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Don’t Cross Mo Ellery
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A laugh-out-loud mystery following the indomitable hot mess Mo Ellery, whose job as a school crossing guard pulls her into an unhinged murder investigation.
Mo Ellery’s 29th birthday is a disaster. After one small accident—the exposure of her boyfriend’s genitals (well, maybe not that small) on a work video call—she manages to get fired, dumped, and kicked out of their overpriced Chicago apartment. Luckily, a sign appears to guide Mo to her new “Looking for flexible part-time work? Become a school crossing guard!” It’s everything Mo has been looking health insurance. How hard can it be?
A few weeks later, Mo is adjusting to her new low-paying job, her bisexual reawakening, and her new neighborhood’s wacky characters. There’s Claudia, an old woman who refuses to let Mo help her cross the street, and Marlowe, a tween cell phone prodigy whose antics terrify her. But Mo’s greatest nemesis is Poodle Dude, a guy with an SUV full of poodles who speeds through her intersection each morning. . . until the day he speeds into a sinkhole. Mo tries and fails to shield innocent eyes from his bloody corpse, but succeeds in accidentally becoming the guardian to his three poodles.
And that’s not the worst of some of the locals are convinced that Poodle Dude was murdered. Their allegations are obviously ridiculous, but Mo, desperate for distractions—and for several hot neighbor-suspects—reluctantly agrees to help. But Mo the detective is just as chaotic as Mo the underemployed adult, and the three entitled poodles are not helping. When a second local dies under mysterious circumstances, it’s going to take all of Mo’s broadly applicable and transferrable skills to find the killer.
Murderers beware. . . DON'T CROSS MO ELLERY!
Mo Ellery’s 29th birthday is a disaster. After one small accident—the exposure of her boyfriend’s genitals (well, maybe not that small) on a work video call—she manages to get fired, dumped, and kicked out of their overpriced Chicago apartment. Luckily, a sign appears to guide Mo to her new “Looking for flexible part-time work? Become a school crossing guard!” It’s everything Mo has been looking health insurance. How hard can it be?
A few weeks later, Mo is adjusting to her new low-paying job, her bisexual reawakening, and her new neighborhood’s wacky characters. There’s Claudia, an old woman who refuses to let Mo help her cross the street, and Marlowe, a tween cell phone prodigy whose antics terrify her. But Mo’s greatest nemesis is Poodle Dude, a guy with an SUV full of poodles who speeds through her intersection each morning. . . until the day he speeds into a sinkhole. Mo tries and fails to shield innocent eyes from his bloody corpse, but succeeds in accidentally becoming the guardian to his three poodles.
And that’s not the worst of some of the locals are convinced that Poodle Dude was murdered. Their allegations are obviously ridiculous, but Mo, desperate for distractions—and for several hot neighbor-suspects—reluctantly agrees to help. But Mo the detective is just as chaotic as Mo the underemployed adult, and the three entitled poodles are not helping. When a second local dies under mysterious circumstances, it’s going to take all of Mo’s broadly applicable and transferrable skills to find the killer.
Murderers beware. . . DON'T CROSS MO ELLERY!
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 11, 2026
7 people are currently reading
7065 people want to read
About the author
Birdie Horne
1 book33 followersBirdie Horne is the combined pen name of former enemies Eden Robins and MW Garguilo. Over the years, they have been love rivals, co-godmothers, and neighbors across an alley in Chicago. Separately, they have published over twenty books, and together they have a resume full of the kinds of jobs that genuinely worry their parents. DON'T CROSS MO ELLERY is their first outing as Birdie Horne.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 15, 2026
Review of advance digital copy received from Netgalley
Don’t Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne (combined pen name of Eden Robins and MW Garguilo) is a fine, palette-cleansing, not at all serious rom com.
The start of this book is a sex, getting fired, and breakup scene that GAVE ME WHIPLASH. I could totally see early 2000s Kate Hudson being the forefront actress.
I had a really hard time with this one. It’s breezily written but MY GOD the level of secondhand embarrassment I got from this made me have to put it down often.
It was fine. I will not remember characters or plot points past this past next week. If you need a palette cleanser after a hard hitter, then sure, give this a go.
I’m more interested on how Eden Robins and MW Garguilo went from former enemies to co-authors. Next book idea?
Don’t Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne (combined pen name of Eden Robins and MW Garguilo) is a fine, palette-cleansing, not at all serious rom com.
The start of this book is a sex, getting fired, and breakup scene that GAVE ME WHIPLASH. I could totally see early 2000s Kate Hudson being the forefront actress.
I had a really hard time with this one. It’s breezily written but MY GOD the level of secondhand embarrassment I got from this made me have to put it down often.
It was fine. I will not remember characters or plot points past this past next week. If you need a palette cleanser after a hard hitter, then sure, give this a go.
I’m more interested on how Eden Robins and MW Garguilo went from former enemies to co-authors. Next book idea?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and to William Morrow for the ARC of Don't Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne.
I started off laughing out loud in the first chapter, and found numerous other times throughout the story that had me chuckling or smiling -- the two authors dueling to write a story to make people laugh as their Birdie Horne persona definitely achieved exactly what they were going for. Mo Ellery is a hot mess of hilarity.
Losing her job, being broken up with by her boyfriend of a decade, and moving into a tiny apartment on the outskirts of Chicago to work as a part time crossing guard (with health insurance!) has made it quite the month in Mo Ellery's life. She's perservering in her own way, with pockets of snack pepperoni and loads of hypochondriac trips to urgent care, but when a man who always recklessly blows through her crosswalk speeds through right into a sinkhole and dies, Mo finds herself seeking out if murder played a hand. Along the way she makes friends with a dog walker who looks like Link from Zelda, a nosy neighbor with the largest collection of large sun hats, a tween hacker, a dedicated public servant, and the victim's brother who is more than accurately described at one point as a "chaos hostage". Oh, and she's doing all of this detecting while carting around the victim's 3 show poodles.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read - it's light, it doesn't take itself seriously, with intent, and it's just a solid romp of a read.
For me, where I struggled was that, while Mo made me laugh, she isn't a likeable person. The situations she gets herself into are funny, but she's such a selfish mess who doesn't seem to have any intent on changing and that was just frustrating. When I finished I wasn't sure I would want to read another story with her as the lead because of her personality, and it seems like while a plot will push her forward to action, she's never going to take any action on herself.
My other struggle was one mention that happens in the book that I think maybe confused the whole mystery for me but I will write about that solely in the NetGalley publisher notes. Overall I think the mystery made sense and had some fun layers to it to keep the readers guessing.
I started off laughing out loud in the first chapter, and found numerous other times throughout the story that had me chuckling or smiling -- the two authors dueling to write a story to make people laugh as their Birdie Horne persona definitely achieved exactly what they were going for. Mo Ellery is a hot mess of hilarity.
Losing her job, being broken up with by her boyfriend of a decade, and moving into a tiny apartment on the outskirts of Chicago to work as a part time crossing guard (with health insurance!) has made it quite the month in Mo Ellery's life. She's perservering in her own way, with pockets of snack pepperoni and loads of hypochondriac trips to urgent care, but when a man who always recklessly blows through her crosswalk speeds through right into a sinkhole and dies, Mo finds herself seeking out if murder played a hand. Along the way she makes friends with a dog walker who looks like Link from Zelda, a nosy neighbor with the largest collection of large sun hats, a tween hacker, a dedicated public servant, and the victim's brother who is more than accurately described at one point as a "chaos hostage". Oh, and she's doing all of this detecting while carting around the victim's 3 show poodles.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read - it's light, it doesn't take itself seriously, with intent, and it's just a solid romp of a read.
For me, where I struggled was that, while Mo made me laugh, she isn't a likeable person. The situations she gets herself into are funny, but she's such a selfish mess who doesn't seem to have any intent on changing and that was just frustrating. When I finished I wasn't sure I would want to read another story with her as the lead because of her personality, and it seems like while a plot will push her forward to action, she's never going to take any action on herself.
My other struggle was one mention that happens in the book that I think maybe confused the whole mystery for me but I will write about that solely in the NetGalley publisher notes. Overall I think the mystery made sense and had some fun layers to it to keep the readers guessing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This teeters around the 3.5 range but screw it, I'll go with a four. It was a fun read and one of the few books I read over the course of just 24 hours. You can tell the author duo had a great time writing this, from the "yes, and" style plotting to characters who are both a bit much and all too real at the same time. Marlowe is the highlight of a wonderful cast that really doesn't have too many weak links. I'm excited to go back and reread her and Tasha's introductions for a lesson in how to make characters so darn likable. The formatting and humor won't be for everyone I think, but it absolutely works once you let yourself take a backseat in Mo's head and just watch her wind-up toy herself around the outskirts of Chicago.
Mo is a whirlwind and it's nice to see a detective story with someone who just has no idea what she's doing. But she's figuring it out and that's the point. She chases down leads, walks into dangerous situations with unearned confidence, and throws accusations around with ease. The mystery itself isn't too complex (complimentary), but I will fully admit I gasped when a reveal happened.
Excellent pacing is the star of the show here. I don't think I've read a "self discovery" type of character arc that zips quite like this. Mo's motivations and feelings are stated clearly and no scene feels like its dragging on as she doomspirals and shushes her way through conversations. Having three large dogs dragging her around does wonders for keeping things moving.
The book gets off to a rough start I maybe wasn't ready for and there were initial worries that the book was going to be a little too "random lolz" for me to enjoy, but things thankfully settle into a nice rhythm. I'm glad I persevered through what was mostly a prologue and now I'm hoping there's a sequel in the future!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy, I really enjoyed it.
Mo is a whirlwind and it's nice to see a detective story with someone who just has no idea what she's doing. But she's figuring it out and that's the point. She chases down leads, walks into dangerous situations with unearned confidence, and throws accusations around with ease. The mystery itself isn't too complex (complimentary), but I will fully admit I gasped when a reveal happened.
Excellent pacing is the star of the show here. I don't think I've read a "self discovery" type of character arc that zips quite like this. Mo's motivations and feelings are stated clearly and no scene feels like its dragging on as she doomspirals and shushes her way through conversations. Having three large dogs dragging her around does wonders for keeping things moving.
The book gets off to a rough start I maybe wasn't ready for and there were initial worries that the book was going to be a little too "random lolz" for me to enjoy, but things thankfully settle into a nice rhythm. I'm glad I persevered through what was mostly a prologue and now I'm hoping there's a sequel in the future!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy, I really enjoyed it.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This book was chaotic fun. The first chapter had me laughing out loud, even as I registered that it was all a bit improbable.
Mo Ellery is one of those characters that you either find hysterical or annoying - I landed somewhere in between. She is dumped on her 29th birthday after also losing her job minutes before, for exposing her naked soon to be ex over zoom. Her best friend Hannah can't take her in, as she is part of a tricky polycule, and moving back in with her parents is too much of a step back. So, with considerable encouragement from Hannah, Mo gets a job as an elementary school crossing guard and finds a tiny studio apartment nearby.
Mo is the personification of weaponized incompetence, she falls to pieces every few minutes, virtually has a punch card at the local urgent care, and is always hyperventilating. Mo is a lot, to say the least.
She's the type of person that when she sees a car in a sinkhole, instead of calling 911, she approaches with one of the school children she's supposed to be ushering across the street. She then somehow ends up with the dead driver's 3 show poodles, taking them to her one room apartment in a building that doesn't allow pets. A fully functioning adult would not have left the scene with the dogs in the first place, let alone taken them home.
The madness goes from there, with Mo anxiously letting a loud neighborhood regular Claudia, and Marlowe the truant, force her into several ridiculous situations. At no point does Mo do anything to take control of her life, content to spiral and be told what to do by other people. And while she spins endless wild theories about what is going on, she eventually actually does figure things out, but not because she was rational or in control of any moment in her life since her birthday.
You might find yourself wanting to tell Mo to grow up already but there is never a dull moment as you read along with the hijinks.
Mo Ellery is one of those characters that you either find hysterical or annoying - I landed somewhere in between. She is dumped on her 29th birthday after also losing her job minutes before, for exposing her naked soon to be ex over zoom. Her best friend Hannah can't take her in, as she is part of a tricky polycule, and moving back in with her parents is too much of a step back. So, with considerable encouragement from Hannah, Mo gets a job as an elementary school crossing guard and finds a tiny studio apartment nearby.
Mo is the personification of weaponized incompetence, she falls to pieces every few minutes, virtually has a punch card at the local urgent care, and is always hyperventilating. Mo is a lot, to say the least.
She's the type of person that when she sees a car in a sinkhole, instead of calling 911, she approaches with one of the school children she's supposed to be ushering across the street. She then somehow ends up with the dead driver's 3 show poodles, taking them to her one room apartment in a building that doesn't allow pets. A fully functioning adult would not have left the scene with the dogs in the first place, let alone taken them home.
The madness goes from there, with Mo anxiously letting a loud neighborhood regular Claudia, and Marlowe the truant, force her into several ridiculous situations. At no point does Mo do anything to take control of her life, content to spiral and be told what to do by other people. And while she spins endless wild theories about what is going on, she eventually actually does figure things out, but not because she was rational or in control of any moment in her life since her birthday.
You might find yourself wanting to tell Mo to grow up already but there is never a dull moment as you read along with the hijinks.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“There’s a lesson in here somewhere for me. Not that I like getting my life lessons from murderers.”
This is a fun one, y’all.
Mo Ellery’s life implodes on her 29th birthday. She finds herself jobless, boyfriend-less, and apartment-less all on the same day, as everything goes south for her in a laugh-out-loud-funny sequence of events. (Not that I like to laugh at others’ misfortune but it is all quite comical.)
Fast forward and now Mo is living in a studio apartment, serving as a crossing guard—she’s a bit of a Google-assisted hypochondriac and needs those health benefits—and facing off against her speeding, poodle-dad nemesis every morning. Well, she’s facing off against him, that is, until he ends up dead, back wheels up in the massive sinkhole in front of his stalled parking garage development right next to her crossing guard corner.
Soon she finds herself holding the reins of three show poodles and inveigled into investigating a possible murder—neither of which she is entirely equipped to handle.
It’s a comedic, late coming-of-age tale, centered around the amateur detective antics of Mo and an increasingly kooky cast of characters, in which the chaotic bisexual FMC flails about as she seeks answers, stability, and love (or at least some more hookups) before she turns 30.
It is so much fun and is bound to make you grin, chuckle, and maybe even laugh out loud.
I received an advance copy of the book from William Morrow. All review opinions are my own. #MorrowPartner
This is a fun one, y’all.
Mo Ellery’s life implodes on her 29th birthday. She finds herself jobless, boyfriend-less, and apartment-less all on the same day, as everything goes south for her in a laugh-out-loud-funny sequence of events. (Not that I like to laugh at others’ misfortune but it is all quite comical.)
Fast forward and now Mo is living in a studio apartment, serving as a crossing guard—she’s a bit of a Google-assisted hypochondriac and needs those health benefits—and facing off against her speeding, poodle-dad nemesis every morning. Well, she’s facing off against him, that is, until he ends up dead, back wheels up in the massive sinkhole in front of his stalled parking garage development right next to her crossing guard corner.
Soon she finds herself holding the reins of three show poodles and inveigled into investigating a possible murder—neither of which she is entirely equipped to handle.
It’s a comedic, late coming-of-age tale, centered around the amateur detective antics of Mo and an increasingly kooky cast of characters, in which the chaotic bisexual FMC flails about as she seeks answers, stability, and love (or at least some more hookups) before she turns 30.
It is so much fun and is bound to make you grin, chuckle, and maybe even laugh out loud.
I received an advance copy of the book from William Morrow. All review opinions are my own. #MorrowPartner
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Birdie Horne and William Morrow for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Don’t Cross Mo Ellory by Birdie Horne follows Mo, a 29 year old who moves back in with her parents after being dumped and struggling to figure out what to do with her life. She ends up taking a crossing guard job through her friend Hannah, but things take a strange turn when a man walking three poodles suddenly falls into a sinkhole and dies right in front of her. What first appears to be a bizarre accident slowly turns into a possible murder when people around Mo begin raising questions. Before long she finds herself pulled into an investigation she never expected to be part of.
A big part of the story is Mo’s reliance on the people around her as she tries to get her life together. She leans heavily on friends and family for support, guidance, and sometimes validation while she struggles to stand on her own. At first I honestly did not love Mo as a main character because she came across as a bit oblivious and immature in certain situations. However, as the suspects changed and she was forced to confront more difficult situations, she slowly started to grow on me.
Where this book really shined for me was in its side characters. The people around Mo added a lot of personality and humor to this story. Characters like Claudia, Benny, and Marlowe brought energy to the investigation and made the mystery feel more dynamic. This funny late coming of age story made the overall reading experience very enjoyable.
Don’t Cross Mo Ellory by Birdie Horne follows Mo, a 29 year old who moves back in with her parents after being dumped and struggling to figure out what to do with her life. She ends up taking a crossing guard job through her friend Hannah, but things take a strange turn when a man walking three poodles suddenly falls into a sinkhole and dies right in front of her. What first appears to be a bizarre accident slowly turns into a possible murder when people around Mo begin raising questions. Before long she finds herself pulled into an investigation she never expected to be part of.
A big part of the story is Mo’s reliance on the people around her as she tries to get her life together. She leans heavily on friends and family for support, guidance, and sometimes validation while she struggles to stand on her own. At first I honestly did not love Mo as a main character because she came across as a bit oblivious and immature in certain situations. However, as the suspects changed and she was forced to confront more difficult situations, she slowly started to grow on me.
Where this book really shined for me was in its side characters. The people around Mo added a lot of personality and humor to this story. Characters like Claudia, Benny, and Marlowe brought energy to the investigation and made the mystery feel more dynamic. This funny late coming of age story made the overall reading experience very enjoyable.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I absolutely loved Don’t Cross Mo Ellery, it was such a quick, hysterical read that I flew through in one sitting.
This story follows a girl who truly cannot catch a break. Mo has crippling anxiety, and on her 29th birthday she officially hits rock bottom in the most chaotic, unfortunate (but honestly hilarious) series of events. We’re talking dumped, fired… and suddenly starting over as a school crossing guard.
But of course, that’s not where the chaos ends; because she somehow ends up tangled in a murder mystery situation 😅
This is one of those books where you keep thinking, “ugh, this would 100% happen to me,” while simultaneously laughing the entire time. Mo is messy, relatable, and so painfully real, and I loved being along for the ride as her life unraveled and (kind of) came back together.
If you love quirky, fast-paced stories with a mix of humor, chaos, and a little mystery, I definitely recommend picking this one up! Big thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an early read!
This story follows a girl who truly cannot catch a break. Mo has crippling anxiety, and on her 29th birthday she officially hits rock bottom in the most chaotic, unfortunate (but honestly hilarious) series of events. We’re talking dumped, fired… and suddenly starting over as a school crossing guard.
But of course, that’s not where the chaos ends; because she somehow ends up tangled in a murder mystery situation 😅
This is one of those books where you keep thinking, “ugh, this would 100% happen to me,” while simultaneously laughing the entire time. Mo is messy, relatable, and so painfully real, and I loved being along for the ride as her life unraveled and (kind of) came back together.
If you love quirky, fast-paced stories with a mix of humor, chaos, and a little mystery, I definitely recommend picking this one up! Big thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an early read!
March 17, 2026
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ ˖ ࣪ ⊹
✨ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★☆☆ ➛⋆˚࿔
🕊️ 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ This book had a rough start and was chaotic from the start. A lot of things were happening and the story never felt dull. Mo was a silly character but she was also a little annoying and embarrassing. Her choices and relationship drama weren’t for me. The only thing I really cared about was Mo and Tasha. I was so invested in their relationship and wanted more. The ending was definitely unexpected and still not sure how I feel.
⭐️ 𝐅���𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬/𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: ➛⋆˚࿔ Mo & Tasha
💭 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝? Not sure
🌙 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ╰┈➤ˎˊ˗Overall a decent chaotic read just didn’t really stand out to me
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ ˖ ࣪ ⊹
🪽 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧? No 🤍 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: None
✨ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★☆☆ ➛⋆˚࿔
🕊️ 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ This book had a rough start and was chaotic from the start. A lot of things were happening and the story never felt dull. Mo was a silly character but she was also a little annoying and embarrassing. Her choices and relationship drama weren’t for me. The only thing I really cared about was Mo and Tasha. I was so invested in their relationship and wanted more. The ending was definitely unexpected and still not sure how I feel.
⭐️ 𝐅���𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬/𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: ➛⋆˚࿔ Mo & Tasha
💭 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝? Not sure
🌙 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ╰┈➤ˎˊ˗Overall a decent chaotic read just didn’t really stand out to me
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ ˖ ࣪ ⊹
🪽 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧? No 🤍 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: None
April 4, 2026
Mo Ellery is down on her luck. She gets fired from her job and broken up with - all on her birthday. In desperation, she takes a part-time job as a crossing guard. What should be a pretty simple job turns into a murder investigation when she witnesses an accident that just might be an accident. And now, along with friends and three poodles, Mo Ellery is on the case.
The only way I can describe this book is silly. I had such a fun time reading it. Mo was such a mess, but she was endearing. In fact, the whole cast of characters was endearing.
Toward the end, I did feel like this dragged a bit, but, overall, I mostly just found it to be a fun palette cleanser.
I'd be down for more Mo and friends!
The only way I can describe this book is silly. I had such a fun time reading it. Mo was such a mess, but she was endearing. In fact, the whole cast of characters was endearing.
Toward the end, I did feel like this dragged a bit, but, overall, I mostly just found it to be a fun palette cleanser.
I'd be down for more Mo and friends!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Mo Ellery has a really rough birthday—she’s newly jobless, homeless, and loveless. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and Mo is making ends meet with a part-time job as a crossing guard while caring for an accident (murder?) victim’s three poodles. Surrounded by a comic, quirky cast of characters—each more entertaining than the last—Mo stumbles her way into solving the so-called “accidental” death.
This book is laugh-out-loud funny and fast-paced. Readers will enjoy the comical romp of a new amateur detective, Mo Ellery. I look forward to more adventures with Mo and the gang.
Thank you to William Morrow and Book Club Girl for an early read in exchange for an honest review. I truly laughed out loud while reading this one—4 stars.
This book is laugh-out-loud funny and fast-paced. Readers will enjoy the comical romp of a new amateur detective, Mo Ellery. I look forward to more adventures with Mo and the gang.
Thank you to William Morrow and Book Club Girl for an early read in exchange for an honest review. I truly laughed out loud while reading this one—4 stars.
March 13, 2026
Mo was the most fun and chaotically relatable protagonist that I have read in a long time — it was a breath of fresh air! I couldn’t get enough of her, truly, and read this book in approximately 2 days.
The pacing of the ‘whodunnit’ story kept me engaged and hooked the entire time. Typically, I can predict the endings of books like these, but genuinely this kept me on my toes. The way everything was slowly dropped and woven together was EXQUISITE! I really enjoyed the twist at the end because it felt so right but unpredictable (which is the best kind of twist).
This is going on my “recommend and reread” list for sure !!
The pacing of the ‘whodunnit’ story kept me engaged and hooked the entire time. Typically, I can predict the endings of books like these, but genuinely this kept me on my toes. The way everything was slowly dropped and woven together was EXQUISITE! I really enjoyed the twist at the end because it felt so right but unpredictable (which is the best kind of twist).
This is going on my “recommend and reread” list for sure !!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mo Ellery is having a tough time. She just turned 29, was fired, and lost her boyfriend as well as her home with him. Her relationship with her best friend is strained and the hopefully temporary job she takes just to have health insurance is a nightmare. To top it off, someone dies and she's stuck caring for his three dogs in her cramped new "no pets allowed" one room apartment. It may sound like a depressing read but instead it's a comedy cozy murder mystery. There are several laugh out loud passages and some great characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for e-arc!
This book was so much fun to read. It's a comedic murder mystery with a dash of spiciness. Think Finlay Donovan.
Mo Ellery, an almost 30 year old with very little gumption and even less savings, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Let's just say hi jinx and shenanigans ensue. Plus show dogs.
I enjoyed it and hope there's more to Mo's story.
This book was so much fun to read. It's a comedic murder mystery with a dash of spiciness. Think Finlay Donovan.
Mo Ellery, an almost 30 year old with very little gumption and even less savings, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Let's just say hi jinx and shenanigans ensue. Plus show dogs.
I enjoyed it and hope there's more to Mo's story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“Birdie Horne is the combined pen name of former enemies Eden Robins and MW Garguilo.”
THIS BOOK WAS TWO BESTIES DOWN BAD GETTING SILLY AT the Green Post!? That explains, everything 😹😹😹
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC this was such a fun read. I’d recommend to anyone who enjoyed the spirit of the film “All About Steve”.
THIS BOOK WAS TWO BESTIES DOWN BAD GETTING SILLY AT the Green Post!? That explains, everything 😹😹😹
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC this was such a fun read. I’d recommend to anyone who enjoyed the spirit of the film “All About Steve”.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a free copy of, Don't Cross Mo Ellery, by Birdie Horne, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mo Ellery is starting her new calling as a crossing guard. Mo Ellery is not your typical crossing guard at all. This book was funny at times.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I give this book 3 1/2 stars. There were a lot of chapters that I enjoyed reading, but Mo's romantic relationship chaos was not for me. Mo as a character was fun to read about. She is far from perfect and she stumbles her way into solving the mystery!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thought this was a great book! Fun, Different, creative. Wide arrange of characters with all different personalities. And I'll say, never guessed the ending! LOL. Looking forward to more books from the combined Author!!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I loved this book. This represents the new generation of cozy mysteries. Even though I am older, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. The story is great with a surprising twist at the end. The characters are well defined. A lot of humor.
April 25, 2026
I received an advanced copy of this book.
I found the book funny, ridiculous and entertaining. The main character, Mo Ellery, starts out by losing her job, boyfriend and home. She then gets a new place to live and a job as a crossing guard. When a freak accident kills a man, Claudia, a local, deduces it was murder. Mo gets roped into the plot and hilarity ensues as she works to solve the murder(s). A cast of characters including 3 poodles add to the zany antics. In the end, Mo grows and learns to be a better more independent person.
I found the book funny, ridiculous and entertaining. The main character, Mo Ellery, starts out by losing her job, boyfriend and home. She then gets a new place to live and a job as a crossing guard. When a freak accident kills a man, Claudia, a local, deduces it was murder. Mo gets roped into the plot and hilarity ensues as she works to solve the murder(s). A cast of characters including 3 poodles add to the zany antics. In the end, Mo grows and learns to be a better more independent person.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a very fun and entertaining book. It made me laugh at times and also kept me guessing. Loved the characters - especially Mo!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
It was just too strange and all over the place for me. I appreciate the advance copy from the giveaway!
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