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.

I had a hard time with this book. I really didn't like any of the characters. I found the discourse between the characters so annoying. It was a struggle to finish the book. By the end, I really didn't care who did it.

The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell

You know how they live. This is how they die.

I couldn’t get into this story. A complex murder mystery that moved slowly along.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

A very slow burn murder mystery. The best part of this novel was the character Caius Beauchamp! I would love a series with him as the main lead.
Many characters at play and they are very un likable and a few I hoped to be guilty! I love menacing characters!
I wanted more at the ending as I feel there are a few loose ends.
3.5 overall.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Ugh, I hate all these characters. I mean, that's the point -- to create a cast of the most loathsome, pompous, hyperventilatingly egotistical society types as possible -- so in that way, it was very successful. But as an enjoyable story, it was not.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about this reminded me of A Clockwork Orange.

.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not going to lie, at the start of this novel I wasn't sure how far I was going to get into the story. The characters came off as pretentious and the dialogue too acerbic.

Thank goodness I kept reading!

There's so much going on in this debut novel. Its pages burst with commentary on the chaotic state of the world and observations of the twisted relationships we forge with each other. The characters are realistic, sometimes too much so. The mystery is tight, engaging, and perfectly plotted. The scenes are flush with imagery. The ending is a gut punch.

Still, I can see this being a polarizing novel. Some readers will be put off by the rampant pompousness of a few of the characters (Rupert, in particular) and cocky (and witty) academic barbs tossed around. The main characters aren't overly lovable or even likable. But they are, at their cores, understandable and, by the end of the book, I found myself endeared to many of them. Especially poor Nell.

The Other Half is a biting tale of the bitterness in life, regardless of your status in society. It's also a fabulous and entertaining mystery. Just be sure you have a bit of quiet space when you read it. This one is a thinker.

Many thanks for the ARC! Overall, this book was interesting to me, but this one took me a while to get into. It was so fun to see all of the character's backgrounds and to hear how it all twists together, but I didn't particularly love any of the MCs. The banter, conversations and the scenes are exciting and new to me, so I enjoyed this read.

I think that this book was interesting, I didn’t always love the tone the author wrote in, and I found it sometimes hard to get into the plotline. Overall, though the mystery was pretty good. I enjoyed learning about all the different suspects’ backgrounds. They live some very twisted lives. The author does do a good job tying everything together in the end. This book is another perfect example of you never really know what is going on in someone’s life unless you dig deeper. I am still trying to decide how I really feel about this book. I am not sure if I would recommend it quite yet. I think this is a book I need to sit on and decide how I truly feel about it.
Thank you to Vintage Anchor and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

Spoilers! Overall rating:3.5.
I liked The Other Half. It was full of charming characters and ones you can relate to in real life. Not in a sense of morbidly rich… that would be nice 🤣 but the guy you’re not supposed to love but you do and the good guy who loves you but you don’t love back but you know he’d be better for you. The vain parties and shallow friendships.
Nell was the most charming character. I loved imagining her outfits that were described in the book. I wish she’d ended up with Alex but who knows maybe there will be a sequel!
It was a murder mystery and romance story but didn’t feel like it was trying to do too much like other multi-faceted novels I’ve read. There were a few details that didn’t seem necessary but nothing that didn’t hold my interest! I would recommend this book to others. It would be a great book club read to guess who the murderer is!

I could not get into this book. For me it was a DNF but I will probably circle back at some point and complete the book then re do my review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publish Vintage Anchor for an advance copy of this new mystery that is both a satire of the British class system and a very good police procedural with a detective I would like to see more of.

One of my favorite writers has always been P. G. Wodehouse. No other writer could turn a phrase, or make a situation with aunts arranging marriages, or missing cow creamers so perfect, and endlessly re-readble. What Wodehouse was very good at was puncturing the ballon of social class the British accepted as normal. Most of his character were well off, with titles and an allergy to real work, even if the name was the currency with little cash to back it up. Most of the social betters who appear in his short stories are to but is like Monty Python twits. The Black Shorts was Wodehouse take on fascism among the gentry, and is treated like the joke it is. They marry without carrying, carry on like the world isn't on fire, either at war, Depression what have you. And constantly make trouble for all those around. The Other Half a mystery and look at the British social class by author Charlotte Vassell features even larger group of twits, old money families, social media influencers, people that even the inimitable Jeeves wouldn't bother getting out of trouble. Also one of them is a murderer, and high society is always quick to pooh-pooh any sins that make the rich uncomfortable.

Rupert has just turned 30 and to celebrate this milestone has decided that a party must be held, a large one, filled with well not friends per se, but people like him, wealthy and incurious. The drinks are many, as are the drugs, with the beautiful people having the greatest of times. No one notices that Clemmie, Rupert's sort-of-girlfriend, sort of dating others has disappeared. And is not seen until the next day when her body is discovered by Detective Caius Beauchamp who comes across her body while jogging. The investigation is barely begun when the powers that be try to sideline Caius and his team, as power runs downhill, and no one it seems wants to upset a powerful family.

A thriller that plays fair and is a well-written and also a damning indictment on the upper classes who have made Britain the country that it is today. One expects on story or the other, but not both an Vassell has done a very good job in balancing everything and making the story work, as well as the barbs. What helps immensely are the characters who are all well written especially Caius who is going through lot and cares very little about who he upsets, though he knows that this could effect him in many ways. The book is mean, funny, annoying and also makes one wish for a whole lot more murdering of people, as these twits really grate on readers. A very successful debut for a character I would like to see more of.

I struggled reading this. In fact, I started and stopped four times. Sorry, but I guess it wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Anchor Books for an e-ARC of The Other Half, available everywhere in November 2023.

When you're wealthy, you can get away with saying or doing anything. Nobody questions your eccentricities, even when you decide to host a black-tie dinner for your 30th birthday at McDonald's. From the overflowing amounts of champagne and cocaine to swimming in everyone's adoration, things couldn't be going better for Rupert at his party. Nearly everyone important in his life is there to celebrate him. Everyone but Clemmie, his long-term girlfriend. Since he's planning on breaking up with her the following morning, he's not concerned about her absence. In fact, it's not until he's being investigated for her murder that he grows concerned at all. Could it be an act? Could he really have gone too far this time? Or could the murderer be her boss, the married gallery owner she was having an affair with? Is it Nell, the woman who's captured Rupert's heart? In a story filled with so many unlikable characters, who isn't a suspect?

I almost shelved the novel. In addition to getting off to a slow start, I was bored by the romantic relationships. We spent too much time on 1) Rupert's annoyance with two of his friends becoming involved, 2) DI Beauchamp's pining over his ex, and finally, what is up with everyone's obsession with Nell? However, once I got to Clemmie's murder, the novel picked up speed. The writing was sharp, almost to the point of scathing. Some might find the British terminology (and sometimes gratuitous!) off-putting but once I got used to it, I thought it was a great way to show how the "other half" are so different from the rest of us. The back and forth banter between DI Beauchamp and his squad was a nice break from some of the heavier aspects of the novel. I wish the author did more to tie up the loose ends in the novel. Because of the hanging threads, it felt like we had an unresolved ending.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I struggled to even finish it. The characters are unlikable, so I would have been okay if any or all of them were guilty. Extremely slow moving plot.