A Book Club's Guide to Murder & Mayhem: A Cozy Mystery

by Bethany Barker

A dead body, a large inheritance from an ex-boyfriend, a scam netting three-quarters of a million dollars, and a love attraction throw Suzie Tuft’s serene writing life into chaos.

Textbook writer, Suzie Tuft, discovers a body near her rural home and learns he was an attorney from the estate of her deceased ex-boyfriend, who bequeathed her a small fortune. Suzie’s life is thrown into chaos when she is threatened by the ex’s crazy live-in girlfriend and his unsavory friends looking to recover nearly a million dollars from a con they executed him.

Fortunately, Suzie has her book club friends to help her unravel the mystery, all while falling in love with the handsome detective investigating the murder.

A Book Club’s Guide to Murder & Mayhem is the first book in A Suzie Tuft Mystery series in which a textbook writer recruits her book club friends to help find the killer of the victim she found near her rural home.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Audiobook

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Brandi Holloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read by this author & I really liked it. Cute read and any book with a dog is an automatic winner for me! Loved the main character, Suzie. This is a great cozy mystery and I will definitely reread it again in the fall

Thank you to NetGalley, Harbor Lane Books, LLC. & Bethany Barker for an ARC copy of this title.

[Nikki Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC 3.5 ⭐️

[Liza Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Is it too late to call the ladies?” Jess asked. “Not this bunch. It’s only seven-thirty. They’re settling in with bestselling authors right about now.”

As a member of a thriller bookub I was so excited for a book with 2 of my favorite things: bookclub & a good mystery. 

Suzie's ex leaves her his getaway cabin (and many secrets) after his death. But there are strings attached. His attorney is murdered while on the way to deliver the news and a whole cast of characters come out of the woodwork to lay claim to Suzie's new property. But Suzie doesn't have to solve this mystery on her own because the bookclub ladies are there to help. This story certainly kept me on my toes and trying to guess whodunnit. Such a fun read!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Book Club’s Guide to Murder & Mayhem follows Suzie Tuft, a textbook writer who discovers a stranger’s body while on a walk near her wooded home. It turns out this dead stranger was an estate attorney who was coming to give her notice of a huge inheritance from her deceased ex-boyfriend. How did her deadbeat ex-boyfriend come into all this money to leave her enormous inheritance? Why did he leave it to her after over 2 years of no contact? Who had the motive to kill his estate attorney to prevent her from getting the inheritance? Suzie’s life becomes pure chaos as she has to figure out these mysteries. Luckily she has her book club friends to rely on and it doesn’t hurt that a cute police officer is investigating the murder and seems to take a liking to her.

May contain spoilers:

I enjoyed reading this book but constantly found myself rolling my eyes at all of Suzie’s decisions. It was utterly bizarre to me that she wouldn’t get a hotel or stay with her friends and instead insisted that her dog would keep her safe. She constantly would go about town and her life as if crazy people weren’t constantly harassing her and didn’t want to bother Detective Pagarelli by calling him and reporting all of the harassment. When being tailgated by a mystery car, she drove by her house and went to a friend’s house instead of the police station which drove me insane since she was supposed to be smart! When the book club stakes out motels, they didn’t partner up and instead each person was alone, which didn’t seem to fit if this case was super dangerous. I also don’t remember when she went from keeping parts of the investigation a secret from most of the book club members to telling them. However, despite my criticisms- I breezed through this book and thought it was very entertaining.



Thank you to NetGalley and BookBuzz.net for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Kate Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / 4.0 Stars

This first in series cozy mystery features a charming textbook author and her bookish friends. It was a fun start to hopefully, many more adventures featuring sleuthing Suzie Tuft , Hunter, her formidable canine companion, and that dishy Detective Pagarelli.

Suzie Tuft while out walking Hunter, encounters an odiferous murdered body who turns out to be be her Ex's estate attorney. His colleague follows up with her a day or so later to inform her that she is the primary beneficiary of her ex-boyfriend's estate, which includes a remote "cabin" and a bit of land. Suzie is gobsmacked and keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. Surely there's a catch and she'll be left holding the financial bag.

This is a classic cozy mystery where amateur sleuths are doing most of the sleuthing, the body count rises and the grizzly details remain hidden. The fun little twist is the inclusion of a bit of a scavenger hunt. The writing and scene setting is good. The characters are well developed and the chemistry between Suzie and the detective is a good slow burn. Although I must admit, the title is a bit misleading as the sleuthing mostly centered on Suzie and not the entire Book Club ladies. Perhaps this will change over the course of the series. All in all, this was an entertaining read.

