This was a mediocre read at best. I found the plot to be bland and somewhat expected. The story did not grip me and I struggled to pay attention. The romantic storyline was similarly bland and predictable. By the end, I was counting the pages until I had finished. 2 out of 5 stars.

I enjoyed reading this romantic mystery, even tho I have yet to read the first 4 books of this series. I was easily kept on my toes at the mystery part of the story and the romance was a nice add-on. The writing style of the author is enjoyable to read and I will look for her book in the future.

THE MURDER CLUB Pike, Wisconsin #5 by Alexandra Ivy
Thank you for keeping me up reading all night Alexandra! This story was not one that was easy to put down to wait until morning. This is the 5th book in the Pike, Wisconsin series. This one can certainly can be read as a stand alone. This romantic suspense story brings plenty of drama, murder, angst, intrigue, deception, plus chemistry.
When Bailey Evans needed some challenge during her downtime, a coworker suggested an online crime solving group solving cold cases to help fill her time. A night out reintroduces her to Dom Lucier, who she met at her best friend's wedding to his best friend. It isn't until the game seems to get intense and Bailey wants out that she finds she can't quit the game. Then the bodies start piling up. This is 4 stars.

So, I wasn't aware that this book was a part of a series until I started reading it. It didn't totally ruin the experience, you can definitely read it on it's own. Although I do think it would've been more enjoyable if I had read the other ones first. The romance between Dom and Bailey became very intense very quickly so it did feel like I had maybe missed something with that. It was mentioned they had first met in a previous book. I didn't really appreciate the connection between them, Dom was giving me savior complex vibes, like Bailey was this damsel in distress he had to rescue. It wasn't my cup of tea and I had a hard time getting through the book because if this.

I do wish there had been more emphasis on the murder mystery aspect of the story. There was so much importance put on the romance. I feel like there was so much potential with the reveal of the killer and the story around that, it just felt very rushed and it made me quite disappointed. But it was a decent book overall. I give it 2,5 stars.

Take a town which is known as the murder capital of the country owing to the number of notorious serial killers who had made the town their hunting nest, a person who puppeteers the people around him and a generous soul, put them together in a bizzaire game of life and death and you will get "The Murder Club" by Alexandra Ivy.

Bailey Evans's life turns upside town when an elderly woman she cared for at the care center dies and leaves her personal account savings to Bailey. A relatively unassuming person who doesn't really feel comfortable with attention, she suddenly finds herself in the midst of stalker- like attention, murder investigations involving her and a new romantic connection. Will Bailey be able to pull herself out of the complicated situation unscathed.

I liked the main character Bailey and her romantic partner Dom Lucius was adorable. They are very likable characters who will make you root for them. Majority of the story was very crisp and sharp. But the pacing comes down near the last chapters of the book. I can't say I was completely engrossed in the story. I enjoyed the book and didn't see the main twist coming. But whether it made sense is
another matter.

Overall, it is a mostly interesting and fairly engaging romantic suspense which would be great for a weekend reading.

I love cosy mysteries and I love small town tropes so when they are together it is a case for success in my eyes. I loved it it had me hooked from the start and the amount of twists were good, it really kept me guessing,

This was a good cosy small town mystery story. I really enjoyed it and read it really fast. A good twisty story. Recommended xx

Alexandra Ivy returns us to the infamous Pike, Wisconsin. Instead of everyone going to therapy, an enterprising group formed a Murder Club. This macabre group made me chuckle; I loved this bit of dark humor from the author to honor the fact the we readers do, in fact, wonder how many times serial kills can strike in a single location.

Ivy wrote a murder mystery that is sort of cozy. Clues are there, meted out carefully, red herrings carefully plotted to lead readers astray as they guess the killer… I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Dom and Bailey had a warm relationship. This is a mystery to keep you reading long into the night.

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Alexandra Ivy

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

In The Murder Club by Alexandra Ivy, readers are transported to the small town of Pike, Wisconsin, where cold cases and deadly secrets lurk beneath the surface. Protagonist Bailey Evans, a nurse with a knack for solving mysteries, finds herself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse when she receives unnerving messages and a bone-chilling threat. With the help of charming Las Vegas businessman Dom Lucier and her cousin Zac, the local sheriff, Bailey navigates a web of deceit and danger as she races to uncover the truth behind a series of chilling murders. Ivy's skillful storytelling keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the final reveal, making The Murder Club a must-read for fans of suspense and mystery.

