Fun, funny buddy comedy set on the outskirts of that glam hotspot, Hollywood's movie industry. There's bad behavior from entitled jerks, there's a high-speed golf cart chase, there's a distinctly sapphic undertone to the leads' chemistry...there's a lot to enjoy, in other words.

Youthful impulsivity (Natasha quitting law school was the kind of stupid thing I'd've yelled at her for) and the darker side of alcohol abuse (blackouts are not new to Julia) are facets of this story. Adjusting to aging, launching a career, re-launching a career...all bantered over and really dealt with as Natasha and Julia are traipsing from pillar to post to figure out how the hell Tony, Julia's nasty ex-lover, ended up dead in her pool. Most of all, though, I was there to see how Julia would stay sober in a super high-stress world like moviemaking. Author Waxman dealt with Julia's very new sobriety and the underknown challenges the sobriety seeker faces staying on the wagon (low blood sugar is one of the most common traps for the unwary) honestly and forthrightly without didacticism.

This contrasts to the, um, shall we say heightened, tone and nature of the crime these women are united to solve. Everything about it is absurd. It's meant to be. This is the movie industry we're skewering. I'm not inclined to seek out these areas of comedy that often. I'm glad I did this time because, well, I needed a laugh that was more substantial than a romcom, had service to Ma'at and the Rightness of the world, and felt grounded enough in reality...you do not get more real that seeking sobriety...to give me a place to stand while I was craning my neck to follow the story's breakneck action.

I'm not even whelmed, still less overwhelmed, by the storytelling voice. It felt...flat...to me because it tried so hard. I'm a tough room, especially for comedy, because it is so difficult to convince me you mean it when you're being funny. This story fell only slightly short in my eyes, largely due to Natasha's dramatic unsuitability to the role of sponsor. Not that Julia would ever be someone to take real advantage of that relationship. She's not really built to listen to critique, only to hear criticism. Many an actor falls into that habit of hearing.

All that said, I'm impressed by the story's honest and unusually detailed dealings with alcohol addiction. I give it four stars for that, and for managing to make even cynical old mystery-reader me pay attention to the sleuths' frenetic chasing after fairly obvious clues.

Author Waxman will get more of my dwindling supply of eyeblinks in future.

Mason meets an older actress at an AA meeting and decides to volunteer as her sponsor. Instead, she is sucked into the mess that is the life of Julia Mann. Julia has found the body of her long-time enemy in her pool and is not ready to go BACK to prison. Mason joins the team of misfits helping Julia solve the crime to keep Julia free. Hijinks ensue and there are plenty of people with the motive to kill that man! Can they figure it out, or will the real killer get them first?

Occasionally, I will find a mystery that I really like. I love Abbi Waxman's other books but this was not them. I enjoyed all the characters and the found family of it all but the storyline was not my favorite. Plus, everything wrapped up fast in the end and left me wishing for justice for long-ago crimes. I would read a cozy story that shows these characters later down the line and I would likely LOVE it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

Loved this book! Love these characters! I hope to see more of Mason and Mann in the future. So witty and smart.
Thank you @berkleypub for the gifted arc.

4.25

This is a story about strays. Strays, and the people who take them in and give them a purpose. Yes, there’s a recently orphaned dog, the ugliest in the world apparently, and a cat who was run over and lived. The real strays of this story, however, are the people taken in by Julia Mann. Don’t get me wrong. The strays include a successful Hollywood agent/lawyer, one of the hottest young actresses, and the daughter of two Berkley psychiatrists. Not exactly “Oliver Twist”.

This mystery is different than most. Mason gave me a film noir vibe, but don’t for a second think of a black-and-white themed episode of every TV series ever made. It’s just a feeling. She is a loner, an incessant sleuth, and a misfit and is on the periphery of classic Hollywood and the movie star who hired her.

I struggled a bit with the first half of the book, but that seems to happen a lot, so I’m always second-guessing myself. I knew all along, however, that these were unique and interesting characters and could just picture Mason, Claudia, Will, and the rest of the team. Mason and Julia are very different, yet they both struggle with addiction and have a reputation of not caring, even though they are really very caring and generous.

A modern mystery with a classic Hollywood nod. It’s not necessarily the work of a mystery mastermind, but you’ll be in it as much for the pack of strays as finding a killer.

Thank you to Abbi Waxman, NetGalley, and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

I’ve long been a big fan of Abbi Waxman’s books because I can count on her to craft characters who are a little bit eccentric and a lot bit lovable. Despite this being her first cozy mystery, her characters maintained that Abbi Waxman feel.

There is a lot going on here. A famous actress is accused of murder - for the second time - when a dead man is found floating in her pool. Julia Mann doesn’t know how he got there because she was blacked out on a drinking bender. She meets Natasha Mason at an AA meeting where Mason not only volunteers to be her sponsor, but also decides she will prove Julia’s innocence. What follows is exactly what you would expect when two highly unqualified and slightly unhinged amateur detectives attempt to investigate a murder.

ONE DEATH AT A TIME has all the oddities I expect from a Waxman novel. The scenarios are absurd and the sarcasm top notch. While it may lack some of the charm of her other books, it makes up for it with hilarity as this unlikely duo struggles to get out of their own way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Lights, snark, and action!
Think sharp dialogue, chaotic energy, and just enough plot to keep you guessing.

This one follows Julia, a grumpy former actress with a messy past, and Mason, her younger sobriety sponsor, as they find themselves unexpectedly caught up in a murder investigation. The whole thing is very L.A.—quirky, fast-paced, and full of personality.

At first, I was into it. The voice is clever, sarcastic, and full of energy, and for a while, that really worked for me. But over time, I found myself wishing for a little more quiet and a little less quip. The humour didn’t always hit the right note for me, and I caught myself wanting to connect more with the characters underneath all the snark.

There were also a lot of side characters and detours, which made the plot feel a bit scattered. I struggled to stay fully grounded in the story, especially since I didn’t feel a strong emotional connection to Julia or Mason. Their dynamic had potential, but it never fully clicked for me.

That said, I’ve really enjoyed Abbi Waxman’s previous novels—Nina Hill is still a favourite—and I’ll absolutely keep reading her work. This one just wasn’t quite the right fit, but I can see it working well for readers who love sharp banter and a madcap mystery vibe.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book was a bit different from what I've read by Abbi Waxman. It had a surprising premise but was not my favorite book by the author.
Julia Mann is an irreverent, in-your-face, celebrity turned criminal defense lawyer. When this drunken, oscar-winning actress finds a body floating in her pool, she flees the scene and is further accused of murder. Sentenced to a stint in Alcoholics Anonymous, she meets her young Gen-Z'er sponsor, Natasha Mason, whom she takes on as a personal assistant. Mason is introduced to Julia's world and aids her in clearing her name while upholding her sobriety.

The partnership is odd but the dynamics of their working relationship (and eventual friendship) seemed to work. The author takes us through seedy establishments and spins us in circles before dumping us into the meat of the plot towards the end. Truthfully, I did not care for Julia (the main character) as much as I did Mason. I was more interested in Mason's backstory.

The plot was fast-paced but was a bit crude in comparison to Abbi Waxman's other novels. I liked how the author patterned her story around alcohol addiction, so I see why the characters needed to be rougher around the edges but the main characters did not appeal to me like the wonderful characters in her previous novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This review is voluntary, and all thoughts are my own.

Trigger warning: alcoholism, language

Funny and fast-paced, this was my first read by Abbi Waxman, and I loved it! Her writing is sharp, her dialogue hilarious, her humor irreverent, and her characters memorable. The book was fun and wildly entertaining!

At the heart of the book is the intergenerational relationship between Natasha "Mason" and Julia, a former film star turned lawyer who has previously served time for killing her husband and is once again a suspect in a murder investigation. Mason is Julia's AA sponsor and becomes her assistant, and together, they try to uncover the real culprit. I loved their dynamic and witty banter. Both characters are dynamic and well-developed, and I adored them. They are smart, blunt, snarky, and a little unpredictable but kind-hearted, especially to those in need. The secondary characters are also quirky and interesting, especially those close to Mason and Julia.

There are several secondary characters to keep track of, but I enjoy a large suspect pool, and they all bring drama. The mystery is clever and well-crafted, with plenty of action, danger, and shenanigans. The story also touches on several complex topics, including the sobriety journey of the FMCs, and it does so respectfully. Additionally, it offers a glimpse into Hollywood, exploring how women have been shortchanged in the film industry. The peek behind the curtain in Hollywood explores how women have been shortchanged in the film industry.

I had a great time reading this, and fingers crossed, it will become a series!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the gifted ARC!

What a quirky and fun cozy mystery this was! Julia Mann is an ex-actress and ex-con, who teams up with her Gen Z sobriety sponsor, Natasha Mason, to solve a murder before it is pinned on Julia and sends her back to prison. Along for the ride are an eccentric cast of side characters, giant martini glasses, and dead piranhas.

This was a fast-paced, funny, twisty read. It starts off with a slightly farcical mystery, which normally isn’t my vibe, but it’s so well-written that the absurdity of it only made it more fun. I fell in love with all of the characters, especially the abrasive, sassy leading ladies, Julia and Mason. While the story itself is full of comical situations and characters, Waxman is somehow able to also inject immense depth into each character. Within this witty framework, multiple serious topics are explored without it feeling too heavy.

As someone in recovery myself, I appreciated Waxman’s honest exploration of addiction and felt it was pretty spot-on. I think the juxtaposition of this serious theme with all of the funny shenanigans throughout the book was very well-done (and a hard thing to get right!).

If you’re in the mood for a cozy-but-hilarious murder mystery that’ll keep you guessing, look no further.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted eARC!

One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman was such a fun read! I was immediately invested in both Julia and Mason’s stories and how they worked together to solve the mystery. The involvement of AA and sobriety in the story was really refreshing! It added a layer of humanity into the sometimes kooky story. This is the first book I’ve read by the author but it won’t be the last! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC!

3.5 stars

This is Abbi Waxman’s first mystery, and it was funny and entertaining! A body is found in an alcoholic actress’s pool, and she is the main suspect. Unfortunately, she blacked out and can’t remember a thing…except that she didn’t do it. Since the police already think she’s guilty and aren’t putting much effort into investigating other suspects, she and her assistant (who is also her AA sponsor) decide to solve the case themselves!

I really enjoyed that this mystery was set in Hollywood. It was a fun look into the wild lives of celebrities. There was so much action packed into the story, especially toward the end. The characters were always zooming frantically in a fast car, and the pace really kept me turning pages, needing to get to the next clue.

I struggled a little with the number of characters to keep track of (I wish I had kept a list!), and I had a hard time connecting with both of the main characters. However, I appreciated the realistic representation of alcoholism and addiction, as well as the relationship that developed between the main characters. The ending kept me guessing, and I was hooked the whole time. I recommend this book if you’re looking for a funny and adventurous mystery!

Thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy; all opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
🔎 Cozy mysteries
🔎 Books about celebrities
🔎 Eccentric characters
🔎 Fast-paced stories

I enjoyed this Hollywood murder mystery that had a great cast of characters, was set in LA, was laugh out loud funny and also had a lot of heart. It was good on audio and looks like a great start to a (hopefully) new series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Julia Mann, a cranky older actress turned lawyer meets a Mason at an AA meeting. Mason, a young law school drop out, decides to become Julia's sponsor but her role expands when it turns out that there is a dead man found in Julia's pool. The two women, along with Julia's other assistant, begin to investigate the murder, hoping to clear Julia's name as well as stopping the murderer from killing again.

This was sort of a hybrid of cozy mystery and story of a friendship spanning generations. I liked the humor that was scattered throughout and the actual mystery kept me wondering and reading (and listening). The female duo had great dynamics and I could totally see this as a series. Since I haven't yet read Waxman's earlier works I wasn't as thrown off by the new direction of this novel from her older ones. I loved listening to this audiobook and I definitely made dinner one night solely to keep listening. This is a cute, fun and hijinxy Hollywood mystery.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Synopsis: Aging former actress Julia Mann forms an unlikely bond with her gen-z AA sponsor after being wrongfully accused of murder. The duo sets off to find the real killer and clear Julia’s name.

Thoughts: I have loved Abbi’s previous romance/women’s fiction novels, so I was excited to check out her new cozy mystery! While definitely different than her previous works, this one still has the quirky characters with a lot of depth and relatability that I have come to expect! I think the mystery plot is super compelling, and it definitely makes this a page turner - but the character development and relationships are the show stealers. This is mostly a humorous, cozy mystery, but there is some exploration of deeper themes such as addiction and the darker side of Hollywood, which are handled well. My only complaint is that it felt a little long and had A LOT of characters to keep track of. If you enjoy a solid mystery with a fast-paged plot, hilarious characters, and excellent banter, grab a copy of this one ASAP!

Read this if you like:
🎬 murder mystery
🎬 Hollywood
🎬 found family
🎬 quirky characters

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for this arc.



I’ve read other reviews which say that most of the characters in this book are not warm and fuzzy people and that they’re hard to like. Fair enough, in my opinion. But as I get older I’m discovering that I like female characters who don’t give a f*ck. Both Julia and Mason (first name Natasha but she goes by her last name) are such women.

There is a lot that goes on in this story. Maybe the plot got a little bit too complex with a few too many characters. I found myself having to stop a few times to remember who is who when they popped up in a scene. There’s also a weird fixation on describing hand movements.

Both Julia and Mason are tough people but also vulnerable. They are alcoholics and as shown in the first chapter sobriety meeting, they know the depths that this addiction can lead them to. Something about Julia gets Mason to volunteer to be her sobriety sponsor even before Mason realizes who Julia is. Once Mason is drawn into Julia’s influence though, it’s usually Julia calling the shots.

Julia knows that being innocent is no bar to being convicted and sent to jail. It’s there that she gets straight, gets her law degree, and meets some ladies who will be important in the book. Having given up her acting career she now takes on cases for people who are already pegged by Authority as guilty and/or don’t have the money for top-notch legal help.

The first murder is soon joined by another which is eventually followed by a suicide – though most of this person’s friends seriously doubt that they pulled the trigger. Julia’s instincts and bravado carry much of the day but watching Julia and Mason begin to bond is the main draw for me. As I said, the plot is intricate and at times I lost a thread or two before it got picked up again. There are many moving parts and (as I also said) a lot of characters to keep track of.

When the killer is revealed, I was a little surprised but given the number of red herrings and possible suspects I feel I’m justified in that. I’ll also be honest and admit that using villain exposition to explain the whys and wherefores kind of means there weren’t really enough clues for us playing along at home to follow and get the correct answer.

I liked this as a change from the usual contemporary romance I’m used to seeing from Waxman but yeah, it’s a bit chaotic, a bit long, and has a few too many characters to easily keep track of. But I like the prickly ladies and agree that Tony had it coming. If there’s a sequel, I will be up for trying it. B

This book was so much fun!

I love a strong female lead, and this book had two of them. Mason and Julia were such a fun duo, and I loved the dynamic between the two of them. Julia’s brash, no-sugar-coating attitude paired so well with Mason’s zero-filter sarcasm, and they had me laughing out loud throughout the book. The side characters added a lot as well, and I loved how distinct each person’s personality was.

The mystery plot was both engaging and twisty. It starts off on the slower side, but then gradually picks up the pace. The Hollywood setting was great, and I liked how so many small pieces of the story revolved around show business and actors. As more characters are introduced and more backstory is revealed, I had all kinds of theories going on. I had a feeling I knew what the twist at the end was going to be, but the lead up to it was action packed and interesting.

I’m not sure if the ending hints at a sequel or not, but I’d love if it happens!

ONE DEATH AT A TIME is a smart-alecky, wacky, murder mystery that explores the human psyche. An aging, testy, ex-actress, Julia Mann, teams up with a sobriety sponsor, a Gen Z, sassy girl, Natasha, in this vintage, assemblage of quirky characters all vying for attention amidst a murder investigation. The said victim being Julia's divorced, dead husband is found floating in the swimming pool. Julia has a wrap sheet. The cops are saying she did it. Now, Natasha and Julia try to team up to clear her name. They don't exactly get along, clashing personalities and all, but become team mates regardless.

As they muddle through suspects, red herring clues, keeping Julia sober, dirty martinis, burlesque clubs and more, it keeps the two ladies busy, while they clumsily uncover clues that were best meant not to be found. Hopefully, neither lady will fall off the band wagon again or have the cops haul them away for suspected murder. Will Julia and Natasha discover who did it? Or will their poor life choices be the down fall between them?

Ms. Waxman's talent for hard to resist, wacky, fast-paced, perfect escapist fare novels delivers an edgy, brisk, witty plot this time around. The story is wildly provocative with a drowned, divorced dude, several shady suspects and many scenarios of confusing clues. There are a lots of cutesy animals and funny, way-out characters that populate the perfect plot. Will the rag, tag team of Julie and Natasha unravel the unusual, complicated case? Or are they the next victim's of the killer's deadly plan? ONE DEATH AT A TIME is like dark chocolate, a little sweet, rich in flavor and justifiably satisfying.

A fantastic old Hollywood cozy mystery! The old Hollywood vibes and whodunnit mystery make this a fast and enjoyable read. Delightful ensemble cast that become a found family. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, you’ll enjoy this. The book is the right mix of mystery, romance, and humor. I’m looking forward to seeing where Abbi will take this series. Would highly recommend this one.

It’s time to bring back a term that’s fallen out of fashion—soft-boiled—because honestly, it fits One Death at a Time perfectly. This mystery is the delightful lovechild of hard-boiled noir and cozy chaos. It’s got the satirical wit, the sharp dialogue, and just the right touch of irreverence you’d expect from a classic detective story—but wrapped up in the warmth, weirdness, and whimsy of a modern-day cozy. And I was so here for it.

What absolutely made this book for me was the dialogue. Abbi Waxman’s writing is razor-sharp, quick-witted, and endlessly entertaining. I found myself grinning, chuckling, and occasionally rereading lines just to savor the snark.
Then we have Natasha Mason and Julia Mann—what a duo. Natasha is in her twenties, Julia is in her sixties, and their dynamic is everything. Natasha is Julia’s AA sponsor, assistant, and mystery-solving partner, and their partnership is electric in the best odd-couple way. Watching them bounce off each other—sometimes literally—was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Now, I’ll admit, a few of the red herrings felt a little more “oops” than intentional, and the big reveal at the end veered slightly into “wait, what now?” territory. It wasn’t a total stretch, but it did feel like a left-field swing I wasn’t fully prepared for. Still, the journey there was so much fun, I didn’t mind too much.

At the heart of it all is a ragtag gang of Hollywood misfits who somehow make crime-solving look like a chaotic but heartfelt group project. It’s justice served with sass and sparkle, and I can’t wait to see what trouble they get into next.
If you like your mysteries clever but not too gritty, hilarious with a touch of heart, and starring characters who feel like the cast of a very quirky TV show you wish existed—One Death at a Time might be your next favorite read.

What a fun, fast-paced mystery! Waxman has created an entertaining cast of quirky characters in a kind of found-family setup surrounding iconic actress-turned-lawyer Julia Mann. The story is told from the point of view of her new assistant, Mason, who encounters Julia at an AA meeting and becomes her sponsor, then her assistant, right before Julia is arrested for the murder of a studio exec that she says she didn’t commit and they embark on a crazy journey to figure out who did and clear her name. Mason’s snark and bluntness is entertaining, and Julia was such a badass I wanted more of her! There’s also a strong theme of sobriety and AA, as both Mason and Julia are in the program, at first I found it distracting but it grew on me.

This definitely had the feeling of a TV show or movie with the pacing and all the action scenes, kind of reminded me of Lincoln Lawyer or Bosch with the lawyer/PI scenarios and California setting. At times I found the pacing a bit jarring, in several instances Mason suddenly out of nowhere was launched into a high-stakes situation, but it did keep the action going at a rapid clip. I enjoyed how other crimes started coming into play as the story got more complex, it was really well done and kept me guessing as to how it all related. All in all, this was a really fun read, if you’re a fan of zany mysteries this one is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending this DRC for review consideration.