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The Expectant Detectives
Fresh, funny and heartfelt, The Expectant Detectives is a charming debut mystery about a group of soon-to-be moms-turned-detectives.
“A darkly witty debut. Archly funny and highly recommended!”—Deanna Raybourn
Can they solve the mother of all murders?
For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she’ll learn to make jam? But the rural idyll they’d hoped for doesn’t quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local prenatal class, and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.
With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice and her new-found pregnant friends set out to solve the mystery and clear their names, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier, and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head.
“A darkly witty debut. Archly funny and highly recommended!”—Deanna Raybourn
Can they solve the mother of all murders?
For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she’ll learn to make jam? But the rural idyll they’d hoped for doesn’t quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local prenatal class, and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.
With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice and her new-found pregnant friends set out to solve the mystery and clear their names, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier, and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 8, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 817 reviews
November 28, 2023
The Expectant Detectives is perfect for when you need a laugh along with your mystery. Sometimes it veers too far into the silly lane, but overall it was entertaining.
Alice and Joe have made the decision to move out of London to the much more reasonable cost of living in Penton in the Cotswolds. They’re expecting their first child shortly and Alice joins the local prenatal class. During the first meeting, one of the women goes into early labor. While everyone is running hither and yon, a man is murdered in the store below.
Alice and her new friend Poppy decide to investigate. Soon, two other women from the class join in. It’s a typical small village cozy mystery with a plethora of weird characters, all of whom have troublesome histories with each other. I will admit to being just as confused as Alice as to who might be responsible. Although I did figure out part of the historical mystery.
I appreciated that Alice was not a domestic goddess, nor anxious to be a mom. She totally captures the fears and qualms of an expectant mother.
The star of the story is Helen, Alice’s wild child dog. If there’s trouble to get into, Helen will find it. And then the poor furbaby is poisoned. (No worries though, she survives.)
The writing here really hit home for me. I loved that Ailes was able to combine humor with something that was totally real. “It’s a strange thing, female friendship. Possibly because while there’s always the doubt lurking at the back of your mind that your romantic relationship could just be temporary, you very much expect certain platonic friendships to be a lifelong commitment.”
The ending relies too much on conveniences, but it sure is fun.
This may sound like a weird comparison, but I recommend it for fans of David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.
Alice and Joe have made the decision to move out of London to the much more reasonable cost of living in Penton in the Cotswolds. They’re expecting their first child shortly and Alice joins the local prenatal class. During the first meeting, one of the women goes into early labor. While everyone is running hither and yon, a man is murdered in the store below.
Alice and her new friend Poppy decide to investigate. Soon, two other women from the class join in. It’s a typical small village cozy mystery with a plethora of weird characters, all of whom have troublesome histories with each other. I will admit to being just as confused as Alice as to who might be responsible. Although I did figure out part of the historical mystery.
I appreciated that Alice was not a domestic goddess, nor anxious to be a mom. She totally captures the fears and qualms of an expectant mother.
The star of the story is Helen, Alice’s wild child dog. If there’s trouble to get into, Helen will find it. And then the poor furbaby is poisoned. (No worries though, she survives.)
The writing here really hit home for me. I loved that Ailes was able to combine humor with something that was totally real. “It’s a strange thing, female friendship. Possibly because while there’s always the doubt lurking at the back of your mind that your romantic relationship could just be temporary, you very much expect certain platonic friendships to be a lifelong commitment.”
The ending relies too much on conveniences, but it sure is fun.
This may sound like a weird comparison, but I recommend it for fans of David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.
January 9, 2024
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“Don’t bring Helen!”
The Expectant Detectives is a fun cozy mystery from debut author Kat Ailes. It is reminiscent of The Marlowe Murder Club (minus the octogenarians, sub expectant mothers, and one adorable fur baby—Helen)!
Alice and her partner Joe move from London to the country village of Penton in search of a quiet place to raise their child. When a man is murdered in the shop below their prenatal class, Alice, Helen, and the other expectant mothers play amateur detectives in order to clear their names and solve the murder mystery.
However, many secrets are hiding in this sleepy town. With Helen, the most unhelpful sidekick at her side, Alice is determined to find the killer before her baby is born!
The star of this mystery is obviously Helen, the “Legally Blonde of the dog world.” If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy Helen’s many crazy antics! The mystery is also well-plotted and executed, keeping my interest until the end. However, while the plot is humorous, it could be turned up a notch to really entertain readers. Hopefully, Ailes does just that in the next installment of this series which has recently been announced for publication in June 2024!
