What do you think?
Rate this book
Hazel Rose Book Group Mystery #1
Murder at the Book Group
For fans of Anne Canadeo comes a fun and sassy cozy mystery in which one woman must solve the murder of a book group member and untangle a web of secrets hidden by her bookish cohorts.
Hazel Rose never dreamed that the murder mystery book group she and her friend Carlene started would stage a real murder.
Nevertheless, the normally composed Carlene is unusually angry and rattled one night during a book group discussion and dies after drinking cyanide-spiked tea. Despite a suicide note, Hazel is skeptical; Carlene never seemed suicidal--she was busy making plans for her future. Incidentally, Carlene was married to Hazel's ex-husband, and Hazel has always suspected there might be something more to her past than she let on.
How much does anyone really know about Carlene Arness? And did she die by her own hand or someone else's? Hazel begins a search for the truth that produces no shortage of motives, as she unearths the past that Carlene took great pains to hide. And most of those motives belong to the members of her very own book group...
Featuring memorable characters and a wicked sense of humor, "Murder at the Book Group" shows the darker side of a book club where reading isn't about pleasure--it's about payback.
Hazel Rose never dreamed that the murder mystery book group she and her friend Carlene started would stage a real murder.
Nevertheless, the normally composed Carlene is unusually angry and rattled one night during a book group discussion and dies after drinking cyanide-spiked tea. Despite a suicide note, Hazel is skeptical; Carlene never seemed suicidal--she was busy making plans for her future. Incidentally, Carlene was married to Hazel's ex-husband, and Hazel has always suspected there might be something more to her past than she let on.
How much does anyone really know about Carlene Arness? And did she die by her own hand or someone else's? Hazel begins a search for the truth that produces no shortage of motives, as she unearths the past that Carlene took great pains to hide. And most of those motives belong to the members of her very own book group...
Featuring memorable characters and a wicked sense of humor, "Murder at the Book Group" shows the darker side of a book club where reading isn't about pleasure--it's about payback.
457 pages, Hardcover
First published December 2, 2014
About the author
Maggie King
14 books114 followersMaggie King is the author of the Hazel Rose Book Group Mysteries. The series features Hazel Rose, a romance writer and amateur detective living in Richmond, Virginia. Maggie also contributed short stories to the VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES series, 50 SHADES OF CABERNET, DEADLY SOUTHERN CHARM, MURDER BY THE GLASS, DEATH BY CUPCAKE, FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MURDER, and CRIME IN THE OLD DOMINION.
Maggie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Glen and cat, Olive.
Visit Maggie at www.MaggieKing.com, Facebook at facebook.com/MaggieKingAuthor, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/MaggieKingA..., and BlueSky at @meking.bsky.social.
Maggie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Glen and cat, Olive.
Visit Maggie at www.MaggieKing.com, Facebook at facebook.com/MaggieKingAuthor, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/MaggieKingA..., and BlueSky at @meking.bsky.social.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
January 9, 2024
Catching up…
Are you up for some biblio crime?
This is the author’s debut novel for what is considered a book group mystery series.
And…
When I was searching for another book at the library, this one popped up.
Now…
Why wouldn’t I be attracted to a cozy murder mystery within a book group?
After all…
I facilitated a book group for my local library for 12 years.
And…
For those of us who have had the wonderful experience of being a part of a book group, this question is for you…
Was there ever that one person in the group that sometimes you kind of wished wouldn’t be at the next book group gathering?
So…
Hazel Rose is a widow and writer of steamy romance novels. She has moved from California to Richmond, Virginia to live with her cousin Lucy, who is also widowed, along with 2 cats.
Now…
Hazel had a first husband, Evan who also lived in this town, and she had even entertained hopes of getting back together with him.
But…
He in a whirlwind courtship, before Hazel’s move, married Carlene.
The story opens with…
Carlene’s funeral. Readers learn that Hazel and Carlene had been friends, and had actually co-founded the Murder on Tour book group.
And…
We are soon introduced to quite the cast of characters who have been a part of this book group.
And…
Wouldn’t you know it, but everybody, including Hazel all had a motive for murder!
But…
Why and who would want Carlene dead?
So…
Away we go…
Plot twists. Red herrings. Romance. Sex.
To the point that…
I was getting dizzy.
With…
What felt like a much too tidy and contrived plot.
And…
Those cast of characters? Too many.
So much so…
How could we readers form a connection with anyone, including Hazel Rose, our main protagonist?
So…
The next time you decide to attend your book group, you might take a serious look around the room and ask yourself…
What kind of secrets are your fellow book clubbers keeping? Is it enough for murder?
Or…
Even including this book as your selection?
December 31, 2014
When Carlene Arness is found dead after drinking tea laced with cyanide while hosting the monthly meeting of the book club she co-founded with Hazel Rose, the members are horrified and puzzled by her death. Though a suicide note is found next to her body, none of them believe she was the type to take her own life and Hazel is determined to prove it.
There are a lot of suspects, maybe even too many, as Hazel discovers that Carlene, married to Hazel's first husband, hid a dark past. The book club members too keep secrets that give almost all of them, including Hazel, the motive to want Carlene dead. Sex, blackmail, politics and vengeance are all part of the affray.
