Murder is Misunderstood

by Heather Horrocks

THE BAD MOTHERS CLUB (Bad Mothers Club Cozy Mystery #1)

When Denver stay-at-home mom Becky Montgomery caught her husband of twenty years in their bed with another woman, she never dreamed her three children would blame her for the resulting divorce.

Feeling like maternal failures, she and two friends (feisty PI Sam and No-One’s-Accused-Me-Of-Being-Mother Teresa) form the Bad Mothers Club in order to deal with their various child-related heartaches more positively.

When her ex-husband, Jack, is accused of murdering Becky’s first post-divorce date, the Bad Mothers set out to prove his innocence, but only for the sake of her children.

These Bad Mothers have faced everything from terrible twos and sleep deprivation to rebellious teens and heartbreak -- they’re not about to let a mere murderer stop them from winning the Worst Mother of the Month award.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2011

About the author

I’m an author who had a somewhat unorthodox upbringing. I was raised in South America and the Middle East, and wrote my first stories as a teenager in Kuwait, where my sister and I proved it really is hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. I wrote my first novel in three months on a typewriter when I was 21, I used every romance cliché possible (including amnesia — need I say more?), and never rewrote anything, which is why it’s so much fun to pull it out occasionally when I need a good laugh. I wrote sporadically until my youngest child (who is now 18) was two, when I decided it was time to either actually start writing, or to stop saying I was a writer. So I took a class and started doing the scary things that writing requires. Now I’ve written about twelve novels and several children’s books.

Reviews

[Tamera Westhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book that I desperately wanted to like, a fantastic summary that didn't live up to its hype. I did enjoy the plot and the mystery. I liked the fact that they made a club, to help them feel better as mothers. I disliked all the references to sex. It is not the begin-all end-all (and this is coming from a mother of five and a third kids), so I don't think it needs to be brought up constantly. What is with all of the mentions of her friend's sensuality and breasts? Awkward! Another random swear word, and I started skipping around. I just wanted to get to the end, which I did like. It was a surprise to me as to who did it, and that is why it gets three stars.

[T.K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the story and didn't guess the murderer, I didn't love Sam. She was so lewd and brought sex into every discussion. Thankfully, she's not the main character, so there are scenes without her. Also, I was shocked that the main character gets attacked by a man with a knife in her home, runs him off, and goes back to sleep soundly?!? I thought maybe it was just a dream until she tells her friends about it. A rock through the window and a dead cat on her porch send her running to her sister's house, but an intruder with a knife is no big deal? How did he get in? Isn't she worried he'll come back? Hard to get past that, but otherwise it was good.

[Patti A Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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I loved this book! I fell in love with the “Bad Mother’s Club”. So much humor and wit. I am going through this series. It is a fun read! ❤️

[Kim Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was soooooo disappointed in this book. I have read several others by Heather Horrocks, and the ones that I've read already were significantly better than this one. Had this been my first, I don't know that I would have read any others.

First of all, she took 9 chapters to say what could have been said in 2. While I can't say that I wouldn't be the same way as Becky in real life, hearing over and over and over about Jack and Jill got seriously annoying. Jack cheated on her. Check. Jack and Jill make an annoying nursery rhyme couple. Check. She hadn't been out with anyone else for over 2 decades. Check. I got it the first time!!! Whether or not this is realistic, it's not necessary in a novel. Once the point has been made, it's enough. I was so close to not finishing the book several times. I kept listening, hoping that it would get better.

Then it did start to get better. The murder mystery part was pretty good. I may have bumped it up to a 3 at that point if it weren't to all the references to sex. There was certainly no graphic or descriptive sex -- there wasn't even any kissing. For my taste, the subject just came up way too many times in what was otherwise a very clean book.

Having said all that, I did like the characters. I may think about giving the second one in the series a try -- if I run out of things to read...

[Karie · Rating 2 out of 5]

When "professionally edited" is one of the selling points of the book, it should be a clue to me that the writing isn't as polished as it could be. In this case, the style was distracting and awkward and I really, REALLY didn't like the main character because she was constantly caving in to and appeasing her daughter. Divorce or no, children need consistency in the expectations for their behavior.

ANYWAY.

It was an okay mystery and the actual perpetrator was somewhat of a surprise, yet had been blended skillfully into the narrative. It wasn't a complete waste of time to read, but it wasn't something I savored, either.

[T.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

Fun read

While all the standard elements of a cozy mystery are there, Heather Horrocks did a nice job adding some unusual twists. I really appreciate the way she added a legitimate PI to the mix, since my pet peeve with this style of mysteries is the woman who decides to investigate without any good motivation or qualifications. it was entertaining AND believable - a nice mix!

[Nellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, clean, exciting murder mystery. Not a romance. There was some flirting and dating, but nothing else. Beckys husband cheats on her, and she catches them in her bed. Shse has to find a way to put the past behind her and move on. When her husband is accused of murder, she decides she needs to help him for her childrens sake. Cute story, Full of humor. I enjoyed it.

[Mascanlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters have possibilities, just wish we didn't always have to start put with the wife finding her husband of 20yrs in bed with a trophy blond. Twist in this plot is that he ends up the suspect not the victim and Becky Montgomery has to help clear his name for the sake of her children. I'll give the club another whirl though and see how they develop.

[Shelly Mateer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and fun is how I would describe this book. Before I read this book, I never knew what a “cozy mystery” was, and now I’m hooked. The author does an excellent job of describing her characters - she made me feel like I knew them. I found Becky to be quite lovable and the book accomplished just what this type of book should - entertain!

[Kathryne Delaune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun new series for me

I really enjoyed this first book in the Bad Mothers Club series. I don't know if any of the other books are out yet but the ending left off with the perfect set up for the next book.

[Stacy Goodworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the humor. The combination of the three women in the club is entertaining. All in all, I thought it was a good story.