Rupert's 30th birthday party is a black-tie dinner at the Kentish Town McDonald's—catered with cocaine and expensive champagne. The morning after, his girlfriend Clemmie is found murdered on Hampstead Heath, a single stiletto heel jutting from under a bush.

This is quite a good debut novel from Charlotte Vassell.

Friendships and love can be tricky things, then throw in some highly self absorbed and obnoxious characters and you have the makings of a very good book. A great plot that took me in and the book was read in an afternoon. The character development is excellent, I could not have disliked Rupert more if I tried and I found a lot of depth in Clemmie's that both contributed to growing the story. The other supporting characters such as Nell were also well portrayed. There are different themes in the book that focus on class, gender and the lasting side of friendships that span years back. Also loyalty, integrity and other wonderful human traits have flown out the window. If you are looking to pass a few spare hours I would highly recommend the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

I had hoped to like this book because of the cover and the blurb. The setting sounded interesting. But the writing style doesn't appeal to me. I don't care about the characters and don't feel drawn into the story.. Sorry, but I am a DNF for this book.

Such a fresh change from the regular Thrillers I have been reading. This book takes us into the world of influencers, the upper crust in England, and the differences and issues for individuals not from that world, or people of color in relation to that subsection. The story follows a young woman who is murdered, is an influencer, and is dating a very rich, posh, man. The descriptions were wonderful but the story itself was what kept me interested in the book. There were various different storylines that all worked together to make a fun and quick read. I highly recommend this book if you want something different, but still enjoy a good thriller!

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who killed Clemmie? Was it her boyfriend? Her godmother? The gallery owner with whom she’s been having an affair. Or maybe it was something else. There are so many suspects.

Detective Caius isn’t sure who the main suspect is, and so many of them have alibis. He’s the one who found Clemmie’s body, literally tripping over her on his morning run. With so many high profile suspects, he must wade through the facts, and put this case together delicately before the case is wrenched from his hands.

I struggled with so much of the book being written in conversational tone. This made for a lot of quotation marks, and it really made the book read choppy to me. Definitely not my preferred way to read a story. This book is split genre. Half is police procedural, and the other is the story of the privileged rich. I found almost all of the characters to be very unlikable. What kept me going and reading was the mystery, the strong whodunit. The mystery was fun and complex, and held my interest. The satirical nature of this book was also enjoyable, and I enjoyed the humor. I appreciated how everything came together in the end and things were wrapped up nicely.

I would recommend this one to those looking for an entertaining British whodunit.

Thank you so much to Vintage Anchor and Netgalley, @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: November 21, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. At times a murder mystery, a police procedural, and an immersion into dramatic English academia - it had a little bit of everything.

Think Agatha Christie but bougie millennials. DI Cauis Beauchamp has come across quite the case. While out running, he finds a young woman murdered. As Beauchamp and his partner take on the case, they soon realize a stonewall will make it hard to solve. Life is so much easier for wealthy aristocrats and social media influencers. Who's willing to cover their tracks to tuck this murder neatly under the antique rug?

This had such potential in the beginning. I love a book about rich people behaving badly. It follows a loose police procedural with the splash of wealth. However, about 60% in, it slowed down and through in some plot lines that I didn't find necessary. It didn't add or take away anything. Characters, fantastic. I loved some and despised others. The plot felt a little drawn out, and lagging in spots. It's worth the read if you don't mind the added "stuff".

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This was an interesting read. The difference in views between the really rich characters and the middle class characters were believable and well -developed. I enjoyed the plot line.

i'm not sure whether or not it was intentional that the two different storylines in this book felt so far removed from each other, due to the differences in class depicted, but i thought it was very cleverly constructed regardless. i really was rooting for the main female character 'nell,' even though her decisions surrounding the men in her social circle were so frustrating sometimes. during the middle section i did think it dragged on a little bit, and how complex the mystery element quickly became was a little hard to follow, but overall i thought it to be a very witty commentary.

thank you to netgalley and vintage anchor for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found it difficult to read. The characters are very unlikable. I was hoping the murder mystery would draw me in, but it sadly failed to do so.

This story failed to draw me in. The characters were annoying to me. I just couldn’t get into it. Perhaps someone who enjoys irritating characters would enjoy this!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I love a good whodunnit novel and this one does not disappoint. This is set in London in the modern day .
Even though its modern day, the priviledged and money are still alive.

This whodunit has a clever detective named Caius and has help from Matt and Amy.

I have a feeling this team will be back with more murders to solve.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars for me on this one..Loved the premise on this one. High Society influencer Clemmie is found dead by Caius Beauchamp as he’s jogging. Whodunnit? Her long time boyfriend Rupert Beauchamp (pronounced differently), rich, upperclass jerk who gets away with everything, or any one of her friends at his birthday party at the posh McDonald’s usually reserved for children’s parties?
The characters are interesting. Really liked Caius, Matt and Amy and their banter. Rupert is an ass that of course all the girls like, because who doesn’t like a bad boy, right?! Not me!
Felt like the ending was a bit disjointed and maybe a bit rushed so thus the drop in rating. I would definitely pick up another book by Vassell.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this eARC. I am leaving an honest review

Thank you to Vintage Anchor Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of THE OTHER HALF by Charlotte Vassell.

