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!

I saw where other folks loved this book. However, that wasn't the case for me. It was exciting in the beginning but I quickly lost interest. It was too similar to other books in this genre and didn't build any suspense or keep me guessing like I had hoped.

The beginning of the book is a little ... mystery. A birthday party in a McDonalds for an upper class, snobbish male. The cast of characters ranges from classmates to gallery sophisticates to the local police. The entitled birthday boy, Rupert, is well written and thoroughly disgusting. There are several swirling plots but the central one is the murder of Clemmie. There are multiple suspects, all of whom have credible stories. It's not until the end that the murder is solved, and the culprit is one whom you'd least expect. The Other Half will want you to keep reading to find out whodunit.

When an instagram influencer is found murdered, it throws London society on its head. Not only is the deceased a famous influencer, but she was also the long-time girlfriend of a (soon to be) titled aristocrat. DS Caius Beauchamp has his work cut out for him in narrowing down these well connected suspects.

The Other Half is at its heart a social commentary. I see what it did--in a sense. While I acknowledge that I might by the book's typical or intended audience, I still feel parts fell a little flat. Maybe I don't understand all the nuances of posh London culture, but I certainly understand classism and racism. Parts were too subtle and other weren't subtle enough.

I was really looking forward to this read since I hadn’t read mystery / thriller in a long time. Unfortunately The Other Half fell flat for me. I never felt connected to any of the characters and felt the ending was extremely rushed. I enjoyed the dual POV being a woman close to the case and the detective, but that was about the only big sell for me.

I found this book to be very chaotic and not well-written. There were holes in each chapter that made the plot very disjointed. It was as if an editor came through and crossed out entire swaths of of content leaving the reader with a feeling of "what am I missing"? I didn't understand the relationship between Rupert and Nelle and I didn't really feel any connection with any of the characters.

“The Other Half” by Charlotte Vassell
Good Story – Know your Friends
At times I would have loved having a glossary of Brit-English to Amer-English translations.. I like to think that I managed to correctly translate the essential words. That said, it was a long read, for me, as I could only handle so many translations before I required a break. But it is a good story with lots of twists and turns so you are never quite sure what is coming next. I wonder if Caius, Matt, & Amy will team up for another case? (I rather hope so!) Time will tell. Happy Reading ! !
Note: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley

Such, such a great book! It was like Desperate Housewives mixed with Gossip Girl mixed with Law & Order. I couldn’t put it. I’ve read nearly 50 books this year and this one is in the top 3 easily. Can’t recommend it enough!

I received a digital advance copy of The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell via NetGalley. The Other Half is scheduled for release on November 21, 2023.

The Other Half is a murder mystery set among a group of high-class Brits. The group is centered on Rupert, a man bold enough to host a black-tie 30th birthday party in a McDonald’s. Rupert’s girlfriend is found dead the following morning, leaving all the party guests as suspects. Caius is the detective on the case, working through the alibis and lies to find out who killed the woman.

Caius was definitely the strongest character here, carrying a backstory and issues into the case that make him interesting to watch as he searches for the killer. Around him, the suspects were generally less interesting, falling more into types than feeling like fully formed individuals.

As Caius works through the mystery, the overall storyline worked for me. I had questions throughout, and felt that most of the threads tied together in the end. Around the seventy percent mark, however, the story felt a bit draggy, then picked up with Caius making rapid discoveries and connecting dots. In this section, I didn’t always follow his leaps, sometimes because I had lost track of a character in what was a relatively large cast.

Overall, The Other Half was a fun murder mystery contrasting a well-to-do group of suspects with a working class detective. I would definitely read other mysteries from Vassell.

A quirky murder mystery full of completely unlikeable characters! Unlikeable due to the fact that they are all upper class rich people, with the book emphasizing just how significantly unattractive some of these characteristics are. It took me a while to get used to the writing style of this book, but I enjoyed the mystery aspect of it, however quirky it was. Also, the cover is SO good!

thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Satirical commentary on the British “Other Half.” This is not really a thriller/murder mystery if that’s your cup of tea. It’s very witty and comical with lots of character building. A fun read if you don’t come in expecting a traditional murder mystery.

I think it was a fun read over all.

A murdered socialite is found in a local park, and the race is on to find out who killed her and why. Her closest friends are generally a bunch of spoiled rich kids, so detectives have their hands full trying to pin down all their stories, connections, and secrets.

Alright so I'm seeing mixed reviews for this one but I gotta say, I enjoyed it! There is a ton of witty commentary and banter throughout the book, which is right up my alley. The tone of the writing is not dark or serious, it's light and satirical and pretty fantastic. If you go into The Other Half expecting a standard thriller, you may not enjoy the ride. But I personally found it really entertaining and the end was satisfying.

Thank you to Charlotte Vassell, Anchor Books, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy!