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The Book Club Murders
In this book club, secrets aren’t shared—they’re buried.
In the pristine town of Willow Creek, the book club was supposed to be a refuge—a glittering circle of women bound by a love of literature, wine, and carefully curated secrets. But when tensions erupt and loyalties begin to fray, one of them ends up dead… and someone in the group is a killer.
Each woman has something to hide.
Vanessa, the queen bee with a flawless facade and an iron grip on her kingdom.
Charlotte, hiding cracks in her perfect home and heart.
Erica, reckless and unpredictable, with proof that could shatter lives.
Jilly, kind and quiet, but drowning in debt—and deals she’ll soon regret.
Miriam, the silent observer, watching everything unfold like a slow-burning novel.
As whispered betrayals boil over into shocking revelations, the book club becomes a battleground—and someone won't survive the final chapter.
Because in Willow Creek, the truth is more dangerous than fiction…
Sharp, addictive, and dripping with tension, The Book Club Murders is Big Little Lies meets Desperate Housewives with a deadly twist.
In the pristine town of Willow Creek, the book club was supposed to be a refuge—a glittering circle of women bound by a love of literature, wine, and carefully curated secrets. But when tensions erupt and loyalties begin to fray, one of them ends up dead… and someone in the group is a killer.
Each woman has something to hide.
Vanessa, the queen bee with a flawless facade and an iron grip on her kingdom.
Charlotte, hiding cracks in her perfect home and heart.
Erica, reckless and unpredictable, with proof that could shatter lives.
Jilly, kind and quiet, but drowning in debt—and deals she’ll soon regret.
Miriam, the silent observer, watching everything unfold like a slow-burning novel.
As whispered betrayals boil over into shocking revelations, the book club becomes a battleground—and someone won't survive the final chapter.
Because in Willow Creek, the truth is more dangerous than fiction…
Sharp, addictive, and dripping with tension, The Book Club Murders is Big Little Lies meets Desperate Housewives with a deadly twist.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2025
270 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 12, 2025
Riddled with errors and repetitions.
This had the makings of a good story, but it reads like the author typed it out and no one else read it before publication.
The names of the characters are often mixed up, making for some confusion while reading.
There is also a lot of repetition of descriptions. For example; the smell of a place is frequently mentioned, the women are constantly clutching the edge of tables or coffee cups, and everyone's breathing is detailed.
I felt the plot was quite obvious really and all a bit wishy-washy. A disappointing read sadly.
This had the makings of a good story, but it reads like the author typed it out and no one else read it before publication.
The names of the characters are often mixed up, making for some confusion while reading.
There is also a lot of repetition of descriptions. For example; the smell of a place is frequently mentioned, the women are constantly clutching the edge of tables or coffee cups, and everyone's breathing is detailed.
I felt the plot was quite obvious really and all a bit wishy-washy. A disappointing read sadly.
June 30, 2025
An okay idea poorly written
This book would benefit from an editor, for basic grammar, spelling and punctuation fixes and for idea refinement, cliche abandoning and maybe choosing a main character. I only finished reading the book so I could write this review with full authority and not have my thoughts dismissed. This author has watched too many tv shows.
This book would benefit from an editor, for basic grammar, spelling and punctuation fixes and for idea refinement, cliche abandoning and maybe choosing a main character. I only finished reading the book so I could write this review with full authority and not have my thoughts dismissed. This author has watched too many tv shows.
July 28, 2025
3.5 Stars
Set in the upscale town of Willow Creek, a book club meant to be a sanctuary for women becomes a hotbed of secrets, manipulation, and ultimately murders. Each member is hiding something: Vanessa, Charlotte, Erica, Jilly, and Miriam. When a murder takes places suspicions falls on Vanessa, and the club unravels in a swirl of betrayal and revelations. There was definitely grammar and spelling errors and character name mix ups. While the premise was promising, the delivery to be came off "wishy washy" and predictable.
