Last Night Was Killer

by Mary Pauline Lowry

"On any list of writers that make me laugh, Mary Pauline Lowry is near the top. Last Night Was Killer, but it's also killer fun." -- Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guncle A suspenseful, bighearted, and laugh-out-loud story of a single mom trying to do it all—including solve a murder she may or may not have committed…

When Tilly Turner signed up for an introductory pole-dancing class, she was looking for a distraction. Reeling from her mother’s passing, and with her career as a stand-up comedian in ruins, Tilly has just moved back to the Idaho hometown she was desperate to leave, with her twin daughters in tow.

But Tilly gets more than she bargained for after a night out with her new pole-dancing pals. She wakes to a raging hangover, no memory of the evening before, and a dead body in the trunk of her car.

Who was the dead man? And more importantly, who killed him? Tilly has no alibi and needs answers. But investigating a murder is complicated, especially with an old frenemy circling, childcare plans falling through, and pole-dancing classes to attend. And don’t even mention the sexy ATF agent who she’s trying (and failing) to keep at arm’s length.

As Tilly races to solve the mystery before the police come knocking, she finds herself implicated in a larger plot that includes political subterfuge and arms dealing. But who knows—maybe busting a criminal enterprise will be just the shake-up she needs.

Balancing both heart and hilarity, and with a witty take on the struggles of modern motherhood, Last Night Was Killer is a charming introduction to the most unlikely—and likable—of sleuths.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Thriller, Humor, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult

Audible Audio

First published July 7, 2026

About the author

Mary Pauline Lowry received her MFA from the Boise State University in 2019. She is the author of two novels, Wildfire and The Roxy Letters. Her newest book, Last Night Was Killer, will be out 07/07/26. Her essays have been published in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, O Magazine, and other publications. She lives in her hometown of Austin Texas.

Reviews

[_blondebooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Opened the Trunk and There Was a Dead Body… and Somehow This Book Made It FUNNY??? 🔪😂🚗💀

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had so much fun with this audiobook and I genuinely was not prepared for that level of chaos.

This entire story is told through Tilly Turner—comedian, hot mess, absolute menace—and at times I swear I forgot I was reading a mystery and thought I had wandered into a stand-up set. Like why am I laughing??? There is a dead man involved???

Tilly has A LOT going on:
• single mom of twins (via donor)
• disgraced comedian thanks to a guilty-by-association scandal 🙃
• back in her Idaho hometown after her mom’s death

Naturally, instead of processing any of that in a healthy way…

SHE TAKES POLE DANCING CLASSES.

As one does 💅

Enter the “virgin pole dancing besties” (yes, that’s their name and yes, I’m obsessed).

So after a night out with them, Tilly is living her life, minding her business, goes to load groceries into her trunk and—

✨ BOOM. DEAD BODY. ✨

I—

From there it’s chaotic in the BEST way. We’re retracing the night, trying to piece together what happened, and every time I thought I had it figured out the story said “absolutely not” and threw another twist at me.

We’ve got:
• a sexy ATF agent 👀
• messy hometown drama
• childcare struggles (honestly relatable)
• arms dealing???
• politics???
• and a victim who is, quite frankly, a terrible human

The tone for most of this book is fun, witty, and completely unhinged in a way that made it impossible to put down.

BUT.

The ending shifts hard into heavier territory, which felt a little jarring compared to the light, comedic vibe of the rest of the book. And the “bad guy” reveal? A bit out of nowhere for me.

Also—keeping it honest—the political elements got a little heavier than I personally prefer. It pulled me out of the story at times when I was fully here for the chaos, comedy, and mystery.

That said—

Helen Laser absolutely KILLED this narration. The comedic timing? The delivery? She is Tilly.

Overall:
✨ chaotic main character energy
✨ genuinely funny mystery
✨ fast-paced and entertaining

Just expect a bit of tonal whiplash at the end.

And maybe think twice before opening your trunk 😌

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Night Was Killer by Mary Pauline Lowry
Book Blurb: A suspenseful, bighearted, and laugh-out-loud story of a single mom trying to do it all—including solve a murder she may or may not have committed…

Rating: ****
Feels: Hilarity, Curious, Invested, Satisfied
Style: Mystery, Audiobook, Thriller, Fiction, Adult, Humor, Mystery Thriller
First published July 7, 2026 : 320 pages

Giggle fits and cuteness galore. This read kept me sooo entertained and amused. I adored single mom Tilly is relatable , fun, smart and I loved following along on the greatest mystery of her life … did she kill that man ??? 😂😂 Just utterly outrageous and all the shenanigans you can think of ensue as Tilly takes up pole dancing and after a night on the town finds a dead body in her trunk .. she does what any self respecting single mom of twins would do … tell her twins there is a scary spider in the trunk and try to solve the murder while not falling in love with the hunky ATF agent. Completely legit heart warming and hilarious hijinks follow and I enjoyed every moment.

Audiobook Review:
Narration Style: Solo - Narrated by Helen Laser
Listener Rating: *****
Audiobook Notes: Absolutely fantastic amusing narration that really brought out the humor of this read. Listening to this the narrator had me giggling and loving this story as we went on the wildest ride with this single mom. Tone and pitch were amazing and really easy to understand at all speeds. I tend to listen to my audio books at 2.0 and this one was great at all the speeds I tried 1.0 to 2.5. It was easy to follow along and I always knew who was speaking during the read. Sound quality was really good and easy to hear everything. Highly recommend this read as an audiobook as it was really enjoyable.

Favorite Quote: Trying to have a lighthearted night out during an epic rough patch had somehow resulted in this - me, disturbingly hungover, with a dead man in my trunk ...

This book has:
Thriller-Rom-Com
Found Family
Murder Mystery
Soo many Shenanigans
Single Mom
Pole Dancing Fun

[labibliofille · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF again, for the second time. I just cannot find it in me to care.

We're all over the place with the plot; the pole classes, the murder mystery, the political commentary, the ATF/maybe gun bust/potential attack on the capital building, the romance, the single mom of twins with the same mannerisms of her love interest who can't be her donor because the timeframe wouldn't add up but *what if* things work out and he's their stepdad and someone out there is having the same thoughts about their partner/kids because he was a donor once back in the day but he's also possibly in on the bad things that the murder victim was tangled up in. Yeah, it's a lot. And I bet that's not even all of it since I'm bailing halfway through.

I love the found family aspect, the strong women supporting other women. It's just not enough to keep me engaged with the chaos of the story line. As soon as I'm interested, something happens and we circle back to something I just don't care about.

And the humor? It's not funny. There were a couple quippy one-liners early on, but I think it became a crutch.

As much as I want the satisfaction of knowing what happened to who, where, and why, I just cannot force myself to read this. As soon as I open the book up my ADHD is like "welp, there's this shiny thing over there that's more interesting". Even laundry, my arch nemesis, seems more appealing. If I had an ALC (audiobook), I'd finish this for the giggles, the satisfaction, but it takes me far too long to read this with my eyeballs to keep trying.

The premise was so promising, but the book just did not deliver.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilly is an out of work comedian whose mom just passed away. She moved from LA to Idaho with her twin girls and in an effort to get her out to the house her neighbor bought her pole dancing lessons. After a wild night out she finds a dead body in her trunk and now she has to find out what happened to him and who killed him.

This was the mom version of the Hangover and it was a whole lot of fun! Lots of laughs and hijinks. Read if you love Finlay, friendships, and female empowerment.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Dozelina 666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh this book…

I actually scrolled past it a few times on NetGalley because I wasn’t sure I’d get approved. Then I said, you know what, I'm gonna try anyway. And THANK YOU HarperAudio because this ended up being exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

This was such a fresh breath of air.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job. At some point I genuinely felt like I was the main character there. :))

So, the story. Our FMC, Tilly, is going through a lot. She’s dealing with grief after losing her mom, her career is a mess because of a scandal that wasn’t even her fault, and she’s juggling life as a single mom to twins. So… yup, ofc she deserves one wild night.

And what a night it was....

She goes out with her pole dancing friends, wakes up the next day with no memory… and a dead body in her car.

From there, everything spirals into absolute chaos. She starts investigating what happened, who the guy was, and how he ended up dead. And somehow we end up with guns dealing, grenades, unexpected friendships, and a romance with an ATF agent who is honestly a cinnamon roll. Calm, patient (even when Tilly was pushing him away), supportive… we love him.

The humor worked. The book is chaotic, funny and surprisingly heartfelt at times.

Also… the pole dancing aspect? I loved it. Will I ever try it? Probably not, but I will always want to. :))

And we cannot forget the dog. Little Sister was a whole personality.

⭐ 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ARC.

https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...

[Vonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, I loved this book. It had me gasping one moment and laughing the next, and I was completely pulled into the chaos of this story. The pacing, the twists, and the humor all worked so well together. This was such a wild ride from beginning to end.

[EmJustReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me want to sign up for a pole class

I really enjoyed this “who done it” mystery. We get to see a single mother attempt to solve a murder to prove to everyone (and herself) that she didn’t commit the crime. The story was full of twists that fit in the storyline, and these conflicts moved the story in unexpected directions. I truly didn’t know who did it until the end.

I’m definitely a “Woo girl” (except I’d tip) and the writing was funny because the FMC had a career as a comedian. It was great to see all of the relationships and the found family trope for a single mother working through grief. It addressed some darker themes, but made it easy to digest and makes you feel understanding of the characters’ choices.

It was nice to see how the FMC came to terms and healed from issues in her childhood (like bullies and feeling alone). We get to see a lot of female relationships morph from the beginning to the end, and it’s great to see how communities can support each other. The neighbors’ parts in the story were like the cherry on top… imagine an older woman with a crossbow as her default protection.

The epilogue really made me happy - if you read it you will understand. I love when women get the job done!!

Thank you to HaperAudio adult and the author for the ALC.

[Whitney Mayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC! This book was a trip. Definitely had some Finlay Donovan vibes and parts that were hilariously funny. There were also parts very real in regards to grief. The main character Tilly, takes you on an adventure while she is starting her own. Definitely an entertaining read with a happy ending

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ALC (advanced listening copy) through NetGalley.

I haven’t read Mary Pauline Lowry’s previous books, but as soon as I saw the cover for Last Night Was Killer and read the blurb, I knew I had to read it!

Tilly wakes up after a night of going out for drinks with people she met at her very first pole-dancing class. The problem is that she doesn’t remember how the night ended—especially how she got home. When she goes to retrieve her car, she discovers a dead man in the trunk. Without remembering whether she has an alibi, contacting the police is out of the question, so she’s left trying to identify the man and figure out how he died.

This is a fast-paced story that kept my attention, and I finished it the day after I started it. I loved Tilly and all of the other characters. Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about the book, and I would love to see a sequel! I’d love to see it adapted into a movie as well because it would be hilarious.

I’d hoped the writing style would be witty and amusing, and it absolutely was! Some audiobooks have narrators with pleasant speaking voices, but their performances don’t really add anything extra. Then there are narrators with voice-acting experience who truly bring a story to life. Helen Laser is the latter kind, and her performance was excellent! I’ll definitely check out other books she narrates.

I loved this quote:

“Friendship begins the moment one person overshares, and the other person responds in kind.”

The audiobook, ebook, and hardcover editions all come out on July 7, 2026, and I definitely recommend this one!