Murder at the Book Group has all the ingredients for a good mystery - a layered plot, an interesting cast with plenty of secrets and a great setting for book lovers (the murder takes place during a book club meeting whose membership includes several published and aspiring mystery writers). Unfortunately I never really connected with the main character, Hazel Rose, and since the story is told in the first person I found my attention wandering more often than it should have.
Murder at the Book Group was just barely an 'okay' read for me.
June 2, 2014
Murder at the Book Group Club ( Hazel Rose Mysteries) is 2014 Gallery Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
A book club gathering designed for discussions about books apparently is more of a gossip and bitch session as well as an opportunity to expound upon one's personal political leanings. Very little discussion of books actually takes place. But, everyone did manage to think about how cyanide would really work as a murder weapon in a mystery novel. So, it's an odd coincidence when the host of gathering dies from ingesting cyanide.
The question then becomes: Was it suicide or murder? Most people that new Carlene are adamant she would never commit suicide, even though Carlene had been distracted the day of her death and she and her husband were separated. So, if it was murder... who hated Carlene enough to want to kill her? Well, apparently this group of oft married and divorced ladies certainly get around. Affairs, secrets and grudges and jealously are the order of the day leaving the door wide open on possible suspects.
In the whodunit style murder mystery, a wide array of characters is often used and few red herrings are thrown in to keep the reader guessing. I found it hard to keep up with all the people in this one. Who was married to who, having an affair, all the ex-husbands, boyfriends, lovers and so on. I lost the thread a few times because of all the relationship back and forths. I mean these ladies got around. Hazel herself has been married four times and has an on again, off again boyfriend who is a cop. To add to the mix, Hazel was married to Carlene's current husband, Evan at one time. Over time the women had managed to maintain a friendship, however. Hazel thought she knew Carlene fairly well, but has discovered since her death that maybe she never really knew her at all. Whew!
But, by the time I was about 40% into the book I had the characters figured out and the mystery began to really get interesting. Hazel is funny at times and her attempts at crime solving could be great at times. With the help of Vince and Lucy, Hazel finally begins to narrow down the suspects and the reader will not expect the outcome. The book ended on a really great note and by the time I had read the last page, I realized I had rather enjoyed the mystery even after getting off to a rather slow start.
Over all I will give this one a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
A book club gathering designed for discussions about books apparently is more of a gossip and bitch session as well as an opportunity to expound upon one's personal political leanings. Very little discussion of books actually takes place. But, everyone did manage to think about how cyanide would really work as a murder weapon in a mystery novel. So, it's an odd coincidence when the host of gathering dies from ingesting cyanide.
The question then becomes: Was it suicide or murder? Most people that new Carlene are adamant she would never commit suicide, even though Carlene had been distracted the day of her death and she and her husband were separated. So, if it was murder... who hated Carlene enough to want to kill her? Well, apparently this group of oft married and divorced ladies certainly get around. Affairs, secrets and grudges and jealously are the order of the day leaving the door wide open on possible suspects.
In the whodunit style murder mystery, a wide array of characters is often used and few red herrings are thrown in to keep the reader guessing. I found it hard to keep up with all the people in this one. Who was married to who, having an affair, all the ex-husbands, boyfriends, lovers and so on. I lost the thread a few times because of all the relationship back and forths. I mean these ladies got around. Hazel herself has been married four times and has an on again, off again boyfriend who is a cop. To add to the mix, Hazel was married to Carlene's current husband, Evan at one time. Over time the women had managed to maintain a friendship, however. Hazel thought she knew Carlene fairly well, but has discovered since her death that maybe she never really knew her at all. Whew!
But, by the time I was about 40% into the book I had the characters figured out and the mystery began to really get interesting. Hazel is funny at times and her attempts at crime solving could be great at times. With the help of Vince and Lucy, Hazel finally begins to narrow down the suspects and the reader will not expect the outcome. The book ended on a really great note and by the time I had read the last page, I realized I had rather enjoyed the mystery even after getting off to a rather slow start.
Over all I will give this one a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
Read
December 22, 2015I was really intrigued by the premise of a murder occurring in the midst of a book club meeting, which shouldn't be a surprise considering how much I love books... Not that I've ever participated in a book club or group, but I have been curious. So I was looking forward to inhaling Murder at the Book Group.
And I'm so sorry to say I didn't get into it at all. I gave it the 50-page try (actually, 76 pages), but didn't connect with any of the characters or with the story. The main character wants to know more - about her friend Carlene, about Carlene's death - but is a bit too washy-washy to be forthright and come right out and ask. The other book club members are straight from a casting call, from the overly-obnoxiously-opinionated to the secretive to the suspicious.
It's been a long time since I inhaled all available Agatha Christies, and Murder at the Book Group brings to mind the style in prose and telling. It's just that Hazel is no Poirot.
drey's rating: Did not finish
This review was originally posted on drey's library
And I'm so sorry to say I didn't get into it at all. I gave it the 50-page try (actually, 76 pages), but didn't connect with any of the characters or with the story. The main character wants to know more - about her friend Carlene, about Carlene's death - but is a bit too washy-washy to be forthright and come right out and ask. The other book club members are straight from a casting call, from the overly-obnoxiously-opinionated to the secretive to the suspicious.
It's been a long time since I inhaled all available Agatha Christies, and Murder at the Book Group brings to mind the style in prose and telling. It's just that Hazel is no Poirot.
drey's rating: Did not finish
This review was originally posted on drey's library
October 26, 2014
This sounded so much like my thing. Murder and book groups - I belong to one - and a complicated story line. However, I have read 65% and stopped. I have just given up trying to keep track of all the complications in the lives of the characters. They marry each other’s spouses. Or have affairs with them. Marry 4 times (!) or swap or…. And honestly, I think the poison was in the ice not the tea so all their speculation will come to nought as the access could have been done anytime by anyone…. If you want to try and work it out for yourself well, good luck! I needed a white board and lines drawn and arrows to make sense, and just wasn’t prepared to go that far.
September 18, 2023
I had high hopes for this book, but it fell very short. It was hard to get into, too many characters to keep straight, and too many potential suspects. I also didn't feel a connection to any of the characters.
February 21, 2015
Originally posted on Smitten by Books Blog
2.5 Stars
For fans of: Ellery Adams’ Books By The Bay Mysteries
The murder mysteries Hazel Rose typically puzzles over are of the fictional variety, but when fellow book-group member Carlene Arness keels over dead at one of their meetings, Hazel can’t help but investigate. Not only did she essentially witness the woman’s death, but Carlene was both a friend and the current wife of her former husband, to boot. At first blush, Carlene appears to have committed suicide, but Hazel doesn’t buy that for a second – which means it’s quite likely that one of the group’s own is to blame.
Murder at the Book Group is the first of Maggie King’s Book Group Mysteries, and I can guarantee it’ll be the last I read in the series. I did not enjoy this book. Murder at the Book Group gets off to a slow, clumsy, convoluted start and only goes downhill from there. At 400 pages, it’s too long by half. The prose is clunky and contains far too many superfluous details, slowing the (already glacial) pace and detracting from the (already muddy) plot. The narration is dull, disjointed, and full of boring digressions. All of the characters’ backstories are revealed in excruciating detail via dense blocks of text. There’s too much dialogue (none of which rings true) and not enough action, and too many scenes do too little to forward the plot. King never establishes any sort of stakes, making it impossible to care about the outcome. There are way too many characters and none of them are terribly well developed, making it all the more difficult to keep track of who’s who. All of the relationships lack authenticity, and everyone’s both too nosy and feels compelled to dramatically over-share. The denouement is anticlimactic and ridiculous, and while I like the facts of the mystery’s solution, it isn’t earned.
It pains me to write this harsh a review, but I had to force myself to read through to the final page. If you ask me, Murder at the Book Group is a good idea that’s very poorly executed. A deep and thorough edit might have saved this book, but as it stands, I suggest you take a pass.
Reviewed by Kat
2.5 Stars
For fans of: Ellery Adams’ Books By The Bay Mysteries
The murder mysteries Hazel Rose typically puzzles over are of the fictional variety, but when fellow book-group member Carlene Arness keels over dead at one of their meetings, Hazel can’t help but investigate. Not only did she essentially witness the woman’s death, but Carlene was both a friend and the current wife of her former husband, to boot. At first blush, Carlene appears to have committed suicide, but Hazel doesn’t buy that for a second – which means it’s quite likely that one of the group’s own is to blame.
Murder at the Book Group is the first of Maggie King’s Book Group Mysteries, and I can guarantee it’ll be the last I read in the series. I did not enjoy this book. Murder at the Book Group gets off to a slow, clumsy, convoluted start and only goes downhill from there. At 400 pages, it’s too long by half. The prose is clunky and contains far too many superfluous details, slowing the (already glacial) pace and detracting from the (already muddy) plot. The narration is dull, disjointed, and full of boring digressions. All of the characters’ backstories are revealed in excruciating detail via dense blocks of text. There’s too much dialogue (none of which rings true) and not enough action, and too many scenes do too little to forward the plot. King never establishes any sort of stakes, making it impossible to care about the outcome. There are way too many characters and none of them are terribly well developed, making it all the more difficult to keep track of who’s who. All of the relationships lack authenticity, and everyone’s both too nosy and feels compelled to dramatically over-share. The denouement is anticlimactic and ridiculous, and while I like the facts of the mystery’s solution, it isn’t earned.
It pains me to write this harsh a review, but I had to force myself to read through to the final page. If you ask me, Murder at the Book Group is a good idea that’s very poorly executed. A deep and thorough edit might have saved this book, but as it stands, I suggest you take a pass.
Reviewed by Kat
December 29, 2014
REVIEW: MURDER AT THE BOOK GROUP
A cunning and cleverly posited mystery, MURDER IN THE BOOK GROUP demonstrates that one should be careful when forming a reading club, careful to keep the friends close and the enemies closer. Watch out for the sweet smile which contains malice, and the gentle hand designed to murder. A cosy and literary mystery in a contemporary style, this story presents a clever puzzle and an abundance of possibly scheming suspects.
A cunning and cleverly posited mystery, MURDER IN THE BOOK GROUP demonstrates that one should be careful when forming a reading club, careful to keep the friends close and the enemies closer. Watch out for the sweet smile which contains malice, and the gentle hand designed to murder. A cosy and literary mystery in a contemporary style, this story presents a clever puzzle and an abundance of possibly scheming suspects.
February 17, 2015
Murder, books, and a book group....this is a perfect series for me! I fell in love with the well written characters, and only figured out the mystery shortly before it was revealed, which is the way I enjoy my mysteries. I also like the fact that the majority of the characters are middle-aged, which makes them easier for me to relate to these days. I can hardly wait to read more about Hazel and the book group.
August 23, 2018
A slow start and an even slower ending meant that I really did not get on with this book. The reveal happens around 80 pages from the end and is a bit of an anti-climax, with it not really being that surprising or clever. I honestly didn't think it was that believable and I was a bit deflated at the end.
However, Maggie can write incredibly in-depth and well thought out characters, who I did enjoy reading about. But unfortunately it was not enough to improve a dire book.
However, Maggie can write incredibly in-depth and well thought out characters, who I did enjoy reading about. But unfortunately it was not enough to improve a dire book.
December 18, 2014
It’s been a while since I read a contemporary mystery book that I really enjoyed. I guess that what really sold me about Murder at the Book Group was that it is about a murder that happens among aspiring mystery writers and readers, which provided a very creative scenario. Although it was about an amateur detective you did get the feeling that Maggie King did her homework, and it translates into the characters. The writing felt smart, concise and plausible, which has been refreshing.
I also liked very much all of the characters, mostly a bunch of middle-aged women that are inquisitive and creative by nature. And what I really enjoyed was the way King begins to unravel the mystery in the novel. Step by step it feels like you have been taken by the hand and not just left behind to marvel in the characters intellect at the end of the mystery. I liked that personally I had solved part of the crime, the rest of it was unexpected and fun to discover, but let us remember that I’m no Sherlock, so probably someone else will be less surprised.
I got this book from NetGalley.
I also liked very much all of the characters, mostly a bunch of middle-aged women that are inquisitive and creative by nature. And what I really enjoyed was the way King begins to unravel the mystery in the novel. Step by step it feels like you have been taken by the hand and not just left behind to marvel in the characters intellect at the end of the mystery. I liked that personally I had solved part of the crime, the rest of it was unexpected and fun to discover, but let us remember that I’m no Sherlock, so probably someone else will be less surprised.
I got this book from NetGalley.
October 3, 2016
A cozy mystery with an intriguing plot. This book could use a good EDITOR as many thoughts that had nothing to do with suicide/murder? While there was no explicit sex, the author seems immersed in it. The number of characters was confusing making tedious to read. It took me awhile before I figured out the MC. Hazel Rose is involved with a book club and at a meeting Carlene, another member dies while drinking poisonous tea. Hazel sets out to find out if it was suicide or murder. Carlene was not well like as she had penance for men regardless rather they married or not. There are a number of twists and turns and the ending was surprising The book continue for a couple more chapters after every was explained.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
February 11, 2015
Although this is not the type of book I normally read, I gave it a try, reading about a third of the book before giving up on it. I really couldn't get interested in it. There was too much talking and not enough action for me. I also found it hard keeping track of all of the characters. Who said what and how are they related to the murder victim.
October 22, 2014
Sadly, this book was not for me. I had a very hard time getting into it and didn't enjoy the characters.
December 29, 2019
Although this is first in the series it felt like a later book. We never really got introduced to the regulars and there are references to earlier meetings and changes in the group membership.
The book group part was OK. I liked their idea of selecting a location then members could read any book with that setting and ‘book talk’ their selection at the next meeting. The mystery itself was quite complicated with so many secret pasts, twisted relationships and hidden lifestyles- almost too much to cope with. I don’t think I’d call this a cozy mystery. A final section of book group picks listed the types of books favored by the Book Group members. This was interesting but made it feel even more like we hadn’t just read book one or maybe like a new Group member playing catch-up.
The book group part was OK. I liked their idea of selecting a location then members could read any book with that setting and ‘book talk’ their selection at the next meeting. The mystery itself was quite complicated with so many secret pasts, twisted relationships and hidden lifestyles- almost too much to cope with. I don’t think I’d call this a cozy mystery. A final section of book group picks listed the types of books favored by the Book Group members. This was interesting but made it feel even more like we hadn’t just read book one or maybe like a new Group member playing catch-up.
July 29, 2017
This novel introduces a woman author who becomes a sleuth upon seeing a member of the bookclub die in front of her. While the police wants to determine the death to suicide, Hazel Rose just can't. The woman had too much to live for.
Hazel and others try to nose out just what was the deceased's private life...in Los Angeles, CA., prior her sudden return to Virginia.
To me, this book was a bit wordy and it was slightly difficult to get caught up in. The storyline was solid but I did weary of certain details being reiterated multiple times to different persons.
The ending was solid and tied up all loose ends. I will read the next volume.
Hazel and others try to nose out just what was the deceased's private life...in Los Angeles, CA., prior her sudden return to Virginia.
To me, this book was a bit wordy and it was slightly difficult to get caught up in. The storyline was solid but I did weary of certain details being reiterated multiple times to different persons.
The ending was solid and tied up all loose ends. I will read the next volume.
October 19, 2022
A good cozy mystery with some quirky characters that are well developed if not totally likable. The mystery begins when a member of the book group is poisoned during the meeting and Hazel, a self-appointed busybody decides to investigate. There is a little bit of romance and a lot of gossip before the mystery is finally solved. Entertaining read that bogged down with some of the plot details but it was moderately well paced.
Disclaimer
I checked this book out from our local library to read for our book discussion group. All opinions expressed are my own.
Disclaimer
I checked this book out from our local library to read for our book discussion group. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 13, 2019
This was my first Maggie King book, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. Creative and well-written, the mystery kept me guessing throughout. A very entertaining book, and worth the time to read.
January 3, 2015
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
It is the third day of the new year, sleet outside, a quiet house, and a cozy mystery. Could anything be better? Without a care, I picked up Murder at the Book Group by Maggie King and looked up a few hours later, crime solved. My favorite lazy kind of morning.
Carlene and Hazel Rose are the co-founders of a mystery book club. The premise of the club is to read mysteries by geography (kind of an interesting idea). At the current meeting, they are reading mysteries based in Florida. (By the way, the book's setting is Richmond, Virginia.) Several of the members of the club are writers, including Carlene, a mystery writer, and Hazel Rose, a romance novelist. Half-way through the meeting, just after tea has been served, Carlene drops dead, an apparent suicide. No one at the meeting believes that it is a suicide, and later, police reports show that it is cyanide poisoning.
To Hazel Rose, the narrator of the story, it has to be murder, and every member of the club becomes a suspect as she seeks to ferret out the killer. It turns out that while many people know a little bit about Carlene, but not many people know (or have gossiped about) her propensity to have sex with any available man, even though she is married to Evan, Hazel Rose's ex husband. In other words, there are a lot of potential suspects who might have reason to want Carlene dead. Hazel Rose's method is to ask leading questions of the many characters and find out the shocking detail's of Carlene's life on her way to solving the murder.
Everything becomes very complicated and entangled and more and more characters pile into the plot line. I wished that I had kept a list of characters because I had to keep asking myself about who was who. Maggie King's website introduces you to the main characters with a little character study of each book club member. It's a nice touch and I wish I had found it before I read the book rather than after. You can find the character studies on her blog. This is probably the book's weakness—too many characters with too much information. It was hard to keep it all intact.
You would think from the plot line and the characters that you were in a small village rather than the capital of the state of Virginia. Everything is so intertwined, "Murder She Wrote" style. Hazel Rose is a bumbling sleuth, but we can see her skills developing as the mystery evolves, and there is a moment in Murder at the Book Group when we can see the mystery for her next case evolving. The Cozy Mystery blog has a posting that describes what makes a cozy mystery. I was amused to note that in a cozy mystery, the crime-solver (usually a woman) has a best friend, husband, or partner who is a police officer, a medical examiner, or a detective. In this case, Hazel Rose is in a tentative relationship with a retired detective, Vince.
The review on the Shelf Awareness website concludes: "The amateur sleuth's pseudo-investigative skills and her interactions with a cast of well-drawn small-town characters reveal a deception that ultimately coalesces into a study of human nature and the limits of perception." To me it was a delightful introduction to a new year. I have been in a book group for ten years, and I am certainly glad that Carlene or Helen or Art or Annabel aren't in my group, although it wouldn't hurt to have Kat there to spice things up a bit! Besides that, we drink wine at our book group. Cyanide tea is never an option.
It is the third day of the new year, sleet outside, a quiet house, and a cozy mystery. Could anything be better? Without a care, I picked up Murder at the Book Group by Maggie King and looked up a few hours later, crime solved. My favorite lazy kind of morning.
Carlene and Hazel Rose are the co-founders of a mystery book club. The premise of the club is to read mysteries by geography (kind of an interesting idea). At the current meeting, they are reading mysteries based in Florida. (By the way, the book's setting is Richmond, Virginia.) Several of the members of the club are writers, including Carlene, a mystery writer, and Hazel Rose, a romance novelist. Half-way through the meeting, just after tea has been served, Carlene drops dead, an apparent suicide. No one at the meeting believes that it is a suicide, and later, police reports show that it is cyanide poisoning.
To Hazel Rose, the narrator of the story, it has to be murder, and every member of the club becomes a suspect as she seeks to ferret out the killer. It turns out that while many people know a little bit about Carlene, but not many people know (or have gossiped about) her propensity to have sex with any available man, even though she is married to Evan, Hazel Rose's ex husband. In other words, there are a lot of potential suspects who might have reason to want Carlene dead. Hazel Rose's method is to ask leading questions of the many characters and find out the shocking detail's of Carlene's life on her way to solving the murder.
Everything becomes very complicated and entangled and more and more characters pile into the plot line. I wished that I had kept a list of characters because I had to keep asking myself about who was who. Maggie King's website introduces you to the main characters with a little character study of each book club member. It's a nice touch and I wish I had found it before I read the book rather than after. You can find the character studies on her blog. This is probably the book's weakness—too many characters with too much information. It was hard to keep it all intact.
You would think from the plot line and the characters that you were in a small village rather than the capital of the state of Virginia. Everything is so intertwined, "Murder She Wrote" style. Hazel Rose is a bumbling sleuth, but we can see her skills developing as the mystery evolves, and there is a moment in Murder at the Book Group when we can see the mystery for her next case evolving. The Cozy Mystery blog has a posting that describes what makes a cozy mystery. I was amused to note that in a cozy mystery, the crime-solver (usually a woman) has a best friend, husband, or partner who is a police officer, a medical examiner, or a detective. In this case, Hazel Rose is in a tentative relationship with a retired detective, Vince.
The review on the Shelf Awareness website concludes: "The amateur sleuth's pseudo-investigative skills and her interactions with a cast of well-drawn small-town characters reveal a deception that ultimately coalesces into a study of human nature and the limits of perception." To me it was a delightful introduction to a new year. I have been in a book group for ten years, and I am certainly glad that Carlene or Helen or Art or Annabel aren't in my group, although it wouldn't hurt to have Kat there to spice things up a bit! Besides that, we drink wine at our book group. Cyanide tea is never an option.
January 9, 2015
About the Story: Hazel Rose never dreamed that the murder mystery book group she and her friend Carlene started would stage a real murder. Nevertheless, the normally composed Carlene is unusually angry and rattled one night during a book group discussion and dies after drinking cyanide-spiked tea. Despite a suicide note, Hazel is skeptical; Carlene never seemed suicidal—she was busy making plans for her future. Incidentally, Carlene was married to Hazel’s ex-husband, and Hazel has always suspected there might be something more to her past than she let on. How much does anyone really know about Carlene Arness? And did she die by her own hand or someone else’s? Hazel begins a search for the truth that produces no shortage of motives, as she unearths the past that Carlene took great pains to hide. And most of those motives belong to the members of her very own book group… Featuring memorable characters and a wicked sense of humor, MURDER AT THE BOOK GROUP shows the darker side of a book club where reading isn’t about pleasure—it’s about payback.
My Thoughts: This is the first book that Maggie King has published. It’s an entertaining cozy mystery with just a bit more. I liked the idea of having a murder occur within a book group that reviews and critiques mystery novels. Some of the members are published writers.
As Hazel Rose moves through her investigation, the author created curiosity on my part. Who did it? The read had some romance, and some suspense blended with the overall goal in this story—to nail the perpetrator.
The members of the book club are quite the colorful group. As Hazel Rose sets to unravel who dunit (Carlene’s death), she quite methodically sets her questions to envelope (it’s her idea of cycling). She takes her friend Lucy and live-in friend into confidence as she works through who would be the most likely suspect. I enjoyed Hazel’s unravelling of who might have done it, reminding me of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie novels I’ve read.
Each time Hazel comes up with a suspect that truly looks like they did the deed, I feel she was a bit too investigative for her own physical health. For surely, if she finds the murderer, would they keep her alive?
I didn’t figure out who did the deed, so was delightfully surprised when Hazel uncovered the murderer and how all the seemingly random bits of information complete the puzzle.
I enjoyed the read and applaud Maggie King’s debut novel. I look forward to following Hazel Rose’s sleuthing in further works by the author.
My Thoughts: This is the first book that Maggie King has published. It’s an entertaining cozy mystery with just a bit more. I liked the idea of having a murder occur within a book group that reviews and critiques mystery novels. Some of the members are published writers.
As Hazel Rose moves through her investigation, the author created curiosity on my part. Who did it? The read had some romance, and some suspense blended with the overall goal in this story—to nail the perpetrator.
The members of the book club are quite the colorful group. As Hazel Rose sets to unravel who dunit (Carlene’s death), she quite methodically sets her questions to envelope (it’s her idea of cycling). She takes her friend Lucy and live-in friend into confidence as she works through who would be the most likely suspect. I enjoyed Hazel’s unravelling of who might have done it, reminding me of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie novels I’ve read.
Each time Hazel comes up with a suspect that truly looks like they did the deed, I feel she was a bit too investigative for her own physical health. For surely, if she finds the murderer, would they keep her alive?
I didn’t figure out who did the deed, so was delightfully surprised when Hazel uncovered the murderer and how all the seemingly random bits of information complete the puzzle.
I enjoyed the read and applaud Maggie King’s debut novel. I look forward to following Hazel Rose’s sleuthing in further works by the author.
July 12, 2015
I think I finally got 100+ pages in before I gave up. It just wasn't worth the effort to read. It didn't engage me so it took a lot of effort to read and I didn't really care for any of the characters or care what happened to them or care to figure out the mystery.
I didn't like the way the book started as though I was in the middle of a series. It's annoying enough when I do have to start a series in the middle for book club, I don't need an author making special effort to plop me in the middle of a bunch of characters as though I already know who they are.
I did look toward the end to see who the killer was and people in book club who'd finished explained the situation and some more of the plot. It seemed dumb, but I suppose everyone is a hypocrite in some ways so you might be against abortion but okay with murdering adults. I just feel like the author did a terrible job creating characters and probably had some agenda she wanted to get across by her choices of making the "good" characters promiscuous with the main character a romance novelist focused on middle aged sex (I am not at all sad I gave up before these issues became a bigger part of the story) and the bad guy someone who's supposedly religious and strongly anti-abortion (but she abandoned one son and treats the other like crap) and is dumb enough to think poison will just upset your stomach rather than kill you.
Reading the author's bio on her website I see she's got a lot in common with her characters so things I thought were strange (old women computer experts?) are true to life for her experiences. I also see she put years of effort into writing and revising the book which makes me feel a little bad for thinking it wasn't worth my effort to read. I just don't think I was the intended audience for this book at all. For one thing I love library book clubs. The insults she was dishing out to library groups made us wonder if she'd been kicked out of one in the past. ;)
I didn't like the way the book started as though I was in the middle of a series. It's annoying enough when I do have to start a series in the middle for book club, I don't need an author making special effort to plop me in the middle of a bunch of characters as though I already know who they are.
I did look toward the end to see who the killer was and people in book club who'd finished explained the situation and some more of the plot. It seemed dumb, but I suppose everyone is a hypocrite in some ways so you might be against abortion but okay with murdering adults. I just feel like the author did a terrible job creating characters and probably had some agenda she wanted to get across by her choices of making the "good" characters promiscuous with the main character a romance novelist focused on middle aged sex (I am not at all sad I gave up before these issues became a bigger part of the story) and the bad guy someone who's supposedly religious and strongly anti-abortion (but she abandoned one son and treats the other like crap) and is dumb enough to think poison will just upset your stomach rather than kill you.
Reading the author's bio on her website I see she's got a lot in common with her characters so things I thought were strange (old women computer experts?) are true to life for her experiences. I also see she put years of effort into writing and revising the book which makes me feel a little bad for thinking it wasn't worth my effort to read. I just don't think I was the intended audience for this book at all. For one thing I love library book clubs. The insults she was dishing out to library groups made us wonder if she'd been kicked out of one in the past. ;)
August 7, 2014
“Murder at the Book Group” by Maggie King” published by Pocket Books.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – December 30, 2014.
If you are looking for a cozy mystery, “Murder at the Book Group” will definitely fit the category. There is absolutely no gun play, car chases, gory details, or anything of that nature in the book. There is no questionable language and sexual content is kept to the imagination of the reader. The book is very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel.
The book group is made up of several women and one man. They are to say the least a strange group and become even weird as the book progresses. At one of their meetings Carlene dies of cyanide poisoning. This is very prophetic in that they were just discussing murder by cyanide. Although murder seems a remote possibility due to Carlene leaving behind a suicide note.
Hazel has doubts about suicide and starts to question everyone concerning the death. Her findings lead her to believe that a murder has been committed but is finding it difficult to prove it. The more she looks into Carlene’s life and the other members of the group she discovers that several people in the group have reason to murder Carlene and that Carlene led a life that was a far cry from the pure and simple person she portrayed herself to be.
The reader must pay attention as the characters lives become incredibly entwined due to marriages, divorces, and friendships. It is quite interesting to follow their lives and see how it all comes together in the end.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – December 30, 2014.
If you are looking for a cozy mystery, “Murder at the Book Group” will definitely fit the category. There is absolutely no gun play, car chases, gory details, or anything of that nature in the book. There is no questionable language and sexual content is kept to the imagination of the reader. The book is very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel.
The book group is made up of several women and one man. They are to say the least a strange group and become even weird as the book progresses. At one of their meetings Carlene dies of cyanide poisoning. This is very prophetic in that they were just discussing murder by cyanide. Although murder seems a remote possibility due to Carlene leaving behind a suicide note.
Hazel has doubts about suicide and starts to question everyone concerning the death. Her findings lead her to believe that a murder has been committed but is finding it difficult to prove it. The more she looks into Carlene’s life and the other members of the group she discovers that several people in the group have reason to murder Carlene and that Carlene led a life that was a far cry from the pure and simple person she portrayed herself to be.
The reader must pay attention as the characters lives become incredibly entwined due to marriages, divorces, and friendships. It is quite interesting to follow their lives and see how it all comes together in the end.
December 28, 2014
I had access to a preview copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m sure there is a sub genre within mysteries that includes romance with the mystery. I am not one who enjoys a lot of romantic entanglements as part of the plot. That being said, I still enjoyed King’s book; I tried to ignore the descriptions of hair, makeup, clothing, and romance.
However, romantic and sexual encounters did actually play a part in the storyline, so it was difficult to ignore all of it.
Hazel Rose and her friend, Carlene Arness, started a book group of fellow readers and writers who would critique books read and also assist each other in their own efforts. At one gathering, Carlene dies during the meeting, at a point when the members were coming and going from various rooms in her house.
When the cause of death is determined to be cyanide poisoning, Hazel begins her own investigation into what the police initially determine to be suicide (a handwritten note was found near Carlene’s body). Assisted, or hindered, by friends and family, Hazel finds out that people are often not who they appear to be.
I had trouble getting through the initial chapters, but at some point, I realized that I was invested and wanted to find out who had murdered Carlene. Even though I did find the physical descriptions of hair, makeup, and clothing distracting, I did enjoy the plot and am sure this book will find a good home among readers who like a large dose of romance with their mysteries.
I’m sure there is a sub genre within mysteries that includes romance with the mystery. I am not one who enjoys a lot of romantic entanglements as part of the plot. That being said, I still enjoyed King’s book; I tried to ignore the descriptions of hair, makeup, clothing, and romance.
However, romantic and sexual encounters did actually play a part in the storyline, so it was difficult to ignore all of it.
Hazel Rose and her friend, Carlene Arness, started a book group of fellow readers and writers who would critique books read and also assist each other in their own efforts. At one gathering, Carlene dies during the meeting, at a point when the members were coming and going from various rooms in her house.
When the cause of death is determined to be cyanide poisoning, Hazel begins her own investigation into what the police initially determine to be suicide (a handwritten note was found near Carlene’s body). Assisted, or hindered, by friends and family, Hazel finds out that people are often not who they appear to be.
I had trouble getting through the initial chapters, but at some point, I realized that I was invested and wanted to find out who had murdered Carlene. Even though I did find the physical descriptions of hair, makeup, and clothing distracting, I did enjoy the plot and am sure this book will find a good home among readers who like a large dose of romance with their mysteries.
August 29, 2020
It was refreshing to read a murder mystery featuring mature characters. I enjoyed reading about adult situations, adult experiences, and most importantly, adult reasons to kill. I found charming the amateur sleuth (main character) who logically but oh-so-pleasantly conducted her investigation. I don’t think I’ve ever read a more agreeable sleuth. She could easily be every helpful and dedicated librarian or teacher you’ve ever met. The story is peppered with a line of characters (almost too many; I had difficulty keeping them straight at first) who all offer interesting backgrounds and possible reasons to commit murder, a convincing reason for murder (revealed at the end), a hint of the murderer’s madness innocently presented in the beginning of the story but which by the end takes on dark madness, and a tension-filled resolution. This was the first novel I’ve read by Maggie King and I really enjoyed it. It was a fast read, perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon.
February 20, 2021
Would-be romance writer Hazel Rose enjoys the mystery book club she's helped found, even though some of the individuals in it are annoying. Among them is Carlene, who's married to Hazel's first husband, and who just published a mystery novel of her own. When prissy Carlene dies of cyanide poisoning, Hazel can't believe that it's suicide. But soon she finds that Carlene had other sides that come as quite a surprise even to her nearest and dearest. Yes, I found the ages and multiplicity of relationships a bit confusing, but it's nice to read an adult cozy, without a lot of Gen Xers running outre businesses.
October 21, 2014
This book just wasn't for me. I think it might appeal more to an older audience. The writing style didn't appeal to me, and I felt like there was a bit too much going on. I also felt the author went a bit overboard with politics - that's not necessarily something I expect to see in a cozy mystery. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but I could see how someone older could identify with Hazel. I do think the main relationship could have been a bit better developed, but I did like Vince.
Received from NetGalley.
Received from NetGalley.
September 7, 2015
This has more than just a mystery storyline, which I appreciated because I'm not a big mystery reader, so there is crossover appeal here. I also like the humor and the "gossipy" aspect of the story, what with all the affairs, sex scandals, relationships. It moves at a nice pace and then 3/4 of the way through the book - WHAM! - the story grips you and won't let go until the end. The descriptions throughout the book kept me in the room with Hazel Rose, the main character. I really enjoyed King's debut novel and look forward to the next one.
December 21, 2016
This has been the worst book I have read so far this year. I am actually listening to it as an audiobook and I hate to say this but I feel completely lost. I have listened from the very beginning but I feel like I have no idea what is going on. Maybe if I had read the paper version so I could map out the characters and who was doing what to whom it would have been easier. It is almost like I got dropped into the middle of a story with no warning. It has been almost 5 years since I stopped reading a book before the end but I am about to do that.
June 5, 2015
Really 2.5 stars. I thought this book was going to be really good. It started very slow and I still don't know how I feel about the MC. This was one of those books that I just kept reading and thinking any page now it will get interesting. It finally did about half way through. I felt like this book was incredibly long too! It probably could have been 100 pages shorter. The mystery itself was interesting, it definitely had a twist.
June 24, 2020
This book is way too long with constant repeated dialogue and speculation. Was it suicide, was it murder? It would have been much more enjoyable as a short story. The writer took a familiar plot and beat it to death. By the end of the book, I didn't care who did it. I didn't particularly like any of the characters and did not connect with any of them. This authors writing style is not for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews