The Tuesday Night Survivor’s Club, the first book in Lynn Cahoon’s new Survivors’ Book Club Mystery series, packs an emotional punch while delivering a great mystery. The concept of a book club dedicated to cancer survivors is a refreshing and unique take on the cozy mystery book club trope. As with Ms. Cahoon’s other series (Tourist Trap, Farm-to-Fork, and Cat Latimer), this one promises to be a favorite.

Cancer survivor Rarity Cole relocates to Sedona, Arizona and opens a book store called “The Next Chapter.” Knowing the pain of not having the support of her boyfriend during her cancer treatments, Rarity decides to offer a book club for cancer survivors for continuing support. Her high-school best friend, Sam Aarons, owns the crystal shop next door. Although Sam is not a cancer survivor herself, she is allowed to attend the book club as she was Rarity’s rock during the cancer treatments. All is going well with the club until Martha, one of the members, goes missing and is later found murdered. The book club turns into a sleuthing club determined to figure out what happened to her.

The mystery surrounding Martha’s disappearance and death is suspenseful and multi-layered. Martha, as it turns out, is quite an enigma (and not well-understood or liked), leaving several suspects with motive to kill her. The plot leads us through a variety of clues and red herrings while exploring several unique settings. The book club members are distinct, each with their own endearing quirks, united by their personal cancer stories. It will be fun to see their personalities grow in subsequent books.

As with many cozy mysteries, a potential romantic triangle develops, only this time with a twist. Here Rarity strikes up a friendship with local policeman Drew Anderson, who in turn is smitten with her. Unfortunately, Sam has made it clear that she is interested Drew. To complicate matters further, there are hints of romance between Rarity and Archer Ender, a leader at the nearby hiking trails.

In addition, there are several charming touches to the book. One of the survivors admits to having read a steady diet of cozy mysteries during treatment to boost her spirits. When Martha goes missing, Rarity takes temporary charge of her dog, a cute Yorkie ironically named “Killer.”

The Tuesday Night Survivors’ Club is one of those rare finds, a book that touches your heart while delivering a clever mystery. I am looking forward to visiting Rarity and the book club again as soon as the next installment comes out!

Note: I received an ARC of The Tuesday Night Survivors’ Club from NetGalley and Kensington Books Lyrical Press. The above is my honest review.

The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club is the first in a new series by Lynn Cahoon. Rarity has moved to Sedona, AZ to be close to her friend after going through breast cancer treatment. She opens a book store, and wants to bring other survivors together to discuss all types of books. Unfortunately after a couple of meetings, someone in the town is murdered, and Rarity and her new friends take it upon themselves to help out the police and figure out the culprit. This was a light read to enjoy over the hot summer.

The Tuesday Night Survivors’ Club by Lynn Cahoon is the opening salvo to a new series. Rarity Cole has moved to Sedona, leaving the corporate world behind to open a bookstore. It was not the New Age shop one might expect being in Sedona, but it did had an extensive selection of books about cancer: how to choose a doctor, tips fro surviving chemo, tips for recovery, etc. It also carried new books and old favorites. She was starting a book club: The Tuesday Night Survivor’s Club, designed for people like her, people who had beat cancer. The first time only Shirley showed up but Rarity was prepared for ti to start slowly. They talked about what book they wanted to read. Shirley bought some books for her husband and promised to bring a new member next time. The fortune teller next door asked for a flyer. Rarity was confident. Starting a new business was not easy. Thankfully she had her old friend, Sam, just a couple doors down. She needed to get a dog. She did have a wonderful house: one with a pool she used nearly every day. And she was right. There were more at the next meeting, including a grump named Martha. But Martha didn’t show up at the next meeting. Neither did Kim, Shirley’s friend. Then a couple of the members learned Martha’s jeep had been parked at a trailhead for several days. The decided to go look. This was turning into a sleuther’s club. She called the police.

Rarity is truly looking for a new life. Than man she had been going to marry turned out to be lacking in the “for worse” column. Thankfully she’d had Sam. She was slowly making new friends: Drew, the police detective, who was grumpy because he had his parents staying with him and they’d stayed too long; Shirley, another cancer survivor who had a husband so mired in his own hobbies, he paid little attention to her. Archer, a big-city lawyer, turned tour guide; the Other Tuesday Nighter’s. She barely had time for her nightly time in the pool. The plot for the murder was a good one, if slightly twisted. It took some digging, which Drew supported, mostly. She met her neighbors and discovers some were snowbirds and some just kept different hours from her. This was a lovely beginning to a new series, with a wonderful setting: Sedona and a bookstore; interesting people to spend time with, and enough crimes (apparently) to keep the book club busy.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Tuesday Night Survivors’ Club by Lyrical Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #lyricalpress #lynncahoon #thetuesdaynightsurvivorsclub

I was worried this book was going to be dark and heavy considering the subject but it was such an uplifting cozy mystery. I loved the characters, I found myself so invested in every single one of them. I loved everything about this story and hope there is another one!

The Tuesday Night Survivors’ Club
Survivors’ Book Club Mystery, Book #1
Lynn Cahoon
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Survivors become sleuths to find a missing member of their book club in new-age Sedona, Arizona . . .

Two things got Rarity Jones through her breast cancer treatments: friends and books. Now cancer-free, Rarity is devoting her life to helping others find their way through the maze to healing. She’s opened a bookstore focusing on the power of healing—Eastern medicine, Western medicine, the healing power of food, the power of meditation, and the importance of developing a support community. To that end, she’s also started the Tuesday Night Survivors book club. With its openness to new-age communities, Sedona, Arizona, is the perfect fit for Rarity’s bookstore and the tightly knit group.

But their therapeutic unity is disrupted when one of their members suddenly goes missing. Martha has always kept to herself, never opening up much of her personal life to the group. Now she’s nowhere to be found. With her car abandoned on a trail and her dog left with a friend, Rarity is sure something terrible has happened—but will she be able to uncover Martha’s secrets before it’s too late?

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Rarity is a cancer survivor and she decides to open a bookstore. Besides regular books she has books focusing on the power of healing. She has also started a book club so people can share their experiences as well as the book they read. When one of the members goes missing, Rarity and her best friend, Sam, have to figure out what is going on. She will also have help from the ladies in the book club.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was well plotted and it kept me guessing throughout the entire book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. The book was a great beginning to the series and I cannot wait to find out what happens next in the series.

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

<b>*NOTE*</b> <i> This somehow slipped off my radar and I found it the day after it was published. EEK! I squeezed it in and here we are. Life happens sometimes you know?</i>

I like Lynn Cahoon. I think she is a gifted author. That said, in every single series that I have read of hers [and continue to read], I have not really liked [or heavily disliked] the first book [and sometimes the second, and in one case, even the third. It is now one of my favorite series so there is something to be said with sticking with something]. And while definitely not at the top of my list, this is the probably the best I have ever started with one of her series. And I take that as a HUGE win and hope it only goes upwards from here [some of my issue is, I think, the narrator. She is not one of my favorites and I think that added to the whole vibe of me not being 100% committed to it. For the next book {which I will absolutely be reading}, I will be read reading it unless the narrator changes]. I really like Rarity and Sam as friends and cohorts and I love how Sam supports Rarity, both when she was sick and now that she is well and has moved to her town. They work well together, and even though Sam needs to work on her trust issues, for the most part they are a good team. The setting of a new bookstore is always fun and I love how Rarity immediately wants to have a book club for survivors like herself, though I don't think she thought murder and then solving it would be on the reading list! LOL

The mystery was okay - I had the who figured out about halfway through, but not the why, so that is always a win; my complaint is that the reveal is V E R Y rushed and extremely flat. At no time did I truly believe that anyone was in danger. So that was a major disappointment. There is also a TON of dating/relationship stuff in this and I hope that doesn't continue. It is not a romance book, it is a mystery and while I don't mind a bit of dating etc, there was a TON of focus on this and it also detracted from the story in my opinion. The sensitive subject matter is handled deftly though [the author is a survivor herself] and is never maudlin, but is also not treated flippantly and I really appreciated that. There could have been so much wrong with that kind of story but thankfully it is does so very well that you never feel uncomfortable with it. Kudos for that.

I will absolutely be reading the next one and I am really looking forward to it.

I was also granted an audiobook ARC of this book and I have to say I was not a total fan. I have an issue with this narrator from another series I tried to listen to and had to stop because it was just...not my cup of tea. This one was better than that one, but it took me a long time to settle in to the story and I think the issues I have with the book stem from the narration. I would recommend staying away from the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Cahoon, C.S.E. Cooney - Narrator, Kensington Books/Lyrical Press, and Tantor Audio for providing the ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot going on in this book. I love the idea of the survivors club. And the setting of Sedona and a bookstore was lovely. I finished the book and liked the plot.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

3.5 stars *

I wasn't sure what to expect with this new cozy series given the subject matter. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how positive and uplifting the story was and how hopeful the book felt. I liked our protagonist, Rarity Jones, and I love that she was portrayed in a realistic, smart way. I loved her best friend, Sam, and I thought she provided the perfect amount of comedic relief. The mystery was fun, and I enjoyed trying to solve it with the characters. Unfortunately I feel like the love interest is a bit forced, even though I adored his actions at the end of the novel, and I feel like this is set up for a potential love triangle, which I do not like. The audiobook narrator did a great job, and I am looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the online ARC. 4.75 starts. This book combined my two loves books and mystery. This was a light mystery and Im totally here for it.

Finally, an amateur sleuth who is not dating the local detective. A woman who is slightly older than usual and has a realistic look at life after her battle with breast cancer. Rarity Cole brings a fresh breath of air to those tired of the usual fill-in-the-blank cozy genre. As she and her friends share their recovery stories, a love of books, and a passion for sleuthing, the reader meets a captivating group that will be a pleasure to follow for years to come.

Now that Rarity Cole is cancer free she wants to help others that are going through or have been through the same disease. She has just opened up her own bookstore that focuses on healing in its many forms. She has also started a book club catered to people with cancer or cancer survivors. The club is small but the women all seem to fit well together. When one of the members doesn't show up for a meeting everyone starts to worry. Her car is located on a local trail, her dog is home alone, and she is nowhere to be found. The groups is sure something horrible has happened to her. The group decides to look into things on their own and begin searching for clues. Follow along and see if they will be able to put the pieces together and figure out what happened to their missing friend.

I was so excited to see another series by this author. This book takes place in gorgeous Sedona, Arizona, a truly magical place, in my opinion. When a member of the newly formed Tuesday Night Survivor's Club book club is murdered, the rest of the group join forces to solve the mystery. The book is well paced, and the characters are wonderful. What a truly special group of characters, I think. I look forward to more in this engaging new series.

The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club by Lynn Cahoon
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published: June 14, 2022

The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club is the first book in the Survivor's Book Club Mystery series by Lynn Cahoon and I absolutely loved it!

I loved reading this book and I can't wait for future books in the series! I loved meeting the members of the Tuesday Night Survivors' Book Club! I found the characters to be likable, relatable, and so interesting! I loved how the author incorporated her experience as a cancer survivor into developing these characters. People who have gone through a significant health event due look at life a little differently and I loved reading about people who think like I do.

The story was fast paced and fascinating! I couldn't wait to see who the killer was. This story was so much fun and I loved reading it! I could not put this book down!

I can't wait to see what's to come! I highly recommend reading this book!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club (A Survivors' Book Club Mystery 1)
by Lynn Cahoon
Publisher: Kensington, Lyrical Press
Release date: June 14, 2022


A new cozy mystery series from Lynn Cahoon? Yes, please! I'm a huge fan of this author's mysteries so I was super excited to read an advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed this book overall. I liked reading about Sedona, and meeting Rarity, Sam, and the other ladies in the book club/survivors group. I do hope we get more interaction/backstory (in future books) from the characters so they have more depth and we can really get to know them. I did think there would be a little more discussion about cancer survival along with input from Sam as the friend of a patient/survivor (although many readers may think there's plenty included).
I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing/Lyrical Press, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Rarity Cole is the proud owner of a bookshop, called The Next Chapter, that sells titles with a focus on Eastern and Western medicine, food, meditation and other potential powers of healing. She also starts the Tuesday Night Survivors' Club a book club that meets, you guessed it, on Tuesday nights! However, when Martha, one of the members, misses a meeting, Rarity becomes concerned. When Martha's car is found abandoned, Rarity is certain something nefarious or bad has happened and starts looking.

Set in Sedona, Arizona I really enjoyed this series debut. The mystery is one that I did not manage to puzzle out. Very highly recommended, I'm eager to continue the series with Secrets in the Stacks, due out in November 2022.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my own request, from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I have read a number of this author's books now and I always enjoy them. This was no exception.

The idea of a book club for cancer survivors is a good one. I can understand someone in that situation wanting to spend time with others who have so much in common. The author handles the subject sensitively giving out information but not dwelling on the topic all the time.

The main characters provide plenty of promise for future books. Rarity is the owner of the bookshop and the instigator of the Club. (Must admit I really do not care for that name!) Sam is her best friend and the male interests for them both are Drew, a local policeman and Archer who runs a tourist explorer service.

The Sedona setting is very pleasant, there is a cute dog and I always like a book that takes place in a bookshop. I am looking forward to the next instalment.

Lynn Cahoon's newest series begins with The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club and it does not disappoint! I have enjoyed Lynn Cahoon's series for quite a while, but this one has even more heart at the center of the story.

Rarity has survived her bout cancer, but not her relationship, she needs/wants a fresh start in Arizona. She sets up a book store, institutes a book club with other survivors, makes new friends while getting her Sedona life on track---until one of the book club members is mysteriously missing. Added to the mix is the canine character, Killer. The quick moving plot is twisted enough that I was surprised at who the bad guy was. A wonderful start to this new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and KensingtonBooks for granting my request to read an ARC of this wonderful book! My review was not compromised in any way; I review books that I enjoy so that friends and followers will know about them, too.

Rarity has beaten cancer and has moved from the mid west to Arizona for some extra support from a friend. She’s opened a book store and is starting a book club for cancer survivors. But somehow this fledgling club has to solve a murder of one of their members. I really enjoyed this book and the characters are wonderful. Great setting also. I highly recommend.

After surviving cancer, Rarity Cole moves to Sedona, Arizona, and opens a bookstore. One of her ideas for connecting with the community is to start a book club for other cancer survivors. However, when Martha, one of the members, misses a meeting, Rarity becomes concerned. Can she and the other members figure out what happened to Martha?

I’ve been meaning to read one of Lynn Cahoon’s books for years, and I figured the start of a new series was a great time to do just that. Overall, I did enjoy the book. I did find the characters’ motivation for investigating the crime weak. On the other hand, I really liked the four main characters. The rest of the cast could be stronger, but that will come as the series progresses, right? I did find a few unfortunate errors in the book that should have been caught with good editing – a timeline issue and something setup that was dropped. I did get pulled into the plot. I pegged the killer a little early, but I didn’t have the motive figured out until Rarity put it together. I completely enjoyed the setting and I’m ready to go visit Sedona. The cancer survivor hook was good as well. I’ll definitely be back to visit these characters again.

Two things got Rarity Jones through her breast cancer treatments: friends and books. Now cancer-free, Rarity is devoting her life to helping others find their way through the maze to recovery. She’s opened a bookstore focusing on the power of healing. To that end, she’s also started the Tuesday Night Survivors’ book club. But their unity is disrupted when one of their members, Martha, suddenly goes missing. When her car is found abandoned on a trail and her dog left with a friend, Rarity is sure something terrible has happened. Will she be able to find Martha before it’s too late?
This was a very interesting mystery because it dealt with cancer and recovering from the disease. I loved the characters and the information brought forth in the story, but what I wanted was more of a mystery. It seemed that the mystery took a back seat to the cancer discussion. I would love to read the next book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.