What a great cosy mystery book and what better way to solve a murder than to involve the book club. Love the idea, the writing is great and the characters are wonderful. But better still the story is told in a way that I never got bored. A delightful, charming fun and cosy read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harbor Lane Books, LLC for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I am a huge fan of cozy mystery and I was so excited to read this! Suzie is relatable and I loved her vibe throughout! Dark secrets and mystery just kept me hooked! Obsessed!!!

This is a cute cozy mystery. I enjoyed the book club portion of the story and I wish there was more involvement of the members. There were hints of them here and there, but very little involvement in the investigation part of the story.

This also has a budding romance, which I like in a cozy mystery without drama or a love triangle, which is a positive in my book. . It was a good mystery and wasn't completely predictable, which I also appreciate. I look forward to more books about these characters, so I hope this is the beginning of a new series.

I love a good murder mystery and A Book Club’s Guide to Murder & Mayhem did not disappoint.

Suzie’s character was fun to watch. I liked seeing how her mind worked. I honestly have more questions about the estate she was left and why he chose to give it to her. I can’t wait to see where everything goes in book 2.

A delightful beginning to a new series in the cozy mystery genre. I loved the charming cast of characters and their dynamics were heartwarming and entertaining. The plot was well paced with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing.
Many thanks to Harbor Lane Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I expected. I'm always hesitant to read the first in a series as it seems that many of them start out so slowly. However, this one had me hooked from the first few pages. I liked the characters as they seemed 'real' to me. It was well-written and the story flowed very nicely. I'll be looking for more from this author.

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

There is so much to love about this book! Suzie was a strong character lead, and I enjoyed seeing the relationships she formed with the other characters, like her friends Jess and Jake, her bookclub members, and Detective Pagarelli. The premise of the book was excellent and believable (which I think cozy mysteries often lack), and this made the book even more enjoyable. The mystery really had me guessing in classic whodunit fashion right until the very end!

Prior to this book, I’d never heard of Bethany Barker. I really enjoyed the characters and the plotting, This was a super fun, quick mystery to read.

I enjoyed this fairly quick cozy mystery. Would make a great start to a series. I loved the characters and even the mystery.

Bethany Barker's *A Book Club’s Guide to Murder & Mayhem* is a captivating start to the Suzie Tuft Mystery series, blending intrigue, romance, and camaraderie in a masterful way. Suzie Tuft, a textbook writer, stumbles upon a dead body near her peaceful rural home, only to find her life turned upside down by a series of shocking revelations. The deceased, an attorney connected to her late ex-boyfriend's estate, leaves Suzie with a substantial inheritance and a whole lot of trouble.

The plot thickens as Suzie faces threats from her ex’s unhinged girlfriend and his shady associates, all desperate to recover a staggering sum from a scam. Barker expertly weaves suspense and tension, making every page a gripping read. The chaos in Suzie's life is tempered by the loyalty and ingenuity of her book club friends, who rally to help her untangle the mystery. Their teamwork adds a heartwarming layer to the thrilling narrative. Adding to the allure is the budding romance between Suzie and the handsome detective assigned to the case. Barker strikes the perfect balance between romance and mystery, keeping readers hooked till the very end.

A Book Club’s Guide to Murder & Mayhem* is a delightful blend of suspense, wit, and heart. Barker’s engaging writing and well-drawn characters make this a must-read for mystery enthusiasts.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

I liked the idea of the book, but it had issues. I noted some obvious continuity problems. The main character was asking for trouble with her actions. The mystery writer seemed clueless about basic police procedure. I could like this series with some changes.

I always hoped there was a place I could visit that would inspire me to a better mindset. According to Lori Erickson, there are plenty!

Travel writer, Lor Erickson, gives the world a truly inspirational road map in her book Every Step is Home, as she uncovers and presents locations throughout the United States holding special spiritual meaning.

This is a cool book and I do know what she means by places with a spiritual meaning. Years ago I wrote a book, Images of America: Apple Valley, CA. It celebrates the history of a relatively small swatch of land in Southern California’s High Desert that has drawn entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars to it for decades.

Thank You tuberculosis. During the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, 70 to 90 percent of urban populations in Europe and the United States contracted tuberculosis. Of those people, roughly 80 percent died of the disease.

Sound like COVID-19?

In the case of my Apple Valley book, flocks of people fled urban areas for drier, and more roomy areas, thinking the air would improve their lung problems. During that time, a natural spiritualist named Catherine Boynton, who lived in Los Angeles and was well connected to the Hollywood scene received a vision that a place existed in the desert where she could find spiritual enlightenment and refuge from tuberculosis.

In 1911, Boynton traveled to Apple Valley from the California coast during the epidemic after receiving “a call” to find a magic place in the desert with which to open a health sanitorium. Boynton discovered the magic place from her visions about three hours of modern-day driving time to the west of Los Angeles.

A knoll overlooking the great Mojave Desert basin eventually became Rancho Yucca Loma, a health farm for people like Thomas Seton, founder of the Boy Scouts, and movie star Clark Gable shortly after his wife Carole Lumbard died.

After that generation, another generation of Long Beach developers transformed the same area into an old West Hollywood hub used for movies and recreation.

After that generation, the Town of Apple Valley constructed dozens of high-end homes on the knoll, creating another financial boon. But the spiritual spot, the “X” that marks the spot where Boynton found her original inspiration, was vacant until the last few years before and during the COVID-19 epidemic.

The still-unimproved land is considered spiritually blessed and is now owned by the High Desert Church. The rocks and dirt, creosote bushes, and Joshua Trees still betray the land’s storied past with remnants of the early 1900s transformation. Someday, that last spiritual spot will be their Apple Valley Sanctuary

Erickson has an entire book of stories and places just like Apple Valley where people of the past found their mission and inspiration for life. Published in October of 2023, Erickson appears to have found inspiration to share her collection of magical locations during COVID-19 and blessed us with the map that will guide curious seekers to their destiny.

This is a fascinating book. Its stories need to be read to generations upon generations, lest we lose the map once more where “X” marks the spot. I suppose it doesn’t matter though, these locations call to those who look for spiritual meaning in their environment. And someone will find each one.

"A Book Club's Guide to Murder and Mayhem" is a promising start to a new series where we meet textbook author Suzie Tuft and her book club friends.

While out on a walk with her dog, Suzie discovers a dead body. Eventually, she learns that the deceased had actually been on his way to see her. He was a lawyer and was about to inform her of the death of her loser ex-boyfriend, who bequeathed something to her in his will. But instead of delivering the message, he was murdered.

The problem is, there are plenty of potential suspects who rail against Suzie's inheritance, and even Suzie herself is baffled about it since she and her ex had parted on bad terms.

As she and her friends try to get to the bottom of things, Suzie also begins to develop an attachment to the detective investigating the murder in a sweet slow-burn romance.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, although there were some little things that became too repetitive for me and other reviewers have commented that those same things put them off the story altogether. I'm going to reserve judgment and see how the next book in the series goes. With any luck, the author will take reviewer comments into consideration and we'll see less of that moving forward.

Thank you to Bethany Barker, Harbor Lane Books, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

"I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

I'm so sorry! I did not finish this book. I began it and was hooked right up until the point she and her friends go to view this ultra nice cabin, that her ex gifts to her. She also already lives in a beautiful home on spectacular property. Just completely unbelievable. I could not suspend my disbelief long enough to continue.

This was my first read of this author and I loved it. The story captivated me and made me want more. I like a lot the main character, Suzie. Her friends are also great. The friendship relationship between Suzie, Jess and Jake is perfect.

The cozy mistery and the suspans were just perfect

Hunter is my favorite character of this book 🤭.

This was my first read by this author and a different genre from what I normally read. After saying that, I absolutely loved it! Living in Western Pennsylvania and just north of Pittsburgh, it was really strange to read a book set in places I have been. I been to a little restaurant in Punxy a couple of times and just kept picturing myself sitting there.

I loved the twist and turns of this mystery as well as the loving friendship that's shown throughout the book. It was refreshing to read a book with a normal flirting and nervousness of liking someone but being unsure. It is very relatable.

This was my first read but won't be my last! I need more Susie and Jess in my life!

What a cute book. Kind of makes me want to join a book club. Likable characters. Good mystery. I will definitely be reading more.

This started out so strongly with an interesting premise about Suzie inheriting an estate from an estranged ex-boyfriend but poor decision making, and unlikeable characters ruined it for me. Suzie consistently has TSTL moments and puts herself in danger because she does not want to bother the detective. Meanwhile, her best friend, while concerned about her safety enough to repeatedly tell her to stay at her house, would rather discuss her dating prospects than how many silly mistakes Suzie makes. I wish I had liked it more, but it fell apart about halfway through and did not get back on track. I will not be continuing with the series.