Very very similar to 2 recent books which have been released. The Guestlist by Lucy Foley and Murder at the Book Club by Betsy Reavely. Just very samey

I did enjoy the book, it was well written and funny at times. I didn't like the characters though which made it a bit slow to read.

Oh wow. Fabulous!

This book was exactly what I needed right now. Especially at this point in time where real life is as crazy as the bunch of people in this book!!

A mother, an unwelcome daughter, aunts an even a dog, Mr Bojangles. If I ever get a dog I know what I’m calling it haha!! It was a much welcomed breath of fresh air and a fantastic mystery, where a crazy and slightly lunatic bunch of women are able to cause havoc!!
A book club where the book has been read three times already! A body is found! So whodunnit?! The book just keeps throwing curveballs at you and I didn’t come close to working it out and these are most definitely my favourite type of books. Keeps you guessing till the very end. I also love the way the book was written. Very fluid and easy to absorb.

You feel like you’ve been thrown into chaos and craziness pretty much straightaway and I love that. It makes the book an instant page turner. I also wonder if like me, the reader will relate to a certain character! If you love a classic mystery with a good few laughs thrown in then this is the book for you!

Thanks to Netgally for giving me the chance to review this book. I definitely look forward to more of Victoria Dowd’s work! I’ve never read anything by her before but I certainly will do so now.

I hate not finishing a book. I also hate giving negative feedback, especially when I didn't get thru the whole book. I tried to read all the way thru but was having a hard time.. this style of writing just didn't vibe with me. It was almost "too descriptive" in it's writing. That's the best way I can describe it.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to read it, I'm sure lots of others will enjoy it.

This is one of the best dark comedy who dunnit i have ever read ..... the intricate and almost subtle clues are brilliant and the ending is one that i have never come across before and it never occurred to me ....... this is one of the books that will have you wanting more from Victoria Dowd.....
This smart woman's guide to murder is brilliant and has great moments of ups and downs in the hunt for the killer.....the antics the book club get up to and the process of elimination is extremely good..

It is my first book with her and she hasnt let herself down..... what a brilliant author and a fantastic book...... i loved every minute of it and would recommend it to friends and family

Five stars from me and i will be reading more from the brilliant Victoria Dowd

Another case of me liking the idea of a book better than the reality. The blurb is good, but all the characters are fairly awful and not in an enjoyably awful way. This is being sold as an update to the classic murder mysteries, but apart from being set in a big country house, I didn't really see the connection. Never mind. Not for me.

I enjoyed this for what it was - a modern version of the "locked room" mystery. The clues in this cosy-mystery are there from the beginning - its just that the have yet to be put into perspective - and there are also a few red herrings.

I enjoyed the style of writing (quirky and witty) - though the narrator - Ursula - did grate on me a little (bit of an attention seeking neurotic with a daddy fixation). The pace was steady (real time if you will) as we kick off with a bang and then wind back to the beginning and proceed from thereon. Snappy chapter headings offer some much needed advice if you want to survive a murderous weekend away.

Would be interested in reading something else from this author. Nice little isolation read!

A murder mystery book should not be this much fun. I was laughing out loud until the first murder and even after. If you are planning to read this, you need to prepare yourself for an unconventional murder story with several feral females, each with unique annoying traits that will make you wish you were a murderer. This novel fulfills everything the title suggests and more. If you’re looking for a bone-chilling cocktail of Cristie and King, it may fall not satisfy your needs but if you’re a soft rookie like me in crime-fiction in search of a fun time, this is book serves this purpose beautifully.
Dowd’s style and narration, her wry humor, wit and on the spot hilarious and acrimonious remarks combined with a level of sarcasm I am not used to in crime-fiction novels turned this book into a one of a kind reading experience. Definitely recommended for the fans of the genre and I am looking forward to the second book of the series! Well done Victoria Dowd!

I struggled with this book. After reading rave reviews, I was anxious to get reading. I loved the book cover and the description so it was a surprising disappointment.

The storyline was engaging. How can you go wrong with a women's book club gathered at a country mansion for a nice retreat and that retreat turns into a nightmare as bodies start appearing? Unfortunately, something went wrong as I continued reading. I seem to think it was the condescending characters and their snarky remarks. I began to hate all of the characters. Maybe there was supposed to be some wry humor, but I didn't get it.

I still managed to finish the book and I have to admit that the ending was a surprise.

Two stars -- it was okay. Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

What could go wrong if you have to join a book club meeting whose members are your mother and her friends? And did I mention that your relation with your mother is not a matter of roses; and her friends are all braggarts and pretentious? Oh, and did I mention that its a book club where no one talks about books?🙄 And to top it all you have to live with them for a weekend in a house that has "marooned" plastered on its locations.

In a house where almost no one is fan of one another and is quick to pass off murderous glances, can a real murder take place? Is one of the "friends" to be labelled as guilty? Read the freshly released mystery to find out!

For all those Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes fans out there, you are in for a fresh style of delivering a mystery. You won't be forever on edge as you were while reading Murder on the Orient Express or you won't be bound in ties by the brilliant grey matter of Sherlock Holmes.

A murder has taken place, and more are likely to follow. But you'll always pursue the mystery with a light mood, thanks to the easy sarcasm that rolls off so smoothly in the narration. However, things are to get more mysterious and serious as you keep on turning the pages.

At the start of every episode you'll be fed with a rule- the smart woman's guide to murder. They, however, do not always tend to have a literary connotation, many are to be taken at the symbolic (and humorous!) level too.

The book has one thing that a mystery book has to have- picturesque narration; words sketching pictures. You can see a dead body lying in the snow. You can feel the silence of a library and you can smell the fishy environment.

And lets not forget to do a check upon the features of a mystery that the book has- A lonely old place. Check. References to death. Check. Moody weather. Check. Unaccountable/mysterious deeds. Check.

All in all, its a good read if you want a taste of mystery and thriller wrapped up in a light tone.

Also, if you are an introvert who likes to stay hidden in books (but is witty enough to pass off snarky comments at people you have a misfortune to stay with), there's a bonus for you since you'll find a relatable character inside.😉

When will people learn that when you go away to an isolated area with no cell phone service you gon get got? Seriously, it’s like saying Bloody Mary in front of the mirror three times and not expecting her to rush out at you. But all jokes aside this novel by Victoria Dowd has a great concept as it takes a tale as old as time and attempts to revamp it. However, I will admit that this book just wasn’t for me. As a fan of thriller and who-dun-it novels I had a very difficult time getting through this book as it moved too slowly for my taste and the characters were so unlikeable that their deaths didn’t bring me enough satisfaction. I will also say that the narrator was perhaps the most unlikeable of the bunch and the number of time the plot jumped to her father was disorienting and quite irksome by the end. All this being said, if you start this book, see it through as the twist is definitely well thought out.

2.5 Stars - Thank you to Netgalley, Victoria Dowd, and Joffe Books for the advanced read of “The Smart Woman’s Guide yo Murder”!

Ursula's mother has organised a book club weekend away at faded and isolated country house Ambergris Towers. Ursula is tagging along under much sufferance which is repeatedly made abundantly clear to her. Joining them are book club members her Aunt Charlotte, Mirabelle, Less who Ursula named years ago as she’s joyless and Bridget with pampered pooch Mr Bojangles. The staff of the house are Mr and Mrs Angel - think Bela Lugosi for Mr Angel. He suggests a fortune teller for the first nights entertainment which somewhat reluctantly they agree to. As the weather closes in with snow falling heavily and no means of communication, the occupants of the house realise there’s a killer on the loose. The story is told by Ursula.

The characters in the book are vividly portrayed but not especially easy to like. It’s hard to imagine a more sarcastic and caustic bunch and their target is usually poor Ursula. They drink copiously and frankly so would I if I had the misfortune to be stuck that lot or I just might just kill them myself!!! The story is very funny at times, it’s highly entertaining, smart and snarky. The killing spree has a Jonathan Creek style mystery ‘how is it done’ element to it which adds an extra element of intrigue as you and the occupants of the house try to figure out what’s going on and why. The murders are as creative as the characters and it’s most definitely in the spirit of an Agatha Christie novel but a darned sight more fun. There’s a Gothic feel to the storytelling too which is partly provided by the house and it’s feel , gloom, mystery and secrets. Each chapter has a rule which are really clever and some are very amusing. The story is well written, there’s a good pace and plot, there are plenty of twists with a dash of suspense and copious amounts of tension between the characters.

Overall, a very entertaining, fun read which is perfect for right now.

The Smart Woman's Guide to Murder is the first book in a series inspired by the Golden Age of crime. It is very much a homage to Agatha Christie and is a classic murder mystery set in a country house but has been yanked into the 21st century and features a collection of unusual characters, with all their strange and difficult relationships. Pandora Smart is attending a weekend retreat hosted by her book club at a beautiful, isolated country estate and decides to take her daughter Ursula with her much to the annoyance of the rest of the patrons. The five members: Pandora, Bridget, Charlotte, Mirabelle and Joy have very little in common with one another but manage to keep it together enough to discuss (or not) books. However, it soon becomes clear that someone has been killed when a body is found in the grounds but with a frigid blizzard incoming, they are snowed in before too long with no means of communication to contact the outside world and the relevant authorities and no form of transportation to leave. It appears they are stuck with one another for the foreseeable but that isn't so pleasant when one of them may be a cold-blooded murderer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ”locked room” mystery and must admit to chortling out loud quite a bit; it's no easy feat to make me laugh I promise you. I find very little amusing but the subtle wit and charm of this clever little book had me hook, line and sinker. Dowd has brought the country house mystery bang up to date and I devoured it in a single captivating sitting. We have a limited pool of suspects present at the retreat who all turn out to seemingly have it within them to commit murder with their motives being the likes of envy right through to resentment and long-held grudges. This is a compelling and addictive read full of mystery and with plenty to keep you thinking. Ursula is a fantastic character whose acerbic commentary illuminates each page and provides a contrast between the light and dark elements. If you enjoy old-school mysteries made bang up to date with a decent dose of sardonic humour then this is well worth your time. It's just something a tad different from the usual. I look forward to the sequel and reacquainting myself with the Smarts. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Joffe for an ARC.

Ursula (what she calls herself) invites herself to the mother's book club, where they all meet at an isolated country house for a long weekend. Her mother's best friend, two aunts, and another woman with her dog, Mr Bojangles are all present and accounted for. This retreat is their chance to escape bustling suburbia. But someone has other ideas.

A body is found on the grounds. Has one of their own group started a killing spree ... or was this victim specifically targeted?

Leaving is not an option ... they are snowed in.

What the book club members need is to stop sniping at each other long enough to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again. But how to go about solving a murder mystery ... before someone else dies?

Although some of the characters would have driven me batty had I been among them for more than a day, I found them to be quite entertaining ... even humorous at times. They each had their own quirks and issues and I saw all of them being capable of murder. It started out slow and pretty much retained a slower pace throughout. Like an old fashioned murder mystery in the days before cell phones and the internet, and DNA testing, it held my interest from start to finish.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

3.5 STARS

Not the best mystery book I have read. It was very clever. Just not my cup of tea. It was a different writing style that’s for sure!

I was really looking forward to this read. Definitely looked like something I would fully enjoy. Although it was not my favorite, it was clever.

I apologize for not giving a review to this book, I tried getting past 5% but I somehow lost my interest in it and wouldn't be able to finish it before archive date. Nothing wrong with the book I just had bad timing.

DNF at 10%. I'm a bit embarrassed by this but I couldn't bring myself to go further. I just didn't "get it" right from the beginning. The writing style is very odd, I don't know how to describe it but I found it convoluted. The characters were odd and unlikeable. It didn't make sense as the murder is right from the beginning? The book just seemed to be trying too hard to be confusing and mysterious, perhaps that's what it is going for and I'm just not on that level. I found the language used to be very extra and unnecessary. I hope others like it better!

This was an interesting concept, and it sounded like a book that was right up my street. I love a murder mystery, especially in the Agatha Christie, classic, limited number of people trapped in a country house style, which this is heavily influential. It took me a while to get into the style of the writing, and I do want to say that I’m glad that I stuck with it - it is a clever mystery and it has a good solution, and has some good twists and turns. Overall though, I just wasn’t crazy about it. I feel like it’s trying to be too much at once - quirky characters, a narrator who is constantly drifting into flashbacks, a tragic family backstory, a strained mother/daughter relationship, strained relationships all round really! I feel in a way that the book is a bit overwritten for my taste, it almost feels like the author wanted to set it in the past and to be honest, in some ways I wish they had set it in the past as I think it would have suited the style and the story more, although this may have had an impact on the resolution of the mystery. I didn’t find any of the characters very likeable, which isn’t always necessary, but I think coming on top of the quirks and everything else just slowed down the reading experience for me.

Although I admire the mystery and do think it’s worth a read, it’s ultimately just not to my particular taste.

A fresh take on the classic mansion murder mystery, this book is engrossing and keeps you guessing until the end. The plot flows well and each deduction made by the characters is logical - sometimes with you reaching the same conclusion as them just before they realise.