This was a super fun mystery focused on a group of women all going through pregnancy together. The complaints were relatable, the mystery was solid, and I just loved Helen. I was so impressed with how solidly the author weaved this murder mystery. I did not see that ending coming and was left shocked by multiple parts of the plot. There’s some family drama and complexities here, too, and I think all of the storylines worked well together.
Also, I’m a big fan of British narration, so this was a winner. Kitty Kelly gave a stellar performance for the characters and made the main character really come to life for me.

For me, what puts this debut cozy mystery near the front of the pack is the sheer amount of humor. Ailes also keeps interest high with several twists.

The publisher blurb can't begin to describe the hilarity or difficulty of the prenatal class moms—from different socioeconomic and philosophical backgrounds—becoming friends. There's a running gag around the presence of Helen the dog.

Hot-button topics include politics, multiple sexual partners, LGBTQ rights, alternative treatments, and homeschooling.

I'd definitely consider reading another book by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected January 9.

The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes is a book that started strong, ended nicely but had a lot of weaknesses along the way.

I really struggle with this cozy mystery. I went from finding the main character, Alice, spunky and charming to ditzy and annoying. Initially I was giggling at the humour, but then found it repetitive. Alice was almost 40 weeks pregnant at the beginning of the story, with those last few idle weeks of pregnancy dragging on, but the story's length seemed too long to fit the pregnancy timeline. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel about Joe, Alice’s partner, and their relationship really bothered me (he did have one supportive and positive speech, however). There was pregnancy and expectant-parent jargon, which allowed for some humour, and real-life stress. The book was slightly chaotic and too long overall. The last chapter was sweet, and the murder wrapped up sensibly.

It’s clear from the cover and title that Alice is pregnant which was brought up time and time again during the book’s narrative, meaning there was no way the reader could forget. Somehow, it was also convenient to be ignored at times for the plot (the ease at which Alice slept and how she was able to run, for instance).

My real struggle is knowing if the book was intentionally written this way or if they were errors of a debut author. I'll try to give some grace, and lean more towards the former rather than the latter here.

The audiobook narrator, Kitty Kelly, gets extreme points; I love how she portrayed Alice and her emotions!

Kudos to Ailes for sharing how much of her book was based on her own personal experiences, as noted in her Acknowledgements.

In conclusion, I think this is one that could become incredibly redundant, annoying and cumbersome to those that have never dealt with pregnancy (which could be a huge trigger for many). I think it’s fair to say “proceed with caution” with this book. I will add that I want to continue this series, despite my issues with this first book.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

My first book of the year: THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES by Kat Ailes. I expected this book to be a quick and fun read— it is but even better than I anticipated! It’s hilarious with laugh out loud moments and a good murder mystery.

Alice and her partner, Joe, have moved out of London for a quieter place to start their family. As a pregnant mom-to-be in a new area, Alice is looking for new friends to bond with. (And we all know making friends as an adult isn’t easy.) At one of their evening antenatal classes, someone in the building is murdered. Alice teams up with some other expectant moms, and they start their sleuthing around in attempt to find out what really happened that night. As you can imagine, these amateur detectives get in over their heads for a fun (& funny) ride. For fans of the Finlay Donovan series, I highly recommend you grab THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES this Tuesday 1.9.24!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for the invitation to read/listen to this entertaining book! It was a great way to kick off my year of reading!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the advanced copy of this book.

Alice and her partner Joe decide to move to the country before the birth of their first child. But it quickly turns from the relaxed, rural life they envisioned when a dead body is discovered at their prenatal class. Alice befriends and partners with other new mothers from their class to solve the murder.

I absolutely loved this book!! I laughed out loud throughout the entire story. Alice was quirky and funny, and made for so much comedic relief along with their troublemaking dog, Helen. There were several mysteries throughout this book that needed to be solved and one of them really surprised me. I could relate to Alice as a 30 year old pregnant for the first time (me 8 years ago) and not exactly glowing throughout the pregnancy. She and her new group of pregnant friends could not be more different from each other but they do work well together. I cannot wait for the second installment in this series.

Macmillian Audio graciously provided me with an audiobook copy and I'm so grateful. Narrator Kitty Kelly did a great job of bringing this story to life. The voices were pretty distinct to know who was talking. I highly suggest reading this with the audiobook.

Definitely in the running for a favorite of January. This comes out 1/9/2024 so be sure to not miss this hilarious cozy mystery.

I switched between audio and ebook and found the audio to be my preference.

This is a cute cozy whodunnit where a group of pregnant women start investigating a murder that happened in their town - ironically downstairs from where their prenatal class was being held.

There was definitely some humor, especially about impending motherhood. Mostly likeable, but somewhat unforgettable characters.

I did love Helen the dog! Overall a cute cozy mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I was overwhelmed by the number of characters in this book. I was listening to the audiobook and I decided to follow along with the ebook and that made a huge difference. Once I learned all the names of the expectant women and their significant others, I began to enjoy the book more.

There was a lot of wittiness in the dialogue and I found myself enjoying the interplay between Alice and her friends. Helen, the dog, was my favorite though. I can relate to crazy pets.

The mystery in this was pretty convoluted. There were so many moving parts that I found myself not even really caring so much about "whodunit" or what they did. It's like there were so many things to solve at once: the murder(s), why Alice's husband was acting strange, the disappearance of a woman long ago, the current husband of one of the women maybe cheating, etc. Too much in one book.

I liked the way it wrapped up and I liked the characters so much I'm willing to give the next in the series a try.

I was very excited to receive The Expectant Detectives. The premise of the story had me very intrigued but unfortunately the execution missed the mark for me. It’s an original storyline and there’s some humour but the story seems to drags along too long.
I really didn’t enjoy the narration of the audiobook. I didn’t care for the character voices used by the narrator, Kitty Kelly. The pacing seemed off and I didn’t enjoy listening to it.
I was fortune to receive an ARC of both the audiobook and ebook of this title. I chose to start by listening and then part way through, I switched to reading. Although I didn’t love this book, I actually preferred reading the ebook to listening to the audiobook. I persevered as far as chapter 38 but gave up shortly thereafter. This one just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this ARC.

When Alice and Joe find they are unexpectedly expecting, they decide to stage their own version of Escape to the Country and rent a house in a small town 100 miles outside of London. Hoping to make new friends they immediately join a birthing class. When the shopkeeper is killed during a dramatic first class, Alice and the other three expectant mothers find the responding detective to be abrasive and decide they need to find the culprit themselves.

Alice has a delightfully snarky voice. I laughed out loud at her adjustment to a small town with its herbalists and commune, and at the discoveries she’s making about giving birth. Her dog is …”part dog, mainly demon with a side portion of cow,” and the class instructor demonstrates with a knitted uterus. Narrator Kitty Kelly’s wonderful voicing and on point pacing brings the writing to life. Here’s hoping for a sequel. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a lovely narration of a fun story! This audiobook felt cozy and friendly because of the amazing quality. I enjoyed this one immensely and it certainly enhanced my reading experience.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.

I recommend for fans who want a jolly little romp with mystery and low stakes.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan audio for this advanced audiobook copy.

Unfortunately, the story was not for me. I DNFd at 20%. It was just moving a little too slowly for me and I didn’t have desire to push through.

The narration was good, if you prefer the story being read to you directly or don’t care that there wasn’t a strong variety of “voices” for the different characters. They all felt very similar. Overall, I’m neither disappointed nor enthusiastic about the narration.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I listened to this in audiobook form. I'd actually recommend reading it instead (see my note on the book's length).

3.5/5 (rounded down to a 3, mostly because the book seemed a little too long). I'm glad I read this book, and I plan to keep reading the series. Overall, it's a decently good mystery that takes place in the backdrop of a hippie community (rather than a good old country town, as the cover and description indicate). I'd recommend you check it out (if the things I mention under my "The Nitpicky" won't bother you too much).

The Good:
- The ensemble of characters is pretty interesting; they have colourful and distinctive personalities. The bonds of friendship between the characters are pretty heartwarming. I was pretty invested in the central characters by the end.
- Rather than skirt around any mentions of politics (like most cozy mysteries), the book takes a pretty clear stance (progressive, if you were wondering).
- The story itself is pretty interesting.

The Bad:
- The first 75% of the book is a slight drag-- there are a lot of unnecessary descriptions of things/events that aren't that relevant to the plot.
- I'm okay with there being sudden twists at the end of a mystery book, but this book's final twist seemingly came out of nowhere and left a lot to be desired (in terms of coherence with the storyline).
- (Gets better towards the last 15% of the book) The second-hand embarrassment that the reader gets from the protagonist's actions: she will not shut up even when she really, really should.

The NitPicky:
- Tying into the inability to shut up, the protagonist's social awkwardness is sort of a plot point, but it would be a lot less annoying to the reader if her jokes came off as funny rather than weird/inappropriate.
- There are many unnecessary descriptions of bodily fluids and the protagonist's dog's interactions with them.
- The protagonist's husband comes across as pretty unlikeable, and he doesn't have a proper redemption arc in this book (but hopefully will in the sequel).

I received this audiobook for free for an honest review from netgalley.

This way a very original idea that I enjoyed. It kept me interested throughout the book and the ending was believable. Thank you.

“I was starting to feel like I had entered some sort of Faustian pact with the beast in my womb. It would take my sleep, sanity and youth in exchange for … fun? Carte blanche to watch kids’ films without feeling like a loser? A comfy care home and fortnightly visits in my old age? All good things, sure, but … 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱.” 👏🏻🤣👏🏻

This was a cute and fun amateur sleuth murder mystery with a group of late term pregnant women doing the sleuthing. It is as funny as you could imagine it would be under those circumstances!

I know that there are a lot of pregnant characters in books but these women talk openly about the struggles of pregnancy and new parenthood in a way that I haven’t seen done before but is necessary in the -keeping it real- realm. Given that, I felt that the characters were genuine in dealing with the very real struggles facing new mothers and partners when two becomes three.

I loved the accent of the narrator adding quite a bit of humor to the story.

“‘Welcome to the world, small one,’ I whispered. ‘It’s a shitshow. But it might just get better now you’re here.’” ❤️

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know what I was expecting when reading about a group of pregnant amateur detectives and a sidekick dog that was compared to the girl who could tell the weather from her boobs in Mean Girls, but I was surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. I loved the main character and how "real" she was in social situations. She was completely awkward making new friends and learning about her pregnancy. I could totally relate. This book was just as much a comedy as it was a cozy mystery. This group got into so many comedic and awkward situations in the town of Penton, I wondered what they were going to do next.

I was intrigued by the murder investigation. It seemed that all of the suspects had something to hide, and I was happy with how this book ended. It looks like there is already another book in the works for the Expectant Detectives series called Dead Tired. According to Goodreads, the current release will be June 4th, 2024, so we won't have to wait long to see Alice and the rest of the group (including Helen) again.

Audible: I was approved for both the digital and audible version of this book. I highly recommend the audible for The Expectant Detectives. The narrator is great, and I enjoyed the audiobook while following along with the digital version.

The Expectant Detective comes out January 9th, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review The Expectant Detectives. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Synopsis: When Alice and Joe find themselves with an unexpected pregnancy, they embrace their future as parents and move to a sleepy village in the countryside to start their family. The town seems idyllic, until there is a murder during their prenatal class. Alice and the other moms-to-be find themselves acting as amateur detectives to uncover the towns hidden secrets and find the murdered before anyone else is hurt.

Thoughts: This was such a fun take on a cozy mystery! I really enjoyed all the humor - it had me laughing a ton. The mystery element was also super captivating, and I didn’t see all the twists coming. A note on the audio: Kitty Kelly really nailed this one! Her comedic timing is perfect. Such an enjoyable listen!

Read this if you like:
🤰🏻cozy mysteries
🤰🏻hilarious hijinks
🤰🏻dogs

This was a cute, funny debut cozy novel surrounding a group of expectant mothers and a murder that happens during one of their classes. I liked the English setting and the dog.

The audiobook was a bright part of this book. I loved the narration. She gave authenticity to the characters and British setting.

Overall though I had a hard time connecting with Alice. Her naivety was just too much for me personally & I the humor was a bit too much or quirky for my tastes.

I think readers who are mothers & those who enjoyed the Finlay series will enjoy this one.

Pregnant amateur detectives? Sign me up! This was such a silly and fun ride. I loved the small town setting and seeing how Alice integrated into their world. There were so many small quips that made me laugh and I could relate to Alice in many ways. The ending happens quickly which I think may have been a little too fast but I also can’t stand when a book is longer than it needs to be so what do I know? I’ll definitely be checking out book 2, DEAD TIRED, when it comes out in June!

Love it! Such a fun read with great characters and a well written mystery. The narrator really elevated the story.

This book was very cute and cozy, and the narrator for the audio book did a great job. I enjoyed the story, and getting to explore the new village with the characters. I found some of the plot a bit obvious, but this is also the main genre I read and don't know that it would be to someone who wasn't listening to review it.
Overall, this was a super fun light read, and very cozy.

TW for unexpected birth.