I am grateful to Harbor Lane Books, LLC for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher:‎ Harbor Lane Books, LLC.
Publication Date:‎ April 2, 2024
Number of pages:‎ 314
ISBN:‎ 979-8989032051

[JanEyre9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy murder mystery about Suzie Tuft, a textbook writer who gets caught up in a murder investigation when she inherits a small fortune from her ex-boyfriend and finds the body of said ex’s attorney near her home. With the help of a dreamy detective, her loyal best friend, and her very protective dog Suzie is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

A Book Club’s Guide to Murder & Mayhem is a) a really awesome title and b) doesn’t quite live up the the hype the title promises. If you are a big fan of this genre I’m sure this will be a good way to spend the afternoon. The story is sweet and simple and has a couple fun twists. But overall it was a bit lackluster and some of the language choices feel very stiff. My biggest qualms are that the titular bookclub plays a very minor role and that Suzie makes so many odd and clearly ill advised choices that it starts to become a bit much. But there are some funny moments and I would read this just for Hunter, Suzie’s dog, and the description of the various baked good eaten during the story.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Harbor Lane Books, LLC, and Bethany Barker for the #ARC in exchange for an honest #review 💜

[Deborah Almada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author and a new series for me. Thank you to #Netgally and #HarborLaneBooks for the introduction. I was so pleasantly surprised by this read. Suzie is a great main character, pretty smart, with a loyal best friend in Jess and a gorgeous Siberian Husky sidekick. My one quibble would be that from the title, you would think this series revolves around a book club, that is not true, there is a book club and they do meet a couple of times, and various members have bits and pieces involvement in the story but more actually as a friend of Suzie then a book club. When Suzie finds a dead body while walking about a half mile from her home, she is shocked and saddened. When she finds out he was a lawyer on the way to her home to tell her, she had inherited a home and money from her estranged ex-boyfriend she is stunned. What follows next is people coming out of the woodwork to try and take her inheritance by whatever means necessary. Could one of these people be a murderer? It's worth your time to find out!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute cozy mystery. I enjoyed the book club portion of the story and I wish there was more involvement of the members. There were hints of them here and there, but very little involvement in the investigation part of the story.

This also has a budding romance, which I like in a cozy mystery without drama or a love triangle, which is a positive in my book. . It was a good mystery and wasn't completely predictable, which I also appreciate. I look forward to more books about these characters, so I hope this is the beginning of a new series.

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Book Club's Guide to Murder & Mayhem is a new cozy mystery with likable characters, friendship, a.potential romance and a cozy mystery that kept me guessing. Suzie Tufts is a textbook writer. Her best friends are Jess and Jess's husband Jake. Suzie and Jess belong to a book club. The book club members help do a little sleuthing but mostly it is Suzie questioning the suspects. Susie is out walking with her dog Hunter. She finds a dead body and her life goes from quiet to crazy. Detective Nate Pagarelli and Suzie have chemistry. The Detective is trying to solve the case and he is around every time Suzie needs him and that is a lot. She doesn't have much common sense because she wants to question the suspects. Suzie finds out her ex boyfriend Mike left her a really nice cabin, land, a boat and a SUV. The problem is there are several people who resent her inheritance. Jess is a good friend and a good addition to the story. The book moves at a good pace and it kept my interest. There was a lot of speculation about why Mike left the property to Suzie and why he split it between the two he chose and it still wasn't clear at the end. Overall, it was an enjoyable cozy mystery and the series has a lot of potential. I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley and Harbor Lane Books and I voluntarily leave this review. #ABookClubsGuideToMurder&Mayhem #HarborLaneBooks #BookBuzz

[Christine Grein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy mysteries are my favorite genre! I loved the storyline for this book but the way it was written wasn't my favorite and I found it hard to relate with Susie and Jess. I did, however, enjoy the romantic tension that spiced up the story.

I recieved a free copy of the book from LibraryThing and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

#ABookClubsGuidetoMurderMayhem #NetGalley is an interesting cozy mystery by a new to me author.
Suzy is a text book writer who receives an inheritance from her ex boyfriend. This leads to a lot of problems and most of them include getting rid of Suzy to acquire the inheritance.
There are several people who feel they deserve the money and properties, but Suzy is determined to settle things her own way.
This is an interesting story and it took a bit to really get into, but once it caught my attention I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

[Shirley Ann Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Book Club’s Guide to Murder & Mayhem
: by Bethany Barker

What a great entry into this promising new series! This book was a fast paced nail biter with great characters, suspense, a little romance and a sweet protective dog named Hunter. While out walking with Hunter
Textbook writer Suzy finds the body of an estate lawyer who she learns was from the firm handling her late ex boyfriend's will. To her surprise, he left her a large hunting cabin, valuable antiques, a boat, and an SUV. He was always broke so she wonders where he got his newfound wealth. She also has to deal with the extreme hostility of her ex boyfriends crazy live in girlfriend, his deadbeat brother, and his hulking hunting buddy who are all angry at her. This book kept me glued to my kindle until the end. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susie Tuft is a textbook writer. She inherits a estate from a ex boyfriend she hasn’t heard from in years. As the story unfolds she and her best friend try to solve the murder of a man whose body she discovers in the woods surrounding her home. Her book club members assist but play only a small role. This book had several Likely suspects who stalk and threaten her throughout the book. If you like a clean cozy mystery you will enjoy this book.

[Kenneth Etheredge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a very enjoyable read. It appears to be the first in what the author plans as a series of "Suzie Tuft Cozy Mysteries", and I think the word cozy is a good one-word description of the novel.
The narrator, Suzie, is introduced to us at a book club meeting in the small community of Bearfoot, PA. We learn that she is a writer of text books, and is leaving for a short trip the following day. Upon her return, she goes for a walk on a lonely road that passes her home which is quite isolated. Maybe a mile down the road a suspicious smell leads her to a dead body. A handsome detective arrives (not wearing a wedding ring), and readers will have a hint of what will gradually transpire. It seems that Suzie broke up with a boyfriend 3 years ago, and has not wanted a relationship with another man since. Her ex got hooked on drugs, lost his job, borrowed money from Suzie never repaid, and sealed the breakup by cheating on her. But this detective... well, we shall see.
It turns out that the body Suzie found was a murder victim, and that he was a lawyer coming to see Suzie. But why? Another lawyer from the firm shows up, and to Suzie's complete surprise, tells her that her ex has died and in his Will has left her some valuable property, including what the will says is any money found on the property. Many questions arise: why her; why not his present live-in girlfriend; why not his brother; and anyway, how could he own valuable property in the first place since he was deeply in debt when they broke up? But when she and her friends Jess and Jake drive up to see what Suzie has inherited, they are astounded. Not only that, they actually find some money hidden on the site.
Pretty soon, her ex's girlfriend shows up claiming the property is hers, then the brother shows up claiming it is his, then another mistress shows up, not understanding why she didn't inherent since she and Mike (the ex) used it for their trysts. Then a Paul Bunyan sized man shows up claiming Mike was keeping some of his belongings in storage for him, but refuses to describe what those items are. Any one of these persons could be the killer, knowing that Suzie would never have known about Mike's death, let alone his Will, if they could have kept the law firm from reaching her.
Of course, this being a mystery novel, Suzie and her book club members can't stop themselves from getting involved in the murder investigation. Suzie is harassed and threatened and that handsome detective is constantly telling her to back off, and often arriving to rescue her. Twists and turns abound, but I don't want to be a spoiler, so you must read the book to see how it all turns out.

[L.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Book Club’s Guide to Murder
(Suzie Tuft Mysteries 1)
Bethany Barker


Suzie Tuft lives in Bearfoot, Pennsylvania, and works as a writer. She writes how-tos as well as textbooks. She has a book club meeting the night before leaving for a meeting with her editor in New York. That night the ladies make plans for a future trip out there. Suzie believes she has rebuilt a good life full of friends in the last few years. Until Her ex-boyfriend Mike implodes her well organized life!

Suzie dated Mike Hansen, a bookseller about three years ago. She left him and refused to take him back after catching him cheating on her and using drugs. Since then he’s been living with Samantha, the woman she believes got him hooked on drugs. Thus his multimillion inheritance, a cabin located two hours away in Punxsutawney, to her after his heart attack shocks her and leads to nothing but trouble. Along with the shocking realization that he has been stalking her all these years!

Attorney Christopher Ryder was in town to give Jess the good news of her inheritance. How did he end up dead by the lake?! Detectives Whitehead & Pagarelli arrive after her frantic 911 call. Corey James is the new attorney assigned to relay the news. He shows up surprising Suzie and Hunter while on a walk.

I liked this book but it had gaps for me. Such as the character interactions as well as the missing interactions between characters. The drug angle is glossed over, along with a scam bilking seniors…
Her best friend Jess is angrier and all around more emotional throughout this book than Suzie. Frankly, I liked Jess more than Suzie, because she’s more well formed. Despite its title, the small book club has little to do with this story.
The mystery with its twists and turns does provide a workout for the little gray cells as Poirot would say! 3.5-4**** I would read book two.

Characters
Suzie Tuft
Jess & Jake Waters
Mike Hansen
Tom Hansen
Attorney Ryder
Attorney James
Ribar
Samantha Banks
Honey
Det Whiteford
Det Pagarelli

Bearfoot Book Club Members
Georgianna
Bre
MaryLou
Suzie
Jess



Thank you to Netgalley, Ms. Barker, and the publisher for the ARC.

[Kcaroth1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Book Club’s Guide to Murder and Mayhem by Bethany Barker is a first-in-series cozy mystery. Suzie Tufts, the main character, has just inherited an estate from her ex-boyfriend who she hasn’t seen in years. A number of unsavory characters then show up, and Suzie turns to her best friend Jess and Jess’ husband to help her figure out what is going on.
In general, this started pretty strong; I liked the ideas and the main characters. The rural setting was great and the place Suzy inherited sounds amazing. The bad guys are suitably mean and scary. The biggest issue may be that the dialog is not great. It is often very awkward when it is not intended to be. When she is talking to 911 about finding a body, there is back and forth repartee that is supposed to be funny but is not. It continues through several pages as she talks to the police that show up. There are also a lot of “laying her hand on her cheek” or “tapping her chin with her finger” and other things that people don’t really do most of the time.
Another issue is that there needs to be some added editing. There are several instances where a particular character will find something out, and then a couple of chapters later, Suzi will state that fact and wonder how they will react to just now finding that thing out. Both annoying and hard to keep track of who knows what.
I did like the relationship with Suzie and her best friend and husband. Suzie is a strong personality, although sometimes stubborn to the point of idiocy, and I found her profession as a text book writer interesting.
This is a quick and easy read with some good parts, but I won’t likely seek out any others in the series.
Thank you to the author and LibraryThing for providing the digital ARC.

[Kelly Smale · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is told from Suzie's point of view, Suzie finds a body in the woods close to her home whilst on a walk. Suzie learns the gentleman was on his way to visit her to inform her of the death of her ex-boyfriend, Mike Hansen. They hadn't spoken for 2 years, since she caught him cheating on her with Samantha. She has also discovered Mike has left her a log cabin, with a considerable amount of land and all it's contents in his will. Why Suzie, and what trouble will this bring.
Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the characters, especially Suzie and Jess. I found them both annoying and lacking in common sense. I mean during a scene Jess is being tailgated on her way home, so Jess drove past her house not wanting to give away her address, sensible I though, until she drove straight to Jess's home and knocking on her door, with the car still on her tail, potentially putting her in danger. Why not go to the police station?!
The story was repetitive and unnecessarily detailed at times, Bre, being a fantastic baker was mentioned a few times word for word, but it seems that is all that could be said about her. Considering Suzie is part of a book club with 5 friends there is little information about 3 of them. I can't recall their names, but scenery and antiques were overly descriptive.
The story was easy enough to follow, even if it was unrealistic and predictable at times. This is the first book in a series, but unfortunately I will not be seeking further books.

Thank you to Negalley, Harper Lane Books, LLC and Bethany Barker for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: A BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO MURDER AND MAYHEM (A Suzy Tuft Mystery #1)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Bethany Barker @silviscarol
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books @harborlanebooks
Thank You to LibrayThing for the gifted book. @librarythingofficial

What a pleasantl surprised this book was. FMC Susie is smart and has a loyal best friend in Jess. and that dog of hers is a beautiful Siberian Husky and her sidekick. The book club meets a couple of times, and various members have bits and pieces involvement in the story but more actually as a friend of Suzie then a book club. When Suzie finds a dead body while walking about a half mile from her home, she is shocked and saddened. When she finds out he was a lawyer on the way to her home to tell her, she had inherited a home and money from her estranged ex-boyfriend she is stunned. What follows next is people coming out of the woodwork to try and take her inheritance by whatever means necessary. Could one of these people be a murderer? It's worth your time to find out.

