Banking on Murder

The Parker Sisters Mysteries #1

by J.D. Whitelaw

A jilted wife, a jealous mistress and a dead banker - the Parker sisters are up to their necks in trouble.

Martha Parker runs a small private detective agency in Glasgow with her two sisters, Helen and Geri. They specialise in catching cheating partners and those playing away from home.

The Parkers are hired by the reclusive wife of a wealthy banker she suspects is breaking their vows, but when he shows up murdered, it’s up to Martha, Helen, and Geri to prove the wife's innocence in their most dangerous case yet.

292 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2020

Reviews

[Meggy Chocolate'n'Waffles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, with a sprinkle of Christmas just the way I like it, and so warm it totally deserves the title of cosy. But do not be mistaken, there is much to learn and be entertained by in this novel! J.D. Whitelaw has created a wonderful trio of sisters. Their age gap and differences really add something authentic to their interactions and I warmed to them instantly. Do I have a favorite? Yes! But it means the author has done his work right! I adored their bickering and it made me feel part of the family.
The plot itself was intriguing and twisty enough to keep me interested until the very end. In a pure Agatha Christie style, with a small list of suspects, I did my best to guess... And had a wonderful time!
What makes the difference is the excellent writing and humour the author poured into his story.

[Hannah Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I absolutely devoured this! Loved, loved, loved it! The sisters were so entertaining and their different personalities all shone through with whatever is thrown their way. Even the side characters were very memorable and a joy to read! The writing style here was incredibly easy and the twists and turns were so enjoyable to read. I honestly did not see most of them coming!

I think Banking on Murder is going to be one of my favourite reads this year, and I can’t wait to read more and follow the sisters in their other quests and cases. I need more!

It’s no wonder then that I rated Banking on Murder a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ FIVE STARS!!

I need more cases, and I need more sisterly quips and adventures!

[CJ Mason The Fallen Librarian Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A confectionery of crime, full review is on my blog❤️📚👍

[Jo-Elisabeth Hunko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, it’s so easy to read and it made me laugh out loud several times!

I loved the sisters, their bond and the odd methods they use to get they answers they need!

[Alison Cairns · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cosy murder mystery set in Glasgow featuring the three Parker sisters and their Private Investigation Agency. Several discrepancies such as Martha wrapping christmas presents during the night, then a few days later being told she hasn't started her christmas shopping. Sometimes she has two grown up children, other times the writing suggests there is just one daughter. Nevertheless, a lighthearted murder mystery romp with plenty of humour and moments of danger. #netgalley #BankingOnMurder

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s another normal day in the office when Parker Investigations receive a phone call. However, what may have seemed like a phone call like many others soon turns out to be in fact not. In fact they have no idea of what is now set to come.

They soon meet the woman on the other end of the phone who turns out to be a hot-headed wife of a banker. And the three sisters soon find themselves investigating Gordon Coulthard, her husband who is cheating on his wife with another woman.

Normally this would be an everyday case they would receive as private investigators. However, what turns out to be a simple case turns out to be something more when Gordon Coulthard is murdered.

And it’s now upto the three sisters to find out who killed him before the wrong person gets put away.

I felt engaged throughout the novel and couldn’t wait to hear what was going to happen next. I loved following them as they met other characters who challenged them along the way as they tried to solve the crime. The three sisters continuously find themselves in difficult situations and occasionally where mayhem struck.

Full of witty moments, it’s an enthralling and exciting read. I found it hard to put it down.

I loved the three sisters. The three Parker sisters are strong independent women and I love their relationship with each other and reading their antics throughout the story.

This is a great start set to what looks to be a promising series. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this brand new series of novels.

If you like crime books with a bit of charm, sass and light-hearted humour then you should check out ‘Banking for Murders’.

[LiteraryLucie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parker’s Investigations is a private detectives agency run by the Parker sisters, Martha, Helen and Geri. The women investigate a very specific type of person; people cheating on their partners. A call from the highly distressed Mrs Coulthard marks the beginning of their next case; a case unlike any they have had before. For the cheating Mr Coulthard has ended up murdered with his head plunged in a bath. But whodunnit? The Parker sisters make it their mission to find out who, and on the way find themselves in some precarious and frankly dangerous positions. Will it be the wronged and slightly unstable wife? The salon-owning mistress? Or the long-time friend turned business partner? Read to find out...

My favourite thing about the novel was the dynamic between the three sisters. Martha is the oldest of the lot and takes her job very seriously, and she will stop at nothing to keep her sisters safe. Helen is the middle sister with a severe case of car sickness, and Geri is the youngest, still at university, and uses her ability to flirt to her advantage. Their relationship felt very natural in terms of both action and dialogue towards each other; they can go from bickering to intense loving within a single sentence. The hilarious banter between them was able to lighten the mood in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Overall, what ensued was truly a cosy mystery that managed to build in tension and have a perfectly explosive finale.

I look forward to seeing what the Parker sisters get up to next!

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Glasgow, Scotland, 40-year-old Martha lives with husband Geoff, two grown up children and a thieving ginger tomcat called Toby, and together with sisters Helen, 30, the clever but unworldly academic, and 21-year-old Geri, student and charmer of men, runs Parkers Investigations from her garage. Normally their work involves providing clients with proof of their spouse’s infidelities but now a much more complicated case has come their way. Distressed and volatile wife Tracey Coulthard has asked them to gather information on her husband Gordon’s latest dalliance but very soon they are shocked to find the very successful banker has a fiancée, hairdresser Estelle, and it’s not long before out of control Tracey accosts the girl in the street outside Gordon’s penthouse flat. After witnessing the fight, the sisters, together with the wife and fiancée, discover Gordon dead in his bath and Tracey is swiftly arrested for murder by the acerbic and extremely driven DS Aileen Pope. Still curious about the state of the man’s affairs, leader and mother hen Martha is convinced Tracey is innocent and the Parkers set out to solve the case themselves. If it wasn’t the jealous lover or revengeful wife, just who else would have wanted Gordon dead?
These three marvellous quirky sisters, all with their own respective talents, make a formidable team which I quickly grew to love. This highly engrossing humorous and entertaining story would translate perfectly for television and I am looking forward to the next book already.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Parker sisters have been working together unveiling cheating partners and giving scorned partners their lives back. But, when one of the cheating partners ends up dead can they figure out who wanted him out of the way so much to kill him? His widow seems like the only sensible culprit but Martha Parker has other ideas...

A big thank you to Red Dog Press for including me in this blog tour! Working with indie publishers is always rewarding for me and promoting their work is a pleasure, especially this release! 'Banking on Murder' was a wonderful cosy mystery that kept you guessing! If you want to take a look at other bloggers on this tour take a look below!

Initially, this read like a steady and uneventful mystery as the communication between the sisters was casual and easy to follow giving an air of relaxed investigation. Gradually the intensity of the mystery grew and really began to captivate me as the plot thickened and introduced more aspects of the personality of characters that made them loveable and connected with the reader.

I seem to have picked up a few books in a row with strong family bonds at the core of the story, along with this I recently read 'Once and Future Witches' by Alix E Harrow and 'The Cousins' by Karen K McManus. Both of these books beautifully capture the connection between family and I have to say 'Banking on Murder' is on par with creating that convincing atmosphere of interconnectedness. Martha, Helen and Geri had an effortless attachment to each other than I loved, it gave the book more depth and a stronger level of realism. These sisters were not just your typical novel based heroines, they argued, bickered and fought and that's what was key in making them believable. Whitelaw definitely hit the nail on the head with them.

*Potential spoilers ahead!*
Ending a cosy mystery seems to be difficult for most authors as what mysteries characters gradually reveal are often things the reader has seen from about 50% of the way through but Whitelaw has taken that presumption and taken us deeper. Whilst I was aware that a certain character was involved in the big reveal I definitely didn't expect the additional revelation of there being a second perpetrator! Whitelaw throws the reader off the scent whilst building the tension between the words to produce an extraordinary finale.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, the sisters were the perfect characters and the ending was expertly revealed. I did find myself skimming sections here and there to find out what was happening (I'm an impatient person) but I'm so pleased I took part in this book tour and I can't wait to see the Parker Sisters again!

[Angi Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you start to review a book by J.D. Whitelaw?

There are so many layers. This is a book equivalent of finding your favourite cake, and diving in to find there’s so much more than you expected!

This is a brilliant cosy crime novel. The sleuthing is well thought out. Exactly how your average person on the street thinks and reacts.

And then he brings in the dynamics of sisters. Because let’s face it sisters just know so much about each other. Whether they want to share it or not! The age difference is perfect and it puts into play a very true to life spin on inter generational relationships and family. Family who see one another’s faults, and pull one another apart, annoy each other, but if anyone else does it, well woe betide them as they are there backing each other to the hilt. These sisters are fantastic. They annoy each other, yet love each other. The book although excellent in the cosy crime bracket, also boils down to people. Not just what they think of each other, but what they think of themselves.

I won’t give any spoilers. But if you haven’t yet seen the launch of this with Dr Jacky Collins, watch it and buy this book. You will be so glad you did.

I love the Parker Sisters and I can’t wait to hear more from them and from the clever and fabulously funny mind of J. D. Whitelaw.

[Emily Portman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly perfect murder mystery with some of the most hilarious characters you’ll ever come across in this genre of book! It really brightened up my week! I had no idea what to expect but it exceeded all my expectations, combining my love of humour and murder mystery to make the perfect cosy read.

This author has instantly become one that I’ll be looking out for in future – the plot has been created with such attention to detail, kept as entertaining as possible and forces you to become incredibly attached to the Parker sisters, almost like they’re your own! I loved this book from start to finish, and as a huge murder mystery fan, this one is definitely in my top three. I’m looking forward to reading book two in the Parker Sisters Mysteries!

You can read my full review over on the blog: https://aquintillionwords.com/2020/12...

[BookJunkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, can we please just take a moment to appreciate this subtle yet elegant cover. I mean it is seriously stunning don’t you think?

This is the first book in the Parker sisters series, and what an incredible book it was. The characters were all 100% relatable and I loved how close they were.

Although this was a cosy mystery and a mystery it was, it was the perfect book to be reading around Christmas time as it had an incredible family vibe to it, with all of the sisters being incredibly close.

At the beginning of this book you think it is a clear cut case of who the murderer could be but you will be wrong and you will not guess who the mastermind behind it all was leaving you with that OMG moment.

[Craig Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved these three bickering sisters and looking forward to seeing them in future adventures.
Parker Investigations take the call from a rich bankers slightly crazy wife to find out who her husband is having an affair with. When shortly afterwards he is found dead and the wife charged with his murder the sisters find themselves right in the middle of a murder investigation.

[Katie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved it at the start, the three sisters and their banter were so much fun. But things that happened just felt a bit too contrived and unreal, and they never really solved the mystery, they more just stumbled to the end, but maybe that was the point. They are never shown to be super tactful, which is part of their charm. Overall a fun read.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

“So I told them all about you and Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”

Sums up this painfully average murder mystery book in a nutshell. The Parker sisters are supposed private investigators but act more like it’s their first day on the job. Their decision making and banter was just so frustrating to slog through. It almost couldn’t be considered a twist because the culprit was so easy to spot.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martha, Helen & Geri are ‘The Parker Sisters’ and have recently set up their own detective agency. Up until now they’ve been dealing with affairs and small fry, until they’re contacted by Tracey, who’s interested in discovering the truth about her husband Gordon’s affair. The situation escalates and Gordon winds up dead and Tracey is accused of murdering him. Is she as innocent as she claims?

Martha, Helen & Geri are a fab trio of characters. I enjoyed their relationship, and watching their character traits blossom, especially towards each other. They effectively come as a package deal and are heavily involved in the business and each other’s lives which was nice to see. Their bickering and natural roles within their quite large age differences made way for a realistic and entertaining character relationship.

The Glasgow setting was interesting as I’ve never visited Scotland before. The small nods to the city landmarks and the River Clyde were nice touches and made it feel more of a realistic novel. In addition to this, it was also set at Christmas time but in fairly subtle manner. I found this nice as it added a little extra sparkle and made a nice external backdrop to the story.

Whitelaw’s writing creates vivid imagery, which is often associated with humour. I particularly enjoyed the image portrayed of the Parker sister’s shoved into a tiny cupboard, quickly and desperately hiding themselves from being caught being somewhere they shouldn’t!

Although a good book, the dialect didn’t always resonate with me. There were times when some of the language was, I felt, not something that would be said by the age of the character. This was especially true for Helen. There were some almost archaic terms that, as someone in their late twenties, I wouldn’t use so I don’t imagine someone at thirty would either.

The other thing I struggled with slightly was the limited number of characters. This made the novel easy to follow but also I found it limited the playing field and therefore left a small number of suspects. I found this made it easier for me to guess the plot line. I didn’t manage to guess the entirety of it, however, and so I was left with some elements of mystery which I enjoyed!

Overall I think this book is an enjoyable, light-hearted read and I would recommend it. I look forward to seeing where the Parker sister’s will be taken next!

[Erin Grigson Baylis · Rating 4 out of 5]

These sisters are great! I enjoyed the mystery of this but also the investigation and the way the sisters fumbled through it.
8/10 I look forward to continuing this series and learning more about these characters.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow as part of the tour

[Dogsandbooks]

Paper thin characters

[Karen Kingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just what I needed for a dark and dreary December day in the middle of a global pandemic and I’m thrilled to see that this is the first of three books about the Parker sisters.

Martha, Helen and Geri are great characters, each very different but always fiercely protective of their sisters. We don’t get a huge back story for any of them, but enough to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Reflecting on the book, the majority of the main characters are female, from the women in the murder victim’s life to the senior police officer to the Parker sisters.

The sisters have been paid a large amount of cash to find out if Gordon Coulthard was cheating on his wife. However is this cash enough to deal with a hot tempered Tracey, a jealous Estelle and a dead body? This is a no spoiler review, so you will need to buy or borrow a copy of the book.

The story may be a little far fetched for readers who need everything to be done by the book. However, this reader thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the mayhem and the murder investigation. I look forward to meeting the Parker sisters again in the future.

[Pia Gasberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry this is such a bad review, but this doesn’t live up to a cozy crime novel to me. The Parker sisters are way too stupid to be in the PI business, their sisterly banter annoying rather than charming, they did hardly any detecting throughout the book, and the plot was far too easy to figure out. Finally the lack of Martha’s husband and children really annoyed me, plus the comment that her sisters were the two most important people in her life… and the Christmas present wrapping thing…