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.

Is it a mystery? A satire? A scathing critique of wealth? I do t know, and unfortunately neither does the book itself.

Generally I think “Jack of all trades, master of none” is a pejorative fallacy, but it does apply aptly to some books like this one that seem to be trying to do too many things at once and thus accomplishing none of them. Have we seen books do all three of the aforementioned things before? Yes. Did this book showcase these things successfully? Sadly not.

Once you’ve got a murder and a detective as a major character, you’re almost always writing what is primarily a mystery. And indeed that’s what has happened here. Except it isn’t a particularly good mystery either in structure or solution, and the pacing is slow as molasses. The solve, too, is a dud, and all of this takes over the story.

There’s some decent humor and critique of how the titular other half lives and behaves, but the plodding pace and lack of sharpness make those things drone rather than hit hard enough to make much impact.

There a lot of books that focus on the same topics as this one that are far better. Read one of those instead.

The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell is a savagely funny farce, as well as a pretty good murder mystery.
Clemmie, a wealthy socialite and influencer, is found brutally murdered in a London park. When the police investigate, her ersatz friends and peers obfuscate and close ranks to protect their inner circle of privileged peers. Doggedly tenacious DI Caius and his sidekick, DS Matt, are undeterred as they wade through the murky world of English aristocracy searching for the truth.
The early chapters were slow as the reader is introduced to a number of generally unlikeable uber-rich spoiled young adults, almost caricatures of real people. Once the detectives take center stage, the story becomes much more entertaining, with the repartee between Caius and Matt especially pleasing. I like the author’s clever prose, e.g., at Clemmie’s gym there was “a juice bar selling spirulina and optimism.” All is not critical of the socialites, though, as the descriptions of their cold upbringing, boarding school abuses, and mean kids and faculty do engender some sympathy. The young women are described as working at dead end, high visibility jobs (such as art gallery aides) to get a husband of proper status and “pass on their Norman genes.” I particularly enjoy the many references to Greek classics, a side effect of the wealthy’s boarding school education.
The ending is suitably dramatic as the murderer is identified. But there is a cliffhanger that begs for another tale featuring the detective team of Caius and Matt.
I look forward to the next novel in this series!

I was super excited to read this comedic-like thriller, “The Other Half”, but something about the execution was slightly off. I just never felt like I was truly part of the mystery or able to discern the characters/suspects to be able to put forward an educated guess as to whodunnit. I found this book to be a bit confusing and it didn’t really grab me. Therefore, I have to rate it 3 stars ⭐️ as it was just fine. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

Charlotte Vassell crafted an excellent murder mystery that ended up coming together brilliantly by the very end. Overall, I disliked most of the characters but really loved DI Caius and his partner Matt, and I would definitely read another book that focuses on their investigations.

THE OTHER HALF
Charlotte Vassell

This is the first time I have picked up a book by Charlotte Vassell and it will not be my last.

Black-tie, photography is strictly prohibited, and BYOC…sounds like a party.

Are you going?

You are officially invited to Rupert's 30th birthday party. A private “Midsummer Nights” themed evening gathering in northern London. By the end of the night, someone will be dead. Detective Caius (cool name) (cool spelling) is on the case, and it will be solved in no time.

THE OTHER HALF is a uniquely luxurious way to pass the time. Even when it’s bad it’s good, and even when it’s good it's bad. I loved the modern details from the start. A swanky private party, a millennial detective, and a bookstagrammer/book reviewer as one of the main characters.

Even though I ended THE OTHER HALF with three stars I would read what Vassell writes next. I consider my reading experience to be a success and I think it would be fun to follow Caius in his next case.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, Vintage Anchor, and Anchor for the advanced copies!

THE OTHER HALF…⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book just didn’t do it for me. I thought the mystery and suspense were good but the characters and their stories were just too much. There was too much going on with the abuse, racism and such. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

I took a chance on this one, and it was not for me. I think people who generally read this genre may like it, but I don't fall into that category.