#Abookclubsguidetomurderandmayhem #BookClubMystery #MurderAndMayhemReads #MysteryBookClub #ThrillerReadsClub #BookishSleuths #CrimeFictionLovers #WhodunitWednesday #MurderMysteryBooks #SuspensefulStories #librarything #bookstagram #bookish #instabooks #ilovebooks #readinglist #readmore #reads #currentread #booknerdigan #readingaddict #avidreader #newread #readallthebooks #booksta #booksandbooks #readaholic #booksparks #booksarelife #reader

[Raquel | mommagracereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick read but not surprising, most cozy mysteries normally are.

Rating System

C- 5
A- 7
W- 6
P- 6
I- 6
L- 5
E- 7

Total- 6 = 3⭐️

Suzie comes in to an unexpected inheritance, the fact it came from an estranged ex-boyfriend made the situation even more boggling for her. In the midst of sorting out her new property, a murder investigation is underway - as she had found the body of the lawyer who had been on his way to inform Suzie of her ex’s will and what he had bequeathed her.

Several people involved with her ex start popping up out of the woodwork, trying to intimate Suzie and get her to give up what was given to her. She finds herself working with her book club as amateur sleuths, even though a handsome detective tells her to stay out of the investigation.

While the mystery was intriguing and I wanted to find out whodunnit, I didn’t feel as if this was written in the best way. Several chapters ended incredibly abruptly. It felt stopped in the middle of a thought. I also felt the whole inheritance thing wasn’t resolved fully. Was it really willed to Suzie because he regretted his past actions towards her, or did he do it to keep the property and its contents out of his greedy girlfriends’ hands? I feel as if Suzie could have found a hidden letter from her ex explaining everything and it would have helped wrap things up nicely.

[Miranda Okleberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany Barker for the opportunity to read A Book Club's Guide to Murder and Mayhem.
This was a disappointing read. I'll start with what I liked.
-The male love interest was great, even if he was a little too hot and cold for my taste.
-The best friend's husband was very sweet and supportive.
-The mystery itself was great. The premise of getting a huge inheritance from a dead ex was good. The moving parts with all the different people who could have killed for the inheritance kept me guessing.
On the other hand, here's what I didn't like.
-The pacing felt strange at some points. Too much time was taken for things that didn't matter to the story. And then not enough time for other things that did matter.
-The payoff of who actually committed the murder wasn't worth it. There wasn't enough foreshadowing or even suspicion on the murderer until way too far into the book.
-The book needed at least one if not two more rounds of editing. I didn't find typos or big grammatical errors, but the word choice was repetitive and awkward. The dialogue at times was very stilted.

This was not a horrible book by any means, but I will not be reading the rest of the series

[Deborah Almada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author and a new series for me. Thank you to #Netgally and #HarborLaneBooks for the introduction. I was so pleasantly surprised by this read. Suzie is a great main character, pretty smart, with a loyal best friend in Jess and a gorgeous Siberian Husky sidekick. My one quibble would be that from the title, you would think this series revolves around a book club, that is not true, there is a book club and they do meet a couple of times, and various members have bits and pieces involvement in the story but more actually as a friend of Suzie then a book club. When Suzie finds a dead body while walking about a half mile from her home, she is shocked and saddened. When she finds out he was a lawyer on the way to her home to tell her, she had inherited a home and money from her estranged ex-boyfriend she is stunned. What follows next is people coming out of the woodwork to try and take her inheritance by whatever means necessary. Could one of these people be a murderer? It's worth your time to find out!

