This is book 2 in the Expectant Detectives mystery series. I think this one works best if you’ve read book 1 and luckily I have!
Dead Tired continues with Alice and her new friends from birthing class after a move to the country. Alice and her friends continue to be hilarious and balance each other out well with each having their own type and personality (earthy, posh, etc). They are millennials in the very best way and I love seeing more of this age group in the cozy genre.
The mystery matters little when there is so much to enjoy from the mommy group antics, but don’t worry it adds to the fun. In this title, Alice and her friends are at an eco protest when they fall asleep (they are sleep deprived, you know). When they wake up one of the protestors is dead and they of course must solve the mystery, babies and pets in tow.

At this point, I think I'm more invested in the dog than any of the other characters. I think I also preferred the first novel to this one, however, the mystery was interesting.. it was just that these characters are falling flat for me. I don't really feel like there was that much character growth from our main character Alice whose child has been born. I love a good cozy mystery series, but perhaps I need to accept that this one just isn't for me.

If you want to do a spin off series where the dog solves mysteries instead, I am interested!

Sometimes as a mom you need a good book like this!! One that makes you feel like mom life can be hilarious and fun. Really enjoying all the cozy mysteries lately and this one is definitely one I recommend. If you want a lighthearted mystery with moments that will make you laugh out loud then you’ll love this book!

4 stars

I just love this series and you will, too, Prospective Reader, if you can get down with a cozy purely based on bonkers characters.

While this series is not complex and one *could* read this second installment as a standalone, I cannot recommend that approach at all. For maximum enjoyment, get to know the characters and their backstories in the first book before jumping into this one.

Alice, the m.c., through whose perspective this series occurs, is dead tired, as the title suggests, because that baby she was working on when readers last saw her is now out and free (and making a mess!), along with all of his peers. That doesn't stop her from getting into the requisite trouble, which seems to be as much a gift to her as it is to readers. This woman is truly wild in the best way. She seems to be at least as messy as her infant and dog (more on this one shortly), but she's also still strangely skilled at finding herself in the midst of crimes and their solutions (and, yes, their barriers to solutions, at times).

While Alice is a worthy and engaging protagonist, the reason I couldn't wait to devour this is the same reason I loved the first book: Helen. This dog is outrageous. She brings joy to every scene in which she exists, or in which someone even thinks of her. I'd be furious if she were my dog, but I'm thrilled she's still galivanting with Alice, and I hope that continues for many books to come.

Folks who enjoyed the first book, who love a good cozy, and especially who can appreciate an absolutely wacky protagonist AND HER AT LEAST AS WACKY AND FANTASTIC DOG should queue this ball of hijinks. I'm already eagerly anticipating the next book.

3 out of 5 Stars

Twas a great sequel to a great first book.

Thanks you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc.