A fun, funny start to a new series. Alice and her boyfriend Joe have just moved from London to the countryside during the final stage of her pregnancy. As they try to fit in and make new friends, a local apothecary is killed during an antenatal class where one of the participants unexpectedly gives birth. With time on her hands waiting for her baby to arrive, and a willingness to stick her nose in, Alice and her new friends team up to figure out whodunnit. No cozy series would be complete without non-human sidekicks, and Alice's dog Helen is a sniffing, rolling, vomiting delight.

This was a cute cozy mystery full of crazy coincidences and hi-jinx that most of us would not find ourselves in but it made it all the more fun!

I did think there were a lot of fun twists and turns and although I guessed the big ending pretty early on, I still loved the journey. Following the pregnancy group through not only murder but giving birth and having their lives change in that way was such an intriguing premise and a great storyline overall. I can’t wait to read Dead Tired!

This is a fun concept for readers to follow. It was not entirely for me (a childless millennial who has not nor will be pregnant) however, it fit the cozy mystery vibes extremely well, and brought some humor to parenthood and the challenges of moving to a small town with secrets.

I was excited to read this cozy mystery but was overall disappointed. The story took a looooong time to progress and get to the actual plot. I found the dialogue between these women felt off and awkward to the point that I only kept reading because I wanted to solve the murder. I think I'll probably pass on the sequel unless I hear amazing things about it.

[arc review]
Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Expectant Detectives releases January 9, 2024

At the tail end of her pregnancy, Alice decides to move to the countryside with her boyfriend and dog.
During their second pregnancy course session in as many days as they’ve been in their new town, one of the couples goes into active labour and gives birth.
While this is all going on upstairs, the owner of the shop below takes his last breath.
Was it natural causes or did someone murder him?

Despite how socially awkward a lot of the dialogue and interactions were from the main character and how unrealistically fast the friendships developed, I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I was expecting to.
Something about it was compulsively readable and has me interested in picking up the next installment.

Unlike a lot of other readers, I found it refreshing that Alice was in her early 30’s and had no idea what to do as an expecting mother. I think it’s totally okay not to have every facet of our lives figured out by a certain age when women are already pressured enough by our biological clocks.

Quite funny concept with the expectant mother and detective. However, there were a lot of slow moments for me that did keep my interested. I did appreciate the funny parts of the book which is the reasoning for me to continue the book. I am looking forward to book 2 to see what will happen in the next installment.

This was such a fun read! It reminded me of the FINLAY DONOVAN series and it was great! It was cute and such a fun read!

3.5 stars - A funny, entertaining cozy mystery that follows a group of pregnant women playing detectives in their small town. I enjoyed the characters and story but Helen the dog was definitely my favorite.

"The Expectant Detectives" by Kat Ailes is a delightful and refreshing take on the cozy mystery genre. The novel follows a group of pregnant women who form an unlikely detective team when one of their antenatal class members goes missing.

Ailes cleverly combines the familiar elements of a cozy mystery with the unique perspective of expectant mothers, creating a story that is both engaging and relatable. The characters are well-developed, each bringing their own strengths and quirks to the investigation. The author's ability to balance the mystery plot with the personal journeys of the pregnant protagonists adds depth to the narrative.

The novel stands out for its humor and wit, often derived from the challenges and experiences of pregnancy. Ailes manages to address serious topics while maintaining a light-hearted tone, making the book an enjoyable read.

While the setup is similar to other cozy mysteries, the pregnant amateur sleuths provide a fresh and entertaining angle. The pacing keeps readers engaged, with enough twists to keep the story interesting without becoming overly complicated.

"The Expectant Detectives" is a promising start to a new series that will likely appeal to fans of cozy mysteries and those looking for a unique twist on the genre. It offers a blend of mystery, friendship, and the shared experience of pregnancy that makes for an entertaining and satisfying read.

this is the first book in a cute series about a pregnant british woman and the misadventures that turn into a cozy mystery. it was cute and i enjoyed it.

Very funny and entertaining from the get go. Highly recommend for some laughs! This will be a great series I’m sure

The Expectant Detectives: A Mystery by Kat Ailes is a quirky British mystery. This novel had me hooked for the very first pages as it described the couple’s misadventures as they moved from London to the country. Everything is different in the country but a mystery soon emerges. I loved this mystery and look forward to other books in this series. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This was such a fun read! I have been loving cozy mysteries and this was just what I wanted. Alice is a fun and relatable character. She is extremely real. The plus side is, if she isn't relatable there are three other super relatable women to turn to. Poppy, Hen, Ailsa, and Alice make a fun and chaotic team. This story also dives into the aspects of women in late pregnancy. I did not guess the mystery right away which I always love. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick and cozy mystery!

I tried to give this book a try with both the ebook and audio book. Unfortunately, despite it being slapsticky, the characters never grabbed me. I was hoping for a very easy read, and it is. But as far as the characters go, I felt it lacking.

I love a good cozy, and Kat Ailes did a great job writing about a group of expectant mothers who become friends while trying to solve a mystery. While at their prenatal class, the shop owner is killed, and no one knows who could have snuck in and killed him. The new group of friends try to figure out what happened and how it relates to the local cummune. Alice is constantly finding herself and her dog, Helen, in crazy predicaments and trying her best to get out of them without the detective finding out. Will the ladies be able to solve the murders before they go into labor? This is a group of hilarious and wacky women and they make the best of friends.

This was a fun cozy mystery. Alice moves to the country with her boyfriend to have her baby and live a quiet life. When she meets other pregnant ladies and they become friends, they also become self appointed detectives trying to solve a murder. The women are hilarious and very entertaining. This whole book is an adventure for them and proves that loving to the country may not always lead to a quiet life especially when a commune is next door and you are living in a hippie town. The ending makes me very interested to jump into the second book!

A couple move from London to the quiet countryside to prepare for their first child. While at a prenatal class a body is discovered. What a way to meet new friends! Since all are suspects the gals tackle the task of solving the murder. I found myself laughing out loud many times at the various situations both at the attempts fixing up a rental house and sleuthing the countryside. Treat yourself to a comical read. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press; the review is my honest opinion.

My favorite kind of cozy mystery. Fun characters, laced with humor, with lots of clues and red herrings, so you have an idea of whodunnit/what's going to happen, but still enjoy the ride for the particulars. Will definitely be back for the second!

If you love "laugh out loud" stories, this is the book for you. It has everything I love in a book: thriller, mystery, friendship, and humor.

Alice and her friends get caught up in a mystery murder while at a childbirth class and they go about solving the case, while avoiding telling their partners and the police. Not to mention the fact they are all ready to give birth any day.

The humor was perfect. It was reminiscent of the bumbling detectives of old that literally stumble into solving the crime.

Definitely a fun, quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for and ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

Alice and her partner, Joe, move to the sleepy and idyllic village of Penton, hoping to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of her first child. The rural bliss they'd hoped for doesn't quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their prenatal class, and they find themselves amidst a murder investigation. Alice and her newfound pregnant friends set out to solve the murder and clear their names. As they investigate, more secrets and tensions are revealed than first met the eye, leaving Alice in way over her head.

THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES took me a while to get into, and I nearly made the decision to DNF because I was struggling. Evidently, I persevered and ended up enjoying the story. It's a slow build-up as Alice, Joe, and the village of Penton are introduced, spanning many chapters before anything of true interest crops up. I also found Alice's internal monologue to be difficult to parse through - she comes off as very ditzy and I wasn't sure I could follow her along for the duration of this book. Once things started happening though, this became a non-issue as I was thoroughly interested in what mysteries lied within the village of Penton.

I soon began to adore Alice - she's quirky, always says the wrong thing, and finds her way into an enormous amount of trouble. She's a great main character for this story with her witty sense of humour. I also really liked her newfound pregnant friends: Hen, Poppy, and Ailsa. Each were well described and dynamic characters that developed a good bond with Alice. Ailsa, in particular, may be my favourite of Alice's new friends because she is so prickly and unafraid of putting others in their places whilst also maintaining a high level of secrecy around herself. Lastly, on the note of favourite characters: Helen. Helen is loaded with golden retriever energy and makes for a great companion for Alice. Both love snacking and seemingly get into the MOST trouble, whenever possible. I'm a sucker for a dog in a book, particularly a mystery, so Helen was quickly high in my esteem.

As for the mystery - Alice and her pregnant friends quickly find themselves in the midst of a murder investigation when a murder occurs during their prenatal class, leaving them all as key suspects. I loved seeing these pregnant women sleuthing through the town, discovering new secrets and long-old tensions in Penton. The mystery aspects of this story were well done and I enjoyed how each clue the women discovered led them onto another trail before all the clues came together to enable the reader to parse out the bigger picture. The ending was well done and I can't wait to see what book two has in store!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, for a gifted digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>