Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC for free.
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The Murder Club by Sam Baron is a thriller following FBI agent Susan Parker after being called to a murder scene of a wealthy local.
The victim belongs to a group calling themselves ‘The Murdrer Club’, an exclusive club obsessed with the notorious ‘Clothesline Killer’.

The Murder Club, although part of a series, works as a standalone.
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I wanted to enjoy this more than I ended up doing, the title was intriguing and the plot had promise, however, I found the FMC to be irritating. I appreciate cultural representation in novels but the repetitiveness of dialogue where she wanted to make sure people knew she was of a minority got annoying.

I also felt like the plot was predictable but maybe I’ve just read too many thrillers. Saying that, I did love the premise of the book and although predictable to me, I did find the plot engaging.

There were so many times that I had to hold my breath during this story! There as constant suspense, thrills and excitement from the first page to the last. Will FBI agent Susan Parker and her crew be able to find the Clothesline killer before he strikes again? You’ll just have to read the book to find out! This is the only book I have read by this author,but it was so good, I’m going to read more. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Before reading this book the only Murder Club I was aware of was the one that forms the basis of the Richard Osman books. Sam Barons Murder Club does not have the Osman humour but it does have the tension of a good thriller. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I enjoyed this book and it’s a great story for anyone who loves thrillers or crime stories. I was slightly confused because I felt like I missed some information from the 1st book. Overall, I enjoyed it and I plan on going back and reading the first in the series.

This is a great series and I can't wait to read more from this author. This was very fast paced and very well written. The twists were engaging and made me want to read more.

I felt the first book started out well with a good character in Susan Parker, an FBI agent. There was the unresolved issue of her husband’s murder in that book, but it had a decent story. That cannot be said about this book.

The action is in Santa Carina valley, California (2 hours from LA). Susan is now fully engaged in her job at the FBI, moving on after husband Amit’s death. Her sister-in-law Lata, continues to help her handle things, including caring for her daughter Natalie. Naved Seth, from local law enforcement continues into this book. He talks to her about what looks like a serial killer on the prowl. The victims are all single mothers, with problems. Urduja, who works at a local pizza place and does a true crime podcast has put together a list of other cases, which she feels are related.

Susan is not sure if she needs to dig further into this, since a lot of this is speculative. She receives an urgent call to investigate the death of Derek Chen, a millionaire. His mother Margaret Chen squarely blames another millionaire Trevor Blackburn, saying a bunch of them had formed a murder club and were obsessed with serial killers. She is of the view that this curiosity led to the death of Derek. As she investigates the murky activities of the murder club and its members, Susan finds that she and her family are also in danger from a dangerous killer. Susan’s husband’s Amit’s murder finds some coverage as well but is still unresolved.

The story is twisted, and I struggled to stay engaged. I found the procedures to be weak, character behaviours unrealistic and most new characters to be flat. There is a not so bad twist with a backstory, but it comes after a lot of silly stuff. The story being fast paced is the only positive aspect.

My rating: 1.5 / 5.

The editing mistakes were far too often and distracted from the story itself, which I didn't feel was very strong to begin with.

The Murder Club had potential to be an utterly gripping thriller, but it ended up just falling a bit flat for me with it being predictable and unbelievable.

I had two main gripes with it; our FMC and the plot being just down right unbelievable.

Our FMC just wasn’t very likable. And, while a likable MC definitely isn’t essential, I think a less whiny, impulsive and dim FMC would have really strengthened this book. There were certain decisions she made that were just dumb and it really impacted on me not enjoying following her journey in this book.

I think I could have probably gotten over not loving the FMC if the story had been a bit more believable. There were just too many elements that, for me at least, weren’t realistic and just made me roll my eyes.

Other things to note, this is very clearly part of a series but I don’t think you need to read the first to get everything going on here. I do think there were a touch too many references to the first book that weren’t needed but The Murder Club can definitely function as a stand alone. I also did enjoy the plot itself and how things all connected up but I do think some of the reveals could have been handled a bit better.

Overall this was a fairly enjoyable read but the need to suspend my disbelief meant I couldn’t fully get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

After reading - and loving THE THERAPY ROOM in January, I was checking NetGalley *every* week, hoping to see the second book in the FBI Agent Susan Parker series pop up.

It was worth the wait!

Sam Baron delivered another scintillating crime thriller with THE MURDER CLUB. In my opinion, this author combines great pacing and a writing style that suits this genre to perfection. Just as it was for THE THERAPY ROOM, I was unable to put this one down once I started reading it.

While it is entirely possible to read and enjoy this book as a standalone, I do recommend that you start at the beginning of the series.

In THE MURDER CLUB, it's not local law enforcement - or even the FBI - who discovers that Santa Carina Valley is the hunting ground of a serial killer - it's a group of billionaires! This "murder club" somehow managed to identify and stalk a serial killer by hacking into the killer's camera network. The problem is - well, the killer knows. And now he's coming for them.

What made this book in particular so thrilling to me is that Sam Baron used factual information regarding serial killers to flesh out the methodology of this case, as well as the behavior of the killer. I'm telling you - after the first few chapters, I moved to a chair that was in a corner of room so my back was to the wall. I also went and checked my shower head. Thoroughly.

I loved being back with Susan Parker and her team as they worked their newest high profile case. (Except Ramon, for some reason, that character annoys me.) There were several nuanced developments in a few character arcs that I enjoyed - though I'm dying for more than just a few crumbs!! These developments, while small and explained, are part of the reason I recommend starting with the first book in the series. The other part of that reasoning is because it's just as good as this one.

So even though I was uncomfortably reminded that almost all of us come in contact with one or more serial killers in the course of our day to day lives, I rode that wave of chills with wild abandon as I flew through this book. Once again, I will find myself combing through the new titles added to NetGalley each week as I wait for the third installment in this series.

The Murder Club by Sam Baron
This is the second installment in the Susan Parker FBI Series. In this book, we follow Susan Parker three months after The Splinter Case, when the FBI and SCVPD learn of a potential serial killer in the area of Santa Carina Valley. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first! It went a little more in depth with the characters this time around and I felt more connected to Susan’s team and family. I identified quite a bit with Susan as she is trying to split her time between her job and her family, while making sure her daughter knows she is the most important thing to her. I find it extremely interesting following the FBI in the story as they collect evidence and profile this potential serial killer. There were a few times that I thought I had the case figured out, but it had a wrap-up that I didn’t see coming. I’m excited to read the next book in this series when it comes out.

This book was intriguing, yet annoying.

The writing wasn't for my particular taste.
I felt like there was a lot of repetitiveness that could've been avoided.

Granted, I didn't read book 1, I think this one could use some work

I DNF'd this one but it's my own fault...

I was simply blind to the fact that this was number 2 in a series so I had a hard time getting into it.

But the plot was great! Had it been an episode of Bones, CSI etc I'd watch it again and again but I just wasn't feeling it in book format without having gotten to know the characters in a previous book.

dnf'ed at 56%, at chapter 34.

2-2.5 stars for me.

Honestly, I'm not going to lie, it is disappointing that this novel ended up like this for me. The premise of the novel sounded amazing and everything I enjoy, especially as someone who's reentered their Criminal Minds phase. The premise of this book sounded so much like a Criminal Minds episode that I was so excited when I was approved to read this arc! Unfortunately, it didn't last very long. I did enjoy the crime mystery, as I was and am still a little invested in the crime mystery and the main character's chase of the Unsub. I also really enjoyed the delivery of the prologue, although sometimes the writing did seem a little too simple.

However, the author's approach to writing his characters was too much for me to keep reading. It was already quite clear from the beginning, and only became more obvious later on, that this is a person who is not a woman or POC, or even good at writing women and POC characters. It often felt like the author was really trying to push into my face that nearly everyone is quite obviously POC and as if I was to be impressed that this novel was being so inclusive. But the author - maybe not stereotypical, but definitely not natural in the way he wrote these characters. For example, there is a Hispanic character who works for the main character. And in almost every single sentence, ends with the word 'jefe', which felt unnecessary, because I feel like no one really calls their chief, 'chief, at the end of every sentence just in general. Also, somebody called him a computer cowboy and the mc corrected them saying something along the lines of, he's not a cowboy, he's a vaquero and I just couldn't.

In addition, the author actually describes one of his Indian character's shrugging motion as an "Indian shrug" and I was like wtf. First off, that just does not sound right, and second what the heck does that mean??? All in all, a lot of moments like these kept happening and it became too much for me to keep reading. I also found it odd how almost everyone around the mc had a clearly non-white name, but our main character did? Plus I'm pretty sure she's also a POC? So it felt odd that she has a white name, and is POC, but everyone else has clearly non-white names?

This is a little random, but the use of exclamation marks also took me out of the story at times. The moments when it would be used just ended up making the sentence or moment sound elementary? The moments where it would focus on the fact that our main character was a woman was also kinda iffy to read? In particular with the POV chapters of the Unsub. There was one chapter specifically where it was so weird because I had no idea why we were being told that. And that was how he was describing her as basically 'not like other girls', where (something along the lines of) she's not pretty but she could be, if she put in the effort, or she's too much of a boss to be doing things for the sake of a man.

I think I became disappointed in the thoughts and POV of the Unsub because his POV for the prologue was so good and I was so invested in the plot, but then his later POV chapters came up and it just didn't hit the same.

tldr: interesting and intriguing plot and premise, poor and uncomfortable portrayal of women and POC characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! It was fast paced, twists and turns at every page turn, likeable characters you can get behind and well written.
The book follows FBI special agent Susan Parker who is investigating a murder of a billionaire at his home in Southern California. This is just the start, and the bodies start piling up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sam Baron, and Storm Publishing for granting me access to an e-Arc of this book in exchange for a honest review.

3.5 ⭐️s
In this story we follow our FMC, Susan Parker, a special agent of the FBI, as she embarks on a twisted journey of mind games. Susan Parker is introduced to a teen podcaster, who brings her attention to a serial killer, who is killing single moms over a span of eight years. At the same time, our FBI agent is put on a case following the murder of a billionaire, and member of The Murder Club. The Murder Club is a group of billionaires who are stalking and watching a local serial killer, until the tables turn and now the serial killer is killing off the members one by one. Is Susan Parker searching for two serial killers now or are the serial killers somehow intertwined?

Have you ever had a book grab your attention in its first three sentences? I don’t believe I have, but this one did. It begins with “He knows they’re watching. He knows it’s a trap. He goes in anyway.” I was hooked by these lines and my attention never wavered throughout. Put this title on your “must read” list.

Susan Parker, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the L.A. office is assigned to the case of the Clothesline killer by the director of the FBI. Parker’s team eventually learns that the person they are seeking is not only a killer, but a serial killer focusing on single mothers who are physically abusive of their children and are frequently into alcohol and/or substance abuse.

Parker heads a team of young FBI agents, all of whom are superlative at their jobs. A bit annoying is the somewhat juvenile interactions among these members as well as herself. I can’t quite picture FBI agents behaving in such a manner.

On the other hand, Agent Parker’s interactions with her seven-year-old hearing-impaired daughter seem quite warm and genuine. Susan is a pit bull of an agent, and one I would not want after me. She feels motherly guilt for the very long hours she puts into her job, but her job appears to be priority number one.

A major thorn in Agent Parker’s side is Santa Carina (CA) Valley Chief of Police McDougal who continually does all he can to thwart her actions during her investigations. The chief is described as a homophobic, chauvinist, racist character which may offend some readers.

Although this book can be read as a standalone title, I would encourage interested individuals to first read The Therapy Room, as it is book number one in this series. Having some of the background from the first book will allow readers to better understand Agent Parker’s mental anguish as well as sharp exchanges with her uncle and mother-in-law.

A very minor quibble with the book, is the repeated use of “meters” for units of measurement rather yards, etc., a word possibly used as the publisher is U.K. based.

With lots of twists and turns this book succeeds admirably in keeping with the publisher’s goal of being “the home of stories readers just can’t put down.”

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGallery for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review.

3.5 stars

The Murder Club by Sam Baron  is the second in the FBI Agent Susan Parker series. 

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Storm Publishing and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

Series Background: (Warning - May contain spoilers from previous books) 
FBI Agent Susan Parker has been with the bureau over 10 years.  Her team consists of Special agents Ramon Diaz, Kayla Regis, and David Moskovitch, with Trainee agent Brine Thomas.  Their boss is Deputy Director Connor Gentry.  They work with Chief Evidence Investigator Marisol Mancini.  Recently, Detective Naved Seth has been working with the group.  Susan is a single mother to 7 year-old Natalie, and they are living with her sister-in-law Lata, who stepped up after Susan's husband died.




My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions):
Susan is called to investigate the death of a wealthy business man.  He, and other very wealthy men belonged to a group who were following a serial killer.  Dubbed the Murder Club, they were obsessed with a man who has been strangling women in their beds with a clothesline, while their children slept in adjacent rooms.  None of this group want to discuss anything with Susan.

But this wealthy group is not the only one tracking this serial killer.  A local podcaster has been following the case as well, and has finally got enough information that she has brought it forward to Naved.   She has a whole scrapbook filled with information showing a number of women who have been killed, leaving behind a number of orphaned children.

Soon Susan, herself, will be targeted.  She will be putting her own life, and that of her family, on the line.

 

My Opinions:
I enjoyed this one even more than the first in the series.  It was a fast-paced, gripping, and entertaining read.

Susan's team is great, and her sister-in-law is priceless.  I've gotten over the fact that the author combined so many different ethnicities, sexual orientations, and people with disabilities within the pages.  I thought he was trying too hard to be inclusive, but now...it is what it is. 

The plot was very good,  and although there seems to be never-ending questions as to what happened with Susan's dead husband,  I'm trying to ignore it, as I hate when things drag on from book to book.  I think the dialogue was much better in this one....except Marisol's....whose grammar for highly educated woman is atrocious!

In the acknowledgement, the author provided a few clues as to what was coming next, and that's fine, but I was not thrilled that he is going to be writing so frequently.  I doubt very much I will keep up.

However, I am looking forward to the next book..

Kept me on my toes! I probably should’ve read the first one but overall I liked this book and will definitely read the first book as well

This is book 2 FBI Special Agent Susan Parker, who lives with her daughter Natalie and sister-in-law in Santa Carina Valley. Susan is called in to investigate the death of a billionaire, Derek Chen! Susan discovers he was a part of a Billionaire Murder Club. Once, Susan starts to get more involved with the investigation, it appears there is a link to the Clothesline Killer. Through her partner, Detective Naved Seth (Santa Carine Valley PD), she meets with U who has a podcast with two friends that is looking back at earlier cases. How do they tie in? All I can say, I was gripped by the story and it was unputdownable. I will be recommending this book.

This was the first book I read in the FBI Agent Susan Parker series. I feel this did fine as a stand alone. There were no missing plot points ad they were adequately addressed. The story involved the case of a serial killer and some very wealthy and powerful people that were obsessed with him. There was a good twist at the conclusion of the case that was satisfying. However there were a lot of unanswered questions about the other billionaires involved. The ending left room for a sequel but not sure my questions will get answered there.