This is the first book in a bridge to death mystery series. I have to say I enjoyed this book and reading about The Gin Girls and their offspring, about the bridge club and its restricted membership. I understood the struggle of aspiring journalist, Wendy Winchester, trying to be accepted as a serious investigative reporter in a "man's world." I really like Wendy’s character. I find her ambitious and incredibly well thought out.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
Grand Slam Murders by R.J. Lee is the 1st book in the cozy A Bridge To Death Mystery series.
I thought it was a great start to the series, it was well written, original with an unique theme and had a great cast of characters.
I would definitely read the next book in the series, Playing The Devil.

A fun first in series!! I was definitely intrigued from the very beginning and was rooting for the main character as she attempts to further her journalism career while trying to clear a friend's name in a murder investigation. I really enjoyed Wendy's amateur sleuthing and loved the unique theme the author has brought to the cozy mystery scene! I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

I enjoyed it. I requested it because of the title and the cover. It was a quick read. I would read more by this author as I enjoyed the writing.

As someone who plays bridge quite frequently, and is always searching for that Grand Slam hand, I was thinking that the players would be investigating a murder that was connected with their game. I was very surprised, therefore, when the Grand Slam murders were actually the foursome at the bridge table.

Wendy Winchester, the society reporter for the Rosalie town newspaper and a sub for the Rosalie Bridge Club, persuades her editor to let her write a set of articles about the 4 women who were murdered at the bridge table. Her father being the chief of police and her boyfriend the homicide detective did help her get some details that were readily available for all.

As Wendy digs deeper into the lives of the victims, her investigation uncovers facts that could point to an unusual culprit.

I was a bit disappointed that there was as much Bridge relation for the mystery. The characters still need a bit of fleshing out from 2 dimension to three, but overall, entertaining.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I should have enjoyed this book more than I did. It had all sorts of elements that would delight me. It had a fascinating murder of four society elite by poison. Our heroine, a Society page reporter with ambitions well beyond teas and engagements, does not believe the prime suspect is guilty. Her father and her boyfriend are both cops and willingly admit she might have some insights that they lack and actually confer with her.
She is, of course, stymied by the editor who is just this side of misogynistic as well as archaic. She must also sort through what is fact about these four ladies and what is truth. So far so good. Why then did I walk away feeling less than satisfied? I suspect part of it might have been the attempt to show the dark side of latent racism. It came across as less than honest and wobbled on the edge of stereotypes.
I am not going to pan the book. It has it moments, just not enough to offset what bothered mew.
Three purrs and one paw up.

I received this book via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. Really interesting premise for a cosy mystery - four of the small town's 'leading ladies' are poisoned while meeting for their monthly bridge, lunch and gin cocktails at one's home. When investigating, the local society reporter, Wendy, seeks to understand what's happening in her small town, while also trying to get beyond the stereotyped 'society page' reporting. The author does an excellent job of setting the stage as the first chapter is told from the POV of one of the four ladies, who've been known as the "Gin Girls" since their school days. Each one has one or more family members who might have an interest in killing their family member, but all four? The story works well with Wendy having a legitimate reason for digging into the history of each person and the small town. The author does a good job of building the story, clearly giving each suspect a unique character. The resolution is clever and unexpected. I look forward to more books from this author.

Wendy is following her dream to be an investigative reporter, with the help of her maybe boyfriend Ross and her father. She herself was on her way to being admitted to the very selective Bridge Club and even observed some of the Gin Girls bridge games to learn the rules. And of course, now there is no chance for the Gin Girls to win the grand slam bridge title.

Wendy's first task is to find out as much as she can about the four women by talking to their families and getting as much history and dirt as she can. The four women and their adult children are all very unique and although revered in some ways, not the most likable of women.

There are multiple layers to this mystery set in Mississippi with a young society-columnist striving to become much more. The relationships of the four women are complex and motives are not apparent. The more information Wendy uncovers, the closer she gets and the solution comes to her. An interesting read with a twist on high society women and their behaviors. The layers are unraveled in due time at a steady pace.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

A new series with an interesting twist on the amateur detective.

The Gin Girls are all set for another day of drinking gin and playing bridge, until someone spikes the coffee, killing them. Enter Wendy Winchester, new junior member of the club and society writer of the local paper. Wendy knew the ladies, and she’s looking for a way to escape the society page and use her journalism degree. To her advantage, her father is the chief of police, and she’s dating the lead investigator.

I enjoyed this book. Parts seemed to drag a bit, but I loved how it opened - we spend the first pages following the Gin Girls in the hour or so before their deaths, switching to other characters moments before. I also liked the series set up: many amateur detectives can seem a little silly at times, digging into a death they have no valid reason to. However, with Wendy, she’s a journalist and has reasons to be asking people questions. Her connection to the police is stronger as well; while you might argue why the police might reveal something to the general public, in this case, it’s a dad talking to his daughter, something he’s done (somewhat) her whole life.

Recommended. I’m looking forward to others in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

Synopsis:

After four bridge players are poisoned, newspaper reporter Wendy Winchester sets out to catch a killer who's not playing with a full deck . . .

When the four wealthy widows who make up the venerable Rosalie Bridge Club never get up from their card table, this quiet Mississippi town has its first quadruple homicide. Who put cyanide in their sugar bowl? An aspiring member and kibitzer with the exclusive club, Wendy takes a personal interest in finding justice for the ladies.

She also has a professional motivation. A frustrated society columnist for the Rosalie Citizen, she's ready to deal herself a better hand as an investigative reporter. This could be her big break. Plus, she has a card or two up her sleeve: her sometimes boyfriend is a detective and her dad is the local chief of police.

Partnering up with the men in her life, Wendy starts shuffling through suspects and turning over secrets long held close to the chest by the ladies. But when a wild card tries to take her out of the game, Wendy decides it's time to up the ante before she's the next one to go down . . . (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Wendy is smart, inquisitive and persistent and I liked her inner drive. When there is multiple murders in her small community, she knows that she has to investigate. Curiosity is in her DNA and she cannot help but want to solve the mystery. It may help her in her career also. I enjoyed getting to know her and her friends and family.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. One thing I found unique about this book is that the murders take place right in the first chapter and there are multiple victims. The author is very talented in creating suspense with the written word. There were a lot of twist and turns and at times I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. The ending was surprising and just another example of that rollercoaster ride.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I will definitely look for the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Grand Slam Murders by R. J. Lee is the 1st book in A Bridge to Death Mystery series, and my first book by this author. Wendy Winchester is a reporter stuck with society section of the newspaper, when she wants to write about crime. When four very rich women die suddenly while playing bridge, and it turns out to be murder, Wendy is determined to find the truth. I enjoyed this book, but I found it slow at times. I plan on reading this author again and looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved the concept of four wealthy widows murdered while playing a game. Who on earth might the perp be? Marleece seemed innocent, and so did Arden, the gardener. Wendy trusts Marleece but something feels off. Then comes the family of the deceased. Liddie Rose and her daughter seemed very close to each other while Hanna Lewis and her two sons were estranged. Sicily Groves had no children while Bethany Morrissey's daughter was somewhat shaky.

As the story proceeds, Wendy discovers some dark secrets and hushed up pasts of the four ladies. The Gin Girls, as they were known in Rosalie, were very famous since their school days. Paparazzi, publicity and photo shoots - the girls lived on these as teenagers. Liddie was known to have a sharp tongue. She had many enemies, after all, in any argument, hers was the last word.

I loved Lee's writing style. It was fantastic, precise and clear. His storytelling skills are excellent - keeps the reader hooked on to the story until the end. The characters were likable and character development as the story proceeds was really good. I liked everything about the story except the ending. The identity of the perp was shocking and unexpected. At the same time, the reason for killing the four widows - not something that I would like to read as an ending to such a fantastic story.

I loved the story, sans the ending. I wouldn't call it a bad ending because it gives the story a unique twist. I haven't read a story before which highlights the selfish aspects of a negative mind. So kudos to the author for trying out something different. It was unexpected and maybe I was hoping the reason for murders to be something else - something to do with the will perhaps?

Grand Slam Murder is a good start to the series and I am looking forward to reading the next book(s) in this series. R.J Lee is an excellent storyteller and there is no doubt about it. If you like cozies with a unique twist, then do check out this book.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

A murder mystery with four victims makes for a lot of different motives, and a journalist is just right for solving everything. Great characters and plot, well written story with a nice flow.

Even though I don't know much about Bridge, I enjoyed this debut cozy. Having so many murdered so fast was a surprise. Sometimes the reader has to wait almost forever before the body (or bodies) appear. Instead we have to wait awhile before we meet the main character, Wendy Winchester along with her father, the police chief and her detective boyfriend. She very much wants to report on more meaty news than what is needed in the society section. This is the investigation that will possibly make that switch happen.
Overall this is a good start to a series and I will read the sequel to find out if the pacing, etc. has improved - there were some places that dragged a bit but that may be the fact that it's a first in series. Lots of things need to be set up. The characters, the setting and the mystery all kept my attention as a good mystery should.

I think this series has a lot of potential and this book has lot of the problems that you can meet in the first installment of a series.
There're a lot of good ideas but somehow it fails to deliver.
I'm curious about the next installment in this series.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Grand Slam Murders by R.J. Lee is the first book in the new cozy A Bridge to Death Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series the murder mystery in this first book is solved at the end without any cliffhangers.

This story really tosses a reader right into the action with the opening chapter joining the four wealthy ladies that are members of the Rosalie Bridge Club as they are about to play a game. However, instead of some competitive cards we end up with a four way murder when all are poisoned.

Wendy Winchester works for the local paper but instead of the hard hitting investigative journalism she wants to do she has been put in the position of writing the fluff pieces. When the four wealthy women are found to be murder victims Wendy is given the opportunity she has been waiting for to jump in and investigate the murder.

I have to say Grand Slam Murders seemed to have some good points but it also had some things I wasn’t a huge fan of. One, I didn’t like the way we waited to introduce our sleuth and star of the story until after things got going which made it slower for me to connect o her, I was scratching my head a bit at that. But I do enjoy when a lead has some connection to law enforcement which Wendy did. Now I did think there were some interesting characters in here but I also thought things seemed to get a bit draggy as it went on with the questioning etc. Overall, 3 stars for this opener with the ups and downs for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Grand Slam Murders by R. J. Lee is the first book in A Bridge to Death Mystery series.

Four wealthy widows, prominent figures in small town in state of Mississippi, choke to death during their regular bridge get together. To say that town is abuzz would be an understatement.
Therefore, local journalist Wendy and fellow bridge player gets her chance to make it big and move from writing about local wedding to some real investigative journalism. Her father as a police chief and her boyfriend a leading detective on the case will help provide insight information.
So Wendy decides to start invesigation on her own, hoping to be the one to find out the truth.

I loved the beginning of the book as it reminded me of classic mystery stories where rich people die and the buttler, or in this case maid are suspected of doing it.
However I must say that from there on I slowling started to lose interest. Wendy's questioning of suspects seemed slightly repetitive and tedious. It looked like doing regular interviews and lacked suspense and mystery. I found it somewhat bland.
I found the characters well developed and engaging. There were many twists and turns and that help in keeping things interesting.
I look forward to reading more as it has potential to turn things around and make it a solid series.

Clever cozy mystery. I am familiar with Bridge, but not especially a fan of the game. The four fatalities and the finger pointing at the suspects are intriguing. The solution is a face palm. Enjoyable reading to get there.

Surely Liddy's maid Merleece didn't intentionally serve poisoned coffee to the ladies of the Rosalie Bridge Club, killing four of them. That's what Wendy, a frustrated journalist sets out to prove, even as her sweetie Ross, a detective, and her dad, the chief of police, need to find who did it- and fast. This is classic cozy material. It's set in small town Mississippi, there's an intrepid amateur, and there's lots of secrets among the victims. My quibble is that killing off four women at once was a bit much. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm curious where this series will go next.

I didn’t like this one as much as I thought I would the plot was just too predictable for me and the storyline wasn’t very exciting. Anyone who doesn’t mind if the mystery side of a book isn’t very surprising would still enjoy this.