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Merritt & Blunt Mysteries #2
The Forty-Year Grudge
Not yet published
Expected 9 Jun 26"A treat for fair-play mystery fans." --Publishers Weekly
When the World's Greatest Detective reunites with her college friends, she discovers that time doesn't heal all wounds.
It's been four decades since the women of Sigma Delta Tau were last together. The years have been kind to some but not to others.
Still this is supposed to be a pleasant diversion for former sorority member and current private investigator Aubrey Merritt. She's come to New Mexico to reconnect with old friends, and she's brought her personal assistant Olivia Blunt along with her to help with her bags.
But when one of the sorority sisters is murdered, all eyes turn to the World's Greatest Detective to solve the case. It's going to take both Aubrey and Olivia to cut through the knot of old hurts and current grievances to find the killer.
When the World's Greatest Detective reunites with her college friends, she discovers that time doesn't heal all wounds.
It's been four decades since the women of Sigma Delta Tau were last together. The years have been kind to some but not to others.
Still this is supposed to be a pleasant diversion for former sorority member and current private investigator Aubrey Merritt. She's come to New Mexico to reconnect with old friends, and she's brought her personal assistant Olivia Blunt along with her to help with her bags.
But when one of the sorority sisters is murdered, all eyes turn to the World's Greatest Detective to solve the case. It's going to take both Aubrey and Olivia to cut through the knot of old hurts and current grievances to find the killer.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 9, 2026
About the author
Liza Tully
3 books115 followersLiza Tully lives in Boston, MA with her husband and their dog, Fred. She is a firm believer in reading escapist fiction that makes you laugh as well as think. She also writes suspense as Elisabeth Elo and literary fiction as Elisabeth Panttaja Brink. Her novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus; have been featured on NPR and People Magazine; and have been honored as an Indie Next Pick and a Book of the Month Club selection. She likes to hike to coffee shops and do many other things, but mostly she likes books. She has been reading and writing all her life and still feels like she has just begun.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Liza Tully and The Forty-Year Grudge honestly made me question whether there is anything more terrifying than being trapped at a forty-year sorority reunion with people who still remember every weird thing you did in college. Add one murder, decades of resentment, awkward small talk, passive-aggressive comments over dinner, and enough emotional baggage to fill an airport carousel, and suddenly this whole trip becomes my personal nightmare fuel.
Huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.
I really enjoyed the first Merritt & Blunt mystery, so I was excited to jump back into this series because the best part for me is still Aubrey Merritt and Olivia Blunt together. Aubrey is brilliant but emotionally locked down so tightly it’s honestly almost impressive, while Olivia feels much more relatable — smart, observant, slightly anxious, occasionally overthinking literally everything. Their dynamic just works for me. There’s this dry humor between them that sneaks in naturally and keeps the story feeling cozy even when someone’s getting murdered.
This mystery definitely leans more classic detective story than thriller, so don’t go in expecting nonstop twists and car chases. The pacing is slower and more methodical, but honestly that kind of fit the whole vibe of the book. Half the tension comes from old friendships, old betrayals, and the uncomfortable realization that some people never actually move on from who they were in college.
And wow… these women brought baggage to New Mexico like the airline was offering free checked luggage.
I also liked that the mystery itself felt believable. Everyone had history. Everyone had secrets. Everyone seemed at least mildly annoyed with each other at all times. It made the murder investigation feel messy in a good way because the emotional drama was just as important as figuring out who did it.
I will say there were a few moments where the story slowed down a little too much for me with some longer conversations and inner thoughts, but overall I still had a good time with it and absolutely flew through certain sections trying to piece everything together.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This series really feels like if a cozy mystery and women’s fiction had a very sarcastic little detective-book baby.
Also… be honest. If your college friend group reunited after forty years, how long would it take before somebody started crying in the bathroom or bringing up ancient drama at dinner? Because I’m giving it maybe twenty minutes. 😂
#TheFortyYearGrudge #LizaTully #CozyMystery #MysteryReader #BookReview #Bookstagram #NetGalley #MysteryBooks #DetectiveFiction #ReadersOfInstag
Huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.
I really enjoyed the first Merritt & Blunt mystery, so I was excited to jump back into this series because the best part for me is still Aubrey Merritt and Olivia Blunt together. Aubrey is brilliant but emotionally locked down so tightly it’s honestly almost impressive, while Olivia feels much more relatable — smart, observant, slightly anxious, occasionally overthinking literally everything. Their dynamic just works for me. There’s this dry humor between them that sneaks in naturally and keeps the story feeling cozy even when someone’s getting murdered.
This mystery definitely leans more classic detective story than thriller, so don’t go in expecting nonstop twists and car chases. The pacing is slower and more methodical, but honestly that kind of fit the whole vibe of the book. Half the tension comes from old friendships, old betrayals, and the uncomfortable realization that some people never actually move on from who they were in college.
And wow… these women brought baggage to New Mexico like the airline was offering free checked luggage.
I also liked that the mystery itself felt believable. Everyone had history. Everyone had secrets. Everyone seemed at least mildly annoyed with each other at all times. It made the murder investigation feel messy in a good way because the emotional drama was just as important as figuring out who did it.
I will say there were a few moments where the story slowed down a little too much for me with some longer conversations and inner thoughts, but overall I still had a good time with it and absolutely flew through certain sections trying to piece everything together.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This series really feels like if a cozy mystery and women’s fiction had a very sarcastic little detective-book baby.
Also… be honest. If your college friend group reunited after forty years, how long would it take before somebody started crying in the bathroom or bringing up ancient drama at dinner? Because I’m giving it maybe twenty minutes. 😂
#TheFortyYearGrudge #LizaTully #CozyMystery #MysteryReader #BookReview #Bookstagram #NetGalley #MysteryBooks #DetectiveFiction #ReadersOfInstag
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to NetGalley and the Berkley Publishing Group for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “The Forty-Year Grudge” is scheduled for release on June 9, 2026.
Liza Tully’s second installment in the Merritt & Blunt mystery series (I did not read or review the first) features an interesting premise. Unfortunately, the story itself does not deliver what it promises.
It has been four decades since the women of Sigma Delta Tau were last together. Some have done well for themselves, others not. A reunion in New Mexico that should be a pleasant gathering of old friends turns ugly when one of them is found dead floating in the swimming pool.
One of the sorority sisters is Aubrey Merritt, heralded as the World’s Greatest Detective. She and her protégé, Olivia Blunt, are now tasked with solving the crime. And they’re working against the clock and a local sheriff who wants nothing more than to solve the case quickly.
The problem, almost from the beginning, is that the narrative plods along at almost glacial speed. The story is told through Olivia’s eyes. And it’s readily apparent that she’s just as enamored with her boss as she is frustrated with the way she’s treated. Aubrey Merritt, it’s clear, is one crusty old broad. If there’s a soft spot in her makeup, it’s not apparent.
The other sorority sisters and their respective others are not exactly likeable characters either. They’re also flat, one-dimensional people who are challenging, at best, to care about. As a reader, that keeps me from caring about anyone involved in the story.
But back to the narrative and story flow, which did not entice me to move excitedly through the pages eager to help solve the mystery. Because there is no excitement. No suspense. And way too many chapters focusing on terrorizing scorpions.
The ending was so dull and anticlimactic it made me yawn and say, “Who cares?”
One star (and that’s being generous) for “The Forty-Year Grudge.” And zero interest in checking out the first installment.
And you can read all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) blog site. A new review posted every Monday.
Liza Tully’s second installment in the Merritt & Blunt mystery series (I did not read or review the first) features an interesting premise. Unfortunately, the story itself does not deliver what it promises.
It has been four decades since the women of Sigma Delta Tau were last together. Some have done well for themselves, others not. A reunion in New Mexico that should be a pleasant gathering of old friends turns ugly when one of them is found dead floating in the swimming pool.
One of the sorority sisters is Aubrey Merritt, heralded as the World’s Greatest Detective. She and her protégé, Olivia Blunt, are now tasked with solving the crime. And they’re working against the clock and a local sheriff who wants nothing more than to solve the case quickly.
The problem, almost from the beginning, is that the narrative plods along at almost glacial speed. The story is told through Olivia’s eyes. And it’s readily apparent that she’s just as enamored with her boss as she is frustrated with the way she’s treated. Aubrey Merritt, it’s clear, is one crusty old broad. If there’s a soft spot in her makeup, it’s not apparent.
The other sorority sisters and their respective others are not exactly likeable characters either. They’re also flat, one-dimensional people who are challenging, at best, to care about. As a reader, that keeps me from caring about anyone involved in the story.
But back to the narrative and story flow, which did not entice me to move excitedly through the pages eager to help solve the mystery. Because there is no excitement. No suspense. And way too many chapters focusing on terrorizing scorpions.
The ending was so dull and anticlimactic it made me yawn and say, “Who cares?”
One star (and that’s being generous) for “The Forty-Year Grudge.” And zero interest in checking out the first installment.
And you can read all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) blog site. A new review posted every Monday.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When I finished "The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant" last year, I was enthralled by the story but even more so by the characters, and I hoped there would be further books featuring the two protagonists, Aubrey Merritt (the great detective) and Olivia Blunt (her okay assistant). I was thrilled to see The Forty-Year Grudge is coming out in June 2026 and even more excited to get an opportunity to get a sneak peek of this highly anticipated mystery!
Once again, Liza Tully has delivered an engaging story and great characters, this time including several of Merritt's sorority sisters convening for a forty-year reunion in the New Mexico desert.
The plot develops quickly and the short chapters kept my interest, making for a fast read. The mysteries are interesting and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on. The only criticism I have is that some passages were a bit too long and also mostly unnecessary, such as Blunt and her husband discussing divorce statistics for several pages, or Blunt's lengthy and pointless inner monologues about scorpions or mothers or whatever. But I enjoyed the story for the most part and I am looking forward to more books in this series.
Fans of the first book will probably enjoy this second installment; those unfamiliar with the fledgling series might want to read the first book prior to this one, but it certainly would not be impenetrable for reading as a standalone novel.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Once again, Liza Tully has delivered an engaging story and great characters, this time including several of Merritt's sorority sisters convening for a forty-year reunion in the New Mexico desert.
The plot develops quickly and the short chapters kept my interest, making for a fast read. The mysteries are interesting and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on. The only criticism I have is that some passages were a bit too long and also mostly unnecessary, such as Blunt and her husband discussing divorce statistics for several pages, or Blunt's lengthy and pointless inner monologues about scorpions or mothers or whatever. But I enjoyed the story for the most part and I am looking forward to more books in this series.
Fans of the first book will probably enjoy this second installment; those unfamiliar with the fledgling series might want to read the first book prior to this one, but it certainly would not be impenetrable for reading as a standalone novel.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really liked the first book in this series. The concept is clever and full of snark, which I enjoy. I like the back-and-forth between Merritt and Olivia, and enjoyed watching them work together to solve the first mystery. All that is to say that I went into this second book with high hopes. I still enjoyed the back-and-forth, although it's getting tough to keep reading Olly's insecurities page after page. I also didn't find the underlying mystery as compelling this time around (sorority sisters, 40 years later), and felt like there was a lot of drawn-out mini-drama here which kept causing my attention to lag.
The pacing just wasn't as even this time, and that definitely drew me out of the action and mystery repeatedly. I did find the ending, with Merritt's cryptic comments about the future, to be particularly intriguing though, and would pick up the next installment just to see where things are headed - but I'm hoping it'll move at a more even pace and there will start to be some development of Olivia's personality, because at some point constant second-guessing gets monotonous...
Still, on the whole it was an enjoyable read and one I can recommend, albeit with the caveat about pacing - and a mention that skimming some of those pages of details won't affect understanding or enjoyment of the overall story at all.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
The pacing just wasn't as even this time, and that definitely drew me out of the action and mystery repeatedly. I did find the ending, with Merritt's cryptic comments about the future, to be particularly intriguing though, and would pick up the next installment just to see where things are headed - but I'm hoping it'll move at a more even pace and there will start to be some development of Olivia's personality, because at some point constant second-guessing gets monotonous...
Still, on the whole it was an enjoyable read and one I can recommend, albeit with the caveat about pacing - and a mention that skimming some of those pages of details won't affect understanding or enjoyment of the overall story at all.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
April 25, 2026
Overall, I really enjoyed this one—definitely an improvement over the first book in the series.
It took me a little while to get into the story, and some of the early dialogue felt a bit stiff, but once it found its rhythm, it really worked. What stood out most to me was the attention to detail and the research and small, layered clues made the mystery feel grounded and realistic. This isn’t a fast-paced, twist-heavy thriller; instead, it builds slowly, piecing things together in a way that feels believable and satisfying.
There’s a large cast of characters, which did get a bit confusing at times, but I ultimately liked the ensemble and how they contributed to the story.
As for the characters: Merritt, the main detective, came across as a little too closed sometimes. I wanted just a bit more from her. She’s like this genius but we don’t get to see it all that much. The assistant was likable and engaging, though she had some airheaded moments that stood out. And her husband…honestly, kind of frustrating. Your wife is actively involved in solving a murder, and you’re upset about not getting a text back? It pulled me out of the story at times.
That said, the strength of the mystery and the thoughtful pacing made this a solid read for me. If you enjoy more methodical, detail-driven mysteries, this one is worth picking up
It took me a little while to get into the story, and some of the early dialogue felt a bit stiff, but once it found its rhythm, it really worked. What stood out most to me was the attention to detail and the research and small, layered clues made the mystery feel grounded and realistic. This isn’t a fast-paced, twist-heavy thriller; instead, it builds slowly, piecing things together in a way that feels believable and satisfying.
There’s a large cast of characters, which did get a bit confusing at times, but I ultimately liked the ensemble and how they contributed to the story.
As for the characters: Merritt, the main detective, came across as a little too closed sometimes. I wanted just a bit more from her. She’s like this genius but we don’t get to see it all that much. The assistant was likable and engaging, though she had some airheaded moments that stood out. And her husband…honestly, kind of frustrating. Your wife is actively involved in solving a murder, and you’re upset about not getting a text back? It pulled me out of the story at times.
That said, the strength of the mystery and the thoughtful pacing made this a solid read for me. If you enjoy more methodical, detail-driven mysteries, this one is worth picking up
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars
This is a nice addition to the series debut, featuring 20 something investigator in training Olivia Blunt and her acerbic but astute boss, nationally famed detective Aubrey Merritt.
The dynamic is that Olivia, who is very bright but not very confident and has a stellar background in research, gets hired by Aubrey. Aubrey is demanding and very much wants the newly-married Olivia to succeed.
Aubrey and Olivia are attending a small 40 year reunion of Aubrey's college sorority at the urging of one of her sorority sister's husbands. The host of the reunion, a brusque and impressive retired Army general, has been receiving threats.
There is a lot of old baggage from their college days, and current angst with spouses and family. Olivia gets a bit angsty sometimes but hopefully as she gains experience that will lessen. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a nice addition to the series debut, featuring 20 something investigator in training Olivia Blunt and her acerbic but astute boss, nationally famed detective Aubrey Merritt.
The dynamic is that Olivia, who is very bright but not very confident and has a stellar background in research, gets hired by Aubrey. Aubrey is demanding and very much wants the newly-married Olivia to succeed.
Aubrey and Olivia are attending a small 40 year reunion of Aubrey's college sorority at the urging of one of her sorority sister's husbands. The host of the reunion, a brusque and impressive retired Army general, has been receiving threats.
There is a lot of old baggage from their college days, and current angst with spouses and family. Olivia gets a bit angsty sometimes but hopefully as she gains experience that will lessen. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was an intriguing mystery! When renowned detective Aubrey Merritt is invited to a reunion with her college sorority sisters, she almost doesn't go, until one of them receives a threat. Once Merritt and her assistant Oliva Blunt arrive at the reunion they, of course, are embroiled in a murder investigation. This book contains an eclectic cast of characters and there were twists and turns as we find out there are mysteries within the investigation and emotions run high as grudges, slights and deceptions from the past are dug up. I really enjoyed watching this mystery unfold!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had a lot of fun writing this book. Loved the characters and especially the relationship between Aubrey and Olivia where Olivia starts to come into her own as a detective. The mystery they have to solve isn't easy. There are actually three crimes to sort out, and the ending asks the question "What do you do when you've figured out who did it, but you can't prove it?" That's when Olivia steps up.
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March 27, 2026PUBLISH DATE: June 9, 2026
BOOK TITLE: The Forty-Year Grudge
SERIES: Merritt & Blunt Mysteries #2
AUTHOR: Liza Tully
PUBLISHER: Berkley Publishing Group
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 352
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
BOOK TITLE: The Forty-Year Grudge
SERIES: Merritt & Blunt Mysteries #2
AUTHOR: Liza Tully
PUBLISHER: Berkley Publishing Group
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 352
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
April 6, 2026
Second book in the Olivia Blunt detective series. This book can be read as a standalone. The story focuses on a sorority reunion and 3 “crimes”. Are they the same perpetrator or completely different people? That is what Olivia and her boss, Audrey Merritt, have to figure out. The story was okay, but at some points I felt like the story moved too slowly. This book was not as good as the first book so I was a bit disappointed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group, for providing the copy of The Forty-Year Grudge by Liza Tully. I loved the dossier on the reunion attendees Olivia assembled. It gave me quick insight to each of the reunion attendees, but more character development would have helped. I liked the story, even though it bogged down a couple of times, and made the book feel long. I’m not sure this was the book for me, but lovers of cozy mysteries might love it! 3 stars
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is a funny and refreshing take on the traditional murder mystery. I read this in two days and look forward to more from this author
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews