The Sleeping Lady

by Bonnie C. Monte

Thirty-five-year-old Rae Sullivan owns a thriving home décor shop in the San Francisco Bay area, near majestic Mt. Tamalpais (to locals, The Sleeping Lady). But when her business partner, Thalia, confides that she has a lover in France, Rae’s comfortable life starts to unravel. Soon, an anonymous note-writer threatens to reveal the affair, and Thalia―who, unswayed by Rae’s warnings, insists on confronting the blackmailer―turns up dead in Golden Gate Park.

The police, convinced the crime was a random mugging, are dismissive of Rae’s story of blackmail. Then a scandal from Rae’s past job comes to light, and the police start to eye her as a suspect. To clear her reputation and ensure justice for Thalia, Rae decides it’s up to her to unmask the murderer―despite her husband’s objections.

Rae’s sleuthing leads her to France, where she enlists the help of Thalia’s handsome half brother. As they collaborate to catch the killer, sparks fly between them, and Rae has to contend with these newly aroused feelings―even as she strives to outmaneuver a cold-blooded murderer who wants to silence her.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

248 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2018

About the author

Bonnie C Monte grew up in Brooklyn before it was the nexus of cool. After graduating from Brooklyn College, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she has enjoyed a long editorial career that has included a decade on the staff of a national magazine, editing gardening books, and copywriting for major retailers. The mother of two grown daughters, she lives with her husband, a dog of uncertain lineage, and a turtle. When not working, she gardens, writes fiction, hikes, volunteers, and watches British mysteries on TV.

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longtime friends Rae Sullivan and Thalia Holcombe were business partners in Le Jardin, a home and garden decor shop located near San Francisco. Many items for sale, both new and vintage, were purchased on shopping trips to France, items catering to the mostly hippie and yuppie clientele. Thalia was currently in Paris betraying her husband under the cover of a buying trip. Although married to successful attorney Garrett, she had embarked upon an affair with Etienne Duchamp, a successful importer/exporter. Thalia decided to share her distress with her bestie, Rae. Before leaving Paris, Thalia found a typewritten note in her hotel room. "I know about your affair. Prepare to pay". The affair must be kept secret from Garrett at all costs. He is about to be made partner in his law firm. Partners must be upstanding family men.

Thalia had planned a 40th Birthday Party for Garrett. Why did she invite her lover, Etienne and his family to help celebrate? Why include Etienne's office manager, Jerome and Etienne's assistant, Marcel? Most puzzling! The morning after Garrett's party, Thalia found an anonymous note under the windshield wiper of her car. This handwritten note stated the blackmailer's demands and instructions. The demand called for $20,000 to be left under a bench at Golden Gate Park at 6:30 P.M. on Monday. Thalia was convinced that Etienne's assistant, Marcel was behind the demands. She intended to confront Marcel at the drop off point. Confiding in Rae, Thalia tried to enlist her help. Rae decided that there was "no way" she would help bring Marcel down in the darkness of night. When Thalia did not return home, Rae made a grisly discovery. Calling the police from the crime scene, Rae explained that Marcel must have killed Thalia. Police spokesman Ryken informed the public that security would be beefed up at the park but that Thalia's death seemed like an isolated incident, a robbery with no sexual assault. It was incumbent upon Rae Sullivan to do her own investigation into the death of her friend, Thalia.

The police investigation was expedited because Garrett Holcombe had friends in high places. Some issues remained unresolved. Garrett had a registered gun. The gun was missing. Rae and Thalia had life insurance policies on each other. Rae had no knowledge of the policies although her signature was affixed on the insurance paperwork.

"The Sleeping Lady: A Mystery" by Bonnie C. Monte is a murder mystery replete with deception and betrayal. Do we really know the ones we love? The unmasked killer was unexpected!

Thank you She Writes Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Sleeping Lady".

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and clever mystery that takes place in the San Francisco Bay area and in France. It was fast paced and the characters were very well developed and interesting. Even though there were a lot of characters there was no confusion to who is who.

Rae, the main character, was sometimes a bit naive in her suspicions and conclusions but this added the option to take this story to France and let us enjoy a touch of savoir vivre.

The mystery just missed the mark to be considered a cozy mystery but it is not far off.

I requested this book on Netgalley and would like to thank She Writes Press and the author for providing me an advance copy.

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars rounded up.

I was attracted to this debut mystery because it is set near San Francisco, one of my favorite cities. And much to my surprise and delight, we also traveled to France in the course of the story!

Rae and her partner Thalia own Le Jardin, a home and garden decor business with a touch of vintage/French chic in San Anselmo, CA. Thalia has been in France on a 'buying' trip but confesses to Rae that she has fallen in love with a wealthy French importer.

Now Thalia is being blackmailed for her affair! When she is instructed to leave $20,000 in cash under a bench in SF late at night, she comes up with a plan to catch the SOB...but ends up being killed instead.

The 'Nancy Drew' persona awakens in Rae and she is determined to figure out who killed her best friend. She has zeroed in on one man and travels to France to prove it.

The story is smart and well-paced, dishing out hot clues as needed. The settings, as I've said, are among my favorites and well described; the characters are believable and interesting; the mystery keeps one guessing right up to the end. I am hoping this is the beginning of a new series.

An ARC was provided by the publisher She Writes Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity!

[Elizabeth Lapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a quick little mystery read, this is the book for you!

I really enjoyed this book. It is not long, and has very short chapters. The writer did a very good job depicting the characters, and the book kept me guessing the entire time to the point where I did not want to put it down!

It only took me a day to read this book. I would recommend this book for a vacation read, or a plane ride as it was very easy to read.

[Michelle Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved The Sleeping Lady! A great mystery with plenty of twists and turns and a heavy dash of romance - perfect! Monte is an excellent story-teller who makes the reader feel like they are really in the world she has created. Really enjoyed it!

[Dawnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Debut
Rae Sullivan and her best friend Thalia run a home and garden decor business. While in France Thalia falls for a rich French Importer then finds herself being black mailed. When Thalia is murdered Rae takes matters into her own hands. A great mystery. Well developed and not easily figured out. I enjoyed.

Thank You
Book Sharks

Novels N Latte
Book Blog

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Sleeping Lady and was intrigued by both the setting and the mystery. The main character, Rae Sullivan, didn't really leave a lasting impression, but if you are looking for a contemporary mystery with some romance, then I would suggest grabbing a copy.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley

[Cathy Zane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. From a young age, mysteries emerged as my favorite genre and I read many classic series such as Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. But my favorite was Trixie Belden. She was bold, impulsive and daring. All the things that I wasn’t!

Monte’s protagonist, Rae Sullivan, embodies all those same traits. Convinced that the police are ignoring important clues in the murder of her best friend, she doesn’t hesitate to embark on her own investigation, blind to the peril her determination engenders. The requisite twists and red herrings ensue as her adventures unfold. It was an exciting ride and Monte had me guessing right up to the end!

Another added bonus was the setting. As a longtime Marin County resident, I loved Monte’s depiction of familiar neighborhoods in Marin and San Francisco and of our beloved Mount Tamalpais or “The Sleeping Lady” as we locals like to call it. Her descriptions of Rae’s travels in France were also beautifully written and had me longing for a French vacation.

With engaging characters, snappy dialogue, descriptive prose, and skillful pacing, Monte’s debut is a wonderfully enjoyable read. I stayed up late to finish it and was sad to have it end – my eternal dilemma with any good book!

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this mystery debut from Bonnie C. Monte. She has a fresh saucy voice and an intelligent, likable protagonist in Rae Sullivan. After finding her troubled business partner dead, Rae searches for the killer — across San Fran and France — in a story arc with such pace and verve that you’re gripped ‘til the twisty end. May this be the start of a beautiful new series!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance copy. Opinions are fully mine.

[Paulina (aspiringliterati) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I once read somewhere that there’s such a thing as a „women sleuthing” sub-genre of thrillers/mystery novels. Well, even if the sub-genre doesn’t exist (it probably does), I’d say „The Sleeping Lady” definitely belongs in this category.

The story wastes no time taking off. Our main character is Rae Sullivan and together with her best friend Thalia Holcombe she owns a thriving home decor shop specializing in antiques in San Francisco Bay area. (I’ve never been but my mind kept going back to all the movies I saw that were set there. The book’s cover helped too because it was lovely and instilled a sense of coziness in me, even though murder doesn’t strike me as cozy.) One day Thalia comes back home from yet another trip to France and reveals to Rae that she’s been having an affair, her lover is paying a visit in a few days and oh, yes, she’s being blackmailed and she’s pretty sure she knows who the culprit is. Fast forward some and we have Thalia lying face-down in a park, in a pool of her own blood, her cellphone missing. Did the blackmailer do it? Or was it a crime of passion?

Rae wants her best friend’s killer brought to justice and disencouraged by the police’s pace with the investigations or the assumptions they make she is determined to take the matters in her own hands. That takes her all the way to France where she might become an all too convenient target…

Full transparency I literally read 85% of this book in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. It was one of those easy breeze reads that allow for a reader to devour pages in no time. I was on fire and I desperately wanted to know who did it so naturally, I stayed up till 3am reading it.

I don’t read much thriller fiction but the setting of this drew me in and I’m definitely glad I stepped out of my immediate comfort zone and reached for this book. It was a solid mystery. It didn’t change my life in any way and odds are I’ll forget about it for the most part soon but while I was reading it, I was definitely very engrossed. I would say that Rae as our main character was tad too naive for my liking but after all we shouldn’t expect a home decor owner to all of a sudden become some expert detective who gets everything right. Detectives don’t, either!

My main issue with „The Sleeping Lady” was the writing style. At times it just felt too efficient and not carrying enough emotion. There were some parts that read like the ingredient box at the back of your canned tomato soup. It was too matter-of-fact for me but maybe it’s just me. I do like the writing style to be more poetic and passionate and this wasn’t that, unfortunately. I’m also not a fan of cheating storylines, unless they are carried out in a believable way. I saw absolutely no reason to condone the cheating that took place in this book and I was often like: ‘so that’s the excuse? Wow’.

I would recommend it to everyone who likes low-key thrillers and just wants to spend an enjoyable couple of hours reading something rather light. It wasn’t bad at all but it also wasn’t memorable enough to give it a higher rating.

**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

[Carlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I wish I could say I loved it... but unfortunately I can't.

This book is not quite a cozy mystery - there are some curse words and some PG-13 scenes. Nothing explicit, but just something to keep in mind. Rae Sullivan, the protagonist, sets out to catch whoever killed her friend and business partner, Thalia Holcombe. Actually, scratch that - Rae is CERTAIN that a guy named Marcel is the murderer, because Thalia told her Marcel was trying to blackmail her. Rae is also certain that the SF police are doing a horrible job, that no one cares about Thalia's murder as much as she does, and that she is the only one who can catch Marcel.

Rae as a protagonist was a pill. She shows no intuition, she is not discreet (she tells about 4 or 5 people that Thalia was being blackmailed), and she doesn't really seem all that sad about her friend and business partner being dead. She acts much younger than a mid-30-something. Instead, she's lusting after Thalia's half-brother, Luc with his muscular forearms, even though she (Rae) is married. Rae's attempt at being Nancy Drew is outright laughable. And do the people in this universe not know about HIPAA?

Let me re-write the blurb from the back cover:

Thirty Twenty-six-year-old Rae Sullivan is happily married and owns a thriving home decor shop in the San Francisco Bay Area near majestic Mt. Tamalpais (known to locals as the Sleeping Lady). [This is where the title of the book comes from but has little relevance to the story]. But when her business partner, Thalia, is killed in Golden Gate Park, Rae decides it's up to her to unmask convince everyone that Marcel is the murderer. Her sleuthingbusy-bodiness eventually leads gives her an opportunity to go to France, where she enlists the help of can lust over Thalia's handsome half-brother up close. As they collaborate to catch the killer, [S]parks fly between them, causing Rae to daydream about moving to France to be close to Luc except for that pesky inconvenience of question her marriage - even as she strives to outmaneuver a cold-blooded murdererMarcel who wants to silence her.

About 40 pages in, I already guessed who the murderer was, although I didn't know the motive. I was actively hoping that Rae turned out to be the murderer just so she could get tossed into jail and the characters in her universe wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. If you are a writer, that is not a good sign.

[BookTrib.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

The enigmatic title The Sleeping Lady (She Writes Press), conjures a feeling of mystery and excitement, an impression that only intensifies after opening the book. The namesake of The Sleeping Lady is the hazy outline of Mount Tamalpais. This summit helps frame the skyline over small towns north of San Francisco and passively overlooks the dubious and sometimes nefarious interactions of its inhabitants. It is here we first meet all the suspects in Bonnie Monte’s novel–suspects introduced to us before Thalia’s murder.

Thalia Holcombe insists on meeting with her life-long friend and business partner, Rae Sullivan, after returning to the San Francisco Bay area from a buying trip. These two women in their mid-thirties co-own and manage Le Jardin, a home and garden shop selling eclectic items, including many vintage pieces acquired in France. Thalia shares with Rae that she received a note threatening blackmail about an affair she is having with her lover who lives in Paris, Etienne Duchamp.

Awhile later, Thalia conveniently hosts a party for her husband while Etienne, his wife, teenage son and two business associates just happen to be in the San Francisco Bay area. Rae and her husband, Peter, attend the party where Rae meets this Paris faction. The following day, Thalia tells Rae that she discovered another blackmail note left on the windshield of her car during the party. This note instructs her to leave money at Golden Gate Park at a particular time and place. Despite Rae’s insistence that Thalia inform the police, Thalia ventures out to Golden Gate Park alone determined to uncover her blackmailer. The following evening when Rae finds Thalia’s body in that park, she begins her quest to help the police find the murderer.

The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/03/a-myster...

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this new mystery.

After a scandal, Rae becomes a partner in a business with friend Thalia, who she finds is having an affair during her frequent buying trips in France. Not only that, Thalia is being blackmailed. Determined to fight back, Thalia tries to rope Rae into coming with her to the drop off place, but Rae is having none of that. When Thalia doesn't return, Rae goes looking for her and discovers her dead. Rae believes she knows who the killer is, and determines to bring the murderer to justice.

There was a lot to like about this book, and some dislikes as well. As a new entry, not a series, there was a lot of character development going on. We get to know and understand who all the characters are and what makes them 'tick'.

Personally, I don't like MCs who are pit bulls. No spoiler here, but Rae sees no truth but her own. She also involves a teenager in her investigation, which I thought was both not necessary and stupid.

I had figured out the two major elements in the story (the murderer and the mystery around a man named Marcel) but I thought that it nicely came together in the end.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so to be honest, most of the characters were not really that intelligent in solving the case but really it was not the intellect that won me over with this book but the characters themselves. They were charming and a little eccentric. Just the way I like my characters in cozy mysteries.

Rae is the main lead. She held this position nicely. She is the one that really helped to follow all of the clues and solve the case. Yet, not to be outdone; I too solved the case. I solved it before the author revealed it. Excited with no disappointment in how the story ended. Rae is such a delight and she got bolder as the story went on. I hope that she makes another appearance in the future. I would love to see her solving another case. Don't let the title of this book deceive you as there is no "sleeping" with this book. Instead you will be laughing and having an enjoyable time reading The Sleeping Lady.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep me entertained from start to finish. There is more than one mystery in this book, which may or may not be connected. With several suspects and motives, I was kept guessing until the very end. Some of the characters were quite likeable, some not so much, and I was fairly indifferent to the protagonist, Rae. The story moved at just the right pace, and I didn't find myself getting bored or daydreaming while reading. This is my first book by Bonnie C. Monte, but I've added her to my author watchlist.

*Note to cozy fans: this may not strictly be considered a cozy. Though it has a cozy feel, there are a few profanities which didn't bother me, but may be off-putting to some readers.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Mysteries like this are a guilty pleasure of mine: This story follows Thalia and her best friend. They have a store together which was opened up after the company she was working for closed down. That right there could be a story all by itself! Can we make this happen? Thalia started to receive threatening letters demanding money or they would expose her secret to her husband. She decided to trap the person doing this by agreeing. She ends up dead. Now, who is it? So many suspects and definitely one that crosses your mind only briefly. Shocking ending. Can we also get another book on the romance at the end? Please 🤗 Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this digital ARC for a review. Loved it!

[Caroline Hedges · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. It was a real who done it, with a cast of characters all capable of murder. A long time friendship ends when one of them is found murdered in Golden Gate Park. Rae, the friend left behind, is convinced her friend Thalia wasn't a victim of mugging but was murdered by the blackmailer who had lured her to the park. Now Rae is on a mission to expose the killer and bring justice to her friend.

Set in San Francisco and France, this mystery had so many twists and turns, everyone becomes a suspect and the ending was a huge surprise to me.

Am looking forward to reading Monte's next book.

[Jessica Gadd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sleeping Lady by is a great little mystery read! It's about a lady, Rae Sullivan, who is happily married and owns a thriving home décor shop with her best friend Thalia. One night Thalia confides in Rae that she's having an affair and is now being blackmailed. She goes off on her own to confront the blackmailer and is discovered dead the next day. Who did it and who can she trust???
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚I really enjoyed this book! It has many twists that keep you guessing throughout. There were many suspects which was great. Most of the characters where very likeable and interesting. All in all a fun little mystery read 😊

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done! The title is a reach, but the characters are well drawn and even the hard to like ones resemble real but self absorbed people. I am also very fond of the imagery of life and surroundings in the French countryside. The plot works, including the urgency felt by Rae to be as instrumental as possible in bringing the murderer to justice while fixating on one suspect and discounting the intelligence of the police detective. I confess that I was very happy to be right about Rae's primary suspect. I loved it!
I requested and received a free review copy via NetGalley. Thanks!

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysteries are fun. This one was no exception

This mystery is well crafted in the way that mystery fans expect. The amateur detective is a friend of the victim, and their relationship is established before the murder so in that it is unlike some, where the body is found on page one. One interesting thing is that the reader knows who the murderer is not, a person our valiant detective is convinced is the culprit. I did guess the one responsible early on, but from how mysteries tend to go. Still, I kept turning the pages to see if I was correct.

[Fleur Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great voice, fun character, and fresh approach to the (cozy) mystery. The writing was strong in parts, in others there seemed to be a rush to get to the next clue. That said, the mystery was plotted decently; I really look forward to seeing what the author writes next...

Recommended if you're ready to take a chance on something new, and can overlook the imperfections.

**NetGalley provided copy for review**

[Francine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great cozy mystery. Tight plot, good character development and slow disclosure of clues. Especially impressive as a first-time novel. Rae is our heroine and a murder in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, just south of her home in Marin County, hits close to her home and her heart. RAe imperils herself as we begin to see the potential motive in several characters, and a subplot also reveals itself, compounding the suspicion.

A good read, for sure!

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rae and her business partner Thalia own a shop in a quaint town outside of San Francisco. When there is a murder, Rae wonders who she can trust and who is a suspect. Of course, she starts to investigate on her own, thinking the police aren’t doing enough. I really liked the Bay Area setting and the characters; the plot kept me guessing much more than most of the cozy mysteries I’ve read.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a “cozy mystery” that I was able to read in one day - easy pace and short chapters. There were some plot lines that could have been further developed, but I enjoyed the mystery and French inspiration.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review from Book Sparks.

[E.C. Frey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly cozy mystery

A light-hearted whodunit, The Sleeping Lady is also filled with wonderful images of food, animals, adventure, and flirtatious intrigue that kept me reading until the very end. I had a sneaking suspicion of whodunit, but there was plenty of suspicion cast elsewhere to leave me unsure of my own suspicion. A very fun read.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first scene of The Sleeping Lady, I knew I would love Rae. This is a very well written cozy mystery that is smart and will keep you guessing until the end. I hope this will become a series.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would classify this book as cozy with some darker traits. I really liked book. It's a lovely cast of characters and an interesting plot that keep you hooked.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to She Writes Press and Edelweiss for this ARC

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A clever and intriguing mystery full of surprises. Lots of suspects. Mt. Tam is a beautiful area. Haven't been to France, but enjoyed reading about it during that portion of the book. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book,it was a well written cozy mystery that was very entertaining.
I hope that the author decides to make this a series.
I highly recommend this book.

[Joanne Drinnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, a good plot but not too much of a mystery.