Dead Tired is the second book in Kat Ailes Expectant Detective Mystery series, and it is honestly as charming as her first go around. Dead Tired brings back all of the quirky original group of women, now all first time moms. Together they find themselves stumbling into yet another murder mystery and having to solves the crimes simply out of curiosity (and maybe a little sleep deprivation).

Overall this novel is very enjoyable, and light hearted!

Dead Tired is a cute murder mystery involving moms who met in prenatal classes (and solved murders in the first book in this series) and are now stumbling into more murders with toddlers. Since I didn't read the first of this series, this was my introduction to Alice, Poppy, Elsa, and Hen. I loved snarky Alice and her dog Helen and the way that she dragged everyone through this case, though the way she ended up solving the mystery at the end was a bit abrupt. I both read and listened to this title and each were good. The narrator on this book was great and Ailes writing is sharp. I don't know where she takes this premise of moms fighting crimes from here, but I would read another and look forward to recommending this book. Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.5 stars

A hilarious mystery thriller that kept me laughing and guessing until the very end. Cleverly written with a perfect balance of humor and suspense. A full 5 stars read for me.

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the #gifted copy of the eARC.

Summary: All the moms from the first book, Expectant Detectives, are back in this book now with all their kids about to turn 1. Alice wants nothing more than to catch up on some sleep, so when she finds out about the eco-protest she willingly goes along to be chained to a tree all night kid-free. Everything is great until the next morning when, of course, one of their fellow protestors has been found strangled. Alice and her friends naturally become entangled in the case and try to improve their excellent crime-solving record to 2-2.

Thoughts: After reading the first book in this series, I immediately jumped at the chance to read book 2!! I love laughing through mysteries because it takes some of the tense moments out for me and it's easier for me to read. The humor in this book is so spot on, especially for fellow moms because I can relate to so much of Alice's grumblings while being a new mother. I love her group of fellow moms who have created quite the routine for themselves now that they're children are with them. They each have such great gifts to offer while solving the crimes that they are a perfect team. This book makes me want a group of friends to do life with just like Alice has found, just maybe a little less murdery. If you need a good book that will help you laugh out loud, look no further than this series. (Note, this could be read stand-alone, however, I think it would be best to read the books in order.) Also, super excited for the hint of a Book 3!!

I really enjoyed reading the second story in this series. It was so much fun to read. I enjoyed the way the characters interacted with each other, and I wanted to be there with them, joining in all their antics and shenanigans. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next with these ladies and the babies and Helen.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A cleverly crafted mystery and I loved the humor. I am looking forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an awesome follow up to the first book! I loved how Kat handled the aspects of a new mom and their needs to have something separate from being a mom. The group's kids were such a fun addition to the story as well. To see their chaos and know how much they are like their moms in their own ways. I love Ailsa's character more and more as I read this series. Also Helen is fantastic. I love the idea of a chaotic household because it not only feels realistic but also relatable. I cannot wait for the third book!

Alice and her group of new moms are just barely recovered from solving a murder at their birthing class and, well, giving birth when they stumble upon yet another murder. With Poppy struggling in her new parenthood, Alice reluctantly agrees to look into the crime to cheer her up. But when the murder seems tied to Hen's new employer, things get messier and messier.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and may have liked the second even better. It's also a great advertisement for birth control because, man, does taking care of infant sound horrific! But one of my favorite aspects of this series is how real Alice feels--sometimes she's using reusable diapers, others she's driving through McDonalds; she's throwing duvets over sofas to avoid cleaning them and eating mini ice cream bars in the middle of the night. She's truly a hilarious, relatable character. But also, the mystery is quite intriguing in this one. I didn't predict the outcome at all but truly enjoyed getting there and it didn't feel extreme once all was revealed. I'm not sure what the hook will be for book three (the terrible two's??) but I'll read it!

Thanks to Minotaur for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

I loved the first book in this series, but this tops it for me. Alice and the gang are back, now with babies in tow. It starts innocently with trying to save the meadow from development, but quickly turns into murder and mayhem. Alice's honest and funny portrayal of motherhood is laugh out loud funny. While Alice is the main character, all of the characters are just as important. With quirky crime solving techniques and baby strollers in hand, they are determined to solve the case.

I would recommend reading the first book for background, plus you don't want to miss what happened in it.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

I enjoyed this one. I read the first book so I was familiar with the main characters and I liked seeing them in motherhood. I loved Helen the dog and her antics made me laugh out loud. The mystery was solid. I do wish we had more of the detective from book one..

Thanks Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of Dead Tired by Kat Ailes which came out Tuesday!

This is the second book in The Expectant Detective series and we start right where we left off in the first book. Alice and her prenatal group bonded when they solved a murder but now that their babies are born. Their babies are almost a year old and when they decide to join a local eco-protest they don't expect to find one of their fellow protesters murdered. They soon find themselves trying to solve the mystery, this time with their babies in tow.

These books are fun and I really enjoy listening to the audiobook. The narrator is the same for both books and really brings the books to life! These are the perfect cozy mystery with little bit of added fun.

If you like the Finlay Donovan series you'll enjoy Dead Tired too!

The babies are all here, everyone is on maternity leave, bodies are still piling up…this one is even better than the first. I enjoyed the mystery in this one more than the first, it makes me think this series is going to just get better with every book. A few questions have been set up in this book that are unanswered, as in who is the father of Ailsa’s twins. I must say, I’m pretty impressed with Alice’s deductions in the end, we were getting close to the end of the book and I still had no idea where it was going!