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suzie is a college textbook writer and a member of the Bearfoot Book Club living in a small community in Bearfoot, Pennsylvania with her dog, Hunter. While out for one of her daily walks, Suzie encounters a dead body near her home and alerts the authorities. The man turned out to be a lawyer who had been in the area to deliver a letter to Suzie about an inheritance left to her by her ex-boyfriend. Even though she had dated Mike years ago, he left Suzie ten acres of land and a cabin with all its furnishings. Unfortunately she also ends up inheriting Mike’s crazy ex-girlfriend, a livid brother and a few unsavory friends, all making threats. Could one of these people have murdered the lawyer? I liked Suzie and her dog, Hunter right from the start and found the plot creative and entertaining. I thank Bethany Barker and Librarything for the opportunity to read and review this cozy mystery.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out so strongly with an interesting premise about Suzie inheriting an estate from an estranged ex-boyfriend but poor decision making, and unlikeable characters ruined it for me. Suzie consistently has TSTL moments and puts herself in danger because she does not want to bother the detective. Meanwhile, her best friend, while concerned about her safety enough to repeatedly tell her to stay at her house, would rather discuss her dating prospects than how many silly mistakes Suzie makes. I wish I had liked it more, but it fell apart about halfway through and did not get back on track. I will not be continuing with the series.


I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Suzie Tuft is a textbook writer enjoying her calm, quiet life in her rural Pennsylvania home. She meets with her book club of eccentric women, she works from home writing text books, she spends her time taking walks in the woods with her protective dog Hunter, and lives a comfortable life recovering from her last, terrible break-up three years ago. That is, until she finds a dead body on her peaceful rural road, and spirals into a crime drama she wasn’t expecting, that dredges up a past she didn't want to dive back into.

I read this for book club and honestly, if I had just picked this up I probably wouldn’t have finished it. I found the writing to be a little stiff, the dialogue forced and unrealistic, and the plot a bit redundant. Not my favorite, but a fun, cute little mystery.

[Elizabeth O'Keefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun and lighthearted read! A Book Club’s Guide to Murder and Mayhem has all the ingredients for a delightful cozy mystery—quirky characters, playful banter, and a murder plot that feels straight out of a game of Clue. The book club setting adds an extra layer of charm for any book lover.

It’s a quick, entertaining read with just the right balance of mystery and humor. While it didn’t completely wow me or keep me guessing the whole time, I still really enjoyed the ride and the overall vibe.

A great pick if you're looking for a cozy mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously and offers a bookish escape with a side of mayhem!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Lane Books Publishing for my DRC!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself is top notch – why did her ex boyfriend leave her a secluded cabin? She left him when she caught him doing drugs and cheating on her. The characters come out of the wood work.

There was a lot of “I can’t call him now, he’ll think I’m needy” except she’s talking about the detective assigned to investigate the murder of the person sent to tell her that her ex died and left her his estate in the will. And she’s investigating the murder, to her own peril. As much as I would like to think that my dog would protect me (and he does do a good job of it) women need to stop putting themselves in dangerous situations! Stay with a friend, call the dang detective who gave you his number and who mysteriously shows up when you need him to!

I feel like the title is misleading. While there is a book club it played a very very small part in the overall story. With it being mentioned in the title, I expected there to be more book club involvement.

[Tori Rigney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author and a different genre from what I normally read. After saying that, I absolutely loved it! Living in Western Pennsylvania and just north of Pittsburgh, it was really strange to read a book set in places I have been. I been to a little restaurant in Punxy a couple of times and just kept picturing myself sitting there.

I loved the twist and turns of this mystery as well as the loving friendship that's shown throughout the book. It was refreshing to read a book with a normal flirting and nervousness of liking someone but being unsure. It is very relatable.

This was my first read but won't be my last! I need more Susie and Jess in my life!

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suzie Tuft writes textbooks and goes on various speaking tours and conferences. She's coming back from one of the latter when she decides to stretch her legs. A mysterious smell has her looking over a hill on her rural road. A red piece of fabric dancing in the wind catches her eye and then she notices a nearby boot. Both are attached to a dead body.
She doesn't know the man herself but Suzie discovers that he was on that road to come and visit her. This sends her off on a mystery that involves her ex-boyfriend and a lot of hindering a police investigation.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The start of a cozy mystery series set in Pennsylvania, near one of the best named towns in the state: Punxsutawney. It features an author of nonfiction/educational/instructional books and the colorful ladies of her local book club. There's a handsome cop in there, too, who will probably become the love interest in the next book.

Thanks to LibraryThing's early readers program and the publisher for sending me my copy.

[Gabriela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read of this author and I loved it. The story captivated me and made me want more. I like a lot the main character, Suzie. Her friends are also great. The friendship relationship between Suzie, Jess and Jake is perfect.

The cozy mistery and the suspans were just perfect

Hunter is my favorite character of this book 🤭.