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!

Here we have wealthy, bored 30-somethings who attend a black-tie birthday dinner at the Kentish Town McDonald’s for Rupert, a sociopathic spoiled aristocrat…cocaine, champagne and chicken nuggets on the menu.

Clemmie, Rupert’s decade-long influencer girlfriend, is found murdered in Hampstead Heath the following day. DI Caius Beauchamp, who is struggling to get over a heartbreak and working to improve his diet, his literary knowledge, etc., finds the body and takes over the case. As he investigates the affluent party-goers and Clemmie’s background, he uncovers other sordid criminal activity (not just murder).

This was a hoot of a satire poking fun at the British class system with a long list of unlikable characters, uppermost Rupert, who is a manipulative, unrepentant jerk of the first order. The denouement is a bit over-the-top and ridiculous, but other than that, I enjoyed this as a funny, escapist lark.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for providing the free early arc of The Other Half for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

CW: mentions/depictions of rape, drug use, mild gore, some others

Read as an ARC via NetGalley. Book publishes November 21, 2023.

I don’t really know what I think of this book, but I know I didn’t like it. By which I mean, the book did exactly what it set out to do. I think.

There’s a dead girl in the bushes, and someone hated her enough to kill her twice. Was it her horrible boyfriend? The man she was cheating on him with? Or was it someone else entirely? Detective Caius Beauchamp is determined to find out.

Our character list is split fairly down the middle. On the one hand, we have the detective and his partners. The normal, everyday type of people like you or I (I assume). On the other, we have the victim and the suspects and all of their various acquaintances. Quite literally “the other half;” those people so incredibly wealthy that they seem to live in their own little world.

The story itself is also split; we follow the detective’s case as he tries to determine who killed the victim, and we follow the people who actually knew her. We specifically focus mainly on Nell, an old school friend and probably the most likable of the other half’s cast.

To be honest, the first 40% of the book didn’t hold much draw for me. A lot of it was scene setting, character meeting, groundwork building type stuff. This isn’t always a bad thing, but unfortunately it just didn’t start things off well for me. It was a slow build up that was full of somewhat unlikable characters going about their days. The detective’s side of the story was engaging, but we don’t see as much of it until the halfway point. Again, I’m fairly certain this discrepancy is intentional (a sartorial view of the absurd differences between the working and upper classes), but it didn’t do the story any favors.

Overall, the book is really well written. It’s clear who you’re supposed to like and resonate with, and it’s definitely got some moments that made me chuckle (I’m pretty sure there would have been more, but a lot of the slang went over my head). Unfortunately, the ‘who’ becomes guessable fairly early on (though the why and how does take longer to resolve), and the social commentary overshadows the plot in a story that lacks a satisfactory resolution. That being said, if you like stories that are heavily focused the absurdity of society, or if you favor character-driven books, you might really enjoy this one. It’s just not my cup of tea.

The Other Half appealed to me as I enjoy a good murder mystery as well as a satirical take on elitism. When a rich group of 20-something’s have a birthday party at McDonalds, one of them turns up dead. The story is evenly distributed between the detectives solving the case and the friends of the deceased. It’s quirky and filled with many British references that, had I been familiar with, would have made the read smoother for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the ARC!

I struggled with this book from the very beginning and I just could not get into it. This is a DNF for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters and just wasn’t for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release.

Detective Caius Beauchamp has been a self-improvement kick since his girlfriend left him. He's taken up healthy eating and jogging. However, a morning jog before he takes off to Paris to try to convince his girlfriend to come back is interrupted by the discovery of a corpse.

As he and his Detective Sergeant try to discover who the dead young woman is, we are introduced to more characters from her social set. They are the wealthy and connected, well educated at Oxford where they studied Classics, and who are now trying to find themselves as they are nearing thirty.

Nell Waddingham has a Classics degree from Oxford and is working for a niche publisher in London. She also dealing with relationships. She's recently broken up with Caspar and has a long-term crush on Rupert Beauchamp. Meanwhile, Alex has had a long-term crush on Nell and is jealous of Rupert's hold on Nell. And Rupert is the modern equivalent of a Regency Rake with a new girl every minute including the murder victim Clemmie who was determined to convince Rupert to marry her.

Nell and Alex are reluctant to attend Rupert's 30th birthday celebration. Not only is it being held as a black-tie affair at a local McDonalds, but Nell is trying to stay away from Rupert who is suddenly pursuing her relentlessly. They arrive late and leave early going off to spend the night together.

As Caius learns who Clemmie is and digs into the twisted relationships among the uber rich he finds himself discovering a drug ring and an antiquities smuggling operation. And he finds himself sidelined when other law enforcement agencies take over his case. But he can't let it go since he's afraid that the participants are going to use their wealth and privilege to slither out from under their crimes.

I had a hard time getting into this story at the beginning because it was so filled with British slang and pop cultural references that I didn't know. Once I got into the rhythm of the writing the story worked for me. While I'm still sad about all those young people with no purpose other than self-indulgence, I came to like some of them.

Not my favorite I was just expecting more and it fell flat I felt it wasn’t interesting and plot all over the place was almost DNF for me .
Thanks for letting me review the to Netgalley and publisher

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a debut novel and I never would have thought that. The writing is crisp, funny, a bit ironic, and well plotted. Rupert Beauchamp (Beecham to you) has his 30th birthday party in McDonald’s, to show that he can. It is a black tie affair after all. However, the next morning, Rupert’s long time, and long suffering, girlfriend is found dead in the shrubs of Hempstead Heath. Whodunnit? Our detective, Caius Beauchamp (Bochamp to you) works hard to solve the case while lamenting the breakup of his own relationship with the irritating and lovely Heloise. Amy and Matt round out Caius’ team and they are great. I hope Vassell writes a sequel, but even if she doesn’t, I’ll be sure to read her next book. This would be fun for a not-so-serious book club. Read this and thank me later!

(4.25 ⭐️) I really enjoyed this! Would definitely call this more of a slowburn mystery than a thriller, but I enjoyed that more character-centric storytelling a lot. This follows a group of characters that are either absurdly rich and high-class or trying to blend in with that subset, so this was written in purposefully pretentious and asinine language, which I found really fun. The standout to me was definitely Nell, a character who was constantly in turmoil but also in denial. I thought the treatment of her trauma was handled quite well and realistically, which absolutely broke my heart. My main qualm with the story was definitely the ending. I didn't think it was objectively bad--I understood what the author was trying to do--but I wish there was a bit more answers and satisfaction. Despite that, I still really connected with this story and would love to see what this author puts out next!

***I received a review copy from Vintage & Anchor and Netgalley for free and am leaving an honest review***

This was one of the most tedious books I’ve ever read. The only reason this was not a DNF was that there were rare, sparklingly witty one-liners that gave me false hope that the book would improve.

If you think of all the stereotypes you know of the British upper class - white, titled, entitled, Oxford educated - and you have most of the characters. With names like Araminta, Mungo, Clemency & Rupert, everyone is exactly how you’d expect them to be. I just couldn’t like any of these people & struggled to care about finding out who the killer was.

The banter between the police was good but it wasn’t enough to save it for me. My favourite character was Rupert’s grandfather - he’s only on a few pages but his takedown of Rupert was magnificent. It’s a pity that everything else couldn’t come close to meeting this gem.

Thank you Anchor for an advance copy for review!

The Other Half follows Detective Caius Beauchamp as he investigates the murder of Clemmie, a member of the upper class in London. As he investigates, he digs deeper into the world of the other half, and the sometimes unbelievable things that the rich and titled can get away with. But, the deeper he gets into his investigation, the more intricate the mystery gets, until it’s no longer just about the death of a young woman.

When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be for me. The prose felt a bit too high level (I like my first person romance novels, sue me), and while I at one point in my life really loved an intellectual read, I felt like my brain might not be able to comprehend this one. However, as I got further into the book, I realized that the prose really worked well for the story, and the underlying message related to classism in England. As someone who is in fact American, this isn’t something I’ve spent a lot of time researching, or have a lot of experience with (goddess knows we have our own problems over on this side of the pond), but I think I can say I did like how it was threaded throughout the story. Additionally, the mystery itself and the intertwining relationships become so intriguing I got past the prose that maybe didn’t sit right with me at first.

I think Vassell did an excellent job interweaving the relationships in the books and the characters, and there were definitely moments where I went “WOAH I didn’t see that coming…”, and I genuinely think that is a top indicator of a wonderfully written mystery. I think I also found myself kind of attached to some of the characters, wanting things to work out well for them.

I don’t love how it left off on a bit of an unsatisfying note, I wanted a bit more closure with some of the characters, but I think that there will be more in this world with Detective Beauchamp, and I can only hope that we’ll revisit the things that happen in this book as well. Also, it’s probably a really good parallel to the classism issues this book explores as well (I can’t say more without possibly spoiling).

Overall this was a solid 4 star read, and I look forward to reading more from Charlotte.

This one let me down a little bit - I was expecting more but since i have read quite a lot of mysteries and thrillers by now, this one felt a bit short. It was just average for me.

Let's be real. This one confused the ever-living FUCK out of me.
What was I even reading. I am really thankful to the publisher, audio, and hosting platform for letting me attempt this one, but it just wasn't for me.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review on my blog. I found it absurd to the point of being painful to read. The premise was fine but the execution was poor. Thank you for the opportunity.

This literary-minded mystery was a refreshing change of pace and a fun but thought-provoking read. It begins by following two mostly-disconnected characters. Nell is a young editor trying to avoid attending the loathsome Rupert's birthday party; she wants to end the friendship, but is continually drawn in by Rupert's wealth and purported love for her. Detective Caius Beauchamp, recently dumped and feeling inadequate, is out for an improving jog and discovers the corpse of a woman who turns out to be Rupert's girlfriend. Nell and Caius's stories involve the same characters but only occasionally intersect, and the book is just as interested in mocking the internet bourgeoisie, skewering the upper class, and exploring the personal lives and philosophies of its characters as it is in solving the mystery.

This book will not be for everyone: the mystery thread bifurcates, and its more interesting branch is never solved; hardcore mystery loves may find it too frustrating. But as a satirical exploration of race and class, a deliberately-paced and entertaining read, it was delightful.

Rupert Achilles de Courcy Beauchamp has the good fortune to be born into obscene wealth and to be incredibly good looking as well. Because of this, he believes everything in the world is his for the taking with no repercussions. That is why he finds himself in something of a mess as his 30th birthday party gets underway, with several females who have had relationships (one way or another) with Rupert invited. He decides to hold his birthday party in the upper dining room of a London McDonald's restaurant, finding it beyond hilarious to have his rich friends turn up in black tie and evening gowns. He becomes upset when Clemmie, his girlfriend of many years, doesn't turn up. He tells everyone that if she doesn't show up, he's going to end their relationship. It turns out that Clemmie has a very good reason for not showing up when her body is discovered the next day by a police officer who is out for a jog. The officer, Caius Beauchamp (no relation to Rupert), then begins the process of trying to find out how Clemmie, an Instagram model and influencer, met her death. The case takes a lot of strange directions, involving drug rings, art thefts, MI6 investigations, and cover-ups.

The characters are all a bit odd and unsympathetic (well, mostly the spoiled rich brats, not necessarily the cops). All of the women seem to be infatuated with Rupert, and ALL of the men are instantly madly smitten with Nell, a college friend and sometime girlfriend of Rupert. The banter among the characters is very annoying and at times hard to follow. I'm still not sure at the end how everything was connected (particularly a second death, which never seemed to be completely fleshed out or resolved). Everyone has complicated, messy romantic entanglements and the whole thing left me feeling somewhat depressed. I generally give a huge bonus to any book set in London, but even that goodwill quickly evaporated.