kelly, Wilson, Midge, Lindy, Charlie, and Frankie. All women, but I thought the number of "man" names was oddly high.
Set in Oakwood, Ohio, we closely follow Charlie, Frankie, and Marc as they all work together to try to solve the murders going on. This is a really fun, cute, cozy mystery. It’s not perfect but I still really liked the story and absolutely couldn’t put it down until it was finished. I am definitely keeping my eye out for more books in this new series.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
**I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**
This book has enough twists to make Agatha Christie proud! There is a lot going on in this story, but I had no trouble following along and making incorrect guesses. It seriously took until right before the killer was revealed for me to figure it out. The writing quality is amazing for a first-in-series.
This book has enough twists to make Agatha Christie proud! There is a lot going on in this story, but I had no trouble following along and making incorrect guesses. It seriously took until right before the killer was revealed for me to figure it out. The writing quality is amazing for a first-in-series.
******copy from NetGalley in return for am honest review****
I enjoyed this, but i didn't love it. In patches it's a big old slog - and I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory - in places it felt like I'd been dropped into book 5+ of a series. But I did like the characters and the set up and I'd consider reading more - if only to see if the problems were ironed out.
I enjoyed this, but i didn't love it. In patches it's a big old slog - and I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory - in places it felt like I'd been dropped into book 5+ of a series. But I did like the characters and the set up and I'd consider reading more - if only to see if the problems were ironed out.
Mystery fans rejoice! What could be better than a murder mystery that revolves around a book club that only reads murder mysteries? A club called the Agathas, in honor of Dame Agatha Christie, of course. Nagel has captured the feel of suburban America perfectly. The secret affairs that everyone knows about, the social clout of the country club set, the shared history of lifelong residents is all there in the descriptions of Oakwood. And when a murder shatters the seeming calm of the town, then is followed by another, and another...it seems that someone is capable of keeping secrets after all.
The characters are entertaining and provoke an emotional response from the readers. We may be amused by Charley and Frankie plotting over coffee, or amused at Dmitri's antics in the hair salon, and then irritated by the imperious Midge or feel sorry for Wilson in her rigidly controlled marriage. The tension between Charley and Marcus and the question of whether they will ever get together or not adds to the suspense of the murder investigation while also letting us take a break from death to roll our eyes at these two stubborn individuals. Even the secondary characters seem very real. There's the faithful caretaker Lawrence who tends to Charley's father; Marc's detective partner, Paul and his teasing that Charley is "Nancy Drew;" and even Charley's dad with his outrage at the inappropriate video that is posted on YouTube after one of the murders. Each person that the reader encounters is believable in all their strengths and weaknesses.
So, we have plot, setting, and characters that lure us in and then the twists and turns keep us guessing. Who is the real killer? Will the attraction between Marc and Charlie ever be acted on? Why isn't there an Old Hat vintage clothing boutique in my town? (Okay, maybe that last one was just me.) Readers who enjoy the Aurora Teagarden mysteries, Goldy's Culinary Mysteries, and other series where the protagonist is not an official detective will have fun with The Book Club Murders.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The characters are entertaining and provoke an emotional response from the readers. We may be amused by Charley and Frankie plotting over coffee, or amused at Dmitri's antics in the hair salon, and then irritated by the imperious Midge or feel sorry for Wilson in her rigidly controlled marriage. The tension between Charley and Marcus and the question of whether they will ever get together or not adds to the suspense of the murder investigation while also letting us take a break from death to roll our eyes at these two stubborn individuals. Even the secondary characters seem very real. There's the faithful caretaker Lawrence who tends to Charley's father; Marc's detective partner, Paul and his teasing that Charley is "Nancy Drew;" and even Charley's dad with his outrage at the inappropriate video that is posted on YouTube after one of the murders. Each person that the reader encounters is believable in all their strengths and weaknesses.
So, we have plot, setting, and characters that lure us in and then the twists and turns keep us guessing. Who is the real killer? Will the attraction between Marc and Charlie ever be acted on? Why isn't there an Old Hat vintage clothing boutique in my town? (Okay, maybe that last one was just me.) Readers who enjoy the Aurora Teagarden mysteries, Goldy's Culinary Mysteries, and other series where the protagonist is not an official detective will have fun with The Book Club Murders.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
I've never read anything quite like this book. I wasn't expecting the plot to go the way it did. The language and romance is stronger than a regular cozy but I found it a nice change of pace. There was a little too much detail for my liking which made it start off slow for me. Leslie Nagel is a good author and I plan on reading more of her.