Thanks again to Kat Ailes, Minotaur Books/St Martins Press and NetGalley for the advance copy. They are available now so go pick up them both!

✨ 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ✨

Dead Tired
Kat Ailes

This was another entertaining read by Kat! I knew it would be based off of the first book - Expectant Detectives.

This story follows a group of women who met at an antenatal class when they were pregnant with their first babies. Even though each of these four women are so different they bonded over a murder investigation. They always find a way to insert themselves into the thick of it.

This book is the perfect cozy mystery. The amateur sleuthing will constantly keep you entertained. It was fun to see each of the characters and how they adapted to motherhood. The silly Helen stories are still some of my favorite parts of these books!

Dollycas's Thoughts

Alice is almost to the end of her year-long maternity leave and she is tired, taking care of a baby that first year is hard. Truthfully parenting is hard no matter what age the child is. She spends most days with the friends she met at her prenatal class. Well except for Hen, perfect Hen, because her husband left her she is now working for a local green energy company. Ailsa has her hands full with her TWINS! Poppy is pretty lackadaisical, something is definitely off with her. The young women are usually joined by Poppy's dog Sultan and Alice's dog Helen.

The story opens with everyone on a picnic in a nearby meadow. They are joined by some unexpected visitors who invite them to a protest against a wind farm set to be built in the meadow where they are having their picnic. They sans Hen soon find themselves chained to trees thinking they may finally get a little albeit uncomfortable sleep. When they are awakened by screams they find one of the protesters strangled. It isn't long before they convince themselves they need to investigate the murder. Can they do it again? Can these new moms find the killer? Or will they wish they had just enjoyed what remains of their time off?

____

I think my problem with Alice is that I had four children over seven years and worked full-time with a leave of 6 weeks for each child. I maintained my house for the most part too, but it was never how Alice leaves hers daily. A year off per child would have been bliss. But I set that aside because I knew I was going to laugh and laugh often reading this book. These new moms, especially Alice find themselves in hilarious situations. Seriously, nude protestors! And oh my gosh, what Alice dressed her son Jack in when she took him with her to a funeral. I had tears in my eyes laughing. Plus, Alice's dog Helen is such a lovable naughty dog who gets into all kinds of mischief.

The mystery was very well done. With one solved murder under their belts, these ladies have no trouble diving into this one, often bringing the dogs and children right along with them.  They have several suspects and they come up with ways to question them or set up diversions to enable them to snoop in interesting places. They uncover some important clues but they just don't fit together until Alice's a-ha moment. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns and was surprised by the ending.

Dead Tired blends motherhood and mystery together in a very entertaining way. The mystery will make you think and the young mother's and Helen's hijinks will make you laugh out loud. I hope there will be a book three because toddlers will drive these mothers crazy and I would love to see what happens if they have another murder to solve.

I read Kat Ailes' debut novel, The Expectant Detectives, during my third trimester. So I was very excited to read her newest addition to this series while my son is a newborn. In this novel the hodgepodge group of women participate in a protest and are shocked to wakeup and see one the protestors in dead! The thing I love about this series is the authors quippy writing style. It makes it easy to relate to the woman and feel like you're hanging out with friends. This is a fun, easy read if you're looking to get out of a reading slump.

Thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC.

I loved Kat Ailes' debut novel, The Expectant Detectives, so was really looking forward to the second installment in the series--Dead Tired. It did not disappoint! We catch up with Alice and her fellow new moms about a year later, when they somehow end up involved with a local eco-protest. When a fellow protester ends up mysteriously murdered, Alice can't help but get involved.

While I very much enjoyed the mystery at the heart of the book, my favorite parts are the laugh-out-loud descriptions of Alice's (mis)adventures. There is something absolutely hilarious on every page. Remarkably though, the humor is deftly combined with insights into the struggles faced by new moms everywhere, and these new moms in particular.

While I would characterize The Expectant Detectives series as cozy mysteries, they are so much more than that. I can't wait to see what they investigate next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Tired is an English cozy mystery with a fun set of characters including Helen, the rogue dog. It's book two in The Expectant Detectives series. In this installment the author takes on new parenthood with humor. Alice and her three friends have 1-year-old babies and find themselves caught up in an eco protest where a protester is murdered.

The returning characters are a great mix and when they get together you can bet shenanigans will ensue. While Alice can sometimes seems like a hot mess, she's smart in uncovering secrets and figuring out the pieces of the mystery.

Give this book a try if you like a cozy mystery with an English village setting, humor or a quirky cast of people and dogs.

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

I just love this series! Alice and her dog Helen are hilarious and I love following along with these new moms as they solve a crime. This is a fun cozy mystery full of humor.

Dead Tired was a great follow-up to The Expectant Detectives. It was just as outrageous but also so much fun. Kat Ailes continues to delight with this cozy mystery series, and I will continue to read any that she publishes.

I honestly think Kat Ailes is one of the funniest authors writing today. It's just something about her delivery-- I find it completely hilarious. This was a fantastic followup to The Expectant Detectives... still just as preposterous and funny with the best characters. I absolutely love Alice and everything about her personality and her life. She just can't leave well enough alone can she?!

I am so excited for more books to come out in this series-- I can't get enough!

Thank you so much for the advance copy. Loved every page!