Synopsis:

Rupert is hosting his 30th birthday at McDonald's in Kentish Town, England. His girlfriend, Clemmy, is never shows up. Rupert was planning to break up with Clemmy the day after his birthday.

Instead, a young police detective stumbles on a dead body and further investigations finds the name of the victim - Clemmy. Clemmy has a big presence on Social Media. Rupert and Clemmy are part of the wealthy trust fund young adult children who also dabble in party drugs like Cocaine.

The references to Harry Potter and other new pop culture information was More interesting to me than the characters. Loved the descriptions of the locations, the scenery, and the backgrounds.

The title was perfect - THE OTHER HALF. The Other Half refers to the upper class with money. Have you ever wondered about the other halves' lives?

There is no happy ending in this novel. Sorry to say that I was Not Satisfied with the ending. I am not sure if there is supposed to be a sequel.

While I have seen others' rave about boow wonderful this novel is, it was not my cup of tea. IMHO, I do not think this was like Agatha Christie, unless you multiply the number of the rakes from Agatha Christie for the characters in this novel.

Content Warning: Drug Use, Rape, Emotional Abuse

The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell is a smart, witty, and fast-paced novel. This thoroughly enjoyable book offers a twisty satire that captivates readers from start to finish.

The Other Half had so many unlikable characters and dialogue that left me cold that I could not appreciate its finer points.. The murder mystery itself did not interest me. I am glad that others found the novel more likable than I did.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

While The Other Half was a slower read for me, it was enjoyable. Mysteries are a fun genre, and one of my top favorites. This one fit the bill on so many levels. I really enjoyed the characters and have a love/hate feel for a few of them LOL

The story flows well and is a good mix of police procedure and character stories. I was actually surprised by the whodunnit as well and that rarely happens. Definitely recommend this one for mystery fans.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This took me a little while to get into but it ended up being kind of fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously but I wouldn’t really call it cozy either. It has a playfulness to it without being cheesy.

It kind of leaves off like there might be more to it, on the detective side of thing. Even though it took me a bit to connect to the characters, I would continuing reading more of their cases.

⭐️⭐️💫

A nice, cozy English mystery about the murder of a young woman. With the English detectives on the case, they need to find the answer as it grows increasingly larger and enveloped in some upper class circles.

“The Other Half” is an easy read and is a good choice for mystery fans.

Themes: 🔪🇬🇧🤑⏲️🕵🏻‍♂️

My thoughts: 🙂🥸🤓

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#theotherhalf

It’s not quite “the other half” — it’s a probably teensy percentage of modern millennials of London with too much time and money. Everyone has an obnoxious nickname for each other and everyone is disdainful of each other’s wealth, success and education. This is a mystery/comedy/parody of the British class system and you need to be up on your luxury brand names, trendy diets, Michelin menus, and cosmetology sessions. This specialized group uses references to Classic literature, British public school insults, and much London slang — a lot of Googling for even an educated American, which sometimes makes the book a chore to get through. As a character mentions, “everyone” is enslaved to creating unique lifestyle content to impress each other.

Thank goodness for DI Caius Beauchamp, he of a shared upper class surname with a bratty character and suspect, but really a mild mannered policeman unlucky enough to have literally fallen over the dead body (and girlfriend of the bratty Beauchamp who insists he’s a “Beecham,” ignore the spelling). Recently dumped, Caius is also on a self-improvement mission to win back his girlfriend, and he’s sensitive to the trappings of wealth and class while interviewing the social circle of the deceased, Clemmie. Caius is a terribly sweet guy, a “conflict-avoider,” who congratulates himself for remembering to bring his reusable cup for a mediocre cappuccino. But he is also a sharp detective teamed with equally intelligent partners, DS Matt Yeung, and DC Amy Noakes. The plot has a few twists and the suspect pool keeps changing, but this reads like a police procedural. Clues are analyzed, theories are tested, suspects get interviewed, and the villains might not get the justice they deserve. All in all, although very heavy on the skewering of the British aristocracy, it’s an enjoyable mystery. Caius, Matt and Amy would do well in a sequel. 4 stars!

And the hippos probably do need some assistance.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Nell uas green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But we do have Araminta, aka Minty, propagator of gladioli, who looks like a gladiolus. And, if you are a gardener, you’ll know in advance that the poison used to kill poor Clemmie could have lurked in an English garden.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was an unexpected delight. I went into it fully thinking I would read a satirical take on the obscenely rich, old-money type of crowd, and I wasn't wrong. There were definitely moments of that. But this book ended up being so much more, too. I cared about a lot of the characters, obviously Nell and Alex, and I absolutely despised Rupert, as I'm sure most people would. I didn't expect this to be a police procedural type of read, but there was a lot of POV from the detective, Caius, as well as his partners Matt and Amy. I really loved their dynamic, and their relationship overall - Amy wasn't afraid to call out Caius for being misogynistic, for example, and he and Matt were both whip-smart and respected the work of the others on their team.

The plot turned out to be much bigger than a simple murder mystery (if a murder mystery can ever be called simple). Because of that, there are some loose ends, but nothing that leaves the book feeling unsatisfying or unfinished. In fact, I feel like it set things up nicely for a sequel, should Vassell decide to give us more of Caius, Matt, and Amy's work. I'd also really love to see more on Nell and Alex, and of course for Rupert to truly get his at some point.

All-in-all, this was a great debut novel and I'm eager to see what else the author writes in the future.