If you don't like strong language, this isn't a book for you. If you can tolerate it, you won't regret it. Author did state it calms down by book 3.
If you don't like strong language, this isn't a book for you. If you can tolerate it, you won't regret it. Author did state it calms down by book 3.
Mysteries are fun, and cozy mysteries fit the sleuthing mood most of the time when I’m not in the mood for dark/ morbid thrillers or psychological whodunnits who make me feel like my mind has been put through a blender. There are certain cozies I enjoy more than others – and book club or bookish themes are one of those.
Right away The Book Club Murders starts out on a different note compared to some cozies. The book club group doesn’t trust each other with a few exceptions – and the heroine is only involved because of creative marketing for her used clothing store. Some of the characters are downright foul and bitchy, which the character notes since this is a cozy that thankfully doesn’t shy away from colorful language or circumstances.
Speaking of characters, that’s the shining note of this story. Charlie’s friends are fun and make the best supportive characters for this kind of book – loyal but quirky. The suspects are many and it’s hard to pin down the actual culprit since motives remain sketchy and there is a local balding stud who many of the groupies flock to (ewww, yeah didn't get it)
On the downside, while I liked Marc as the cop well enough, the romantic relationship felt false and flighty. The author sometimes shifted to his point of view, which didn’t fit this story. Their relationship was a little too high polished romance type. The emphasis on their relationship made this one half mystery/half romance, not just a mystery book that has a romance as part of the character’s life. Some of the romantic areas were a little sappy.
The second thing that irked me was how unrealistic it is the heroine was so highly praised by the police force, especially Marc and his partner. In most cozies people don't sit in admiration of amateur sleuths. She didn't have a genius IQ and I figured out a lot of what she did - the only question remains, what's with these poor cops and actual detectives? It was unrealistic how much Marc let her in on the investigation too - there are laws forbidding some of that, after all.
Overall a fun mystery that kept losing steam, but I dug the murder angle creativity tied in with books and many of the characters not being fully one-dimensional and typical of run-of-the-mill cozy mysteries.
Right away The Book Club Murders starts out on a different note compared to some cozies. The book club group doesn’t trust each other with a few exceptions – and the heroine is only involved because of creative marketing for her used clothing store. Some of the characters are downright foul and bitchy, which the character notes since this is a cozy that thankfully doesn’t shy away from colorful language or circumstances.
Speaking of characters, that’s the shining note of this story. Charlie’s friends are fun and make the best supportive characters for this kind of book – loyal but quirky. The suspects are many and it’s hard to pin down the actual culprit since motives remain sketchy and there is a local balding stud who many of the groupies flock to (ewww, yeah didn't get it)
On the downside, while I liked Marc as the cop well enough, the romantic relationship felt false and flighty. The author sometimes shifted to his point of view, which didn’t fit this story. Their relationship was a little too high polished romance type. The emphasis on their relationship made this one half mystery/half romance, not just a mystery book that has a romance as part of the character’s life. Some of the romantic areas were a little sappy.
The second thing that irked me was how unrealistic it is the heroine was so highly praised by the police force, especially Marc and his partner. In most cozies people don't sit in admiration of amateur sleuths. She didn't have a genius IQ and I figured out a lot of what she did - the only question remains, what's with these poor cops and actual detectives? It was unrealistic how much Marc let her in on the investigation too - there are laws forbidding some of that, after all.
Overall a fun mystery that kept losing steam, but I dug the murder angle creativity tied in with books and many of the characters not being fully one-dimensional and typical of run-of-the-mill cozy mysteries.
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.
I found the premise of book to intriguing to begin with. The suspects are all a part of a murder mystery book club and the killings are set up from depictions in actual mystery novels, some we all might have read at one time or another. The way the story plays out is engaging and most every character is a capable suspect. Even when you think you've guessed the ending, your armchair detective ego will be hit when you find out the truth.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan on reading more in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed this book via NetGalley.
I found the premise of book to intriguing to begin with. The suspects are all a part of a murder mystery book club and the killings are set up from depictions in actual mystery novels, some we all might have read at one time or another. The way the story plays out is engaging and most every character is a capable suspect. Even when you think you've guessed the ending, your armchair detective ego will be hit when you find out the truth.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan on reading more in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed this book via NetGalley.