Clemmie, a well-known influencer is found dead, and of course we get a ton of speculation, could it be her sociopath of a boyfriend, who actually wanted nothing to do with her after a while, what about her friends?? Or lack thereof. This is a cozy murder, and even though we get some humor, and a ton of upper class socialites. OMG I never hated a more character than Rupert. All the other characters were awesome to read, and the mystery behind what happened to Clemmie was pretty obvious, but the book did drag a little.

Boy, do I love it when a murder mystery is done well! I can say for sure this one was a nothing short of brilliant and to say it is a debut novel, man you must be joking! It is a thrilling odyssey into the intricate labyrinth of love, identity, and the ever-elusive spark of originality in the world of contemporary fiction.

What really sets "The Other Half" apart from the sea of mundane murder mysteries is Vassell's remarkable ability to breathe life into her characters, making them fresh, enigmatic and original. From the storyline, to the plot twists, this book is a compelling read that keeps you hooked from the first page. I couldn’t recommend it more! I look forward to what else she has in store for us!

A funny, satirical murder mystery with a whole array of unlikeable, 'posh' characters.

We follow a group of friends who are part of the upper class social circle. Rupert is hosting his 30th birthday party in McDonald's with champagne and drugs - but at the same time, Ruperts girlfriend, Clemmie, has been murdered.

With detectives on the case, we discover the connections, the secrets and other interconnected murders in the area.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I highly enjoyed the British humour that's seen in this book, the names of the characters - Euphemia and Araminta (Minty) in particular - and the satire around the British upper class. The majority of the characters were extremely unlikeable, with lack of morality and conscience about their actions and decisions, especially Rupert - they're upper class individuals with high up connections, they won't get caught.

We see the walls put in place for the detectives who are close to solving the case - encountering pure entitlement from certain individuals within this social group.

There is a criminal element that was not solved within this book, unless there will be a second - I'd love to see what happens with that aspect of the plot. This book however, we encounter so many twists, turns and red herrings, while laughing at the humour within.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for this copy. This review is voluntary.

Thank you NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. Too many characters and it moved really slow. I had a very hard time staying invested in the story.

2.5 stars. This book was a near-DNF at least three times. I had to push myself to finish simply so I could gloat (to myself) that I correctly predicted the killer. This was the book that would not end featuring characters that I couldn't summon the energy to care about.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Charlotte Vassell for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

The Other Half is a mystery set in England, with a cast of peers and the rich, doing callous things. The story is told by both the police investigating the murder and the friends affected by her death.

Rupert throws himself a lavish birthday party, renting out a McDonalds restaurant and serving both champagne and Happy Meals. His girlfriend Clemmie never shows up, which is fine with him - he's planning on dumping her tomorrow. He'd much rather be with Nell, who decides that night she's going to give their mutual friend Alex a chance. But she's been in love with Rupert (at least somewhat) since their school days, so she can't decide whether to cut him loose entirely or not.

The next day, someone finds Clemmie dead in the park, dressed for the party.

Caius and Matt are assigned to investigate the murder. What they find is a mess of old school chums who have slept with each other, who have jobs because of their wealth and station, and who are not nearly as upset as they should be about the death of their friend. Was she killed because of jealousy by a friend, or because she was involved in something not quite kosher at work? The police find evidence that could lead both ways.

I found this book kind of tedious in its portrayal of the rich as uncaring, capricious people who would excuse bad behavior because the person is a peer. It's not that I don't think that some people are like this, but the author seems to have a vendetta against those with wealth. It was hard to care about any of the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

I was very disappointed in The Other Half. It had all the ingredients for success - jealousy, murder, the possibility of love - but it fell flat. I read to the end, hoping for something complete, intriguing, or interesting, but it didn’t happen.

Good read! Solid mystery with sprinkled with snark and wit. The characters practically leap off the page and the descriptions are perfect. I sincerely hope there will be more books with Caius and crew. The dialog was realistic and had good flow. It starts out a little odd, heading toward Rupert's party, but it pulls you in and keeps the pages turning. Enjoyable read. I look forward to more books by this author.
I was given a prepub copy of this book in return for my honest review, which I have provided. I would absolutely recommend this one to any and all who enjoy a mystery with memorable characters.

This whodunit features a group of young detectives investing a gruesome murder.

Lifestyles of the rich and famous collide when the girlfriend to a rich friend is killed in the local park after a lavish birthday party. This "player" gets all the ladies but craves one who doesn't want him yet she's out to find the who killed his girlfriend. Ok...

This book was reminiscent of the series You with its predictable plot and rich cast of characters. Why do women have to be the bane of male characters existence - Rupert pining / slutting his way through them was a bit over the top. The worst part the couple I was rooting for I have no idea if they finally do come together.

I needed some more information to truly like this book.

Thank you Vintage Anchor for the complimentary copy.

I enjoyed reading The Other Half, although it was a very slow resolving murder mystery. The main detective Cauis Beauchamp, was an interesting character, and it was clear that this is the start of a series based on him.

Besides detective Beauchamp all of the characters in this book were just horrible people. I think that made it harder for me to get through because there were no characters that I would ever want to interact with.

Through the course of the novel a woman turns up dead, in some public hedges, with her throat slit. She is a popular social media influencer. However, she is not thought of highly in her wealthy millennial circles.

Trigger warnings: language, sexual violence, cheating

Booksellers this book would be a good hand sell with book like The Nest.

This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to netgalley and Vintage Anchor for my review copy!

The Other Half is a mystery of mixed and not always intriguing characters who were, quite frankly, a bit challenging to keep track of. I especially liked Caius Beauchamp, the detective, and Matt and Amy, his sidekicks. The influencer Clemmie, the victim of a homicide, attempts to be part of the other half (upper crust British characters), and Rupert seems to well represent a wealthy, high society character with too many character flaws. Nell, whom he pretends to love and to whom he is sometimes genuinely attracted, was a bit confusing. And then there's the bogus charity tied to drugs that seems to pop up frequently tied to the characters.

I enjoyed the satire in the book, and I especially enjoyed the connections to Greek mythology. Perhaps the author simply attempted to develop too much--plot, characters, and social satire in one book.

Thanks to Faber and Faber and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I didn’t love this one unfortunately, felt just like the pacing could never find its footing no matter how long it went on!

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is the rare instance I wish a rating of zero stars was possible. I wanted to DNF this book probably 30 different times. Every time I picked it up to read some more, it got more and more monotonous to finish. The story was so dull, slow moving, with little to no action, one dimensional characters who to be perfectly honest, were ALL extremely unlikeable. I am sure that there are people out there who would enjoy this story, and all the Greek Mythology comparisons, but I was not one of those people. Considering it a small miracle I actually finished this one.

A very British murder mystery about an Uber rich group of friends from college, and follows them through adulthood. When Rupert’s girlfriend Clemmie doesn’t show up to his birthday party, it’s not long before her lifeless body is pulled from the bushes in the public park. The rest of the story reveals around DI Caius and Matt trying to solve the mystery of who murdered Clemmie.

After a posh London party celebrating Rupert's 30th birthday, his girlfriend Clemmie is found murdered. Detective Caius and his partner Matt are on the case to try and solve the brutal murder. I enjoyed the plot and pacing and the story told from the two POV's. There were some parts especially in the beginning that was too slow and dragged out but it did pick up. I did enjoy the police procedural part and the banter between them was funny and enjoyable. Overall I enjoyed the book. Thank you #NetGalley for my arc.

This book was just so okay? It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. Nothing particularly made it stand out to me.

It is very police procedural but there are so many different characters that I had a hard time tracking at first since I listened on audio.

I don't have too many negative things to say but I also have nothing positive to say.

Thank you to NetGalley and PRH Audio for a copy of this one!

TW: Rape, Racism

This novel is great fun to read; it reminds me of Clue(do) or a vintage Agatha Christie novel, but with modern sensibilities (i.e. more biting humor and saltier language). I love all the characters, especially the detectives, Caius and Matthew, and suspects/victims Nell, Clemmie, Rupert, Fay, et al. Unlike a Christie novel, the loose ends were not all tied up by the novel's conclusion, which some readers might find a bit frustrating. Perhaps the detectives will have further adventures in future stories--I will definitely read them, if so! This one immediately engaged my interest, and the pace of the story moved along well, with twists and gradual revelations revealing new aspects to the mystery and keeping the action flowing. A very entertaining read!

3.5 stars. A very clever and witty novel! The main character, Rupert Beauchamp, is not only titled and extremely wealthy, but he also is as manipulative and misogynistic as they come. On the night of his 30th birthday, Rupert hosts an extravaganza replete with much champagne and cocaine, but the next morning a body is found: that of Clemency (Clemmie) O’Hara, Rupert’s girlfriend. Who killed her and why is what Detective Caius Beauchamp is set on finding out, and thus the story unfolds.

This is a very decent crime novel in and of itself, but the author’s savage satire of the British class system throughout makes it even better — even though many of the characters are intensely unlikable. I did, though, find the ending a bit incomplete. All in all, this was an entertaining read.

London is the setting for Charlotte Vassell's hilarious parody of the British class system, The Other Half. Its cast of characters is truly despicable and repulsive. It features a suspenseful conclusion with numerous plot turns and red herrings.

This imaginative, humorous, and immensely pleasurable murder mystery explores themes of power, racism, and misogyny. The police team's brilliant case solving is matched with tasteful and lighthearted writing. The Other Half will probably be entertaining to a large number of people.

I would especially like to thank NetGalley, Charlotte Vassell, and Faber & Faber for the opportunity to read. This review is an honest evaluation from me.

This is the first book I have read from Charlotte Vassell.

I found it difficult to care about any of the characters, they seem so shallow. Yes, I know this was a satire. I just didn't care for it.

The mystery wasn’t bad but the characters are awful. I knew who did it but it took awhile to puzzle out the why?

I was given an advanced copy and these are my opinions.

This was a great read with complex, realistic contemporary characters and a plot that is both twisty and open. A great read for lovers of “who done its”. I want to read more from this author: always a good sign!