Set in the upscale town of Willow Creek, a book club meant to be a sanctuary for women becomes a hotbed of secrets, manipulation, and ultimately murders. Each member is hiding something: Vanessa, Charlotte, Erica, Jilly, and Miriam. When a murder takes places suspicions falls on Vanessa, and the club unravels in a swirl of betrayal and revelations. There was definitely grammar and spelling errors and character name mix ups. While the premise was promising, the delivery to be came off "wishy washy" and predictable.
June 11, 2025
A reasonably intriguing story, but let down by really bad editing (come on; in the space of a short scene/paragraph/piece of dialogue, the author ought to be able to remember which characters are actually present 🙄) and far too many hints at buried secrets that never actually come to light and just end up making it feel unfinished.
June 30, 2025
Poor
Too much repitition!
Characters get mixed up which leads to reader confusion!
Almost predictable “whodunit” story
I wouldn’t recommend it
Too much repitition!
Characters get mixed up which leads to reader confusion!
Almost predictable “whodunit” story
I wouldn’t recommend it
June 7, 2025
Vanessa is the leader of a bookclub in the affluent town of Willow Creek. The women of the group hold many secrets and Vanessa uses these to her advantage. When one of the bookclub members (Erica) is murdered, the group begins to suspect Vanessa. However, after Vanessa ends up the second victim, the group begins to turn on each other and live in fear that they may be next.
Let me start this review with one word…WOW! Delgado’s story seized my attention from page one and I literally stayed up late to finish it. This book is well written and has so many twists and turns that it can make you dizzy (in a good way)! The suspense and intrigue will keep the reader engaged throughout the book. I highly recommend this to mystery lovers.
*I received an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Let me start this review with one word…WOW! Delgado’s story seized my attention from page one and I literally stayed up late to finish it. This book is well written and has so many twists and turns that it can make you dizzy (in a good way)! The suspense and intrigue will keep the reader engaged throughout the book. I highly recommend this to mystery lovers.
*I received an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 5, 2025
Lots of errors that should have been caught by a proofreader. Got mixed up with some characters at a certain point, think author did it. Pretty predictable ending.
December 19, 2025
It is very hard to get into a story when the characters change multiple times in the space of a paragraph
August 19, 2025
It may just be the Kindle edition but there were numerous continuity problems, enough to be distracting.
July 22, 2025
Easy read. However, it seems like its not been proof-read!
At first, its simple spelling errors/typos, which you can live with. As you get closer to the end it seems like the author has forgotten what shes writing!
There are characters popping up mid-scene then disappearing again, obviously using the wrong name, a scene happening in the coffee shop becomes the Book store then the coffee shop again and at one stage a name is used that isn't a character in the Book at all!
Its very confusing and as a dyslexic I find these things difficult to move past as things then dont make sense.
The plot I found quite weak.
A lot of repetition with descriptive words, of the characters and their actions - bitter laughs, knuckles white, clutching tea/coffee mugs. Gets tiresome.
But its been an okay read for pool-side, just dont expect too much from it.
Max 3 stars... maybe 2.5 due to all the errors.
At first, its simple spelling errors/typos, which you can live with. As you get closer to the end it seems like the author has forgotten what shes writing!
There are characters popping up mid-scene then disappearing again, obviously using the wrong name, a scene happening in the coffee shop becomes the Book store then the coffee shop again and at one stage a name is used that isn't a character in the Book at all!
Its very confusing and as a dyslexic I find these things difficult to move past as things then dont make sense.
The plot I found quite weak.
A lot of repetition with descriptive words, of the characters and their actions - bitter laughs, knuckles white, clutching tea/coffee mugs. Gets tiresome.
But its been an okay read for pool-side, just dont expect too much from it.
Max 3 stars... maybe 2.5 due to all the errors.
July 20, 2025
I was really looking forward to reading this, being an avid reader. The premise was fine, and the storyline was generally enjoyable.
However, the reason I only gave 3* was because it looked like it hadn't been proofread before publication. I don't profess to be a literally genius, however, but the book is littered with grammatical and spelling errors from the beginning! It did slightly put me off the storyline when the characters were mixed up!
