If you like FBI suspense, then you must read this book. I am sure you will love it. The very strong personality of the SAC Susan Parker is marvelously described. It takes just a few hours to go from beginning to end. Read it; you are going to love it.

Sam Baron is a new author for me which I am always cautious with especially when this is a book of 2. I was enjoyed reading the story of Susan Parker on her quest to find the killings of the Billionaire Murder Club. Susan doesn't do this alone. She has a team of who are not law enforcement they are podcasters. Yes podcasters a team you would never think would help in this investigation.

This is a very deep and dark story that might not be for the faint of heart Yet there are many different characters that would please many different readers. Susan and her cast of crime fighters put together the pieces of this crime to try and find the culprit or culprits behind it. This book kept me guessing and I was never sure how it would end. Very suspenseful until the end. I should look into book 1 and anything else by Mr. Baron.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.. I wold recommend this to anyone who likes a thriller and about a woman who is in charge.

The Murder Club is the second book in the FBI Agent Susan Parker Series; something I did not learn until after I'd finished reading. There are just enough hints and backstory in this book to make me want to go back and read Book 1, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not having read it first.

I found the dynamics at play in this book as interesting as the murder mystery to be solved, which makes a nice change from your average police procedural.

There were some parts of the narrative where I found it difficult to stretch believability, and some points were unnecessarily repetitive, but over all, it was quick and compelling read.

Okay. The Murder Club had great potential and while some of the story was good, I was just not thrilled with the execution. The premise sold me and I wanted to read it right away but unfortunately it just didn't deliver imo.

While the plot was intriguing I just couldn't get over all of the stereotypes, the constant in your face use of person of color (border line hypocrisy on the FMC) and the over explanation of everything (think Michael Scott saying "explain it to me like I'm five" and that's how I felt like I was treated during the whole book).

It was paced very well, the plot captured my attention, and I liked *most* of the characters. The dual POV from the serial killer and the FMC was also interesting and added depth to the story.

It was an interesting and fast-paced read but the overall execution of the plot and the writing style just wasn't for me but that doesn't mean it won't be for you :)

2.5 stars (rounded to 3 for GR)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for a copy of an e-arc in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts are my own :)

First I really enjoyed the setting in Southern California, not far from where I lived for many years. The story also included many diverse characters (though sometimes we were reminded of that a little too often).

Susan Parker is assigned as the lead FBI agent on a case of a murdered billionaire. After investigation, she and her team learn that there was a group of local billionaires that are all obsessed with who they refer to as the "Clothesline Killer." As it turns out, a podcaster group is also following this killer, and strangely enough, the lead podcaster is also the delivery person for this FBI offices pizzas. Sometimes a bit over the top, it was a good story with a wild ending I did not see coming.

One odd thing was measurements were referred to in meters and I don't know a single American to use the metric system. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Sam Baron for the eARC.

Book 2 in the FBI Agent Susan Parker Series is a slam dunk. Someone known as the Killer, to online and murder club sleuths, has been targeting single moms who are suspected of neglect and/or abuse. This individual has gotten so much underground traction that he is now being watched by a wealth group of individuals that call themselves The Murder Club.
You will love Susan and her drive to find the truth and to do the right thing. She is not afraid to uncover the truth from so many who are hiding secrets. This is a fast-paced page turner that will keep you guessing all the way to the end! I love a book that makes me exhausted even though I was just the bystander!

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

I had not read the previous book in this series and had not realised there was a previous book. Although its possible to read as a stand-alone book it would have mush more context if one had read the series.
I really enjoyed this book. It had many twists and turns and had an ending that was surprise but made sense in the end.

I wont give too much away but there was billionaires and their influences and police corruption all playing a role in a well written novel.
It's made me want to read book 1

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.