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ariana3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a good, cute, fun murder mystery book! It wasn't too gorey or thriller heavy. I wouldn't consider this a "dark" murder mystery book. The main group of 4 characters all live at an active senior community. They created the Thursday Murder Club where every Thursday they meet and discuss murder cases to see if the police may have overlooked anything and if they could bring fresh eyes to cases. Nothing ever came of it, just a fun weekly ritual to socialize and discuss logistics from different perspectives. Until.....someone who helped build the community (he was into drugs and the mafia, so not a good dude) was killed just after being on the property, then the developer himself died on the property! So the club got into action! Their main "leader," Elizabeth, began a relationship with the local police detectives, and they all became friends and shared info. Long story short, the gang helps solve the murder and bring info to the police so they can solve and close the cases! The 2 murders turned into a couple more along the way, which got a little confusing but it was all tidied up at the end. I got a little too caught up in the personal stories so I don't think I liked it as much because of that. I did like the little side story of the personal relationship of the 2 police officers (1 male 1 female). I was afraid they themselves would get together which felt weird to me, but the woman set the man up with her mom which was cute!! I was also preoccupied with trying to figure out the twists already in my head which made me not fully enjoy the book. At one point at the end I thought for a while that Joyce was the killer, which made me SO sad because she seemed great! So I'm really glad she stayed as a semi-narrator with her diary entries and not a murderer. Overall I did like the book, and looking forward to reading the next one! I think I might know what it's about but I don't want to spoil it for myself or get too excited. It felt like a good reminder that just because people live in a senior community doesn't mean they're just potatoes and do nothing all day. They still seek out companionship, relationships, friendships, socialization, activities, hobbies, etc. They're still human beings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Dementia, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, and Suicide
Minor: Child death, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Cancer
lvrlvr's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Murder, Medical content, Grief, Suicide, and Dementia
Minor: Cancer and Child death
kajoreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
The beginning felt slow and dragged out. Luckily it picked up some pace towards the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Suicide, Body shaming, Dementia, Fatphobia, Grief, and Death
Minor: Chronic illness, Violence, Cancer, Pregnancy, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexism, Medical content, and Terminal illness
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A perfect cozy mystery that you want to read while curled up with a steaming hot mug of tea. (British of course, with milk and sugar). Much in the same vein as “Only Murders in the Building,” or “Vera Wang’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers,” this book follows a group of four friends (and a large supporting cast, which honestly could have been cut down some…) living in a swanky British retirement village as they try to solve murders. Little do they know that they’ll be up to their necks in dead bodies in just a wink.
With plenty of witty banter and heartwarming moments, this book was generally enjoyable and hit the right notes. I loved all the characters and the author did a beautiful job of really bringing them to light. We’ve all known retirees like Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Rob, and Joyce. Each with their own spin on their detective work, the murder club follows the twists and turns of the bodies piling up around them.
There are some decent red herrings and good twists throughout, but I wasn’t in suspense. I wanted to know what happened to our fabulous foursome more than I cared about who the murderer was, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a terrible thing.
The short chapters and fast pacing of this book made it easy to read and make quick work of. There were some unexpected heartwarming moments and a decent number of sweet conversations that happened as a result of the age and life experiences of our characters, a unique and lovely addition.
I didn’t know when I started reading that this was a series. I’m not sure I desperately need a second book but I’m going to read it anyway, and will look forward to visiting Coopers Chase retirement village again in the near future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Death, Grief, Suicide, Murder, and Medical content
sop17hie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Excellent set of main characters. I cried and I was on the edge of my seat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide
ashleyjean6's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Absolutely brilliant writing, fabulous character development, wonderful sense of humor! It deals with some gritty topics, but it's always a pleasure to read. Witty, intelligent, thought provoking and fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Blood, Child death, Suicide, Dementia, Murder, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Violence
bronzel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Murder, Body shaming, Terminal illness, Dementia, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcohol, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Blood
thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book kept me swinging between amusement and heartache the whole time. It was pitched to me as a fun, funny mystery novel, and it is that, but it grapples with some really heavy topics and it handles them with a grace I didn't expect. So much of this book is about grief of every kind. You sit with these characters, who you can't help but love, as they grieve for lost love, lost friends, spent youth, and things that never were but should have been, and it just breaks your heart. Even in the face of that though this remains an incredibly hopeful book that made me laugh just as much as it made me cry. I'm so very glad I picked this up, and I'm excited to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Dementia, Medical content, Violence, Chronic illness, Child death, and Terminal illness
kilkenni's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A must read for any fan of British murder mystery shows. It has all the elements, but in a literary form. The characters are, of course, the main focus and point of this novel, but I loved the plot too. It had a good share of unexpected twists, confusing moments, and suspenseful scenes. You quickly get hooked up, so it's a very pleasant and fast read
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol, Dementia, and Medical content
sobo31's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Death, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Medical content, Rape, Drug use, Animal death, Gun violence, and Pregnancy