This was my first read of the pike murder series and I was intrigued from the start. A small town carrying the heavy weight of death is in for another round of trauma. Main character Bailey begins receiving creepy texts about her joining the murder club as bodies and crimes start to accumulate. Crime, murder, stalking, and a bit of romance will keep readers flipping through chapters. I appreciated that this book was suspenseful and mysterious without being gory.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a perfect read for fans of Hallmark Mysteries. It follows Bailey who is an incredible nurse in her small town. Her life is full of mystery including murder mystery games. She is let go of her job when a patient dies but she finds herself knee-deep in trying to solve a mystery and catch a killer. Intriguing, easy-to-like characters and a huge healthy dose of mystery.

Rating :3.5/5

250 pages of intrigue, mystery, action, and romance. This story caught my attention from the first chapter. The main character is someone you can’t help but love. There are many suspects and in the end I was still surprised by the outcome. Worth the read!

Someone has invited Bailey to play a game but she isn’t interested but they won’t go away. She has been dragged into a murderer’s sick game. Dom has wanted Bailey since his best friends wedding and he so glad that they have met up again. So when he hears about what has happened at the rest home he knows that he needs to stick around. Bailey needs to find out who is doing this to her as she doesn’t want more people to die. Can her & Dom find the killer before someone else dies? These two have great chemistry and they fit well together. Great characters a good storyline.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

Another book for the dead body filled town of Pike, Wisconsin.

Like all the other books before this one, I enjoyed what was there, but still missed what wasn't. The romance isn't priority. This time Dom is very accepting of anything Bailey wants or needs. He is pretty gentle and soft all over for her. The love emotions and words happen pretty quickly so you get to see it playing out, but it was just so fast.

The mystery was twisted and okay. ALOT of dead bodies here. And I don't remember if we are given as much insight into the town previously, but I can't imagine anyone or anything living here with the ghost-town description.

Bailey and Dom are the main characters in this contemporary romantic suspense story. They've meet before and now that he is in town for a month, she is happy for his company since her life consists of work and home. However, she soon finds herself the object of an online murder club mystery that she doesn't want to be. People start being murdered. She gets texts from the killer. She and Dom have to figure this out. There are plenty of suspects and several twists and turns. It has more romance in it that some in this genre, but overall, a decent read.

Three and a half
Wow I seriously wouldn't want to live in Pike, Wisconsin because it's just clearly a dangerous place to live ! Here we are again and there's yet another death and this time it's Bailey who is implicated due to the fact that suddenly a will was changed in her favour. Confused, angry and seeking answers Bailey finds herself not just in the frame for murder but targeted by an odd stalker who is playing a twisted game. Good thing Dom is back in town because Bailey needs a friend although is that all Dom wants to be ?
The author does a very good job of muddying the waters and keeping her readers guessing just who and why Bailey is targeted. I think the red herrings and misdirection works really well. What just didn't wow me is the relationship between the couple as sadly I just couldn't quite believe everything that was happening seemingly at breakneck speed. This didn't particularly sizzle or feel that passionate and I'm still not sure that Dom would fall that quickly and hard for Bailey but nevertheless I did enjoy solving the mystery and who doesn't love a happy ending ?
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

This was the first time I've read anything by this author and while it is the 5th in the series I had no problem starting here. The series is pretty much location based with each book being a separate story so I had no problems jumping in here.

Bailey's life is a bit bleak. She works as a nurse at a nursing home where they aren't treated well or paid very much. Pike, Wisconsin is run down and crime ridden and people leave as soon as they can. The most exciting thing that has happened is the marriage of Bailey's friend to a wealthy TV star (this was the previous book) and the fact that the now wealthy TV star's business partner, Dom Lucier, is now house sitting for them. Part of the reason he agreed to housesit so readily is because he remembered Bailey from the wedding and wanted to get to know her better. I liked that there was a connection and interest already started before things went off the rails. It made their connection feel a bit more authentic.

The book had a bit of a slow start and at times the writing felt a bit blocky and awkward. As well, Bailey is a bit hard to connect to. She's a nice woman and motivated by helping people but I never felt like she was well fleshed out. I also found her apologetic attitude towards her interest in true crime a bit odd - as honestly I would imagine the target market for this book is mostly people interested in true crime. That said I did end up enjoying this book and I enjoyed figuring out what happened with the deaths and the private murder club. I would read more from this author if I found another blurb that interested me.

I really enjoyed the murder mystery part. There were many red herrings to keep me guessing. I, personally, like being an armchair investigator so Bailey’s involvement resonated with me. I didn’t like the romance part. I felt it was forced and not credible. I think partly because there was very little casual interaction between Dom and Bailey before they were suddenly in love. Maybe because these characters had met in the book before which I have not read. I would have liked more involvement of the Murder Club members. Granted everyone was anonymous, but given Bailey’s close and personal involvement in some unsolved murder cases, I would have thought she would have turned to her fellow sleuths for suggestions and ideas.