As we age it becomes increasingly unbelievable that the bizarre young people we read about are actually normal young people being culturally normal. For example, I recently met a federal employee with tunnel plug earrings in his ears and lavender nail polish on his fingers. Not my style but I found it amusing that I was startled.

Here we realize that the London Police force must also have young people in it. These young people are interested in the same things other young people are interested in - designer furniture, vegan food, and running regimens - and that their being young and from a different world does not interfere with their ability to solve crimes.

This book is about young coppers solving crimes involving their chronological contemporaries who happen to be filthy rich.

This book was enjoyable, but it was very England-specific which made it challenging for this American to read. It made me realize how many books I read set in England that are probably “Americanized” a bit. The way that references were used was challenging for this American reader (i.e. implying a certain context from shopping at Waitrose’s that I didn’t pick up on until Google told me that it was similar to Whole Foods.)

The pace was somewhat uneven. It was slow in the beginning but then felt like breakneck speed towards the end. There is a flashback right at the end that was incredibly confusing - it said it was five years ago but then referenced two things that had just happened in the present. It didn’t ruin the book for me, but it was distracting right at the end.

I liked Caius as a character and I will be open to checking out future installments in this series.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the ARC!

Rupert has his 30th birthday party at McDonald’s - you read that right, McDonald’s! He made it black-tie filled with champagne and cocaine. The morning after, his girlfriend Clemmie is found murdered. Who killed Clemmie?

This was a fun, satire-filled read, but I did find it predictable.

I really liked the beginning of this book and the lead investigator. The mystery was intriguing. However, the plot got a little too convoluted for me and the main character made some bizarre personal decisions on the latter half of the book. I did like the detective and would try another in this series again.

I must have missed the funny parts - I especially found Rupert to be insufferable; I couldn’t stand the way he treated anyone. There are many serious subjects touched upon in this book, I honestly am surprised that it is supposed to be humorous.

3 1/2 stars. This is a very solid debut book by this author. There were parts of it that I loved, and parts of it that made me shake my head. The character that I suppose would be considered the main female made some of the oddest decisions that I’ve come across in all of my years of reading. Overall, I enjoyed it. I don’t know that I would tell everyone I know to read it. I would give the author another chance though.

"The Other Half" impressed me with its witty satire on the British class system within a mystery. The dialogue flows naturally, portraying the younger, spoiled members of the upper class vividly.

While I adore a police procedural, there are certain times when I just wish they had a bit more levity and The Other Half hits that mark! Filled with a study of societal norms and the perfect dose of mystery, this introduction to DI Caius Beauchamp has me eager for more. The plotting and pacing were top notch and made me repeatedly confirm this was a debut novel. The storyline was complex and kept me fully engaged and I cannot wait to see where these characters and Charlotte Vassell go next.

The Other Half is a murder-mystery novel exploring the death of an influencer who is discovered the day after her boyfriend’s 30th birthday. Conveniently, everyone at the party has an Alibi in each other.

The author does a really good job of introducing these characters with extremely extravagant and dislikable personalities but writes them in a way that the reader continues to want to read from the perspective of these insanely rich characters.

I devoured this book and I can’t wait until the sequel is published, Charlotte Vassell is an incredible writer and I can't believe this is her debut novel!

After a slow start waiting for the murder and mystery I struggled to finish this story. Was it supposed to be funny, a satire, I could not tell. The premise was good but the story left me wondering why I read it. 1.5 stars as I liked the setting.

I had heard that The Other Half is a witty book satirizing the British class system, all set within a mystery. This was true, and I found much to like in this debut author's first effort!

First, what I liked. The writing is top notch. This book had so much dialogue between characters, and sometimes that can come across as clunky and stale. Not here. The dialogue flows naturally, is often extremely witty, and helps to paint a good picture of the main characters. I actually listened to the audiobook, which had several narrators. The voice of Nell, the main character, was especially charming, and she made the character's words her own. A clear picture was drawn about a certain facet of the British upper class, mainly, some of the younger, spoiled and entitled members. For me, it was like an entry to a world I know nothing about. In addition to the dialogue, the author has a nice turn of phrase and description, and I admired the polished result.

The one thing I wasn't totally sold on was the story line. Yes, someone was murdered, but the end result was not a great surprise, and the focus of the book didn't really seem to be on finding the murderer. It was a pretty simplistic murder plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and will definitely read the follow up when it is published. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Vintage Anchor for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book sounded good to me after reading the synopsis, but it ended up falling flat for me. I didn’t really care for the characters and I’m not sure which book genre it was trying to be. There are some funny parts, though.

This is a fun read when you go in a realize that you are allowed to laugh at the characters. Good book, it is okay to read a "predictable" book when it is entertaining along the way.

A very fun trip into the unhinged world of fancy upper-crust Brits behaving badly. The Other Half has a good amount of twists and manages to be a little unhinged and also stay within the realm of somewhat possible. The characters ranged from absolutely horrible to sympathetic but still grating in a way that really only works in thrillers and murder mysteries where you're really never quite sure who you should be rooting for.

A great plane or beach read, also great on audio.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read from Charlotte Vassell. It had London. It had rich, bratty millennials. Instagram influencers. Murder. A drug conspiracy. Plus, it was kind of funny at times.

Vassell's writing had me engaged from the get-go. She created a book full of fairly unlikeable characters - minus a couple you kind of fall for. She paints a dark picture of the class system in this clever and complex story.

Here's what happens: Rupert, who is super rich and from an important family (and also shares a surname with detective Caius Beauchamp, but of course pronounced differently), throws a black tie 30th birthday party at McDonald's. The party is catered with cocaine, obviously. The next morning his *girlfriend* Clemmie is found dead. I starred the word girlfriend because Rupert actually hates her and has been cheating on her this entire time...but she's also been cheating on him so there's that. Then you have Nell, who Rupert has been in love with for as long as he can remember, but Nell was never "suitable" for Rupert and his rich family. Alex, another member of this intricate friend group, is also in love with Nell. Nell on the other hand has no clue what or who she wants or what a dangerous game she's playing with Rupert.

Enter Detective Caius Beauchamp and his team. The investigation of Clemmie's death leads them down several paths. More intricate than they expected. A possible conspiracy theory or two. Can Caius figure out what's going on here before someone else dies?

Overall, I enjoyed this read very much. It was quick and witty.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited about this book, but it ended up just okay for me. It can be difficult for me to get into books with such a slow start; I think an audiobook would have made the read more enjoyable for me

I'd recommend this book for those who enjoy a laugh-out-loud mystery. Think the 2019 film "Murder Mystery," starring Jennifer Anniston and Adam Sandler.

I hadn’t heard much about this book before I started so I was pleasantly surprised! I think this was a solid police procedural and I’m excited it’s going to be a series. Well paced, interesting, and full of rich people behaving badly.

The Other Half, written by Charlotte Vassell, is a compelling novel that delves into the complexities of relationships and the human experience. Set in the backdrop of a bustling city, the story follows the intertwining lives of four individuals as they navigate love, loss, and self-discovery. Vassell's vivid storytelling and rich character development make The Other Half a captivating read that resonates with its readers. The novel's exploration of themes such as identity, connection, and resilience makes it a thought-provoking and emotionally charged literary work.

I loved the synopsis for this one, as you know I love a good 'rich folk behaving badly' story, however this was just ok for me. This one had a bit of an identity crisis in that it didn't know if it was a police procedural or a take on how bad the rich can behave and mixing up the two did not work here. I think had it stuck with one or the other this would have been much better, because as we know, the rich normally get away with things and do not get investigated like us normal folk do, which is why we love reading about them. I think that is the root cause of why this one did not work for me.

I did enjoy the audio version of this as an FYI. Thank you to Anchor and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

3.75 ⭐️
It took me a few chapters to get into the story. I initially had difficulty with the writing style and distinguishing the characters. The story didn't get going until halfway through, that's when I really got into it and started enjoying it. All in all, it was a decent mystery book.

When Clemmie is found murdered the morning after her boyfriend's 30th birthday, accusations fly. This mystery is a look at London's socialites through the lens of Detective Caius Beauchamp. I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell a bit flat for me. I didn't find a single character truly loveable. It was at times laugh-out-loud funny.