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Grace "The Hit Mom" Mysteries #1
Wrong Poison
She's a nice suburban mom and a sacred assassin...and Grace Adair’s secret life has just become a problem.
In “WRONG POISON,” Grace knows she’s in trouble when a death at the Library Book Fair turns out to be murder – by a poison used only by her ancient sisterhood. Now, she’ll need all her skills as a PTA mom and former prosecutor to find the killer and protect her friends…and their secrets. Hopefully without using her other skills.
About those other Grace and her sweet older pal Madge are members of a 700-year-old order of assassins, sacred to the Archangel Gabriel and sworn to remove evil men who elude man’s justice. Think #MeToo with a poison solution.
With the unwitting help of her diverse and colorful parent pals, Scotchie the Giant Dog, and her clueless defense lawyer husband, Grace tracks the killer and unearths all kinds of secrets in suburbia...finally cornering the killer in a wild confrontation at the PTA Ice Cream Social.
Can she protect her friends and her sisterhood? Or is it the end of centuries of quietly meting out justice – and Grace herself?
Call it a cozy with a twist. You’ve never met anyone like Grace…and you’ll never forget her.
In “WRONG POISON,” Grace knows she’s in trouble when a death at the Library Book Fair turns out to be murder – by a poison used only by her ancient sisterhood. Now, she’ll need all her skills as a PTA mom and former prosecutor to find the killer and protect her friends…and their secrets. Hopefully without using her other skills.
About those other Grace and her sweet older pal Madge are members of a 700-year-old order of assassins, sacred to the Archangel Gabriel and sworn to remove evil men who elude man’s justice. Think #MeToo with a poison solution.
With the unwitting help of her diverse and colorful parent pals, Scotchie the Giant Dog, and her clueless defense lawyer husband, Grace tracks the killer and unearths all kinds of secrets in suburbia...finally cornering the killer in a wild confrontation at the PTA Ice Cream Social.
Can she protect her friends and her sisterhood? Or is it the end of centuries of quietly meting out justice – and Grace herself?
Call it a cozy with a twist. You’ve never met anyone like Grace…and you’ll never forget her.
- GenresMystery
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 11, 2023
63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 21, 2023
Nikki Knight serves up a delectable tale of justice in this cleverly crafted mystery. The unique theme pushed every one of my buttons, and I finished the book with a huge smile on my face. More Grace ‘the Hit Mom’ please!
December 10, 2023
I love a snarky mom lead character! Thank you Charade Media LLC and Nikki Knight for this free copy!
“Wrong Poison” by Nikki Knight (Grace the Hit Mom #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cozy Mystery. Location: Alcott, Connecticut, USA. Time: Autumn, present.
THE SERIES: Grace Adair, former prosecutor, is a suburban PTA mom married to Michael, defense lawyer. Grace is also a consecrated assassin. Grace and her handler Madge are members of the Archangel Gabriel’s 700-year-old Order, sworn to permanently remove evil men who elude justice. With unwitting help from Corinna (Assistant Library Director), Moira (Library Director), Brian (single dad), Scotchie the Giant Dog, and somewhat clueless Michael, Grace tracks killers and suburban secrets.
THIS BOOK: Obedellia Winch (bossy town council chair) collapses and dies at the Library Book Fair, murdered by a poison used only by Grace’s ancient Order. The poison recipe is in the Order’s’ Book, and one of the Books was accidentally sold at the Book Fair. Grace has a murderer to catch, and a Book to retrieve. If she doesn’t, it may be fatal for Madge and Grace-the Order does not leave problems dangling. Meanwhile, Michael needs Grace’s help with a puzzling corruption case.
Author Knight has started a quirky, snarky suburban mom series with a twist. She writes Grace as intelligent, competent, happy at home, yet savy enough to recognize there’ll come a time when she wants more. Her descriptions are clever and relatable: (“The kind of morning where everything breaks in exactly the wrong direction…”) Since this is book 1 in a series, I wish there was a map of Alcott. Knight drops red herrings for us to consider as Grace closes in on the killer and the Book. The ending hints at more twists to come. I can’t wait to read book 2, and it’s 4 snarky stars from me🌵📚💁🏼♀️
“Wrong Poison” by Nikki Knight (Grace the Hit Mom #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cozy Mystery. Location: Alcott, Connecticut, USA. Time: Autumn, present.
THE SERIES: Grace Adair, former prosecutor, is a suburban PTA mom married to Michael, defense lawyer. Grace is also a consecrated assassin. Grace and her handler Madge are members of the Archangel Gabriel’s 700-year-old Order, sworn to permanently remove evil men who elude justice. With unwitting help from Corinna (Assistant Library Director), Moira (Library Director), Brian (single dad), Scotchie the Giant Dog, and somewhat clueless Michael, Grace tracks killers and suburban secrets.
THIS BOOK: Obedellia Winch (bossy town council chair) collapses and dies at the Library Book Fair, murdered by a poison used only by Grace’s ancient Order. The poison recipe is in the Order’s’ Book, and one of the Books was accidentally sold at the Book Fair. Grace has a murderer to catch, and a Book to retrieve. If she doesn’t, it may be fatal for Madge and Grace-the Order does not leave problems dangling. Meanwhile, Michael needs Grace’s help with a puzzling corruption case.
Author Knight has started a quirky, snarky suburban mom series with a twist. She writes Grace as intelligent, competent, happy at home, yet savy enough to recognize there’ll come a time when she wants more. Her descriptions are clever and relatable: (“The kind of morning where everything breaks in exactly the wrong direction…”) Since this is book 1 in a series, I wish there was a map of Alcott. Knight drops red herrings for us to consider as Grace closes in on the killer and the Book. The ending hints at more twists to come. I can’t wait to read book 2, and it’s 4 snarky stars from me🌵📚💁🏼♀️
July 21, 2023
Original, wiity and warm
Not your average cozy! A highly enjoyable modern mystery with a host of very real and memorable characters, a highly unusual heroine and lots of wit.
The setting is very well drawn, a small tiwn/suburbia that feels real. The various characters draw you in quickly, and the story of the mysterious sisterhood of righteous poisoners unfolds neatly. The main character is very endearing, her marriage and parenting role reflects authentic modern life, but it's all delivered with wry humour.
The central plot is deftly handled, and satisfyingly resolved - a solid murder mystery tied up in a very novel, original package.
Thoroughly enjoyed, can't wait for Grace to return!
Not your average cozy! A highly enjoyable modern mystery with a host of very real and memorable characters, a highly unusual heroine and lots of wit.
The setting is very well drawn, a small tiwn/suburbia that feels real. The various characters draw you in quickly, and the story of the mysterious sisterhood of righteous poisoners unfolds neatly. The main character is very endearing, her marriage and parenting role reflects authentic modern life, but it's all delivered with wry humour.
The central plot is deftly handled, and satisfyingly resolved - a solid murder mystery tied up in a very novel, original package.
Thoroughly enjoyed, can't wait for Grace to return!
December 3, 2023
Recommended to me by my book club - This is not a genre or book I would have otherwise been tempted to read but I am glad I did as it was enjoyable. Engaging from the outset, full of characters you can relate to and feel that you know. Easy to read, the story progresses and builds slowly but unfolds with twists; there is mystery and intrigue that leaves you wanting to discover who dunnit. The short chapters allow you to pick up when you have a few minutes spare. I would recommend it as a great holiday read, because whilst the story has depth it's not too intense, overall a good and satisfying form of escapism.
July 25, 2023
A highly enjoyable mystery crafted by Nikki Knight. It is not your typical cozy. The heroine is immensely unique and the host of characters surrounding her are both real and memorable. I adored the wit and humor sprinkled throughout this story of a suburban Mom with a secret life.
I could not stop turning the pages- do yourself a favor and read this one!
I loved this book and cannot wait to read about Grace’s other adventures.
I could not stop turning the pages- do yourself a favor and read this one!
I loved this book and cannot wait to read about Grace’s other adventures.
June 19, 2023
This may be the first book I have read by Nikki Knight, but it certainly won’t be my last. A fantastic mystery on its own, the inclusion of age old mysticism, secret societies and a variety of crazy characters, this one is an awesome read.
June 17, 2023
There’s a certain feel to a book that’s just right. Everything hits the mark just as it should. For me as a reviewer, that earns my highest praise, as a book that’s “just right” is as good as it can be, and in the case of Nikki Knight’s Wrong Poison, that’s very good indeed. Nikki Knight, the nom de plume of Kathleen Marple Kalb, has also written an interesting historical series featuring a “trouser diva”, or a female singer who sings male parts, and an (unfortunately) only one book series featuring a Vermont radio DJ under the Nikki Knight moniker. Knight’s take on things is always a different and interesting one, and this kick off to a new series is no exception.
With a fine and well-honed eye for suburban mom-dom, Knight delineates Grace’s life as the busy mom of a six year old, wife of a busy attorney, and part time editor and book whisperer. Grace has plenty on her plate. She was also chosen, way back in law school, to join a sister hood of assassins using untraceable poisons who put a few selected, terribly behaved men permanently out of commission. When an unpleasant town council member falls dead at the annual library sale, Grace and her buddy move in to perform CPR, but Grace notices a telltale sign of her special poison, something no one outside their sisterhood should know about.
When it comes out that the “book” containing the poison recipe has probably been sold at the library sale, the hunt it on. The dead woman was widely hated all over town, for one thing, threatening to slash the library budget and eliminate positions there. She was simply unpleasant, and even her husband doesn’t seem to mourn her. It’s soon obvious he was having an affair. Grace tries to discover stealthily just what happened to the book – she’s under threat of death herself if she doesn’t locate it and find out who used it.
Knight’s writing has the kind of intelligent, funny snap perfected back in the day by authors like Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block. She makes this whole storytelling, character creation thing look simple, and she does it with panache and some great one liners. (The description of the perfect beige twinset worn by the annoyingly perfect PTO president is a case in point). The book catches the reality of suburban life in one way, but it also heightens it, making the stakes bigger and more important. It even has an old school feel in that it’s nice and short – a brief 200+ pages. It’s newer in it’s cultural references and behaviors, of course – it’s 2023, not 1973 after all – but this well thought out story is timeless.
With a fine and well-honed eye for suburban mom-dom, Knight delineates Grace’s life as the busy mom of a six year old, wife of a busy attorney, and part time editor and book whisperer. Grace has plenty on her plate. She was also chosen, way back in law school, to join a sister hood of assassins using untraceable poisons who put a few selected, terribly behaved men permanently out of commission. When an unpleasant town council member falls dead at the annual library sale, Grace and her buddy move in to perform CPR, but Grace notices a telltale sign of her special poison, something no one outside their sisterhood should know about.
When it comes out that the “book” containing the poison recipe has probably been sold at the library sale, the hunt it on. The dead woman was widely hated all over town, for one thing, threatening to slash the library budget and eliminate positions there. She was simply unpleasant, and even her husband doesn’t seem to mourn her. It’s soon obvious he was having an affair. Grace tries to discover stealthily just what happened to the book – she’s under threat of death herself if she doesn’t locate it and find out who used it.
Knight’s writing has the kind of intelligent, funny snap perfected back in the day by authors like Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block. She makes this whole storytelling, character creation thing look simple, and she does it with panache and some great one liners. (The description of the perfect beige twinset worn by the annoyingly perfect PTO president is a case in point). The book catches the reality of suburban life in one way, but it also heightens it, making the stakes bigger and more important. It even has an old school feel in that it’s nice and short – a brief 200+ pages. It’s newer in it’s cultural references and behaviors, of course – it’s 2023, not 1973 after all – but this well thought out story is timeless.
July 16, 2023
"She's a nice suburban mom and a sacred assassin...and Grace Adair’s secret life has just become a problem.
In “WRONG POISON,” Grace knows she’s in trouble when a death at the Library Book Fair turns out to be murder – by a poison used only by her ancient sisterhood. Now, she’ll need all her skills as a PTA mom and former prosecutor to find the killer and protect her friends…and their secrets. Hopefully without using her other skills.
About those other skills - Grace and her sweet older pal Madge are members of a 700-year-old order of assassins, sacred to the Archangel Gabriel and sworn to remove evil men who elude man’s justice. Think #MeToo with a poison solution.
With the unwitting help of her diverse and colorful parent pals, Scotchie the Giant Dog, and her clueless defense lawyer husband, Grace tracks the killer and unearths all kinds of secrets in suburbia...finally cornering the killer in a wild confrontation at the PTA Ice Cream Social.
Can sh
My thoughts:
Nikki Knight, author of "Live, Local And Dead" has crafted a very unique character and storyline we protect her friends and her sisterhood? Or is it the end of centuries of quietly meting out justice – and Grace herself?
Call it a cozy with a twist. You’ve never met anyone like Grace…and you’ll never forget her."
ith "Wrong Poison".
Following the trail of the missing book to who delivered the poison creates concern as it becomes clear that at least one of her friends may have had access to the book - but would they have done such a thing? Then again there are any number of people who would have wanted the victim dead. I wasn't really surprised at "who done it" but getting there was an eventful read!
Grace has her hands full with family issues, a rambunctious dog, work responsibilities and trying to find the truth all while protecting the secret of the sisters. It's a major balancing act.
The relationships and dialogue amongst her family and friends feels realistic. Ms. Knight deftly adds in great cultural references and current social issues. As Grace is the narrator of this story we are also treated to her inner thoughts as she often has to edit what she can actually say out loud to others. Scotchie the dog provides some entertaining moments. A recipe for the fudge that Grace makes is included at the end of the book.
"Wrong Poison" by Nikki Knight is far more than your average cozy mystery. Diversity of characters, witty dialogue and inner thoughts. A mystery that will entertain as you turn the pages to see just what happens next!
In “WRONG POISON,” Grace knows she’s in trouble when a death at the Library Book Fair turns out to be murder – by a poison used only by her ancient sisterhood. Now, she’ll need all her skills as a PTA mom and former prosecutor to find the killer and protect her friends…and their secrets. Hopefully without using her other skills.
About those other skills - Grace and her sweet older pal Madge are members of a 700-year-old order of assassins, sacred to the Archangel Gabriel and sworn to remove evil men who elude man’s justice. Think #MeToo with a poison solution.
With the unwitting help of her diverse and colorful parent pals, Scotchie the Giant Dog, and her clueless defense lawyer husband, Grace tracks the killer and unearths all kinds of secrets in suburbia...finally cornering the killer in a wild confrontation at the PTA Ice Cream Social.
Can sh
My thoughts:
Nikki Knight, author of "Live, Local And Dead" has crafted a very unique character and storyline we protect her friends and her sisterhood? Or is it the end of centuries of quietly meting out justice – and Grace herself?
Call it a cozy with a twist. You’ve never met anyone like Grace…and you’ll never forget her."
ith "Wrong Poison".
Following the trail of the missing book to who delivered the poison creates concern as it becomes clear that at least one of her friends may have had access to the book - but would they have done such a thing? Then again there are any number of people who would have wanted the victim dead. I wasn't really surprised at "who done it" but getting there was an eventful read!
Grace has her hands full with family issues, a rambunctious dog, work responsibilities and trying to find the truth all while protecting the secret of the sisters. It's a major balancing act.
The relationships and dialogue amongst her family and friends feels realistic. Ms. Knight deftly adds in great cultural references and current social issues. As Grace is the narrator of this story we are also treated to her inner thoughts as she often has to edit what she can actually say out loud to others. Scotchie the dog provides some entertaining moments. A recipe for the fudge that Grace makes is included at the end of the book.
"Wrong Poison" by Nikki Knight is far more than your average cozy mystery. Diversity of characters, witty dialogue and inner thoughts. A mystery that will entertain as you turn the pages to see just what happens next!
August 2, 2023
This is definitely not your average cozy. But it's by far the best that i've read with an interesting, and unique premise. Grace, our heroine, is not your average suburban mom. She actually belongs to an ancient sisterhood of female assassin that the rid the world of evil men. There ends up being a murderat the library during the PTA book fair. Grace and her sister assassin, Madge, are present there and notie the affects of the death. The big surprise ends up being that the poison Used to kill the victim is all to familiar to them, Because it's their choice of weapon And only the sisterhood knows it. Which means things just got a whole lot more interesting for grace, and her happy life in suburbia could be over. If it wasn't just the premise, it was the character's and setting which makes this a lot more interesting.
August 4, 2023
Fast-paced, fun who dunnit
Grace is an attorney on sabbatical, a mom, and a serial killer. When a woman is killed at a book sale to benefit the local library with the secret poison her group employs, things get sticky.
Grace must find out who the murderer is so that their secret is kept. She investigates while caring for her son, their rambunctious dog, and assisting her husband with a difficult case.
The victim was not liked by anyone, so suspects abound, and Grace uses her legal acumen to winnow the list with aplomb.
Smart fast-paced dialogue, and characters to care about. Can’t wait for the next one. Highly recommend.
Grace is an attorney on sabbatical, a mom, and a serial killer. When a woman is killed at a book sale to benefit the local library with the secret poison her group employs, things get sticky.
Grace must find out who the murderer is so that their secret is kept. She investigates while caring for her son, their rambunctious dog, and assisting her husband with a difficult case.
The victim was not liked by anyone, so suspects abound, and Grace uses her legal acumen to winnow the list with aplomb.
Smart fast-paced dialogue, and characters to care about. Can’t wait for the next one. Highly recommend.
August 2, 2023
Not what I expected, and it starts with a bang or rather a gag, then a drop dead. Things kick off quickly as a councilwoman chair dies at a charity book fair.
Gracie, one of the volunteers, races to provide CPR but discovers this is not a heart attack, and Gracie knows precisely what caused the woman to collapse. Hopefully, no one else will notice this death was not of natural causes. Gracie must now discover the who and the why and recover valuable evidence, or there could be dire consequences.
Ms Knight, however, never fails to inject her unique sense of humour into the narrative as Gracie struggles to juggle being a full-time mom, an editor, and in a twist of fate, becomes her lawyer husband's legal council when he is hit with a contempt charge in court.
The story is fast-paced and humourous, with an underlying thread of foreboding.
Gracie, one of the volunteers, races to provide CPR but discovers this is not a heart attack, and Gracie knows precisely what caused the woman to collapse. Hopefully, no one else will notice this death was not of natural causes. Gracie must now discover the who and the why and recover valuable evidence, or there could be dire consequences.
Ms Knight, however, never fails to inject her unique sense of humour into the narrative as Gracie struggles to juggle being a full-time mom, an editor, and in a twist of fate, becomes her lawyer husband's legal council when he is hit with a contempt charge in court.
The story is fast-paced and humourous, with an underlying thread of foreboding.
August 20, 2023
"The Hit Mom' sounds like it'll be a story about a woman juggling the PTA and her career as a contract killer -- and Grace IS in the PTA and DOES kill, but she does so as part of an ancient sisterhood of poisoners who right wrongs when the justice system has failed. She's also witty and wry, a relatable character whether you're a suburban mom yourself or not. I'm looking forward to seeing what she gets up to next.
August 5, 2025
A thoroughly entertaining amusing tale, the 4 stars are for my enjoyment and the author’s portrayal of an ancient society of assassins who use undetectable poison. Taking place present day, the death of a much hated city official is ruled natural causes. But the sisterhood knows there is a huge problem….
October 26, 2023
This was by far one of the most fun reads I've had in a while. It was full of intrigue and whimsy and wholly unique. Imagine Dan Brown in a very smart cozy and you have Wrong Poison. Pick this up today if you want to just have a good old fashioned fun read that will make you think and laugh!
April 23, 2025
Catchy title & premise, and a witty writing style made even more entertaining by my ol' middle school & high school buddy Heather Beth Eisenberg's delightful audiobook narration--rock on, Heather!!
August 28, 2025
I was definitely not the target audience. The series name, though, "The Hit Mom," that's so awesome, and I want to see an action/comedy movie with that title immediately.
She drops dead at a library sale, and if I remember correctly, one of the clues was a scarf. All I could think about was the scarf from All Too Well (Taylor Swift fans let's gooooo!) and naturally had the ten-minute version of the song stuck in my head the entire time I read this.
Cute concept, but it wasn't memorable. Again, I was not the target audience.
She drops dead at a library sale, and if I remember correctly, one of the clues was a scarf. All I could think about was the scarf from All Too Well (Taylor Swift fans let's gooooo!) and naturally had the ten-minute version of the song stuck in my head the entire time I read this.
Cute concept, but it wasn't memorable. Again, I was not the target audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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