The Book Club Murders

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Maggie pulled out a chocolate sponge cake to serve the police, who came to question her. She sent the cake with the police to the police station. Is this something you would do? The pacing of the book was absolutely spot on, at no point did it lull causing my interest to drop, it was just constantly on point. It was atmospheric and creepy, a feeling that for me, started with the front cover and kept at a steady pace all the way through the book. I mean can we just talk about that front cover for a hot second - a walkway that is dark at the bottom and seems to go on forever - at this point I'm walking down it and don't care if there are killer clowns at the bottom of it - I mean that's a slight lie but my enthusiasm to walk down it is real.

The Book Club Murders by Alan Gorevan | Goodreads

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? This book is more than a cozy mystery. It’s a romantic suspense and cozy mystery combo. Traditionally cozy mysteries are sweet…no violence, no sex and no foul language. While this book doesn’t have strong violence or sex, there is some language that might bother some. I was okay with it and it fit into the story, but I thought I’d mention it in case some are bothered by that kind of thing. There were a lot of characters and I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t remember who was who, but I worried unnecessarily, everyone was easy to remember due to their different ways etc. The characters were believable and very much like your next door neighbours. I loved how this starts off with a lovely, quiet, sleepy little seaside town, giving chilled cosy mystery vibes, but soon ramps up to being quite a dark and violent murder mystery. There is a budding romance between Marc and Charley (Charlotte), but they have their moments showing their true selves to each other. Marc is jealous of the relationship between his mom & Charley and Charley's dad before her passing. Charley has her own issues too.Before i get into my review, I am going to state I do not think this is a cozy. It is on the fringes, but had a few F* bombs, there was sex that was sort of behind closed doors (perhaps a smidge more explicit than you would normally find) and just didn't read like one to me.

Magpie Murders are Listed Discussion Questions for Magpie Murders are Listed

I can't believe I overlooked this author and haven't read any of his books before! Fleeing from her controlling boyfriend, Adam, Izzy finds refuge in her late aunt's house. Adam is hot on her tail and won’t leave her alone. Meeting more of her neighbours, she attends the local book club after being invited by Louise, her neighbour. The book club members are left wondering how Kate, a member, died. I was nervous about remembering all the characters because there were so many. Thankfully, I have the Kindle Scribe, allowing me to write my notes on the device. I adore that feature. Readers of The Book Club Murders will learn about running a small clothing store. Also, law enforcement procedures in Hall County, Georgia, USA. 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. Talk about the twists & turns—those surprising plot developments that throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray.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. I didn’t expect the story to go the way it did, it had lots of characters with different storylines but they all weaved together brilliantly and all connected near the end with the big twist. Author Betsy Reavley has won plaudits for hard-hitting thrillers like Frailty and The Quiet Ones, and has gathered a loyal fanbase writing standalone tales which fit into the domestic noir genre. With Murder at the Book Club she seems to be having fun and throwing a knowing wink the way of her readers. As such it’s more of a lightweight read that isn’t too taxing. This novel is probably not for you if you like something to get your teeth into, but it is an ideal choice for a book club and I can imagine many a lively discussion between sips of tea and nibbles of cake. Overall, 4.5 stars, a bit of a mix of a cozy and thriller read. Great small town setting, characters and story line. On the flip side, The Book Club Murders is a lot steamier than most cozy mysteries I’ve read – a genre that can be typically trusted to be “clean fiction”. Prevalent – and strong – profanity also proved disappointing to me in this one; again, not something I am used to finding in a cozy mystery. The intimate scenes weren’t explicit enough to be offensive, but the language crossed my own personal level of tolerance.

James Patterson – Books – Women’s Murder Club James Patterson – Books – Women’s Murder Club

It’s hard to classify this book. It’s not quite cuddly enough to be classed as cosy and doesn’t have enough depth to be a bona fide police procedural. There’s a good mystery element, but it doesn’t go full tilt there either. I fully expected at least one member of the book club to turn Miss Marple and start investigating the case herself, but perhaps these ladies aren’t crime fans? In fact, we never discover their reading tastes, save for a mini-discussion about AS Byatt’s Possession in chapter one. When the books are down I would count on Charley to make it exciting. I enjoyed the variety in pace of the book, I felt as though I was on an epic ride through the book. This is a book I was so anticipating. I knew I would enjoy it. Everything I have read by this author has never let me down. So I was expecting a fantastic read at the very least. The Book Club Murders was even better than that. Being a member of a mysteries-only book group, I couldn't wait to read this book. At first, the book dragged and I wasn't sure I would like Charley, as she seemed too flighty, too much of a busybody and too set in her ways. After I got into the story, however, I found it difficult to put the book down and ended up really liking it. It's a little hard to believe that the police, even in such a small town where everyone knows everyone else, would involve Charley in their investigation to the point that they did, but I was willing to overlook that for the sake of a good story. I will keep an eye out for the next book in this series, and can't wait to get to know other residents of the town of Oakwood.One of the characters makes a gender transition announcement during the course of events. While I loved the way the complications associated with such a coming-out were incorporated in the plot, I also feel like the transition was (mostly) portrayed in too idealistic a way. Considering how many busy bodies there were in the group, there would have been far more gossip than portrayed. The other characters’ easy switchover to the new name was also unrealistic. When Kate, one of the members of the book club is found dead, they are all left wondering how she died. 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. Charley Carpenter, owner of a vintage clothing store is desperate for her store to be a success. Her beloved father has incurred multiple strokes and when caring for him was more than she could do, she hired a live-in caretaker, Lawrence. She opened her business two years ago and needs to turn a profit. She decides, with coaxing from her best friend, to join a book club called the Agathas. The Agathas are made up of the towns elite women, therefore, potential customers. To her joy, it is working. To her dismay, most of the women are pretentious snobs. Charley will tough it out though for her bottom line. 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.

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel | Goodreads

I like how Adam also gets a voice. Usually, the abusive ex appears to us only through the eyes of the victim. But seeing Adam's thoughts and actions from his own perspective was creepy and added greatly to the experience. 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. Then there’s another death and the police investigation, led by curmudgeonly DCI Barrett, ratchets up a notch or two. Could there really be a serial killer on the loose – something that second in command DI Palmer seems particularly keen on proving? As the police seek their perpetrator, the women of the book club seem over keen to keep their own counsel. As we get to know them better, all manner of skeletons begin tumbling willy nilly out of their closets. I absolutely loved this book! The story is expertly crafted, with a captivating plot and relatable characters. 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.I liked the various characters who all had their quirks and flaws and each felt relatable in this small town setting. I can totally see this is how book clubs always go, where everyone chats and gets invited into each others lives and issues. I love how fast-paced the story is, despite the number of characters and subplots. It never relaxes its tempo, making sure that I stay invested throughout. 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.