Generally enjoyable, and I got through it, but littered with errors!
However, the reason I only gave 3* was because it looked like it hadn't been proofread before publication. I don't profess to be a literally genius, however, but the book is littered with grammatical and spelling errors from the beginning! It did slightly put me off the storyline when the characters were mixed up!
Generally enjoyable, and I got through it, but littered with errors!
August 4, 2025
Very much predictable. I was really hoping for a twist in the end but unfortunately did not get it.
July 5, 2025
Too predictable. Too many adjectives in this story!! Oh my goodness, can I just read a plain sentence once in a while. I found it boring. Reading this book made me long to read a McFadden book, which is exactly what I am going to do next. I did struggle more than a mere few chapters. I struggled to keep reading from start to finish. I have a rule for myself to always finish a book I have started. This one came extremely close to breaking that rule.
July 2, 2025
This book slowed down how fast I was reading but not in a good way. It had lots of mistakes and was pretty repetitive. I didn't DNF because I wanted to know who the murderer was, but it was the most obvious suspect. I skimmed through the ending after that because, at that point, I might as well finish the book. I would've rated 3 stars if the "truth" was more creative.
August 2, 2025
The story itself was ok. However the confusion/swapping of characters (misprint or mistake?), spelling errors and endless repetition made this a painful read.
July 15, 2025
Tough read…
The story was hard to follow and appeared to not have been edited or proofread. I grew more disappointed and frustrated with every page as I think it could have been an interesting mystery, but was not fully developed.
The story was hard to follow and appeared to not have been edited or proofread. I grew more disappointed and frustrated with every page as I think it could have been an interesting mystery, but was not fully developed.
November 10, 2025
Vanessa lives in Willow Creek, I’m guessing that’s in the United States somewhere. She has run a book club for her local neighbourhood. The members of the book club are: Charlotte (a real estate agent), Miriam (a history professor), Erica Miller (a stay-at-home mum), Danielle (Dani) Cruz (a sports mother), Tiffany (lifestyle influencer), Belinda ‘Bee’ Thompson (another mum), Jilly Lawson (owns the bookstore), and Pam Hargrove.
Although the club was set up initially as a book club by Vanessa, it has quickly descended over the last four years into a slanging match group where they criticise everything except a book. And then tragedy struck: Erica was found dead in her swimming pool. It was assumed that she had drunk too much and fallen in, even though she had scratches and bruises on her body. Then after everybody started to settle down, even though there were uneasy feelings after being questioned by detectives, a few days later, Vanessa was found dead, strangled in her bed.
And so the nervousness begins, the insecurities and the questions: who did it and why? To find out, you’ll have to read the book yourself because I’m not going to disclose being an end in here. However, I feel that this book could’ve been maybe two chapters shorter, but the epilogue could’ve remained. I found a few errors in here: at one point, they’re all sitting in the café and then the next they’re in the bookshop and then they’re back in the café again. So they obviously haven’t been reading the book thoroughly by the editor, but besides that, it was well written.
There was nothing overly challenging about it, although the killer was, to me, a bit of a shock. It was all glossy neighbourhoods and glossy hair and glossy lifestyles, so no real substance at all. I feel that there were too many characters in the book club and it could’ve been dwindled down a bit to maybe four or five, because some of them weren’t even mentioned during the course of the mystery, so they obviously weren’t needed.
Although the club was set up initially as a book club by Vanessa, it has quickly descended over the last four years into a slanging match group where they criticise everything except a book. And then tragedy struck: Erica was found dead in her swimming pool. It was assumed that she had drunk too much and fallen in, even though she had scratches and bruises on her body. Then after everybody started to settle down, even though there were uneasy feelings after being questioned by detectives, a few days later, Vanessa was found dead, strangled in her bed.
And so the nervousness begins, the insecurities and the questions: who did it and why? To find out, you’ll have to read the book yourself because I’m not going to disclose being an end in here. However, I feel that this book could’ve been maybe two chapters shorter, but the epilogue could’ve remained. I found a few errors in here: at one point, they’re all sitting in the café and then the next they’re in the bookshop and then they’re back in the café again. So they obviously haven’t been reading the book thoroughly by the editor, but besides that, it was well written.
There was nothing overly challenging about it, although the killer was, to me, a bit of a shock. It was all glossy neighbourhoods and glossy hair and glossy lifestyles, so no real substance at all. I feel that there were too many characters in the book club and it could’ve been dwindled down a bit to maybe four or five, because some of them weren’t even mentioned during the course of the mystery, so they obviously weren’t needed.
June 3, 2025
The Book Club Murders by Lauren Delgardo is a delicious thriller that had me hooked from start to finish. If you’re a fan of those juicy, twisty tales with desperate housewife drama vibes, this one’s for you. Delgardo weaves together multiple characters, each with their own distinct personalities and a tangled web of secrets that kept me guessing.
The dynamic between the women in the book club is a tangled web—rife with tension, jealousy, and buried resentments that simmer just beneath the surface, and sometimes pop off like a champagne cork. Delgardo’s writing brings these characters to life in a way that feels both real and thrilling. The pacing is on point, with just the right amount of suspense and unexpected revelations to keep the pages turning late into the night.
If you love thrillers with a strong ensemble cast, someone you love to hate, and a storyline full of deception and intrigue, The Book Club Murders is a one to add to your library. It’s like your favorite guilty-pleasure TV drama in book form—complete with secrets, lies, and deadly mysteries that unravel throughout.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a thrilling, character-driven read with that addictive “desperate housewife” flair!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The dynamic between the women in the book club is a tangled web—rife with tension, jealousy, and buried resentments that simmer just beneath the surface, and sometimes pop off like a champagne cork. Delgardo’s writing brings these characters to life in a way that feels both real and thrilling. The pacing is on point, with just the right amount of suspense and unexpected revelations to keep the pages turning late into the night.
If you love thrillers with a strong ensemble cast, someone you love to hate, and a storyline full of deception and intrigue, The Book Club Murders is a one to add to your library. It’s like your favorite guilty-pleasure TV drama in book form—complete with secrets, lies, and deadly mysteries that unravel throughout.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a thrilling, character-driven read with that addictive “desperate housewife” flair!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 15, 2025
In the idyllic small town of Willow Creek, eight women gather for their usual book club meeting, with tensions running higher than usual. The next day, one of them is dead. There’s a killer among them... but who was desperate enough to kill to keep their secrets buried?
The setting and premise are a lot of fun, with a 'suburban white picket fence' vibe full of gossip, secrets, dysfunction, and messy drama. Although there are eight book club members, the focus is really only on five of them, with the others ending up forgettable and unimportant. There are also a lot of side characters to keep track of, but most don’t have much depth or relevance. Everyone in this book is a bit of a hot mess, which is fun, but can also get a little overwhelming.
The story is easy to follow, with short chapters and smooth shifts in perspectives between characters. I did find the word choice to be noticeably repetitive, which became distracting and felt lazy. The writing could definitely use a little more polish and variety. The plot itself is extremely obvious, with the author practically spelling it out. There aren't many real surprises or twists, but the fun is in watching how things unravel.
This won’t be a groundbreaking read, especially for seasoned thriller readers, but it's fine for what it is. A good way to pass the time.
I received a free copy of this book, but this review reflects my honest opinion.
The setting and premise are a lot of fun, with a 'suburban white picket fence' vibe full of gossip, secrets, dysfunction, and messy drama. Although there are eight book club members, the focus is really only on five of them, with the others ending up forgettable and unimportant. There are also a lot of side characters to keep track of, but most don’t have much depth or relevance. Everyone in this book is a bit of a hot mess, which is fun, but can also get a little overwhelming.
The story is easy to follow, with short chapters and smooth shifts in perspectives between characters. I did find the word choice to be noticeably repetitive, which became distracting and felt lazy. The writing could definitely use a little more polish and variety. The plot itself is extremely obvious, with the author practically spelling it out. There aren't many real surprises or twists, but the fun is in watching how things unravel.
