I loved returning to this world with Caius and his team. This one might have been even better than the first. Vassell does an amazing job of weaving an intricate mystery. There were so many moving parts. It was interesting following the connections between the characters and learning their histories.

Just like in The Other Half, we are treated to the world of the British elite. The oh so handsome Rupert makes an appearance again as well as his slightly shady uncle Arthur Hampton. With his addition, Caius delves into some political intrigue.

The In Crowd is a top-tier murder mystery, and this series is a must-read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Charlotte's previous book and I'm sad to say I just couldn't get into THE IN CROWD.

I'm not sure exactly what the problem was - I enjoy the D.I. Caius Beauchamp character, but I think I wasn't invested in Callie's character.

Some of the plot became confusing for me.

I enjoy reading police procedurals, and while this wasn't one of my favorites, I think it's quirky enough for those who like a step above cozy mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley and Double Day Books for an e-copy of THE IN CROWD to review.

I rate THE IN CROWD three out of five stars.

I really enjoyed The Other Half and was very excited for this book. However, it was quite slow and the exciting parts are too far apart from the dragging parts. The characters themselves are interesting and bring a lot to the story so it's disappointing that the storyline drags. I'd read another book by Charlotte Vassell because I loved The Other Half so much. All this book needs is to move faster!

DI Beauchamp moves forward in the world, working through and testing new personal identities and attributes - right clothes? right foods? right exercise regimen? right attitude - while quietly investigating crime with his colleagues. This book begins shortly after the earlier one ends and some of the characters are the same. I'm beginning to suspect that this series will turn out to be a modern comedy of manners more than mysteries, but we need to see how the unexpected twist at the end of this book plays out.

There are three deaths in this book: one in the theater, one in a river, and one long time ago in a boarding school. What was an accident? What is related? This book is a real who done it and I really enjoyed it. it’s all about the elite and super wealthy in London and I love getting a sneak peek into that life even if it’s fiction.

The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell is the second in her series about Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp. In this installment, Caius is mysteriously asked by a wealthy politician to investigate what appeared to be an accidental drowning as a murder. In doing so, he ends up investigating two cold cases as well. I have not read the first book in the series and felt I was adequately able to follow the storyline here. I enjoyed the mystery and am interested to read future books by the author as well as going back to read the first book about DI Beauchamp.

Ah, I get to enjoy some of my favorite characters again! This is another good mystery featuring DIs Beauchamp, Matt & Amy. The In Crowd has a number of questions that need answered and they all interconnect and even tie in some characters from the first book. Some of the back and forth was a little confusing, but it all still rolls together nicely. While immersed in the case, you get to see a little more of the personal lives and personalities of Caius's team and how they work together. Another good read by Charlotte Vassell and I look forward to #3.

The In Crowd - Charlotte Vassell
Pub Date - Aug 6, 2024
Rating - 3.5/5

Thoughts - Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoy a good detective story and this one does it justice! I started with The In Crowd a few months ago, where detective Caius was introduced. He is a funny, smart, and quick witted detective who gets crimes solved, while also having a sense of humor. This book was no different in that Vassell actually expanded on Caius' character, making him even more lovable to the audience.

The only thing about this book was the length, which is why I didn't give it a 4. It took me days to finish, so I wish it was a little succinct. Also, you should read the first book if before you dive into this one to get the full context of the story. As a reader it helps. Overall, funny, entertaining, and great mystery to dive into!

Alright, 4.5 stars rounded up. I loved this one! I can’t wait for the next in the series.
I loved Caius and Callie and the team with Amy and Matt.
I was not a fan of The Other Half because I hated all the characters and didn’t care about their horrible lives. But I wanted to read the In Crowd because I wanted to know what would happen next with Caius. I was not disappointed. I liked and cared about these characters! Amidst a mystery, I really enjoyed the bits of romance. This was a complex multi mystery story with a LOT of characters and names to remember. (Felt like Lisa Jewel in this way.) It was overall a little too long. But I really liked it anyway.
The main focus was Detective Caius, and that really helped the plot move along for me. There were multiple mysteries-2 unsolved cold cases and one new case. There were characters and Easter eggs from The Other Half. It’s good to have the context, but I believe this one could be read as a stand-alone and enjoyed as much.

The In Crowd is out now, I recommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced eARC.

Lots to unpack in this book: two cold cases to be unraveled, a 14 year old girl and a multi million dollar pension fund. A rowing team discovers a body floating face down in the Thames, Years earlier the CEO of a clothing manufacturer disappeared with the pension fund. Detective Beauchamp goes to the theater only to discover a dead body just a few seats away. Mix this all together and you get a great mystery.

Early one morning, a men’s rowing team discovers a body floating face down in the Thames. Many years before, the chief executive of a clothing manufacturer walked off with a multi-million dollar corporate retirement fund and disappeared without a trace. Now, the discovery of this body has reopened that cold case. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp has his own evening at the theater upended by the discovery of a dead body just a few seats away. Two decades ago, Eliza Chapel, a fourteen-year-old student at a girls boarding school in Cornwall, disappeared in the middle of the night under dubious circumstances. A second body and a second cold case reopened. As DI Caius Beauchamp investigates these parallel missing persons cases, he finds himself ensnared in the unexpected political machinations of a duke-in-waiting.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC! This book is the second in the DI Caius Beauchamp series. I read the first book last year and really enjoyed it, so I was excited for this! These books are so fun because they are the quintessential British mystery. I love the sarcastic humor that they are packed it, as well as the variety of characters from different walks of British life. Vassell has such a clever writing style in these stories, and I love how she is able to attack societal norms and the upper class in her undertones. There were a lot of separate story lines in this book, but they were all equally interesting and came together nicely. Some characters reappear from the first book, but not in a way that makes it necessary to ready the first book before this one to understand what’s going on. The In Crowd is out now!

This book made me so happy! I was already a fan with The Other Half and this sequel was everything I had loved in the first book with a bit more.

This time focusing on two crimes instead of one, we are once again following DI Deauchamp and his team as they try to unravel them both. Society differences once again play a big role as the cases revolve around high society. I do love rich people behaving badly - and boy do they in this book. The mysteries themselves are clever and the twists were smart and well written. The writing itself is clever and all the characters have a distinct voice that makes you immediately know who they are - you either love them or hate them so venomously that you are secretly hoping they end up being the dead body. If you know you know....

The characters (the detectives especially) are extremely lovable and I can't wait to see whats in store for them in the next book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this earc in exchange for my honest review.

The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell is the second excellent entry in her Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp series.
In this novel, Caius is tasked with investigating the case of a woman found floating in the Thames. In a complex, intricately plotted story, the dead woman and the discovery of a dead politician open up a new look at a cold case involving a missing pension fund.
The recurring thread in both Book 1 and this volume is the premise (and probable reality) that the “posh” people—wealthy businessmen, aristocrats, and powerful politicians—get away with indiscretions and crimes fare more than the ordinary citizen. As Caius observes after dinner with a wealthy manipulator: as he rode home, “the roads were quiet, his head felt light and his morals weighed heavily upon him.”
Caius is a fascinating character, and his Met police sidekicks Matt and Amy are welcome returnees from Book 1. Their witty repartee is clever, and there is an easy camaraderie among the officers.
The story expertly weaves the characters’ personal lives with the compelling investigation of murder and fraud among the powerful. It culminates with a stunning revelation at the end!
The prose is wry, witty and sophisticated with clever turns of phrase.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a well-written, well-plotted police procedural with an appealing central character: DI Caius, a charming and flawed hero, who is relentless in his investigation and who exhibits an admirable moral compass. I look forward to more novels in this series.

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed this! I liked the previous book, and I think this was an excellent follow up—smart and incisive. Looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here!

I did not care for the 1st book in this series, although I loved Caius Beauchamp's character and said I would read another book if Caius was in it. Well, he is and this book is so much better than the first. We get to know Caius and his lovely team better and that makes me like them even more. This was a solid police procedural that keeps you interested with twists and just pure enjoyment of the characters.

Thank you to Doubleday Books | Doubleday for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I didn't realize this was the second book in book in a series until I was quite a way into the book. That said, I feel like I really missed getting to know the main characters. I would definitely recommend starting with book 1. The fact that there were two mysteries make it much more interesting but I still felt like it lagged and moved very slowly.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Second in a series, but as I had not read the first book, I could still easily follow along. I was really hopeful for this book, but it fell a bit flat for me. I didn't really gel with any of the characters and the writing style wasn't my vibe.

loved this mystery and keeping secrets and the different point of views. Also loved trying to figure out who did it . I enjoyed the mystery behind it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Charlotte Vassell, the second in the wonderful DI Caius Beauchamp series. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp finds himself in charge of two cold cases. The first comes into play when a men's rowing team discovers a body floating in the Thames. Years before, the chief executive of a clothing manufacturer walked away with a multi-million dollar corporate retirement fund and disappeared. Then, as Caius is at the theater, someone dies just a few seats away. Over 20 years ago, Eliza Chapel disappeared from a girls boarding school. As Caius, along with associates Matt and Amy, investigate these missing persons cases, he finds himself in the middle of a political mess as well as a personal one.

I was so very happy to read this book after The Other Half, which I loved, because Caius is an amazing, quirky character and Vassell writes such intriguing mysteries with fabulous characters and dialogue. These mysteries are complex, but funny and twisty, and I'm already anxious for more! I love the relationship between Caius and his associates, as they both poke fun and look out for each other. Plus, we are introduced to Calliope (Calli), a milliner he meets at the theater. who is dealing with her own drama. While this can easily be read as a standalone, don't hesitate to read The Other Half first, because they are that good!

Vassell takes us back to the world of London's crime fighting detective Caius Beauchamp, the obscenely wealthy and...murder. Caius is at a play, waiting for his Tinder date, seated next to a beautiful stranger when the play, um, erupts.

From there the mysteries ensue. There are two cases to be solved, they aren't related (until they are) and the way it all unfolds is so clever. A tight puzzle box waiting for the key.

"The In Crowd" (#2 in the DI Caius Beauchamp series) has Caius and his reliable team of Amy & Matt, the super posh super rich pulling strings, more familiar faces (hi, Rupert), a bridezilla, and an intricately webbed plot. Of course I'm looking forward to #3!

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the digital ARC.