Taking a pole-dancing class sounds like so much fun! I could never do it because carpal tunnel syndrome makes it difficult for me to grip things tightly without my hands spasming and losing their grip. Still, I have a lot of respect for anyone who’s able to do it—and even more respect for people who choose to use those skills professionally, whether through performing or teaching.

[Lis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder, pole dancing, hot ATF agent, what's a single mother of twin 7-year-old girls to do??

This is a fun light-hearted murder mystery in the same vein as Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. I really enjoyed the found family vibes and how much the characters support each other. Every woman need a good ride or die! I will admit at sometimes it does pass into the realm of silly more so than I personally enjoy.

I think I would have preferred this as an audiobook. There were parts of the book where there is stand-up comedy bit, and i think timing would be better through audio as opposed to physically reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy!

[CarrieLynn S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilly Turner is hilarious! Her friends, hobbies, neighbor and love life are hilarious. This book had me laughing out loud multiple times.
Tilly mom passes away and she’s forced to moves back to her hometown in Idaho after a couple decades in LA trying to make it as a comedian. She’s in a grief rut and her quirky cool neighbor gifts her pole dance lessons that she definitely doesn’t want. What comes next is a murder mystery, profound friendship, female empowerment and a race to thwart the IDIOTS and save the city. Equal parts funny and meaningful, this book delivers mystery, laughs and heart.
This book is perfect for readers who loved Too Old for This by Samantha Downing or Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, a murder thriller with a sense of humor.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC

[⋆ ˚｡⋆୨ Jinx Reads ୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

{2.0 Stars}

ARC Review

[Will contain spoilers. Read at your discretion.]
I was charmed by the title, the cover, and the promise of a comedic murder mystery. What I got was far from that.

What I liked starts and stops with the girl talking to an astronaut and potentially getting catfished.

What I didn't like
The number of plot holes in this story is out of this world. I'm someone who can usually turn a blind eye to a few plot holes, but this was on another level. It became incredibly frustrating.

For example:

Why was she wearing his vest? Never explained.
How did she get his vest? Never explained.
Did the feds discover the guy's disappearance? Never explained.
Did they put the big bad in jail, or is someone else just going to take his place and continue going after the main character? We don't know.

And that's just a short list of the many plot holes in this book.

The humor also didn't work for me. The book reads like one long comedy skit, which sounds fun in theory. In practice, though, that's the entire book, and by the end, the comedy wasn't enough to distract me from its many issues.

Another problem I had was how scattered the plot felt. For example, what was the point of introducing the bombing plotline if it gets resolved at the exact same time as another, unrelated plot point? If one conflict is resolved as a byproduct of solving a completely different conflict, then it didn't need to be there in the first place.

I genuinely didn't understand the inclusion of the city bombing. It had little to no significance to the overall story.

Someone could argue that without it, the main character wouldn't have been kidnapped. But she easily could have been kidnapped directly by the main antagonist instead. Another argument is that they wouldn't have had a reason to get the Ski-Doos. Personally, I would have been perfectly fine without that entire subplot because it ultimately felt insignificant.

I also would have enjoyed the mystery much more if it had actually been resolved. Instead, the story remains ambiguous until the very end about whether anyone will ever be caught, making the mystery feel somewhat pointless. The author essentially creates the "perfect crime" because no one finds the culprit. Yet the feds have the scissors as evidence, and I find it hard to believe nothing will ever come of that.

Finally, the romance. I was actually excited when I thought the MMC was going to be revealed as the father because that would have made one of the major plot points finally make sense. Unfortunately, I didn't even get that.

[Krissi]

DNF at 35% in. I want to read a work of fiction, not political opinions no matter what side of the fence you're on. Story would have been great without the political opinions sprinkled in.

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Last Night Was a Killer* was such a fun and entertaining read! From start to finish, I found myself laughing out loud thanks to the sharp humor and witty writing. The narrator truly elevated the experience, delivering every joke and chaotic moment with perfect comedic timing.

