She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: January 21, 2025

She Doesn't Have a Clue is great! The book has such a wonderful mix of mystery, romance, humor, and coziness. It feels like a modern-day take on the classic mysteries that we all know and love.

I was instantly intrigued by the interesting world that the author created. It was such a blast following along with the main character, Kate, who is witty, determined, and entertaining. I found myself rooting for her throughout the story!

The plot has the perfect amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing without being too complex. There are a couple of slower moments, but the book flows pretty well overall. All in all, I was completely invested in what was going to happen and was happy with how everything came together in the end.

Overall, a fun book that’s perfect if you love a locked room/cozy mystery combined with some spice/romance. An enjoyable escape that I’d recommend for all fans of romance and mystery!

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is the first book I've read by the author - I was also able to listen to the audiobook ahead of its release thanks to NetGalley, the author, St.Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio.

I had high hopes for the book based on the summary and the first few chapters. I'm all about a story that takes place on an isolated island, during a storm, with the main female character attending the wedding of an ex-fiancee while a wealthy family is fighting over an estate. Usually those events make for a suspenseful and thrilling read!

However, in the end, I found the novel to be silly more than anything else. Perhaps it's just me but if a group of people accused me of murder, a spicy romp with a long-admired person would be the last thing on my mind.

There were multiple times throughout the story when Kate, the main female character, found herself in a sticky situation that made her look like she was still holding a flame for her ex-fiancee and was actively trying to sabotage his wedding. And instead of facing the problems herself, she tapped into the fictional character she's writing about - Loretta who is a detective by day and a bartender by night. Then, after tapping into the Loretta part of her brain, she was frequently distracted by Jake - the gorgeous Australian former-surfer turned thrilling adventure tour guide who travels the world. Jake was also a character in Kate's book series whom she calls Blake.

When a member of the feuding wealthy family member dies, Kate's actions are dealt with in a silly, rather than serious, manner. Even if this was marketed as more of a cozy mystery, it was still improbable that Kate would obsess over Jake and her physical attraction to him.

I rated this three stars in the end. While it was absolutely entertaining, especially the audiobook, I found the characters and plot rather foolish. However, I would still absolutely recommend the book especially if you enjoy a preposterous cozy mystery mixed with some spice or if you need a mindless and light read.

Thank you to Jenny Elder Moke, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love the cover, unfortunately, I only liked the book itself. It was a little too slow for me. The characters feel flat and didn't seem to care what was going on.

I had fun with this book. I enjoyed the second chance at romance a bit more than the mystery (which was still fun!). The mystery has family drama unraveling like a yarn ball. It just keeps going in a "can't look away" kind of way - it felt to me like a romcom version of the Inheritance Games with murder sprinkled in. I enjoyed the awkward to sizzling chemistry of the love interests so much. I also liked the MC's occupation of being an author of mystery novels, and how she draws on her book's main character for guidance. As for reading, I didn't have pacing issues and thought each scene flowed to the next. This was a fun one.

Thank you NetGalley, Jenny Elder Moke, and St. Martin's press/Minotaur Books for an eARC of this book.

A fun read. Fast paced and interspersed with text from the mystery books written by Kate, the main character. Will Kate evolve the real life mystery on the island where they are stranded?

Such a fun read! I love a good stranded, locked room mystery and this did not disappoint. The characters were fleshed out and the plot flowed with lots of twists and turns with a few red herrings too. I loved the two main characters, Kate and Jake and their relationship. I also enjoyed the pieces of Kate's book and her growth in the story. To me, this was what I wanted The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year to be. If you like a little romance with your mystery, this is for you!

This is an entertaining, well-written, murder mystery novel. It has a likable female protagonist, an engaging male protagonist, an interesting cast of secondary characters, wit, humor, romance, a vividly described setting, and a satisfying conclusion. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books, NetGalley, and Ms. Jenny Elder Moke, from whom I received an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.

This one was billed as a rom com and a murder mystery - those are two of my favorite genres so I was excited to dive in. Unfortunately the book meandered a little too much to keep my full attention. By the time the murder happened I was already running out of steam. I also felt like more tension could have been built between the FMC and the MMC - which is what I would expect of a rom com. When they got together I didn’t have that yay! moment that I usually do because I wasn’t very invested in their relationship. Maybe this one was trying too hard to cross genres.

On the flip side, there was sharp dialogue and I enjoyed reading about the publishing industry (FMC is a cozy mystery writer). There was some confusion sometimes because the book would pivot to the FMC’s book series characters - but that sort of felt like fiction mimicking reality.

The idea was great but the execution could have been a little tighter. The ending set up the next book - I’m curious enough that I’ll give the series another shot.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Jenny Elder Moke for the ARC.

Not normally a cozy mystery fan but this one may have changed my mind, guess I just needed a little romance and spice with the mystery. I thought this one was pretty entertaining and quick read, I liked the FMC and it had some good twists along the way. Would recommend rating 3/3.5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you love a locked room mystery, a touch of spice, books about the book industry and murder at a wedding, this book is a must-read!

Whether you’re a fan of cozy mysteries or just looking for a fun, lighthearted escape, She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a must-read. It’s a playful, feel-good mystery that will leave you guessing—and smiling—until the very end!

This was great and the twist was pretty surprising! Was a little worried about the scorned ex aspect of this book but it was more played out by other characters in the book not the FMC. The whodunit plot is great but the I wanted more from the romance! Would still recommend!

She Doesn't Have a Clue was a hit! The story was such a fun mix of mystery, humor, and charm—it felt like a modern twist on classic sleuthing tales. I was drawn into the quirky world Moke created, and the main character was such a delight to follow. Her wit and determination kept me rooting for her the whole way through.

The plot had just the right amount of twists to keep me guessing without being overcomplicated. That said, there were a couple of slower moments where the pace dipped a bit, but it didn’t ruin the overall experience. By the end, I was fully invested in the resolution and satisfied with how everything came together.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted mystery with clever characters and a dash of humor, this book is a must-read. It’s such a fun escape—I’d definitely recommend it!

An amazing premise like this will always make me want to read a book? Murder mystery AND romance? Sold. The twists and turns combined with plenty of steamy romance made this a fun, fast read. Would recommend.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue was a promising premise but missed on a few things for me. Firstly, there were so many people, I had trouble remembering who they were. When the murderer was revealed, I had totally forgotten that persons storyline. Secondly, it was too slow. Although there were quite a few twists they still didn’t keep my interest piqued. Thirdly, I was more annoyed by the Loretta side comments than entertained. I did enjoy Kate and Jake. They had real chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A destination wedding on a private island off Seattle sounds like bliss, doesn't it? But it turns out to be nightmare for author, Kate Valentine. Going into the wedding, Kate knew things would be 'interesting' as the groom is her ex-fiancé who is also her editor. There is nothing like mixing business with pleasure. Making things even more 'interesting' is Jake Hawkins, the one who got away and is her biggest regret. Making things worse is that she and Jake must share a room. Then Kate finds a dead body........

Part mystery, part romance, and part trapped room, She Doesn't Have a Clue was a cozy book/whodunit. Kate writes mystery novels and uses her skills to attempt to solve the mystery in this book.

I was hoping to enjoy this book much more than I did. This book moved a little too slow for my taste. While I enjoyed the mystery, I wanted a little more tension, dread, danger, and suspense. I never got the feeling that any of the characters in this book were too moved or freaked out by what was happening around them.

While I enjoyed this book, I doubt I will remember it in months to come. Others are enjoying this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

First, I want to thank NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This story hooked me right away and I loved the idea of combining a murder mystery & romance in more of a 50/50 split. I enjoyed the eclectic cast of characters and the overall setting for the mystery.
The middle did drag for a bit and it became a little repetitive - I get it - he smells good, but overall, I enjoyed my time reading this story and was thoroughly entertained. It also kept me guessing until the reveal.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out to see what’s next from this author.

Delightfully fun adult debut mystery. I really enjoyed Kate and Jake and the twisted plot of this ‘locked room’ style mystery. I really hope there are more featuring these characters. No spoilers here so can’t really say too much except give it a try and I hope you enjoy this.

Thanks to #netgalley, the publisher and author for this ebook ARC to read. All opinions are my own

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, a cozy mystery set on a private island off the coast of Seattle: It turned out to have shades of romantic comedy as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Not what I expected. Thought it would be a sappy love fest. It was so much more

Enjoyed the read much more than I expected.

Recommend.