4.25⭐️

<i> Nothing brings an estranged family together like a murder next door. </i>

This was a fun murder mystery. It felt a bit like Gilmore Girls, if Emily channeled Jessica Fletcher. I loved the strong and quirky and complicated female characters/ dynamics, and the mystery was decently intriguing enough to sustain the story.

Thank you Nina Simon, author, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was nothing like what I expected from the title and description. I had high expectations, and it started out as a pretty fun read, with a fun family dynamic and mostly strong female main characters, but I quickly lost interest when it turned into a modern amateur-ish Nancy Drew type mystery.

Don’t get me wrong - I love a good mystery. This one just seemed almost like YA writing with the grandmother becoming the detective.

I ended up skimming pages because I wanted to know the outcome, but wasn’t invested enough to read it thoroughly and intently.

It was OK - just not for me.

Dysfunctional family trying to solve a murder? Sign me up! This book was great! I love the dynamics between the grandma, mom, and teenage daughter. I read it quickly as I couldn't put it down. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this intergenerational story of a grandmother/mother/daughter working together to solve a murder. I will say I had to suspend disbelief for some of this because OF COURSE you should not investigate a murder on your own but once I got beyond that I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between these three generations of women. The mystery frequently took a back seat to the dynamics between the three women, but I liked that the focus was on the women and their lives instead of only the murder. This was a lighter murder-mystery book.

The author’s note as well as the lovely author interview I participated in through Cindy’s thoughts from a page enhanced my enjoyment of this novel. Simon wrote this with her mother after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. I love the idea that writing this book gave them both something positive to focus on.

4.5 stars

This was a great debut novel from Nina Simon. It was an entertaining mystery at it's core, but it turned out to be so much more!

Lana is a powerful business woman living in LA. After a fall, she learns that she has cancer. She has to give up her high-powered life and move in with her daughter Beth and her granddaughter Jack, in a small bungalow in a secluded coastal town. Beth and her mother have always had a difficult relationship, so this makes for an interesting dynamic.

Lana is so bored and takes to looking out the window with binoculars and sees some strange activity. Then, independent teenager, Jack, discovers a dead body on one of her kayaking trips that she leads with her job at the small boat shop. Jack is quickly on the homicide detective's radar as a suspect. These strong women all band together to help solve the mystery and clear Jack's name. I loved watching all of these characters grow, heal and love each other. They are all strong women and have to really learn to put old differences in the past and work together to trust each other.

I really loved this story and was very excited to participate in an author chat with Nina. She was so kind and generous with sharing her own personal stories. I love the special connection to her Mother and how this story came about from her own experiences. Nina is such a dynamic person who has held many interesting jobs. I cannot wait to see what she brings us in the future!.

I want to give a big thank you to @ninaksimon , William Morrow, @NetGalley and Cindy from @thoughtsfromapage podcast for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Another great pick from Cindy and a wonderful author chat.

So I will say straight away, that the best me major issue I found this book is the cover. I don’t feel like it matches the tone of the book at all, and I almost passed this one up because the cover looked so boring. But, I’m so glad I didn’t, because this was such a delightful romp of a murder mystery!

A sleepy coastal town is rocked when the body of a local conservationist is found floating in the slough. And Jack, the teenage kayak guide who found him, quickly becomes the prime suspect. To clear her name, her grandma Lana commits to investigating and solving the murder herself, and her mom Beth grudgingly agrees to help. The amateur sleuthing trio encounters danger, red herrings and a whole cast of suspicious characters along their way to unmasking the true killer. I can honestly say I couldn’t figure out the ending until the very last minute! I loved the short chapters, made it easy to read in short little bites when I only had a few minutes. The middle 1/3 lagged just a little bit, but I was still engaged with the plot!

thank you to Net galley and Harper Collins for a copy of this ARC!

What happens when you merge Gilmore Girls with a murder mystery?

It was an absolute pleasure to read Nina Simon's MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT, a murder mystery in which three generations of women work together to solve a puzzling death.

There's Lana Rubicon, a real estate mogul who prefers high rises and martinis to the cancer treatment she's forced to endure. Then there's her daughter, Beth, who takes in her obstinate mother for the duration of her treatment. Beth's teenaged daughter, the young but independent Jack, rounds out the trio. When Jack finds a body while kayaking, and Lana herself has spotted a curious midnight incident while bedridden, the three women work through their differences to solve the case.

I'd call this a "cozy adjacent" murder mystery. Not quite a traditional cozy mystery, but it does have a cozy feel. Set in a small, coastal town, the story is as much a mystery as an exploration of female relationships. If you normally read women's fiction, you'd also enjoy this one. And if you love the mother-daughter dynamics of Gilmore Girls, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.

As for the mystery, it wasn't my favorite—I didn't find it particularly complex, or the reveal surprising. But I did enjoy the character growth, the non-mystery plot, and the setting in Northern California.

I was drawn to the premise of this book and absolutely love the backstory behind what inspired the author to write it. There is actually a mother, daughter, and a granddaughter involved in the story which could have been wonderful. However, I was expecting (and hoping for) a lighter, fun mystery. The book is well-written, but I was disappointed there was so much conflict between the characters instead of them all working as a team. However, I think the ending is great and closes the book on a positive note. I would rate the book 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from William Morrow and Scene of the Crime, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This was a great debut novel from Nina Simon! It involves a triple-generational murder-solving team (a teenage girl with her mom and grandma), and it’s a fun cozy mystery! I suspected just about everyone at some point, but didn’t actually figure out for sure who the murderer was. The book wasn’t as funny as I was expecting given the title and description (I was thinking along the lines of Finlay Donovan or Dial A for Aunties), and there were a LOT of terms relating to land control and terrain that I wasn’t super familiar with, but I definitely still enjoyed the book!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read before pub day on September 5th!

This was the story of a single parent and her daughter who are faced with several challenges. Beth and her daughter Jack live in a small apartment within a small town when they are faced with having to take care of Beth’s mom Lana due to her recent cancer diagnosis. Lana decides to move in with her daughter so she can be cared for.
Beth’s teenaged daughter Jack works at a Kayak rental/ tour company within her town. On one of her journeys with a group, she stumbles upon a startling discovery. Someone has been murdered. When the police get involved it becomes evident that Lana, and Jack need to try to solve a murder mystery in their hometown. Although Beth chooses to take a back seat to the investigation, she is still as supportive as she can be for the sake of her daughter.
There are many questions that need to be answered to get to the bottom of things. Nina Simon has seamlessly and logically constructed this novel to satisfy the reader’s curiosity. The novel is more than just a mystery. It is a combination of family and community drama that will keep you turning the pages.
If you enjoy learning about family secrets, and following the scandals that take place in a small tight knit community, then this book is a must read.

Beth is a single mom trying to raise her daughter Jack in a small town on the ocean, until her mother calls her to ask her for help. Lana, who has never even visited Beth, now needs to come live with her and Jack while she gets treatment for cancer. If this wasn't enough of a change, Jack also gets embroiled in a murder investigation when she finds a body while working. Lana, needing a distraction from her cancer and needing a purpose, decides to help Jack by investigating the murder. Mother, daughter, and granddaughter join together to solve the crime.
This story wasn't just about murder. It was about mothers and daughters learning to rewrite their relationships. It was about understanding the past and understanding each other. It was about learning to cope with the stress of disease and putting your differences aside for a common goal.
I really enjoyed this story. On one hand it was a good quick murder mystery, similar to Murder She Wrote. On the other hand, it was a story about love and forgiveness. If you like quick reads and powerful characters, this is the book for you.
Thanks to Netgalley, William Morrow Publishing, and the Scene of the Crime Early Reads for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

A hometown mystery that three generations of women strap in to solve!

I don’t know, honestly I think I’ve just read too many “grandparents solving mysteries” and I’m starting to judge them all against each other.

This one had a beautiful setting, some interesting elements to the solve, a few dramatic scenes, and of course, some emotional undertones as mothers and daughters start to understand each other better — but in the end, it just didn’t quite stand out to me. Perfectly fine read! I wouldn’t NOT recommend, it just wasn’t my favorite.

Thanks to William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley for my digital copy! Mother-Daughter Murder Night is available on Sep. 5.

3 outta 5 ⭐️

This is a very slow burn cozy mystery. It started off strong, but by the end I was ready for it to be over. This one just wasn’t for me.

I soft DNF'ed this book but there is nothing inherently wrong with it. It gave me the impression it would be cozy and similar to Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. I would definitely put it in a similar category and there were parts I enjoyed and was curious to find out what happened. I think I felt the set up was a little repetitive - you go do this with this person and find out this information... which is a logical template for this type of book I think it was just dragging a little for me. I am sure I'll pick it up again in the future and it will be satisfying!

4.25 stars. In this great debut, we find Beth and her daughter, Jack, living a quiet life together in California. Beth is a nurse and has provided a stable life for them both. High school aged Jack works a part-time job as a kayak tour guide, hoping to make enough money to convince her mom to let her buy a sailboat.

Their lives are disrupted when Beth’s real estate maven mother, Lana, comes to stay with them for awhile after experiencing a scary fall in LA. Lana has cancer, and while having treatment, the three of them navigate living together in Beth’s small home, working out past grievances, personality conflicts, and their alliance after Jack is suspected by the police to know something about a local murder.

I enjoyed this story as the pieces unfolded into an interesting murder mystery. The relationships between the three generations of women in this family were special, and watching Beth and Lana work through their fractured past was a special part of the story.

Thank you to William Morrow, Netgalley, and Cindy from Thoughts From A Page patreon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night is not your typical cozy murder mystery and that's not a bad thing.

Jack, Beth, and Lana are a trio of amazing women in their own unique way. I felt the actual "murder" part of the book took a back seat to the relationships between the three Rubicon women which I felt was the best part of the book. I did find it slow going in the beginning and had a hard time liking any of the women, other than Jack. Once I pushed through the first quarter of the book, the storyline developed and the relationships between the women became more interesting than the murder itself.

The location seemed beautiful, although the details of the land trusts were a little confusing and I did skim over those pieces pretty quickly.

When I read the author's notes at the end of the book which explained how this book came to be, I was even more smitten with the grandmother/mother/daughter relationship development. Am I glad I pushed through and finished this one? Yes Would I read a sequel? Most likely, because we all need to know what Lana is doing next!!

I like this version of a cozy mystery, it's meatier and more contemporary!

Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow publishing, and author Nina Simon for the advanced copy of this book.





T

MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by debut author Nina Simon follows three generations of feisty women who solve a local mystery with their amateur sleuthing. I enjoyed the antics of the grandmother and the way Simon touched on more tender topics such as caregiving, coming of age, and the relationship dynamics between family.

The author's personal connection to the story is quite special as she wrote this novel while caring for her ill mother. I enjoyed hearing from Nina in the @thoughtsfromapage early reads program prior to the book release. This one is perfect for fans of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers!

RATING:4/5
PUB DATE: September 5, 2023

Many thanks to William Morrow and Thoughts From a Page podcast for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mother Daughter Murder Night, Nina Simon's debut novel, was a fun read and a fabulous first novel! At the start of the book, a cancer diagnosis means Lana must move from her home, job, and comfortable lifestyle in LA to a coastal California town to live with her daughter, Beth, with whom she does not have a great relationship, and with her granddaughter, Jack. Soon after Lana's arrival, Jack, a teenager who works as a kayak tour leader, leads a group on a tour and ends up involved in the discovery of a dead man. As the police begin questioning Jack and her potential involvement, Lana begins her own investigation into the murder to figure out what the police are missing.

I loved that the book was more than just a mystery but also a family drama involving three generations of women - a grandmother, mother, and daughter. Jack was a well-written character, showing great maturity for a teenager, although not perfect in her decision-making, the kind of teen that is a joy to read about. But Lana was probably my favorite character - her strength while undergoing cancer treatments and the humor she brought to the story made the book even more enjoyable. I also appreciated Nin's descriptions of the slough - the landscape and the animals.
Mother Daughter Murder Night reminded me of other books I've enjoyed, like those by Jesse Sutanto or the Thursday Murder Club series. I look forward to seeing what else Nina writes!

Thank you to Thoughts from a Page Podcast/Patreon group and the publisher, William Morrow, for the advanced copy of this book!

Gilmore Girls meets Vera Wong

When Jack, the youngest of the Rubicon women, finds a dead body while leading a kayaking excursion, she becomes a prime murder suspect. In order to clear Jack’s name, her grandmother Lana trades cancer treatments for undercover ops as an amateur investigator. Beth, our Rubicon woman in the middle, will do all she can to keep the other two out of trouble.

Not quite a cozy mystery, this emotional whodunit is reminiscent of Gilmore Girls, but not in a cute and easy way. Instead, I felt something both familiar and refreshing in the complex intergenerational relationships between mothers and daughters that pivoted around a teenage pregnancy. These women love each other, but they don’t always like each other and rarely all agree.

This nuanced read kept me guessing, and it will be an especially enjoyable read for women thinking about their connection to the generations before or after them.

4/5 ⭐️

A huge thank you to William Morrow for the advanced copy! As always, opinions expressed here are 100% honest and my own.

Thanks so much to @thoughtsfromapage patreon group and@williammorrowbooks for not only the eARC of Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon, but also an amazing hour zoom call listening to Nina discuss her book. I loved hearing about her publishing story.

This was such a great whodunnit novel featuring a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter trio investigating a murder that pretty much happened right outside their window! These characters are well developed and different from each other, but work so well together. I don’t think I can pick a favorite? The setting of Monterey Bay adds much to the mystery and was a little armchair travel for this reader. This was suspenseful, thoughtful, tender and funny. That’s a lot to get in one debut (!) book and Nina does this beautifully. I just loved it so much. 5 stars.