The story follows a single mom who signs up for a pool dancing class—only for things to spiral wildly out of control when the night ends in murder… and a dead guy in her trunk. What follows is a hilarious, fast-paced adventure as she tries to figure out what happened and who’s responsible. Along the way, her loyal (and equally funny) group of girlfriends add plenty of charm, and her twin daughters absolutely steal the show with their antics.

This book strikes a great balance between mystery and comedy, making it an easy, enjoyable read. Fans of the Finlay Donovan series will feel right at home with the tone and style. Definitely worth picking up if you’re in the mood for something light, funny, and a little bit chaotic.

[Kelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a Chaotic mess!

...and I don't mean the book. I mean the FMC, Tilly Turner. Hahaha! Boy does she have a lot going on; failed comedy career, single mom (literally signed up knowing she was single), swimming in debt, and grieving the loss of her mother. Well she is persuaded to do something for herself, so she takes up pole dancing. One night out with her pole dancing friends she gets a little toooooo something...and finds a DEAD body in her trunk the next morning! Did she kill someone? Does she go to the cops? If Tilly didn't do it...who did?

If you're looking for a good laugh, Tilly's story is it. This book is fast paced, plot heavy and full of fun. While this book is a little out of my comfort zone, I enjoyed it. The easy pace and story line was the perfect palate cleanser for my usual reads. If you love quick wit, chaotic parenting, even funnier side characters, solving crimes and books that keep you guessing until the very end, give this book a try!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the privilege to listen and review this ALC.

[Nicolette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!!!! Finlay Donovan vibes.

[Louis (audiobookfanatic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLURB:
Tilly Turner, a struggling comedian and single mother, wakes up with no memory of the night before and finds a dead body in her trunk. After joining a pole dancing class and blacking out during a wild night with its eccentric members, she becomes entangled in a dangerous murder investigation while trying to protect her twins, avoid jail, and uncover what happened.

REVIEW:
If you enjoy satirical murder mystery thrillers with unhinged female protagonists, look no further! This book is fast-paced and has a highly original story that includes a chaotic murder investigation, dark humor, a romantic subplot, and an unconventional but heartfelt found-family vibe. And who doesn’t love a pole-dancing troupe at the center of a murder mystery to make everything campier and funnier!?

Told entirely in Tilly’s first person, you get fully immersed in her sarcasm, dark humor, impulsiveness, and increasingly unhinged behavior that’s incredibly entertaining to follow. As she tries to retrace her steps to figure out if she killed the man in her trunk—or what actually happened to him—she gets entangled with her new friend Lena, her high school frenemy Miranda, and members of the pole dancing crew whose hilarious stage names make everything even more confusing. At the same time, she’s juggling motherhood as a single mom to twins and trying to keep herself out of jail at all costs—so expect plenty of comedic chaos as she throws herself into dangerous and absurd situations! On top of all that, there’s a romantic subplot with federal agent Nate Duran that’s more chaotic and over-the-top than swoony, but their chemistry does sizzle in certain scenes!

One of the major strengths is the pacing. The short chapters and constant shifts between the night of Tilly’s blackout and the present-day investigation keep the momentum moving. I found the twists and turns quite unpredictable, mainly because I was so wrapped up in all the chaotic and hilarious dialogue—especially when Tilly’s forced to make quick decisions or text people from the dead man’s phone while pretending to be him! The climax mixes pole dancing, stand-up comedy, and high-stakes thrills in a very entertaining way, and the ending resolves the main mystery while leaving you with a hopeful, yet chaotic sense of what’s next for Tilly! And all you audiobook listeners are in for a treat—Helen Laser fully embodies Tilly and brings all the comedy and chaos to life, and you’ll be laughing out loud throughout!

[Leyna Odell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery that makes you laugh - I’m here for it! I loved the main character, Tilly, and her newly found bffs. They were quite the cast of characters and I loved how they all supported each other. This book reminded me of a funnier, more progressive Finlay Donovan type book. The drama of this story unfolds as Tilly takes a pole dancing class, gifted to her by her elderly neighbor who was her mom’s best friend. After their first class, the group goes out for drinks. One drink leads to two and then to a third, and that’s all Tilly remembers of that night. The next day, she happens to find the body of a skeezy guy who had hit on her at the bar in the trunk of her car. With no memory of the night before, Tilly has to find out who the man is and more importantly how he ended up in her car!

Huge thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not expect this book to be this funny. Not “light chuckle while reading in bed” funny. More like “why am I laughing at a woman actively unraveling a potential murder while dealing with childcare falling apart” funny.

Tilly is the kind of character who feels like she is operating just slightly outside of control at all times, which is either going to be exhausting or deeply relatable depending on your personality. For me, it landed in the second category. She reads like a real woman who is trying to hold everything together and is doing it in the most chaotic possible order. And honestly, that’s the charm here.

The setup—waking up after a pole dancing class she barely remembers with a dead body in her trunk—is outrageous in the best way. But what kept me reading wasn’t just the premise. It was Tilly’s voice. Mary Pauline Lowry leans fully into wit without losing emotional grounding, which is what keeps this from becoming pure absurdity.

There’s also something interesting happening underneath the humor. The book quietly threads in grief, motherhood fatigue, identity collapse, and the pressure of starting over when life doesn’t really give you a clean reset. Tilly’s return to her hometown feels less like a comeback and more like a slow motion collision with everything she tried to outrun.


Also yes, this is funny. But it’s also not cute. There’s a darker current running through the mystery, and once the political and arms dealing threads start tightening, you realize this isn’t just “oops I maybe committed a murder” territory. It escalates in a way that keeps the story from staying comfortably in comedic mystery land.

That said, I wouldn’t call this a traditional thriller either. It sits in this weird, very specific middle space: thriller readers will recognize the stakes, but the delivery is lighter, messier, more emotionally chaotic than procedural or high intensity suspense. Which is exactly why it works.
It feels like reading someone trying to solve a crisis while also trying to survive their own life at the same time.

This is one of those books that lives or dies on whether you connect with the voice—and I did.
It’s not a clean mystery. It’s not a traditional thriller. It’s something looser, funnier, and a little more emotionally tangled than that and somehow, that’s exactly why it works.

Perfect for Readers Who Love

* fast-paced mysteries with a strong comedic voice
* chaotic, messy heroines trying to hold life together
* thrillers with lighter, character driven delivery
* stories about burnout, reinvention, and starting over
* books where things spiral out of control in the most human way possible

[Katie ᥫ᭡. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pole dancing, motherhood, 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧, and a hangover so bad you wake up with a 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 in your trunk?? 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹… 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?! 💀🍸

This book was such a fun, chaotic ride. Tilly is the definition of a 𝙝𝙤𝙩-𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙚, and I loved her immediately. She’s 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, raising twin daughters, 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 to revive her stand-up career, moving back to the hometown she once escaped, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 casually trying to solve a murder before she becomes the prime suspect. Meanwhile, I feel accomplished when I remember to move the laundry into the dryer. 🤣👏🏼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 😮‍💨

The mystery was entertaining and the humor and characters were what really made this story shine. Tilly’s inner commentary had me laughing, and I loved the unlikely friendship between her pole-dancing girl gang. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 says female bonding 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 like learning to spin around a pole while trying to piece together how a dead man ended up in your trunk. 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨’ 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙. 😂

Overall, this was clever, quirky, slightly unhinged, and such an easy read. It gave 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 meets 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 with a dash of 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 but more girly 💕🥹

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞-𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 😍

[Huda Shaltry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious! Yes, it’s dark that Tilly finds a dead man in the trunk of her car but somehow the author made the whole book funny and intriguing!
Tilly has moved back to her hometown after her mom has passed away and after a fun night out with new friends she finds a dead man in her trunk the next morning! With twists and turns she can’t remember if she was the one who murdered him!
Parts of the book were SO BOISE that it felt too much, but the ending made up for any cheesiness.
Found family, grieving, and solving a murder…what else could you ask for in a fun book about your own hometown? Such a fun read!

[Amy Silknitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was absolutely hilarious.

I received it as an ALC back in April, and despite numerous flight delays on my way home from vacation, this audiobook kept me laughing the entire time. (I'm pretty sure I was the only person in the airport having a good day!)

It gave me serious Finlay Donovan vibes. If you love the humor, chaos, and lovable characters in that series as much as I do, I think you'll have a great time with this one.

I enjoyed every second of it and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a funny, fast-paced mystery.

[Arriel Truswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an enjoyable read. Could not stop listening to it! Mary Pauline Lowry managed to make a story about a murder comedic. Also had a cute romance as a side focus rather than the main. The main character, Tilly, is a grieving single mom that is also a disgraced comedian forced to move home to Idaho. Missing her former life in Los Angeles and her previous job, she finds new rowdy friends along her way that help save the day! And a hottie guy splashed in there too! This story had a little something for everyone.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 rounding up to 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for an ALC!

What an absolutely entertaining and FUN read! It was fast paced and had twists that made you want to keep listening, found family vibes which I always love, moments that made me laugh out loud and moments with the our FMC Tilly that felt relatable.

One of my favorite things about reading is being able to see pieces of myself in the characters and relate to them.
While I can’t say I ever see myself trying pole dancing as a way to find myself/make friends, and I also don’t anticipate having a stressor as big as finding a dead body in the trunk of my car anytime soon, the motherhood factor I could relate to Tilly. Her constant fear that she was “screwing up her kids” was relatable for me. Isn’t that most decent parent’s worst fear? That despite trying our hardest we will somehow mess our kids up in the long run? This is not something I see addressed in a lot of the books I normally pick up so I enjoyed that relatability here.

For a murder mystery the last thing you want is to be able to guess who the murderer was. The twists in this one left me without a clue!

I would HIGHLY recommend this on audio as the narrator Helen Laser was absolutely PHENOMENAL. From the character voices to delivering the comedy with perfection, her narration alone bumped this one up a half star for me. I think it would’ve been closer to 4 stars had her narration not done such a wonderful job at bringing the book to life.

This was the perfect read to break up a lot of the more serious fantasy books I’ve been reading and listening to more recently. Would highly recommend!

[Alvira Frish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @netgalley @harperaudio for this ALC!

Tilly, a single mom to twin daughters and a stand-up comedian in the middle of a career crisis, decides to take a pole dancing class. The next day, she wakes up with very little memory of the night before but with the body of a strange man in her car.

I listened to this via NetGalley, with excellent narration, a fast-paced plot, and so many laugh-out-loud moments.

This is a comedic thriller that blends serious themes (like a murder investigation and coping with loss) with genuinely hilarious ones (like beginner-level pole dancing or the savings jar Tilly keeps for her daughters’ future therapy).

Of course, this isn’t your classic thriller and you can’t really compare the genres. It’s something different, and that’s exactly how it should be approached. Still, I found myself genuinely intrigued by the mystery and eager to see how it would unfold, following Tilly’s every “detective” steps alongside the comedic disasters she finds herself in.

The characters were incredibly engaging, especially the vibrant, larger-than-life main character who steals every scene.

I really enjoyed listening to this one. it’s perfect for anyone looking for a great mix of suspense and humor.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny book about a single mom of twins trying to mourn her own mother's recent passing and the loss of her comedy career in LA while trying to make ends meet in Boise, UT. Yes, despite the stress and loss, it is very funny! Most of the book takes place over two days: the night before at pole dancing class and a visit to the local strip club, then the morning after, when there's a dead body in the trunk, apparently stabbed with her mother's scrapbooking scissors that were headed to Goodwill.
This happens early on, and much of the book is trying to find out IF the MFC did the killing, as she has no recollection of her time between 9:30 pm and 4:30 am. Plus there's a cute guy at her daughters' Career Day class presentation who is laughing at her jokes, so maybe she shouldn't give up on comedy? This is a fun romp of a story, similar to Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series. If you enjoy those, you will also love this gem! 4.4 stars.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HarperAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #LastNightWasKiller for review purposes. Publication date: 7 July 2026: a perfect beach read!

[LeAnn Millward · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ALC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I had so much fun with this audiobook. It's the first book I've listened to in a while that I finished in one sitting. The story is around Tilly, a stand up comic who returns home to Idaho after her mother passes away. The elderly neighbor next door convinces her that she needs to try pole dancing as a new hobby and on the first day of class, she's invited to go out with all of the "pole virgins." She wakes up the next day with a wicked hangover and a dead body in the trunk of her car.

Tilly's adventure to find out who killed the man in her trunk is hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. Her friends and neighbors are so fun and add so much more to the story. Her twin daughters are equally as hilarious as well. This was just a lot of fun and a very quick paced listen.

Helen Laser's narration was brilliant and really kept up with the pace of the story, which was very refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Pauline Lowry, and HarperAudio Adult for allowing me to listen and review. I really enjoyed this one a lot and am looking forward to checking out more stories from Ms. Lowry in the future.

[Jessica Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this arc from NetGalley so thank you to them, the author Mary Pauline Lowry for this arc! I was intrigued from the moment I started listening to this! I binged listened to it in one day because I couldn’t stop. It was so good. It had me laughing, gasping in shock, sad then happy. The FMC Tilly was just fantastic. Honestly all the characters were amazing. I just loved them all. They were very relatable. There were so many plot twists I didn’t see coming that just made it keep getting better and better. This is my first book I have read by this author but it certainly won’t be my last.

Tilly is a comedian out of work that moves from LA to Idaho after the death of her mom with her twin daughters. She’s just trying to make it through life with her girls and the grief of her mom when a murder mystery gets thrown in her lap or should I say car. She can’t remember the night before so she is uncertain if she did it or not. Follow her as she tries to figure out this mystery and keep her life together.

[Michelle Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Last Night Was Killer by Mary Pauline Lowry is a funny, chaotic thriller that kept me entertained from start to finish. Tilly is a single mom of twins who moves back home after her mother’s death. When her neighbor gifts her pole dancing classes — along with free babysitting — she decides to give it a try. But after her very first class, she wakes up with no memory of the night before… and a body in the trunk of her car. Now she has to piece together what happened before she’s blamed for murder.

I listened to this as an audiobook ARC from NetGalley, and while parts of the mystery were a little predictable, the humor and characters made up for it. There were so many moments that genuinely made me laugh, and I especially loved Tilly’s stand-up comedy bits. If she were a real comedian, I’d absolutely buy tickets to her show.

The audiobook narration by Helen Laser was excellent. Her voice was easy to listen to, the pacing felt natural, and she brought the humor and chaos of the story to life perfectly. I’d definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by her.

[Kelly Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me laughing out loud! Tilly has moved back home and is mourning the loss of her Mother when her neighbor gives her pole dancing lessons to cheer her up. At the first class, she realizes she likes these people and goes out for a nightcap. When she wakes up, she doesn't really remember anything, and then she finds a dead body in her trunk! What in the world happened last night? With her new pole dancing friends, a little courage, and some funny mishaps, she starts trying to put the pieces together and solve the mystery. She just can't go to jail! What would happen to her girls? Introduce a handsome ATF agent and an old high school frenemy to keep things spicy and lively. I was even surprised at the end when the mystery unfolded. If you like funny books with a little mystery and love thrown in, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review