All Rise for Murder

by Roz Nay

A truly Canadian cozy mystery, All Rise for Murder finds three generations of Kirby women suddenly under one roof in charming West Elk—just as the peaceful town seems to become the centre of a devious plot to frame an innocent young man for murder.

Maude Kirby has recently been dumped by her diplomat husband and has moved back to her quirky hometown of West Elk, BC, to live with her ever-optimistic, fashion-forward mother, Val. On the ropes financially, and with her confrontational fifteen-year-old daughter, Rhette, to look after, Maude applies for a clerking job at the local courthouse, and to her surprise, gets it. How hard can it be?

Told to remain professional during court cases, Maude nevertheless finds it impossible not to get emotionally invested when eighteen-year-old Levi is charged with poisoning a local gym owner. No one else seems concerned that the prosecution’s case rests on dubious "facts," but Maude can’t help speaking up for the quiet teen. Things get more complicated when Maude runs into her first love, who appears to have aged very well—and also appears to be dating Maude's prime suspect!

Reminiscent of beloved mysteries such as The Maid, The Thursday Murder Club, and Finlay Donovan is Killing It, All Rise for Murder features quirky characters, old grudges, hidden crushes, surprising twists, and a satisfying ending that will leave the reader eager for the next installment of the Madam Clerk series.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Canada, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Cozy

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2026

Reviews

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm]

3.5 STARS (rounded up) All Rise For Murder is the latest book by Canadian author Roz Nay and is a bit outside of Nay's usual twisty thriller genre and I was happy to see her stretch her literary muscles! This is a Canadian small-town mystery that allows Nay's sense of humour to shine.

The story is centred around three generations of Kirby women: Matriarch Val, the fashionable clothing store owner looking for love, her daughter Maude who has come home after her marriage imploded, and Maude's teenage daughter Rhette who isn't happy about being dragged to a small town. When Maude gets a job as a court clerk and believes a young man is wrongly accused of murder, the trio decide to prove his innocence, each having her own ideas on how to solve the murder.

With a hearty dose of messy family life, small-town drama and a trio of women who can't keep their noses out of trouble, this was an entertaining and quirky small-town mystery. For me, the family dynamics overshadowed the mystery a bit in the middle, but Nay gives wonderful depth to her characters, some poignant moments and an ending that surprised this seasoned mystery lover.

Heartwarming, with bouts of humour, this first book in a new whodunnit series doesn't take itself too seriously and brings readers along for a fun ride of family dynamics and small-town mystery.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Viking Books for the complimentary digital advanced copy that was given to me in exchange for my honest review.

[Jenn (burlingtonbiblio)]

A Messy, chaotic, and funny whodunnit.
Think Murder She Wrote but with elk and a dash of Golden girls …. Or maybe just Rose Nyland….
I had a hard time following along in some parts (no clue how Roz managed to keep it straight while writing it) but everything connected at the end and even the nonsensical made sense.

[Erin Clemence]

Maude Kirby and her rich, global ambassador husband have just separated, after Maude found damning evidence of an affair on his phone. Now, along with her teenage daughter, Rhette, Maude has returned to her hometown of West Elk, B.C. to live with her sixty-year-old mother. Maude takes a job as a law clerk to help her get through the next few months but what she doesn’t expect is to find herself embroiled in a criminal investigation. When a young man is charged with murder, Maude risks her job and her already fragile reputation by standing up for him in the courtroom. Everything inside her tells Maude that there is no way this young man committed such a grisly crime- even if he did plead guilty. With Rhette and her mother, Valencia, Maude begins to investigate the small town she grew up in and quickly realizes that not everyone is who Maude thought they were when she left years ago.

Canadian author Roz Nay is known for her haunting thrillers, like “Hurry Home” and “The Offing”, so “All Rise for Murder” is a completely different adventure, dipping its toes into the murder mystery genre. As the first in a series, “Murder” is so very opposite from Nay’s previous novels, but just because it is unexpected does not mean it is in any way lesser.

“Murder” alternates protagonists between mother and daughter, Maude and Rhette, with a few chapters from the hilariously spacey grandma Valencia. All three women have suffered losses when it comes to love, but they rally around each other, and look out for each other, as only family can, and it is inspiring.

The mystery has a lot of layers with a lot of players, so it is one of those stories that you have to really pay attention to, to keep track of who knows who and what their individual relationships are. That being said, the mystery itself was well formed and it led to a believable and satisfying ending. Even the romantic plot lines that were hinted at throughout were brought to a happily-ever-after conclusion, which ensured that all of our protagonists got what they deserved in the end.

Nay’s characters are creative, hilarious and relatable and the novel is so off-brand from Nay that I did not know what to expect and if I would even enjoy it. However, I am such a huge fan of Nay’s thrillers that I could not let her new novel go unexplored. Nay is a talent, so whatever she creates is well worth the read, and I’m glad I took a chance with “Murder”. Although I will always be a steadfast reader of Nay’s regular contributions, the delightful family trio of crime fighters that surfaced in “All Rise for Murder” has caught my interest and I will be eagerly waiting for book two.

[Eileen Mackintosh]

This is a light read with family relationships combined with a murder mystery and offbeat characters. I will read book two in The Madam Clerk series when it is released. #indigoemployee

[Stephanielikesbooks]

This is the first of a fun, very likeable, Canadian cozy mystery series.

The main characters - Val, a fashionista grandmother; Maude, her middle-aged daughter whose husband has left her and who has returned to the small West Elk town in British Columbia; and Rhette, Maude’s teenage daughter - team up to prove that a young man is innocent of murder.

The banter between the three women is funny and warm-hearted and the locals in the small town round out the cast of quirky characters. There is a brewing rekindled romance for Maude, lots of amateur sleuthing by our intrepid trio, and a nice resolution to the mystery. My only quibble was that the middle part was a bit slow.

Overall, a welcome new mystery series and looking forward to the next book!

[Zoe]

Captivating, witty, and entertaining!

All Rise for Murder is a charming, addictive mystery that sweeps readers away to West Elk, BC, and into the lives of three Kirby women who each take it upon themselves to investigate the murder of a local gym owner when they can’t shake the feeling that the teenage boy arrested for the crime is not guilty.

The writing is light and lively. The characters are quirky, intelligent, and impulsive. And the plot is a fast-paced whodunit brimming with family drama, friendship, danger, secrets, deception, amateur sleuthing, red herrings, and plenty of unexpected twists.

All Rise for Murder is the first instalment in the Madam Clerk series by Nay, and it’s a fantastic choice for readers who love quaint settings, unique characters, and mysteries packed with charm, chaos, and heart.

[Sonica]

I had SUCH a fun time with this one - I’m so excited that Roz is back on the scene — and with a SERIES no less! 🙌 This first instalment in the Madame Clerk Mystery Series is already delivering everything I could want: small-town drama, courtroom intrigue, humour, and characters that feel wonderfully messy and real.

Maude Kirby returns to her quirky hometown of West Elk, BC after her life completely unravels, only to find herself clerking at the local courthouse and getting pulled into a murder case she just can’t ignore. Add in a complicated teenage daughter, a fashion-forward mother, and the return of a first love tied to her prime suspect?

What made this one especially enjoyable was Roz’s humour shining through every page. The dialogue and storyline had me laughing so much already — which felt very fitting because Roz herself is absolutely hilarious. 😂 It was a perfect balance of mystery, heart, and wit.

[Heather Lang]

4⭐️

I received an advanced galley of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Three generations of women become amateur sleuths.

Maude has returned home to her mother's house after discovering her husband has been cheating on her. She brings with her a sullen and resigned daughter, Rhette. Her mom, Val, is a shop owner, busybody gossip who wants desperately for Maude to be proud of her. Each is dancing around bigger issues, too afraid to rock the delicate balance with serious emotion. When Maude, in her new job as court clerk, sees a young man pleading guilty to a murderous crime she is deteremined he didn’t commit, she decides it’s time for her to step out of her shell and try to solve the crime. But she can’t do it alone. Together, the 3 try to pull the puzzle together while continuing to avoid their own secrets.

I am not usually a fan of amateur sleuth novels; however, this one was a blast. It is nice to see the blunders, confusion and utter stupidity you should expect from people who don’t know what they are doing. There is no sudden expertise with the three women; instead, they stumble their way through the facts, have hilarious capers, and generally just get lucky. The characters had me laughing out loud at various points, and the twist at the end I didn’t expect. Great time!

[Jessica]

I really enjoyed this novel. I really enjoyed the 3 perspectives from each generation of women. I could relate to different things for each of them. Their interactions and differing opinions felt realistic. It also seemed to allow for a quick pace to the story.

On another note, as a Canadian, I loved the random mentions of the elk around town. It felt familiar and homey somehow.

I will be waiting for Roz Nay’s next book.

Note: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Lisa Brown]

A quick read. A cute book. I’ve read everything she’s written so far. This one was a bit too “cozy” for me, but will continue to read anything else she adds to the series. I do prefer her darker thrillers though

[dawn johnson]

girl idk

[Jenna]

3.7 ⭐️

Cozy mystery, Thursday murder club vibes. I found the shifting perspectives to sometimes be confusing since it’s in third person. But overall, a cute quick read.

[Moriah]

Goofy amateur sleuth book. Too much going on.

[Coleen]

Loved this book! This author is fantastic - I laughed out loud multiple times. She should write for television if she isn't already. Her characters are likeable, believable, flawed and realistic. I also enjoyed the elk - enough said.
Please bring me more Madame Clerk mysteries!!!

[Kim]

This one took me a while to get into as I had been reading some very serious books and it was a jump to go to a lighter more humorous one. By the time I was chortling through Maude's first visit to the gym, I was enjoying it. Looking forward to more cases for the Kirby Crime Crackers to solve!

[Kathleen Freeman]

What a fun read, in this book Maude has moved home to West Elk, British Columbia to live with her mother and her daughter and to start a new life. Maude gets a job working at the local courthouse and when she thinks a young man has been wrongly accused she sets to investigate. In this book we see how the 3 generations of women set to investigate and let me tell you this was a fun ride, so glad I read this book and now I look forward to seeing what is next for these characters.

If you like a small town setting, watching people starting over while grappling with their past, 3 generations of women working together, this is a great choice for a read and book I would recommend.

[Dorothy Taylor]

I often enjoy courtroom mysteries, but I abandoned this book pretty quickly because I really don’t care for “beleaguered woman” mysteries. Maude Kirby moves back to her small town in British Columbia after her diplomat husband leaves her. Her teenage daughter has no respect for her, and she somehow lands a job as a court clerk — a position even she admits she isn’t qualified for. The author’s attempts at humor felt silly and banal, and I just couldn’t stomach more than a couple of chapters.

[MinglingThreads]

Amusing and fun. I lookforward to more in this series.

[Michelle]

2.5 stars.

[Nora Nora]

DNF @ 50%
The author was trying to make the characters funny and charming, it didn’t land well with me, I found some of their decisions off putting. They had like ten suspects and some of them for no reason at all.

[Emily Suchanek]

There are books that dare you to solve them, and then there are books that quietly convince you you're much cleverer than you are. All Rise for Murder belongs firmly in the second category. I spent an embarrassing amount of time feeling certain I'd worked everything out, only to discover that Roz Nay had been gently steering my attention somewhere else entirely. It's the literary equivalent of a magician asking you to watch one hand while the real trick is happening in the other.

What I enjoyed most wasn't the twists themselves but the confidence behind them. Nay never seems in a rush to impress you; she simply keeps laying another piece on the table until the picture changes. There's a sly wit running beneath the suspense, and the courtroom setting adds just the right amount of theatricality without tipping into melodrama. By the final pages, I realised the novel had been playing with assumptions as much as evidence about guilt, credibility, and the stories people build to protect themselves. That's the sort of mystery I always enjoy most: one that keeps unfolding after you've already closed the book.

[Sarah Arasa]

so very slow in the beginning, lots of loose ends and you had no idea if it would all come together. the last 50 pages tie it all together up until the very last page, so at least that was interesting 2.5/5

[Devi]

Edition
📱📖 Read on Kindle
📃 320 pages
⏱ Duration: 4 hours
🎭 Read as part of MOTIVE 2026 lineup
🏷️ Publisher: Viking
📅 Published May 12, 2026

Look, I'm a sucker for multi-generational women solving crimes together, and MOTIVE lineup promised exactly that. What hooked me here wasn't the usual "woman escaping bad relationship, opens a charming bookshop" setup. It was Maude becoming a court clerk. That's different. That's access to sealed documents, whispered hallway conversations, and front-row seats to small-town justice going sideways. I was so ready for courtroom drama meets amateur sleuth brilliance.

The character work was wonderful. Val and Rhette click immediately, as any grandmother-granddaughter duo would, but so comforting to watch/read. Maude trying to find her place within that dynamic added a nice emotional layer, especially as the murder investigation became the thread tying them together. The evolution felt genuine and was easily my favorite part of the story.

But the mystery itself was where things started to wobble. Small-town police inexperience is one thing, but the Kirby women stumbling into clues like they're following a treasure map written in neon, was just too much to process. Straight up accusing people of murder, demanding alibis from longtime neighbours like official investigations, Rhette's nighttime snopping going unchecked. Nobody calls the cops. Nobody lawyers up. Nobody even seems annoyed (except some mild inconvenience scattered here and there). Maude playing dumb during court depositions in front of the judge stretched my suspension of disbelief past its snapping point.

Cozy mysteries ask for some imaginative generosity, but this one wanted me to ignore basic human behaviour and small town gossip dynamics entirely.

Would I recommend it?
For strong female relationships, and a cozy vibe with a legal twist, this is a good book. The Kirby women are delightful company, and the small-town Canadian setting has charm to spare. Just don't expect procedural realism or subtle sleuthing. This is a comfort read with training wheels, perfect for a lazy afternoon reading when you want to cheer for good guys without working too hard.

[Sue]

Who is this alleged Roz Nay, writing such hilarity?
Readers of hers might be used to her dark and tense thrillers. Now her newest, All Rise For Murder, is cozy and hilarious!
Those of us who have had the pleasure of meeting Roz, whether by Zoom or in person, know she's a force of entertainment unto herself.
All Rise For Murder is just pure fun, from the setting of West Elk, to the cast of characters - each quirkier than the next - to the inside workings of a courthouse, and the wee matter of a local murder.
I literally laughed out loud at parts. Many times, honestly.
I can't wait for the next book in the Madam Clerk series, which I am most aware I won't win in a giveaway, but that won't stop me from trying!
Recommended!

[Vanessa]

A multi generational mother daughter story of Valencia ( Val) her daughter Maude going through a divorce and Maude’s daughter Rhett..

After Maude has been following her husband - Andre’s all over the world -juts to be betrayed by her husband. She leaves Brazil with her Daughter Rhett for an old fresh start in West Elk, BC..

She starts working in the local courts behind the scenes - and starts working on a new with a case, that leaves Maude with more questions than answers- with Levi’s case.

The 3 Kirby women work together to uncover the truth.

Cute story first book in series.

Happy 📖 Reading

[Shannon]

A departure from her typical dark thrillers, this first in a new Canadian cozy mystery series follows three generations of women as they try to get a convicted young man off of a murder by poison sentence. Quirky, funny and full of heart. The mystery kept me guessing til the end and I'm captivated enough to want to see where this series goes next! Recommended for fans of Catherine Mack's Vacation murder mystery series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Melanie]

All Rise for Murder kept me guessing on who was killer. I really enjoyed the three generations of Kirby women working together and the small-town setting of West Elk. It's a twisty, cozy mystery. Looking forward to the next book in the Madam Clerk series.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the e-arc.

[Devon]

This book was very different than Roz Nay’s usual thriller novels. It was described as a cozy read, which I would agree with as it was more family dynamics than mystery. That being said, I can definitely can see this becoming a series of the 3 Kirby women.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) | Viking for this ARC!

[Pattie]

I absolutely loved this book! I read this book while on vacation in Mexico and almost fell off my lounge chair from laughing. I recognized myself, my daughter our friends and other family members in the characters and when several of my favorite TV shows are mentioned I felt like Roz Nay actually knows me! I will certainly be looking for the next book if this series continues!

[Nicki Woodley]

First time reading Roz. I enjoyed the book and the cast of characters. I laughed out loud a few times. I look forward to more adventures with the Kirby women! Will pick up more books by Roz Nay. I love supporting Canadian authors.