A very fun mystery with strong female leads that takes you for a solid and well-thought out ride! The characters work great together and the plot is captivating. Anyone who loves a good whodunit will truly enjoy this one!

Oliva is a young mystery reader who is eager to prove herself to her new boss, an older & successful detective. Olivia soon learns that reading mysteries doesn't necessarily translate into skills for the job but she does have enthusiasm and a very focused attitude. This fun and cozy mystery involves many suspects, lots of clues, and a number mishaps by the young dectective. I greatly enjoyed this book & am looking forward to the next in what I hope is a series.
Thanks to BookBrowse.com for the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Two powerful women investigating what appears to be something more than a suicide. I liked the characters and the setting in Vermont. It was well done. I had my guesses but I wasn’t sure before the end. I hope this is number one in a series because I’m looking forward to the next one if it is.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a honest review4⭐️

Aubrey Merritt makes detective work look easy. In fact, she’s so good at her work that that she’s in demand and needs to take on an assistant to help her get everything done. Enter Emily Blunt, a young news fact-checker who is tying to make her rent and prepare for a wedding to her equally poor fiancée. She thinks she has no chance at working with Aubrey Merritt, but applies anyway. Not only is she hired, but Emily manages to outlast Merritt’s prior two assistants by a month when the famous detective invites her on a detecting trip to the Wild Goose resort on Lake Champlain.

The death of matriarch Victoria Summersworth casts a shadow on her stepchildren, workers in the resort, accountant, and recent romantic interest. Olivia knows that she must prove herself to the brilliant detective, but her instincts need some honing. After several botched detecting moves, Olivia finds herself in over her head.

This who-done-it is a slow burn with many characters and suspects, twists, and confounding storylines. The action is believable with only one cliched instance of a hiding character accidentally making a noise that gives them away—a pet peeve of mine. Aside from that, I enjoyed the narrative and character development of the family, but I wished for more relationship building between Olivia and Merritt. Aubrey Merritt is a tough nut and while she does have a soft spot for her protege, she is a critical parent figure to Olivia where she could be more of a mentor.

Still, there is some redemption at the end of the book that is worth the wait and the possibility of another book with the pair continuing to strengthen their working relationship. I would read a sequel to follow their adventures.

First of all, I love the title of this book! It definitely drew me in and made me want to find out more. I also enjoyed the fact that both of the main characters were women. And the dynamic between them (older, cranky boss and younger, insecure assistant) was well-developed. While the plot was fairly standard, the character development places it a cut above other mysteries. I'm hoping there will be further Merritt/Blunt adventures!

Olivia Blunt has always wanted to be a detective. At last, she has her chance. Famed private detective, Aubrey Merritt, is interviewing for a new assistant. Olivia gets the job, but she's off to a shaky start. Merritt isn't an easy person to work with. Her last two assistants didn't last long. But Olivia is going to make it work.

Following some dull, administrative duties, Olivia gets her chance. Merritt is hired to investigate a suicide that looks suspicious. It requires Olivia to miss her fiancee's theater debut. But, at last, she has her chance.

I loved this book. The characters are engaging. We are rooting for Olivia the whole time. The solution was tough to work out. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks, NetGalley and Berkley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love when detectives team up, and this one has that age gap and different perspectives going on. The characters are so different, but it's fun to watch them work together. I just wished there was even more interaction between them.

The book is narrated by the young and overly confident Olivia Blunt, who becomes the assistant to the demanding detective Aubrey Merritt. They head to a resort on Lake Champlain to investigate a murder that’s been ruled a suicide. Olivia, being a bit inexperienced, jumps to conclusions, while Merritt relies on his expertise.

The book is packed with funny moments and sharp dialogue, creating a light and entertaining vibe. It’s an intriguing mystery with beautiful scenery and comical interactions, making it a perfect read for some downtime.

The style and Merritt reminded me of Agatha Christie, where at the end everyone’s gathered, and the detective reveals who the culprit is.

The plot felt a bit cliché, with a woman dying, everyone assuming it’s suicide, and just one woman hiring a detective. But honestly, I didn’t guess all the twists or who the villain was!

• Mentor/Student
• Good cop/Bad cop
• Did she take her own life or was she murdered
• Generational differences

This was fun and lighthearted but i think the characters lacked a little depth. Maybe too light of a "mystery". Had fun while reading it but kind of forgettable.

I really enjoyed The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liz Tully. The book had everything I look for in a mystery. The characters were well-rounded and believable. I especially liked the main characters. Aubrey Merritt instantly appeared in my mind as Helen Mirren, both for her appearance and manner. Olivia Blunt could be played by any reasonably attractive young actress with smarts and snark. The setting came alive for me, even though I have never been to that part of the country. The clues were well distributed between suspects, keeping me guessing on the final outcome. I will definitely recommend this book for the Mystery Discussion group I facilitate at the local library, when it comes out, and I look forward to sequels!

This book is an absolute delight. The dynamic between Merritt and Olivia is the beating heart of the story, and it is perfection. Their interactions are filled with dry humor, reluctant mentorship, and a simmering tension that makes every scene sparkle. Beyond the character dynamics, the mystery itself is layered and compulsively readable. It has the perfect balance of intrigue and charm, with twists that are satisfying without feeling forced. The writing is crisp, intelligent, and effortlessly engaging, pulling you into the tangled web of family secrets and deadly ambition. The atmosphere of the old-money estate adds a deliciously gothic touch, making every revelation even more tantalizing. If you love mysteries with character-driven depth, razor-sharp dialogue, and a touch of warmth beneath all the snark, this one will completely steal your heart.

What a rollicking fun mystery as the delightful title portends! With renowned and snooty Aubrey Merritt and inexperienced but eager Olivia as the awkward crime solving duo, this novel rolls along at an excellent pace. Is the case a murder or a suicide? I particularly liked the chapter titles (fun to speculate) and "Ollie's" written questions to herself as she did her very best to impress her new boss. The locale and character descriptions were apt.

Told through Ollie's perspective, possible suspects pile up, while Merritt reveals nothing. I almost cheered when we had a classic reading of the will when Merritt revealed all - much more than a murder…and like Ollie I missed an obvious clue and only get C for deduction skills…but this book gets an A with me. I'm looking forward to a sequel and a long series!

Thank you to Book Browse and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

The writing in this novel is clear, and especially evocative of the beautiful Vermont setting where the action occurs. However, as the title might predict, the opening involves some rambling and wordiness, which recurs at some points in the story.

Olivia Blunt, 25-years-old, narrates the story of her becoming the assistant to well-known and successful Private Investigator Aubrey Merritt, a formidable woman in her sixties. The fastidious Ms. Merritt has very high standards for all behavior and work, and is vocal when these standards are not met. Olivia is enthusiastic and dedicated, but untrained, and somewhat clumsy interpersonally. Her only experience is as a company’s fact checker, a skill she puts to good use in their sleuthing.

A clever murder in a Vermont resort setting involves complicated family and business dealings. It also tests Olivia’s talents and commitment, and her ability to stand up to Merritt’s criticism and condescension. It seems a new detective partnership has begun, which hopefully will be followed up in other books, though with fewer pages.

This was a fun, easy read, full of interesting characters and luxurious settings. Olivia Blunt is bored in her research job and applies for the job of assistant to Aubrey Merritt, the great detective. Olivia is young, carefree, overly confident in her abilities and very inexperienced. Aubrey is wealthy, demanding, impatient, critical and hard to please. What could go wrong?

Olivia finally gets the chance to work on a case when Aubrey, who insists on being called Merritt, is asked to investigate a death that has been ruled a suicide. The pair heads to a luxury resort on Lake Champlain to investigate. Right away we see that this will be a huge learning experience for Olivia. She jumps to conclusions and misses important clues. She is eager to learn and does so as the novel unfolds. Olivia has the personal skills, whilst Merritt has the brains and experience.

The setting and characters are a bit over the top, in a quirky way, but nothing is too dark or disturbing. This makes the novel a perfect beach book. The chemistry between the characters is fun and intriguing. I am eager to see how the relationship grows and changes. This could evolve into a fun series, which I hope it will!

When I first started reading this book, my first thought was 'gender-flipped Sherlock Holmes'... but it's so much more than that! My favorite part is the quirky characters, the interactions between Gen Z Olivia Blunt, who's trying to figure out if she can do the PI thing, but also figure herself (and her relationship out), and Boomer Merritt, the lead, world-famous investigator. Add in a fun setting (a resort), a murder (of course), and plenty of suspicious friends and relatives. This was simply a FUN read, which exactly what I needed right now. I really hope there's another book (that this becomes a series!) and we get to see more of Olivia from Liza Tully!

I am an avid reader of murder mysteries and thrillers. For me they are excellent escapes from everyday life and I love trying to solve the puzzle with the clues the given by the author. In this book, I found the main characters to be contrived and too similar to Stephen Spotwood's Lilian Pentecost and Will Parker. While well-plotted, the story didn't move along quickly enough for me.

That said, I think writing a book is a major accomplishment and I'm in awe of anyone who does it and gets it published. If you want a murder mystery that is gore-free, and minimal hooks and twists, this is a great book for you.

I really enjoyed this book, especially being privy to the inner most thoughts of the hilarious “just okay” assistant. This book was pleasing on several levels. First, the story mostly takes place on the lovely Vermont side of Lake Champlain with lots of descriptions of the scenery and countryside. Second, it’s really an intriguing whodunit with interesting characters who lie often and very slowly expose their many secrets. And third, the dynamics and repartee between the detective, Aubrey Merritt, and her assistant, Olivia Blunt, are hilarious. The book reminded me of a good Agatha Christie mystery with all the clues falling into place in a very orderly fashion at the end. Anyone who likes murder mysteries should love this book and its exciting new crime-solving team. I sure hope it’s the beginning of a new series.

World famous Private Investigator and her new assistant are hired to investigate the suicide, or maybe murder, of the owner of a well loved and respected resort. Enter step-children who didn't like the victim, a son who might have a drug problem and the daughter who hired the PIs because she thinks her mother was murdered. Well written, likeable characters, easy reading and enjoyable. The book is light hearted, even though there might be a murder, but I think that's the intent. I'd say the book falls at the top of books in this genre. Good summer reading.

📖✨ BOOK REVIEW: The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully

Olivia Blunt manages to convince actual investigative legend Aubrey Merritt that her fact-checking skills make her the perfect detective’s assistant. Dream job unlocked, right? Well… not quite. Instead of solving cases, she’s stuck with the grunt work—until a wealthy family matriarch’s suspicious “suicide” (murder? 👀) forces Aubrey & Co. to relocate to a Lake Champlain resort to crack the case.

I loved this one! Aubrey is a modern-day Sherlock—brilliant, sharp, and absolutely not here to hand out gold stars. Meanwhile, Olivia is her Watson, desperate to impress her mentor and getting… nothing. Picture Aubrey responding to Olivia’s ideas with a Miranda Priestly-level sigh: “Florals… for spring? Groundbreaking.” 💀

And yet, for all her aloofness, Aubrey does drop little lessons to shape Olivia into a better detective. Is she a terrible boss? Oh, 100%. Would I want to work for her? Absolutely not. But watching their dynamic unfold was so entertaining!

I also appreciated how the characters’ backstories were just teased—enough to hook me for the next book. Safe to say, I’m already looking forward to more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4.5 I love strong female characters. This book has two strong female leads. I enjoyed getting to know both the main PI, Merritt and her “just OK” assistant, Blunt. It was also an interesting mystery. I am hoping for more books in this series. Highly recommend.

Liza Tully’s The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant is a charming and witty mystery featuring an unlikely investigative duo. Olivia Blunt, an eager Gen Z assistant, lands her dream job working for the legendary detective Aubrey Merritt, a sharp but gruff Boomer. Their generational clashes add humor and heart as they tackle the suspicious death of Victoria Summersworth, a wealthy matriarch whose supposed suicide may be murder.

Tully expertly balances humor, intrigue, and character growth, making this a delightful read for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Only Murders in the Building. With its engaging mystery and endearing protagonists, this book is a must-read for cozy mystery lovers.