This won’t be a groundbreaking read, especially for seasoned thriller readers, but it's fine for what it is. A good way to pass the time.
I received a free copy of this book, but this review reflects my honest opinion.
June 16, 2025
This felt like Desperate Housewives meets cozy mysteries - only not that cozy. The murders were fairly violent, not something we normally see in cozies. However, the dangerous liaisons are done off screen and behind closed doors.
There is a big cast of characters and it can be hard to keep them straight and make sure you know who is who. I did find some of the language repetitive and the descriptions somewhat the same throughout.
The was a little bit of overacting with the main characters, but given the Desperate Housewives feel of the story, that works. All the secrets that we were hinted at....didn't seem to come to light for the majority of the ladies. It would have been nice to have a smaller cast with more dirt on each one, rather than all the dirt on 2-3 of them. It would also be easier to keep track of who is who in each chapter and know what is happening with each character.
All in all, I liked this book and I would read a follow up if there was on written.
There is a big cast of characters and it can be hard to keep them straight and make sure you know who is who. I did find some of the language repetitive and the descriptions somewhat the same throughout.
The was a little bit of overacting with the main characters, but given the Desperate Housewives feel of the story, that works. All the secrets that we were hinted at....didn't seem to come to light for the majority of the ladies. It would have been nice to have a smaller cast with more dirt on each one, rather than all the dirt on 2-3 of them. It would also be easier to keep track of who is who in each chapter and know what is happening with each character.
All in all, I liked this book and I would read a follow up if there was on written.
September 23, 2025
Great premise…spoiler alert
So this book seemed very promising and it drew me in at first. However there were so many characters and the majority of them were very under developed. There was also a lot of repetitive descriptions, constantly describing the atmosphere and locations the same way after the murders at the beginning of each chapter. Also, the murderer and one of the victims had the exact same personality, there was hardly no differentiation! There were also continuity errors , where one paragraph would star describe the mental state of one character and then another character name would be stated instead of the character they were referring too. I really wanted to love this book, but it was confusing and by the end, the only character that grabbed me was Jilly.
So this book seemed very promising and it drew me in at first. However there were so many characters and the majority of them were very under developed. There was also a lot of repetitive descriptions, constantly describing the atmosphere and locations the same way after the murders at the beginning of each chapter. Also, the murderer and one of the victims had the exact same personality, there was hardly no differentiation! There were also continuity errors , where one paragraph would star describe the mental state of one character and then another character name would be stated instead of the character they were referring too. I really wanted to love this book, but it was confusing and by the end, the only character that grabbed me was Jilly.
October 22, 2025
The author apparently did not have a proofreader. The occasional spelling or grammar error was frustrating. More frustrating was when the author got confused about the location of a chapter. It would be a scene in the coffee shop, then switch to being in the bookstore, and then back to the coffee shop.
With nine primary characters, I needed to prepare a list of names and descriptions to keep everyone straight. The author, unfortunately, got the characters mixed up a couple of times by setting the scene with specific characters, then adding someone new mid-paragraph only to revert to the original characters in the next sentence.
I'm a stickler on continuity, so these blips took away from my enjoyment of the book.
With nine primary characters, I needed to prepare a list of names and descriptions to keep everyone straight. The author, unfortunately, got the characters mixed up a couple of times by setting the scene with specific characters, then adding someone new mid-paragraph only to revert to the original characters in the next sentence.
I'm a stickler on continuity, so these blips took away from my enjoyment of the book.
June 25, 2025
A desperate housewives mystery
The book started out a little slow but picked up speed later. This was a great thriller storyline, although it was hard to keep up with so many different characters.
I loved the setting of a book club as it was right up my alley. The author did keep the reader guessing as to who the murderer was until the end, so the reader could continue to try and figure out which character did the murder, or was it someone else.
There were a few spelling and grammar errors, but all in all, it was a great read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The book started out a little slow but picked up speed later. This was a great thriller storyline, although it was hard to keep up with so many different characters.
I loved the setting of a book club as it was right up my alley. The author did keep the reader guessing as to who the murderer was until the end, so the reader could continue to try and figure out which character did the murder, or was it someone else.
There were a few spelling and grammar errors, but all in all, it was a great read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 27, 2025
The Book Club Murders
A small group of well to do women have a book club that a very well to do woman, Vanessa Caldwell decided would be a way to get together to discuss books. However, Vanessa has a different motive in mind. Vanessa likes to be in control and finds secrets, etc. that she can use to intimate not only some of the women in the club but apparently other citizens of Willow Creek.
Secrets have a tendency to come out, however, when two women from the book club are murdered and the rest of the women are wondering if they are next or if something more sinister is lurking in the shadows.
A small group of well to do women have a book club that a very well to do woman, Vanessa Caldwell decided would be a way to get together to discuss books. However, Vanessa has a different motive in mind. Vanessa likes to be in control and finds secrets, etc. that she can use to intimate not only some of the women in the club but apparently other citizens of Willow Creek.
Secrets have a tendency to come out, however, when two women from the book club are murdered and the rest of the women are wondering if they are next or if something more sinister is lurking in the shadows.
May 29, 2025
A book club should seem as innocent and innocuous as a knitting circle. But when not one but two of the members end up dead, the rest of the group starts being suspicious of each other while trying to keep their own secrets hidden. Could the culprit be one of their own and if so, how will they ever recover from this betrayal.
Great for any mystery loving bibliophile, however who the murderer is, and the motive seemed too obvious to me.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great for any mystery loving bibliophile, however who the murderer is, and the motive seemed too obvious to me.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 17, 2025
I liked the look of the cover and as I go to a book club thought I’d read it.
The story itself was good.
Characters worked well together.
What let it down was actually the publication on a kindle!
Too many typos and errors in punctuation and the most bizarre thing ???
Getting two character names mixed up and you needed to know which character it was but you couldn’t work that out!!!!
Please get proof readers to check the work before publishing 🤦♀️
I can recommend a couple 👍
The story itself was good.
Characters worked well together.
What let it down was actually the publication on a kindle!
Too many typos and errors in punctuation and the most bizarre thing ???
Getting two character names mixed up and you needed to know which character it was but you couldn’t work that out!!!!
Please get proof readers to check the work before publishing 🤦♀️
I can recommend a couple 👍
July 11, 2025
The storyline was pretty interesting but there were so many errors in this book. Mixing up characters, locations and repetitive paragraphs. One example is the scene started in the coffee shop, was suddenly in the bookstore and then back to the coffee shop. Or starting the scene with two characters and in the middle changing which two characters were interacting. Overall a decent book with a good plot.
July 4, 2025
Gripping and suspenseful
This story follows a group of women who start a book club in the quiet town of Willow Creek. The women meet each month to discuss books but also exchange gossip. Then two of the members are found murdered and the killer could be amongst them. There is tension, secrets and murder in the mix.
This story follows a group of women who start a book club in the quiet town of Willow Creek. The women meet each month to discuss books but also exchange gossip. Then two of the members are found murdered and the killer could be amongst them. There is tension, secrets and murder in the mix.
August 15, 2025
Should have been a three star
So the story itself was quite good, kept my attention and kept.me guessing. However, the author mixed up the characters names a few times which was confusing and I had to go back and check who the characters should have been. Added to this the amount of spelling mistakes distracted from the story.
So the story itself was quite good, kept my attention and kept.me guessing. However, the author mixed up the characters names a few times which was confusing and I had to go back and check who the characters should have been. Added to this the amount of spelling mistakes distracted from the story.
November 19, 2025
There were some laughs along the way, but the book was predictable.
The hardest part for me is trying to keep up with the characters, and it wasn't only me; the author had trouble with who was doing what. In one section, the author jumps between two characters, but only one was truly in the "scene". Crazy!
The hardest part for me is trying to keep up with the characters, and it wasn't only me; the author had trouble with who was doing what. In one section, the author jumps between two characters, but only one was truly in the "scene". Crazy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews