I loved and read many of Ms Cooney’s books growing up in the 90s so this one sounded unique and interesting, it was just ok. Not something I’d read again and glad I didn’t buy it. Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received from NetGalley.

I'd wanted to love this one but found myself not loving it. I had really hoped for a mystery - the synopsis makes it sound like it will be one. And, although there is one, it felt like it stalled out about halfway.

Although I did like the way the author handled dementia and how hard it is for family. I felt like it was more the focus and less about the mystery. Had I gone in thinking it was more about family and handled a difficult illness, I probably would have liked this more. But I grabbed it for the mystery and felt let down.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

A set of characters that you'll quickly grow to love working together to solve a murder in a nursing home. What a plot!!!!! Freddie doesn't have many good qualities, but he loves his Grandmother. His repeated trips to see her in the Memory Care unit where she lives will ultimately place him in danger. The story, characters and community in THE GRANDMOTHER PLOT are excellent!!! Caroline B Cooney has a knack for building believable characters and putting them in unusual circumstances that always tell a story most readers will reread often and recommend to everyone they know. I did!.

I’m a Caroline B. Cooney fan from back in my teen years, so I was excited to jump into a new read of hers. Unfortunately I had trouble being hooked by this novel, and found it a bit of a struggle to finish the story. I wish I’d been more immersed in the story, but Cooney’s writing style itself is as great as ever.

I was hoping for a Face on the Milk Carton for adults, but this book wasn't all that I wanted it to be. I think many fans will be disappointed.

Honestly I am longer interested in reading this book but I requested it because I have loved one of the author’s previous works.

Utterly Delightful…
Utterly delightful mystery featuring a hapless but engaging and likeable protagonist with a colourful and well crafted cast of supporting characters. Poor Freddy, the reader is fully engaged as Freddy tries desperately to keep his name clean and keep his beloved grandmother out of harms way. Wholly immersive.

Freddy has little to no responsibility. Except for his grandmother. Freddy promised his mother that if anything happened to her, he would look after his grandmother. When his mother passed away, Freddy took on the care of his beloved grandmother until it was apparent that her dementia was more than he could handle. Now she resides in a nursing home, where the staff lovingly takes care of her and Freddy visits several times each week. When a murder occurs at the facility Freddy begins to worry about the police investigations because his income is tied to some not-quite-legal activities.

This is just the beginning of The Grandmother Plot by Caroline B Cooney. The story is often difficult to read, with the depictions of dementia all too painful and sad. Freddy is a likeable guy and his relationship and love for his grandmother is simply heartwarming and sweet. There are humorous moments in the book but there are also some characters that don’t seem to fit the story very well and their presence is somewhat confusing. As a result, there are times when the pace of the story felt a little uneven.

However, this book was enjoyable and it was time well-spent.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Well researched story set in Memory care unit. Sad but I suppose fitting, it depicted the grandson as loving but a bit bumbling. Overall OK

I gave this book a 3.5 but rounded up for the star rating. This book was a little hard for me to get through, but that is likely because the author did a great job describing the tragedy of dementia. This story largely takes place at a facility for people with dementia and two of the family members who are frequent visitors. Freddy was tasked with caring for his grandmother by his mother who died too soon. He moved home and cared for her but she needed more care than he could give. The other visitor is Mrs. Mapes who has her own reasons for visiting her aunt so frequently. But Freddy has trouble from his past that has come and to make things worse one of his grandmother’s neighbors in the facility was murdered. The story was well done, but there were maybe a few more side plots than were needed. It was a story about family, about history, and a murder mystery which while being an odd mashup did work.

This read was super compelling, and even more so knowing that it was by an author who wrote one of my childhood favorites. A little reminiscent of The Tuesday Murder Club, but it stands on its own well, too.

Having loved Caroline B. Cooney as long as I can remember, I was thrilled to see she had a new book coming out. This mystery is a little cozier than the ones I usually read, but is still skillfully written by an author who knows her stuff. It’s a bit more character-driven than it is suspenseful but still a rich and compelling read.

The Grandmother Plot by Caroline B. Cooney is a book that I was prepared to really like and enjoy. I had read Before She Was Helen a few months back and got such a kick out of the writing and the characters. This one is the story of Freddy, a young man lacking in ambition in most things but he is totally devoted to his grandmother. He has been living in her house since she was admitted to a memory nursing home because of her advancing dementia. Most days she does not recognize Freddy but he persists in spending quality time with her. When a patient in the room next to his grandmother’s is murdered , Freddy’s life becomes more complicated. This book has the potential to be a great one but it stalls halfway through, leaving me not caring for the characters or what happens next. There are too many details that interfere with the smooth flow of the outcome and several characters add nothing to the plot. This is strictly my own opinion and I am sure that The Grandmother Plot will appeal to many. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book that I ended up not finishing due to lack of interest in content. For that reason I was unable to rate more than one star.

When I saw that Caroline B. Cooney had a new book coming out, I HAD to read it. I absolutely loved The Face on the Milk Carton when I was younger, so there was a certain nostalgia just from hearing her name.

The Grandmother Plot is a story based around the relationship between a grandson and his grandmother. Freddy is an irresponsible (but lovable) glass bead maker. He was forced to put his grandmother in a memory care unit due to the progression of her Alzheimer’s disease when he realized he couldn’t care for her alone anymore. Freddy visits his grandmother regularly and knows the staff, residents, and their families. Everyone at MMC, the memory care unit, is shocked when it is discovered that one of the patients was murdered. Freddy fears for his grandmother and knows he needs to keep her safe, but things quickly get complicated due to some poor decisions that are haunting him.

My own grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and the disease and descriptions of the memory care unit painted by Cooney are incredibly accurate. The characters are so well written and fun—they feel like real people you could meet. Freddy isn’t the brightest guy, but I couldn’t help but admire his optimism and kindness toward others. His relationship with his grandmother is adorable. This book was unique and a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC to review!

#GrandmotherPlot and #poisonedpenpress

I was really interested in reading this book since I had read The Face on the Milk Carton and thoroughly enjoyed it back in middle school. I really wasn't sure what to expect with this book even knowing the premise. I felt that the two main characters were definitely quirky and very far apart in who they were. I found that I liked Freddy as a character, yet really struggled with how many times it was emphasized about how his sisters felt about him. I felt that enough was enough with this after seeing it repeated again and again. I did not understand Laura, or find her relatable and could not garner enough interest to really want to understand her. I felt that the ending where the mystery is solved is the best part of the book. I just wish I would have cared by then. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

As a granddaughter to a grandfather with advanced stage Alzheimers, this book was heavy to say the least. I actually really enjoyed it and became very attached to these characters. I was impressed with Cooney's writing and will love to read this author again!

DNF around 30%. I really tried to love this book because I have loved so much of Cooney's work in the past, but unfortunately the plot was just too slow for me. I am sure many others will love this book so I'm giving it a 3/5.


Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Grandmother Plot follows Freddy and Laura, two common people who meet while visiting loved ones on an Alzheimer’s memory care unit. Laura visits her Aunt several times per week, and is obsessed with music and keyboards, particularly organs. Freddy is a twenty something guy who makes beads from glass (and other more “illegal” items, such as pipes for drugs.). He is pretty much what everyone would consider a loser, with a really great heart. He visits his grandmother many times per week as well.

A death occurs at the memory care unit, and it seems to be fishy. Laura and Freddy investigate a little to try to figure out exactly what happened. Freddy also gets himself caught up in some bad company on his bead business, and has a hard time extricating himself from the bad situation.

This book is really off beat and quirky. It is part mystery, with many comedic parts. While I really enjoyed it, it wasn’t my usual type of read and I wasn’t quite expecting this type of read. I requested due to nostalgia, since I read this author’s mystery/thrillers as a young adult. This is definitely more quirky than those, but in a good way.

I would recommend this to people who like off beat or quirky mysteries.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGally for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Grandmother Plot interested me because The Girl on the Milk Carton, also written by Caroline Cooney, was one of my favorite books as a young girl. Unfortunately, Caroline and I did not age well together. The Grandmother Plot was a well written book, with a slow but interesting plot, it just wasn't for me.

The main character is Freddy. Freddy has made a lot of poor life choices. He smokes a lot of weed, makes bongs, and hangs out with his grandma a few times a week. He is involved in a lot of unsavory activities, and most of the plot was spent on Freddy's issues. Freddy felt rather one dimensional to me. I went into The Grandmother Plot looking more for a murder mystery, and less for a drama about someone's poor life choices. If you enjoy light mysteries mixed with drama, then check The Grandmother Plot out, you may end up enjoying it more than I. Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC copy to read and review.