This book is an absolute delight—a perfect blend of Murder, She Wrote and Clue! Kate Valentine, a bestselling author of the Sterling Mysteries series, has a knack for turning her own life experiences into inspiration for her beloved detective, Loretta Starling. When she’s invited to her ex’s wedding on a secluded island off the coast of Seattle, she unexpectedly reunites with Jake, a longtime friend and former crush, during the ferry ride over. Old misunderstandings about their past friendship—and what might have been—resurface, adding an extra layer of tension to the weekend.

But when a shocking murder occurs, Kate puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test, using the knowledge she’s gained from writing mysteries to help solve the case. As she and Jake work together to uncover the truth, the island’s quirky wedding guests keep them guessing at every turn. Along the way, past miscommunications are unraveled, secrets come to light, and romance begins to spark once more. A fun, lighthearted mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish!

Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced audio copy—I am leaving this review voluntarily.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Mokel gives cozy mystery vibes while also being a romantic comedy. Kate Valentine is a successful murder mystery writer who is traveling to an island for her editor/ex-fiance’s wedding weekend. That in itself gives the story major Murder She Wrote undertones. Kate’s background as a mystery writer is actually my favorite part of the story. Kate often draws strength and confidence from the protagonist of her bestselling series Loretta by asking herself “What would Loretta do?”

The romance part of the story was the less appealing part of the storyline for me. It has a few open door scenes that in my opinion were unneeded and distracting from the mystery plot. I honestly skipped through those scenes so I could get to the more interesting part of the story.

Sarah Mollo-Christensen’s narration was well done. She was able to effortlessly voice the diverse cast of characters including Australian hunk, Jake.

3 stars for a fun and cozy mystery/romance. If you like those genres you will enjoy this one. Thanks
to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen and give my honest review.

Murder of the bride at a wedding on a Island..
Little fun lots of drama,mystery,suspense, twists and romance
Good characters.
Enjoyed the story.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Murder? Second chance? Say less. A difficult concept to write, but this was done well and the pace of the story was fast enough to keep me on the edge of my seat and ready to get to the next chapter.

2.6 stars - Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC audiobook of ‘She Doesn’t Have A Clue’. I really struggled to get into this one and nearly gave up. The synopsis initially intrigued me, as it reminded me of ‘The Guest List’ by Lucy Foley, but the narration made it difficult to stay engaged. The narrator’s delivery felt overly dramatic—almost like a news broadcaster—which was quite off-putting.

Despite this, I pushed through because I hate to DNF a book. The story contained way more romance and spice (smut) than I expected (not complaining about this), along with a few humorous moments. By the halfway mark, I finally felt more invested in the plot. Overall, this is more of a lighthearted, ‘whodunnit’ romance than a true mystery/thriller.

I read She Doesn't Have A Clue in tandem with the audiobook, narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christiensen.
She Doesn't Have a Clue is such a fun mystery-romcom. While reading it made for an entertaining time, the audiobook really brought the story to life. It felt like listening to a movie. Specifically, a comedy with plenty of laugh out loud moments and second-hand embarrassment. The narration was great, Sarah made each character easily distinguishable and hit each comedic arc perfectly. Murder with backstabbing family, an inheritance, ex-fiance, wedding, and potential love re-connection are themes I'll never tire of. For a split second at the start of the investigation, I had, correctly, guessed the perp and then tossed it away when more evidence was presented and yet never circled back around to that particular person. So I felt like the redherrings/mystery bits were done well. Characters were loveable and hateable, but in a good way.


Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook!

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is a delightful blend of mystery and romance, set against the luxurious backdrop of a destination wedding on a private island. The story follows Kate Valentine, a bestselling mystery author who’s reluctantly attending her ex-fiancé’s wedding. Despite her personal misgivings, Kate plans to make it through the event, even if it means working on her latest book draft in the process.

However, things take a dark turn when the bride is poisoned, and Kate stumbles upon a dead body, thrusting her into a real-life mystery that mirrors the plot of her book. As the tension builds and the storm traps everyone on the island, Kate is forced to team up with Jake Hawkins, her ex and the man who holds a special place in her heart. Together, they must uncover the killer among a quirky cast of guests, each of whom has their own secrets.

Moke’s writing is witty, engaging, and full of twists that keep the reader guessing. The tension between Kate and Jake adds a layer of emotional depth, while the suspense keeps the pages turning. The setting of a lavish wedding with a side of intrigue and murder makes this novel both charming and thrilling.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is perfect for fans of lighthearted mysteries with a dash of romance. It offers a captivating mix of suspense, humor, and heart, all while providing plenty of twists and turns. A fun and entertaining read that leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next mystery in Kate’s world.

This murder mystery had a fun twist and some cute romance. I really enjoyed it. Perfect for fans of cozy, whodunit mysteries with tons of suspects and clues. I loved the spooky setting and little love triangle. The narrator fit Kate’s personality so well.

How delightful is this? A clever blend of a whodunit mystery and a second-chance romantic comedy!

Set against the backdrop of a chaotic destination wedding on a private island—complete with a spooky mansion—you’re treated to a bestselling novelist turned amateur sleuth, a sexy Australian love interest, and a vibrant, eccentric cast. The result? An irresistibly witty and utterly charming story!

This locked-room cozy mystery was a whirlwind and reminded me a lot of the Finlay Donovan series—such a wildly fun and entertaining read!

She Doesn’t Have A Clue- Jenny Elder Moke
Narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧

This was such a cute book. It was so captivating and kept my attention from page one and I couldn’t put it down. I just HAD to know what the next clue was. So many twists and turns. I love mysteries like this because I speculate from the very beginning who did what and honestly 9/10 I’m wrong but it’s fun to guess. I am happy to report that one of my theories is what the outcome ended up being, but the journey and the reveal so fun yet shocking. Having the side romance at the same time made this story that much sweeter.

Sarah did a great job with this narration. I think she did a great job capturing the emotion and the suspense.

Well, this book was just simply delightful! A little bit romance and a little bit cozy mystery and a whole lot of fun. The romantic aspects were fantastic, and the mystery was truly engaging. I liked Kate and her fictional character Loretta , who she sometimes channels to help in sticky situations.

She Doesn't Have a Clue is filled with humor, witty dialog, and quirky characters. The private island setting was vivid and interesting, especially the manor house teaming with taxidermied animals and secret passages. All of these things combined to make for a very entertaining read.

The narration by Sarah Mollo-Christensen was fabulous! I absolutely recommend this cozy murder mystery with a steamy second chance romance.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley, for this ALC. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story was so hard to follow. I first tried the audiobook and the narrators voice was just so annoying to me. It was hard to keep track of what was happening now and what was her story writing. I jut felt lost mist of the time. A disappointment as the premise sounded promising.

Reminiscent of Stephanie Plum or Finlay Donovan, writer Kate Valentine is having issues writing her next book but her life is consumed with what would her character do to solve the mystery. The mystery gets wild when she turns up with a former crush and coworker to her ex-fiancé's wedding on a private island promptly made inaccessible by a huge storm while those at the publishing house harbored rumors of the company going under and the family is outwardly battling over the island and finances.
A few hilarious missteps, a lot of family drama, and a clear attempt to frame Kate for trying to stop the wedding, Kate needs to become her character to unravel the chaos and set everything to rights before she takes the fall for it all.
This book was so good, so satisfying, and while some elements were as predictable as mystery comedies tend to be, there were many elements that really did create the mystery arcs and herrings. Thoroughly enjoyable.


#arc
#netgalley
#shedoesnthaveaclue

This was a cute cozy mystery, romance blend. More romance than a normal cozy (a little spice even) but with a great mystery on the side.

Kate and Jake were a great couple and I enjoyed their flirting. The mystery kept my interest and I enjoyed guessing who did it but overall the story was a little slow for my taste.

It would be a good read for lovers of mystery romances!

I really liked this and it kept me intrigued. It was like a cozy murder mystery and had a good amount of romance as well. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was also really good. I was able to tell which character of the book was speaking. It kept me guessing who did it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Kate is invited to her ex's wedding, she has every intention of not going. That would be crazy, right? Especially when he's marrying the woman he cheated with. It doesn't help that Kennedy - the bride - is just soo nice. She's tried to make Kate feel welcome at every turn, even inviting her to her bachelorette party.

It isn't until Kate receives another invitation - this one from reclusive millionaire Rebecca Hempstead, owner of the house on the private island where the wedding will be held, and Kennedy's aunt. In the invite, Rebecca claim's she'll make it "worth Kate's while", and the mystery writer can't help being intrigued.

Also in attendance? Her ex-friend (and unrealized crush) Jake Hawkins. Who she used to partner on a series of books called "The Wandering Australian", detailing Jake's adventures across the world.

When a failed poisoning attempt is made on the bride, things are starting to look a lot like the plot of Kate's latest book. And every finger is pointing at her for who the most likely to have made the attempt is. Unfortunately, while trying to find out who really tried to poison Kennedy, Kate stumbles onto the very real body of Rebecca Hempstead.

A cozy, locked-room mystery, following a sometimes clueless mystery author. I will admit to having some difficulty following the cast of characters, I felt they were introduced in very rapid succession, but once things got going I settled into the groove. There's the tangled, bitter family dynamics from Kennedy's relatives. Spencer - her ex who also happens to be her editor - wanting to find closure and also wrangle the latest book from her in the process. Kennedy's close friends who glare daggers and are watching Kate closely, ensuring her that if she ruins things for Kennedy, things will go very, very wrong for her.

I hope this is just the start for Kate, and will keep an eye out for any future books. I did also listen to this one, and I thought the audio was very well done. Great pacing, voices that were easy to follow and well done accents!

Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for the ARC of this one!

Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC copy.

Love a locked room/remote island mystery and this delivered. Add in a wedding. But not just any wedding, Kate's ex's wedding. Also family drama, an Australian hottie that Kate his history with. And a murder that takes us along on an old fashioned type solving of a murder mystery.

Kate is an author and loves a mystery. She dives deep once the murder occurs, and almost becomes her own book character at times. There were many twist and so many bizarre characters that you really weren't sure which one could possibly be the killer.

The side romance with the hottie from Down Under definitely added some fun to this one and their romance was one of my favorite parts.

Despite being a murder mystery, there was a good bit of humor in this one as well.

Narration by Sarah Mollo-Christenson definitely captured the essence of Kate perfectly.

When the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.

I loved Kate…she and her sleuthing sweater! And Jake is definitely someone that makes her “hot and bothered” in more ways than one! These two characters and their chemistry kept this story moving for me!

This is ALMOST a cozy mystery with a bit of spice. I am sure the author would not take kindly to that description. But, this is truly what I thought as I read this.

It is a good read with a predictable mystery. I did enjoy the crazy house and the good characters but the story was not quite what I expected.

The narrator, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, did a good job! Lots of characters and she had a different voice for each!

Need a mysterious romance…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This was such a great read. The banter between the main characters is great. It’s a great who done it mystery with second chance romance. I devoured it.

Unfortunately I was unable to review this book due to the audio file not working. I tried redownloading it, reinstalling the NetGalley app, etc and nothing worked. The status bar would move and the time would change, but no sound would play at all. Thank you for the opportunity and I'm sorry that I was unable to review She Doesn't Have a Clue.