I loved the premise of this book! Expectant mom's group turned amatuer sleuths, set in the dreamy Cotswolds. What's not to love? I am excited this is part of a series, because I enjoyed the characters in this book!

What a way to meet your neighbors, so to speak! When Alice has made the big move from city to a rural town she’s a fish out of water. One way to meet an unlikely crew is at a pregnancy class where a murder has happened. Her partner, Joe is less than thrilled with her becoming obsessed with solving the case. With lots of bumbling though suspects she forms some great bonds with this unique group of ladies! It was a great listen. I thought the narrator did a great job. Thank you to Netgally for this free advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily

This was a fun cozy murder mystery debut!
Alice and Joe have just moved to a new town. Alice is heavily pregnant and meets a few women at a birthing class. At one of the classes, one of them gives birth and the man who runs the shop downstairs gets murdered. Those women decide they want to figure out who did it. Hence the "expectant detectives."
I liked Alice a lot. She was determined not only to make new friends in their new town, but to find out the truth when she really didn't know anyone. She immediately becomes friends with Poppy and then Hen. My absolute favorite character in this book was Alice and Joe's dog Helen. She is a troublemaker and every time someone asks Alice over, they end the text/message with "Don't bring Helen."
The plot was easy to follow, it wasn't focused too much on one thing. It had a good mix of the detecting, being pregnant, meeting new characters and learning about the nearby commune. All the details click into place at the end and the whodunit makes sense.
The narrator was fantastic. She has a strong British accent (the book takes place in England) but I had no trouble following along. She really brought the book to life!
I would follow this series into the future purely because of Helen, but I really did enjoy the book as a whole and I can't see what awaits Alice and her newly grown family!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for my #gifted copies of The Expectant Detective!

The Expectant Detectives gave off Finlay Donovan vibes and was such a fun and cozy mystery. I found the premise to be super cute and I was laughing out loud throughout. I found Alice to be so relatable and I loved her character. She was funny, awkward, and just so likable, in my opinion. I felt like the rest of the characters were likable as well and the whole cast blended so well together! This was a debut novel, with the second book in the series releasing later in 2024.

The Expectant Detectives:
🕵🏼‍♀️Cozy Mystery
🕵🏼‍♀️Small Town
🕵🏼‍♀️A Dog Named Helen
🕵🏼‍♀️Amateur Sleuths

I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by Kitty Kelly. I felt like Kelly brought so much to this book, and I found myself loving her accent and timing! I would definitely recommend the audiobook if you’re looking for a fun listening experience with a cozy mystery!

Posted on Goodreads on January 2, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around January 9, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on January 2, 2024
**-will post on designated date

I struggled with this audiobook. The story was good but a little too long . Wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator .

I do recommend the book

I couldn't get into it due to the narrators, I couldn't connect with them at all :( I might try the ebook format

This felt very similar to The Thursday Murder Club in the best way. I laughed out loud several times during this one and it kept me engaged until the end. I enjoyed the uniqueness of this one- a group of pregnant women/new moms joining together to solve a murder. For me as a mother, I felt the “oh my gosh I don’t know what I’m doing” dialogue was extremely relatable, and hilarious. The audiobook felt a little slow, but I picked up the speed to 2.5x and it was a bit better.

“Don’t bring Helen!”

The Expectant Detectives is a fun cozy mystery from debut author Kat Ailes. It is reminiscent of The Marlowe Murder Club (minus the octogenarians, sub expectant mothers, and one adorable fur baby—Helen)!

Alice and her partner Joe move from London to the country village of Penton in search of a quiet place to raise their child. When a man is murdered in the shop below their prenatal class, Alice, Helen, and the other expectant mothers play amateur detectives in order to clear their names and solve the murder mystery.

However, many secrets are hiding in this sleepy town. With Helen, the most unhelpful sidekick at her side, Alice is determined to find the killer before her baby is born!

The star of this mystery is obviously Helen, the “Legally Blonde of the dog world.” If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy Helen’s many crazy antics! The mystery is also well-plotted and executed, keeping my interest until the end. However, while the plot is humorous, it could be turned up a notch to really entertain readers. Hopefully, Ailes does just that in the next installment of this series which has recently been announced for publication in June 2024!

I listened to the audiobook, expertly read by Kitty Kelly, while I also followed along with the Ebook. I highly recommend both formats.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Expected publication date: 1/9/24

Thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audiofor the ARC of The Expectant Detectives in exchange for an honest review.

Was a cute story but was rather lengthy!

I love rhe prmise of pregnant ladies solving mysteries abs there were times I didn't laugh at loud.

Would have enjoyed more mystery but liked no less.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Sweet and lovely. Much appreciation to Helen whose every mention made me tee hee. Recommended a playful read.

THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES
Kat Ailes

EXPECTANT DETECTIVES by Kat Ailes comes out next Tuesday, January 9, 2024. It’s one of the first mysteries I’ve read that are due to be released in the early part of the year. I had a good time reading it and think you will too.

We’re following a group of pregnant and expecting women who meet at an antenatal class, but mostly we’re following Alice. Alice is very pregnant and uncomfortable and hoping this prenatal class will provide some insight into what’s to come on her journey.

The members of the group unexpectedly find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation when one day in class, while one of the women goes into surprise labor, a man is murdered downstairs. They are all suddenly suspects and, to clear their names become EXPECTANT DETECTIVES.

EXPECTANT DETECTIVES was a lot of fun. The story takes a familiar route, the surprises and twists are guessable, and Ailes does a great job providing a cozy retreat. If you go into it setting your expectations correctly, you won’t be surprised by its lightheartedness and humor. And I think you will have a good time.

EXPECTANT DETECTIVES was not only fun it was informative. We learn a lot about the peculiarities of pregnancy, birth, the birthing process, and the miracle of it all. I liked these details but could see it being too much for certain readers to handle.

This would make a cozy recommendation for someone expecting their first or their fifth child. Or someone like me who just enjoys a good cozy mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

EXPECTANT DETECTIVES…⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really liked the premise of pregnant women waddling around solving crime. There were a few comical scenes added in, to keep things light, which I like in cozies. I would’ve enjoyed a little more mystery and if the story wasn’t so lengthy.

Do you like humor mixed in with your mysteries? If so, The Expectant Detectives should be perfect for you. It reminded me somewhat of the Finlay Donovan series of books.

Alice and Joe have moved from London (too expensive) to a village in the Cotswolds named Penton, which has a sort of hippy/new-age vibe: lots of shops that sell organic this-and-that, herbal remedies, and so forth. There’s even a commune nearby. Alice is about 8 months pregnant and the pair hope to make new friends through their prenatal classes. There’s a vivid but hilarious childbirth scene, when one of the women goes into labor during one of these sessions.

The sessions are held above a natural remedies shop, and when the EMTs arrive for the new mom and baby, they find the owner dead in the shop downstairs. For various reasons, the soon-to-be moms decide to investigate. There are some really funny scenes, such as a “gong bath.” And Alice’s dog, Helen, provides a lot of comic relief as well. Their rental house is kind of a disaster and Alice is not sure she’s cut out for motherhood (although it’s a bit late for that!). The story is narrated in the voice of Alice, in a very chatty way. Ailes skewers a lot of today’s “mommy culture” along the way.

I did figure out part of the mystery but not all of it, and figuring it out didn’t lessen my enjoyment.

Note: I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. But it was a bit disconcerting in some ways, as the print version has been Americanized to some extent (pre-natal vs. ante-natal, miles vs. kilometers), but in others it’s a mixed bag: some references to “cookies” but mostly to “biscuits”. The audio version, however, seemed to use British terms exclusively. Kitty Kelly did a great job with all the voices.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

When Alice and her boyfriend Joe find out they’re expecting their first child, they decide to embrace country life and move to the small town of Penton. But their charming rural village turns out not to be quite so idyllic when a dead body is discovered at their prenatal class. As they find themselves embroiled in a murder investigation, Alice and her new-found pregnant friends decide to solve the mystery and clear their names. When the expectant detectives discover a shady commune in the woods and learn about a mysterious death years earlier, they soon realize that Pantem is full of secrets and tensions, and they may be in way over their heads.

This book was so much fun and just what I needed to help me get out of a recent slump. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there’s just nothing better than a lighthearted, cozy mystery. Add some dark humor and delightful characters, and I am immediately sold. Alice and her friends were hilarious and so real, and I loved that this book took on real-life issues that made me feel seen as first-time parent still questioning everything I do as a mother. The mystery itself was compelling and full of unexpected twists. I had so many guesses as to “whodunnit,” and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Without spoiling anything, my only criticism is that I was appalled when Alice did a major no-no while pregnant. I don’t want to “mom shame,” but I don’t think it added to the story, and it could have been cut out completely. Other than that, this was an extremely impressive debut, and I cannot wait for the sequel!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kitty Kelly. She did such a fabulous job bringing the story to life and made it extra fun with her comedic timing. She had unique voices and accents for the many characters, which made it easy to tell them all apart. I was completely hooked by her storytelling and highly recommend this one on audio!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a cute cozy mystery. Should there be additional books in this series, I will definitely be picking them up.

I'm not a mother, so I've never experienced pregnancy. That did not stop me from connecting with these characters and laughing out loud at parts of this book. The author did a great job of mixing in humor with the mystery. I love Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series, and this book fell right into that same vein.

I loved the main character, Alice, and her pup Helen. The running joke of "don't bring Helen" had me giggling a couple of times as everyone knew how curious and rambunctious Helen could be.

The best part of this book for me was seeing Alice build real friendships with the women from the birthing class. It was so sweet to see her reluctantly do things with them to then become close friends by the end.

As for the mystery, I did not guess the murderer until Alice figured it out. There were a couple other smaller twists that surprised me, as well.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to other cozy mystery lovers.

I went back and forth between the digital book and audiobook. I felt the audio was well done and I enjoyed the narrator, Kitty Kelly. Her intonation throughout the audiobook added to the overall story as she brought just the right amount of humor throughout the narration.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️ Cozy mysteries
✔️ Dog moms
✔️ Female friendships
✔️ Countryside settings

This was a cute and at times funny debut amateur sleuth mystery. The story itself starts with promise, but slowly becomes overly repetitive and begins meandering to unnecessary places which detracts from the plot. The women in this story also came across on the ditzy side at times and it was a tad bit frustrating.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?

I was able to alternate between the audiobook and physical, and I feel like audio is definitely the way to go. Kitty Kelly’s narration was perfect! Her comedic timing and accents brought so much more life to the story.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

🔎Cozy Mystery
🔎Pregnant Amateur Sleuths
🔎Quirky Characters
🔎A dog who steals the show
🔎Small Town
🔎English Countryside
🔎Light Read

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?

This was a slow burn story that was more on the side of character driven.

I couldn’t finish this one to its entirety. I wanted to like it but it just missed the mark for me. The narrator wasn’t terrible. Once you got use to the accent it was easier to follow but the story itself just wasn’t gripping enough.

Fun British mystery full of humor. Very entertaining. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

The Expectant Detectives was a fun idea, but I found that it was too long for a cozy mystery, yet not serious enough to warrant the length. I also thought that it was too graphic regarding birth/pregnancy, and I say that as someone who has had children. I liked Alice and her idiosyncrasies, but it was hard to get a picture of her and Joe's relationship, despite how frequently he was mentioned. I did not feel like the author let us get to know him. I also think Helen and her antics were satirical, which goes back to is it a cozy mystery? Overall, it was a fun read, but I do not know that I would recommend it to my friends.

Overall, I liked this and thought it was a fun ride; reminded me of that Donovan series.

I would have preferred less info/TMI/discussion on pregnancy and childbirth. I get the title and main character is pregnant but it was still a little too much.

I also thought the narrator did a tremendous job with different voices but I'm not sure she was the best fit for the MC.