I listened to the audiobook, expertly read by Kitty Kelly, while I also followed along with the Ebook. I highly recommend both formats.
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 1/9/24
Thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audiofor the ARC of The Expectant Detectives in exchange for an honest review.
“Don’t bring Helen!”
The Expectant Detectives is a fun cozy mystery from debut author Kat Ailes. It is reminiscent of The Marlowe Murder Club (minus the octogenarians, sub expectant mothers, and one adorable fur baby—Helen)!
Alice and her partner Joe move from London to the country village of Penton in search of a quiet place to raise their child. When a man is murdered in the shop below their prenatal class, Alice, Helen, and the other expectant mothers play amateur detectives in order to clear their names and solve the murder mystery.
However, many secrets are hiding in this sleepy town. With Helen, the most unhelpful sidekick at her side, Alice is determined to find the killer before her baby is born!
The star of this mystery is obviously Helen, the “Legally Blonde of the dog world.” If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy Helen’s many crazy antics! The mystery is also well-plotted and executed, keeping my interest until the end. However, while the plot is humorous, it could be turned up a notch to really entertain readers. Hopefully, Ailes does just that in the next installment of this series which has recently been announced for publication in June 2024!
I listened to the audiobook, expertly read by Kitty Kelly, while I also followed along with the Ebook. I highly recommend both formats.
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 1/9/24
Thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audiofor the ARC of The Expectant Detectives in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2024
**3.5-stars rounded up**
The Expectant Detectives is a new style of Cozy Mystery that I have certainly never read before. I found it to be charming and a heck of a lot of fun; pure enjoyment.
I love Cozy Mysteries that feature an MC and their friend group trying to solve a local mystery. A few favorites, to be noted for example, from recent years would be The Thursday Murder Club, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and The Marlow Murder Club.
All three of these books have one important thing in common, the MCs are older than we would typically find in the Mystery genre. These older, dare we call them elderly, characters are quirky, fun and provide a bit of a different perspective than the norm.
In The Expectant Detectives, Kat Ailes uses a very similar set-up to other Cozies, but her intrepid group of amateur sleuths are pregnant women, not elderly individuals.
In this story, we meet and follow, Alice. She and her boyfriend, Joe, are expecting their first child. Although not planned, they're both excited about the pregnancy and looking forward to the next steps in their relationship.
Thinking their city-located flat will be too small for their growing family, they decide to move to the sleepy village of Penton. They just feel like it would be a more desirable place to raise a child. Safer and all that...
That is until a dead body is discovered at a prenatal class they have joined. They can't believe it. This is not what they thought village life would be like.
Now everyone in attendance at the class is a suspect, including Alice and Joe.
Together with a few of the other pregnant women, Alice begins looking into the murder herself. She needs to clear their names before this baby arrives.
Side note, Alice has a glorious dog, Helen, who could easily turn out to be my favorite character of the year. I just adored her and the joy she brought to the narrative.
I was really entertained by this story. The audiobook was well done, the narration so on-point with the humor that it had me laughing out loud numerous times.
I thought Ailes set-up for this story was creative and truly unlike anything I've read before. Alice has a dry, witty sense of humor that worked well for me. She tells it like it is. She's pretty blunt about her pregnancy and the way it is changing/affecting her body.
I also liked that it wasn't just Alice that was pregnant, she had her new friends to share the experience with, as well as to help her do some first-rate investigating.
For me, I wouldn't say the initial murder was totally compelling. It didn't even make sense to me at first how they were so confident it was a murder, like it almost felt like it could have been an accident or something.
Nevertheless, I was willing to go on that journey with the characters because I was enjoying them so much. After a while, the more the ladies dug in, the more secrets and intrigue they revealed, then I was hooked.
Overall, this is a fantastic debut Mystery. It had just the right amount of humor and fun, mixed in with the actual mystery. I think the longer this series goes on, the more attached that I'm going to get to these characters and this village as well.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm definitely looking forward to more from Kat Ailes!
The Expectant Detectives is a new style of Cozy Mystery that I have certainly never read before. I found it to be charming and a heck of a lot of fun; pure enjoyment.
I love Cozy Mysteries that feature an MC and their friend group trying to solve a local mystery. A few favorites, to be noted for example, from recent years would be The Thursday Murder Club, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and The Marlow Murder Club.
All three of these books have one important thing in common, the MCs are older than we would typically find in the Mystery genre. These older, dare we call them elderly, characters are quirky, fun and provide a bit of a different perspective than the norm.
In The Expectant Detectives, Kat Ailes uses a very similar set-up to other Cozies, but her intrepid group of amateur sleuths are pregnant women, not elderly individuals.
In this story, we meet and follow, Alice. She and her boyfriend, Joe, are expecting their first child. Although not planned, they're both excited about the pregnancy and looking forward to the next steps in their relationship.
Thinking their city-located flat will be too small for their growing family, they decide to move to the sleepy village of Penton. They just feel like it would be a more desirable place to raise a child. Safer and all that...
That is until a dead body is discovered at a prenatal class they have joined. They can't believe it. This is not what they thought village life would be like.
Now everyone in attendance at the class is a suspect, including Alice and Joe.
Together with a few of the other pregnant women, Alice begins looking into the murder herself. She needs to clear their names before this baby arrives.
Side note, Alice has a glorious dog, Helen, who could easily turn out to be my favorite character of the year. I just adored her and the joy she brought to the narrative.
I was really entertained by this story. The audiobook was well done, the narration so on-point with the humor that it had me laughing out loud numerous times.
I thought Ailes set-up for this story was creative and truly unlike anything I've read before. Alice has a dry, witty sense of humor that worked well for me. She tells it like it is. She's pretty blunt about her pregnancy and the way it is changing/affecting her body.
I also liked that it wasn't just Alice that was pregnant, she had her new friends to share the experience with, as well as to help her do some first-rate investigating.
For me, I wouldn't say the initial murder was totally compelling. It didn't even make sense to me at first how they were so confident it was a murder, like it almost felt like it could have been an accident or something.
Nevertheless, I was willing to go on that journey with the characters because I was enjoying them so much. After a while, the more the ladies dug in, the more secrets and intrigue they revealed, then I was hooked.
Overall, this is a fantastic debut Mystery. It had just the right amount of humor and fun, mixed in with the actual mystery. I think the longer this series goes on, the more attached that I'm going to get to these characters and this village as well.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm definitely looking forward to more from Kat Ailes!
May 19, 2024
Let me start this review by saying I believe I am going to be an outlier when it comes to this book. So, please feel free to look at other reviews.
Very pregnant Alice and her boyfriend Joe decide to leave London and move to the suburbs where they think they will have an easier lifestyle.
No sooner does Alice settle into her prenatal class, than all the mothers-to-be are setting out to solve the murder of the proprietor of the business. This leads them to a commune, more death, far-right politicians and some other hinky individuals and secrets to be revealed.
What will Alice learn about Joe along this journey?
In my opinion, the beginning of the story tried too hard to be funny, the middle moved quite slowly, but the last third of the book, went a tad better.
Still, the story felt a bit disjointed, and took too long to get to the point, and there were way too many characters. So, the soap opera-ish drama took away from the clean-up ending conclusion.
Oh, and in due course everyone had their babies. I think. I lost track of who’s who and eventually lost interest, too.
But, I did love the dog, Helen.
2.5 stars rounded down
Very pregnant Alice and her boyfriend Joe decide to leave London and move to the suburbs where they think they will have an easier lifestyle.
No sooner does Alice settle into her prenatal class, than all the mothers-to-be are setting out to solve the murder of the proprietor of the business. This leads them to a commune, more death, far-right politicians and some other hinky individuals and secrets to be revealed.
What will Alice learn about Joe along this journey?
In my opinion, the beginning of the story tried too hard to be funny, the middle moved quite slowly, but the last third of the book, went a tad better.
Still, the story felt a bit disjointed, and took too long to get to the point, and there were way too many characters. So, the soap opera-ish drama took away from the clean-up ending conclusion.
Oh, and in due course everyone had their babies. I think. I lost track of who’s who and eventually lost interest, too.
But, I did love the dog, Helen.
2.5 stars rounded down
February 27, 2024
I thought this was mostly a fun book. I enjoyed watching the relationships develop, though I did think our MC was a bit of a mess most of the time.
I found some of the story interesting, though I figured out most of the reveals earlier than intended. I was still curious to see how they would play out. Unfortunately, the end fell flat and left a lot to be desired.
Overall, I found it to be a decent read, but wish the end was more developed.
I received an audio copy of this book through Macmillan Audio and was enjoying the narration by Kitty Kelly. However, due to a glitch with the NetGalley app, I lost the book early on and had to read a physical copy through my local library.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I found some of the story interesting, though I figured out most of the reveals earlier than intended. I was still curious to see how they would play out. Unfortunately, the end fell flat and left a lot to be desired.
Overall, I found it to be a decent read, but wish the end was more developed.
I received an audio copy of this book through Macmillan Audio and was enjoying the narration by Kitty Kelly. However, due to a glitch with the NetGalley app, I lost the book early on and had to read a physical copy through my local library.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
November 1, 2023
The book is told from Alice's point of view. Alice is from the city and she and her husband have moved to the small village of Penton, where they don't know anyone and need to make friends and build their lives. Alice is not prepared for the birth of a child.
A group of expectant women, all near their delivery dates, meet and begin investigating a murder that occurred during their ante-natal class. Alice somehow seems to get assigned many of the tasks of the investigation. It is fun to follow her fumbling through these tasks.
This is a fun British mystery that provides some humor. I enjoyed Alice, as well as the other characters - especially Ailsa. The dog, Helen, was a hoot as well as Alice's attempts at handling her. The mystery surrounding the commune kept my attention and I found it interesting.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 9, 2024.
A group of expectant women, all near their delivery dates, meet and begin investigating a murder that occurred during their ante-natal class. Alice somehow seems to get assigned many of the tasks of the investigation. It is fun to follow her fumbling through these tasks.
This is a fun British mystery that provides some humor. I enjoyed Alice, as well as the other characters - especially Ailsa. The dog, Helen, was a hoot as well as Alice's attempts at handling her. The mystery surrounding the commune kept my attention and I found it interesting.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 9, 2024.
Read
January 16, 2024Light mystery, made me laugh, brought back memories of pregnancy and delivery without the pain of labor, and even enjoyed Helen, the dog.
Perfect book to sneak in-between the more brutal mysteries I usually read.
Perfect book to sneak in-between the more brutal mysteries I usually read.
March 22, 2024
I remember fondly my mom's group. Several of us were first timers and didn't have a clue. As an old fart, I am not the target audience for this book, but I found it funny with an offbeat humor, so beware. My favorite character is Maya. She is still a swinging single in London and can't quite understand why Alice actually likes country life. She is a riot and so funny. Alice has a sarcastic wit and has me in stitches over her observations about life as an about to be mum and I can't forget Helen, Alice's dog. She manages to sniff out a major clue and almost dies. The mystery took a great deal of time to develop but stick with it, it is well worth the time it took to develop. I really loved the "Midsomer Murders" and Miss Marple references, among others.
It has been quite a year for Alice. She met Joe, shagged him, got pregnant and they moved from London to the Cotswold village of Penton. Alice thinks she will really like the country, but she desperately wants a few friends. During a prenatal class the shop owner where the class was being held is discovered dead and everyone there is considered a suspect, as the death appears suspicious. In order to clear their partners, Alice and fellow expectant 30-sonething, Poppy, join forces to investigate on their own. What they discover is a lot of secrets centering around the commune in the woods outside of Penton. Alice is getting in deep in things that are none of her concern and could end up being downright dangerous.
My thanks to the Publisher and the Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
It has been quite a year for Alice. She met Joe, shagged him, got pregnant and they moved from London to the Cotswold village of Penton. Alice thinks she will really like the country, but she desperately wants a few friends. During a prenatal class the shop owner where the class was being held is discovered dead and everyone there is considered a suspect, as the death appears suspicious. In order to clear their partners, Alice and fellow expectant 30-sonething, Poppy, join forces to investigate on their own. What they discover is a lot of secrets centering around the commune in the woods outside of Penton. Alice is getting in deep in things that are none of her concern and could end up being downright dangerous.
My thanks to the Publisher and the Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
January 8, 2024
This was a cute and at times funny debut amateur sleuth mystery.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
I am somebody who is all about small town drama and mysteries when I’m reading, and this cozy chick lit crime brought the drama in spades! The quirky amateur investigations everyone got up to make the mystery engaging and kept me guessing as to how everything would all play out in the end.
Oh, and Helen the dog MADE this story! Her shenanigans were the best and brought more fun humor to the story.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
The story itself starts with promise, but slowly becomes overly repetitive and begins meandering to unnecessary places which detracts from the plot and mystery. The women in this story also came across on the ditzy side at times and became a tad bit frustrating.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I was able to alternate between the audiobook and physical, and I feel like audio is definitely the way to go. Kitty Kelly’s narration was perfect! Her comedic timing and accents brought so much more life to the story.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🔎Cozy Mystery
🔎Pregnant Amateur Sleuths
🔎Quirky Characters
🔎A dog who steals the show
🔎Small Town
🔎English Countryside
🔎Light Read
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
This was a slow burn story that was more on the side of character driven.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This was a fun debut, and I will be picking up book 2 in this series when it comes out.
Thank you, Minotaur Books, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
I am somebody who is all about small town drama and mysteries when I’m reading, and this cozy chick lit crime brought the drama in spades! The quirky amateur investigations everyone got up to make the mystery engaging and kept me guessing as to how everything would all play out in the end.
Oh, and Helen the dog MADE this story! Her shenanigans were the best and brought more fun humor to the story.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
The story itself starts with promise, but slowly becomes overly repetitive and begins meandering to unnecessary places which detracts from the plot and mystery. The women in this story also came across on the ditzy side at times and became a tad bit frustrating.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I was able to alternate between the audiobook and physical, and I feel like audio is definitely the way to go. Kitty Kelly’s narration was perfect! Her comedic timing and accents brought so much more life to the story.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🔎Cozy Mystery
🔎Pregnant Amateur Sleuths
🔎Quirky Characters
🔎A dog who steals the show
🔎Small Town
🔎English Countryside
🔎Light Read
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
This was a slow burn story that was more on the side of character driven.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This was a fun debut, and I will be picking up book 2 in this series when it comes out.
Thank you, Minotaur Books, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
January 18, 2024
Alice is eight months pregnant and she and boyfriend, Joe, have decided that London isn’t the best place to raise a child so they have moved to the small town of Penton, a place Alice describes as ‘hippy posh’. The first night there, they have signed up for a prenatal ‘crash course’, partly to meet new people but mostly because both Alice and Joe have been kind of avoiding preparing for the whole birthing experience.
The course has been going fine, well, except for all the graphic descriptions of childbirth, but there are other couples, most of whom seem friendly and just as aghast at the birthing details as Alice and Joe. But suddenly things go way off script. First, one of the other expectant mothers goes into labour and Alice finds herself pulled into help and second, the man who owns the store downstairs is found murdered.
When the wife of Poppy, one of the other expectant mothers, becomes the main suspect, she suggests she and Alice do their own investigation. They enlist the aid of some of the other women and soon find themselves immersed not only in this recent murder but two suspicious occurrences. from many years ago of a nearby commune..
The Expectant Detectives is Kat Ailes’ debut cozy mystery novel and what a fun and funny debut it is. The characters are all mostly likeable especially Alice who seems to have few filters. She is insecure and undiplomatic, not the best characteristics for an amateur detective, but she is also hilarious. But I think my favourite (and even funnier) characters are her and Poppy’s dogs, the irrepressible Helen, the always randy Ronnie and the majestic, and ever embarrassed at the antics of the other two, Sultan.I don’t know if this is the start of a new series but but I sure hope so because I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud at another mystery as did with this book.
Oh, and the mystery is pretty good too.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
The course has been going fine, well, except for all the graphic descriptions of childbirth, but there are other couples, most of whom seem friendly and just as aghast at the birthing details as Alice and Joe. But suddenly things go way off script. First, one of the other expectant mothers goes into labour and Alice finds herself pulled into help and second, the man who owns the store downstairs is found murdered.
When the wife of Poppy, one of the other expectant mothers, becomes the main suspect, she suggests she and Alice do their own investigation. They enlist the aid of some of the other women and soon find themselves immersed not only in this recent murder but two suspicious occurrences. from many years ago of a nearby commune..
The Expectant Detectives is Kat Ailes’ debut cozy mystery novel and what a fun and funny debut it is. The characters are all mostly likeable especially Alice who seems to have few filters. She is insecure and undiplomatic, not the best characteristics for an amateur detective, but she is also hilarious. But I think my favourite (and even funnier) characters are her and Poppy’s dogs, the irrepressible Helen, the always randy Ronnie and the majestic, and ever embarrassed at the antics of the other two, Sultan.I don’t know if this is the start of a new series but but I sure hope so because I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud at another mystery as did with this book.
Oh, and the mystery is pretty good too.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
April 12, 2023
I feel as though, since Richard Osman's 'Thursday Murder Club' series, there has been an influx of cosy murder mystery type books and this is no exception.
The Expectant Detectives follows Alice, a pregnant city girl now living in a country village with her partner. We join her for the local ante-natal classes where she find a group of friends. But when someone is murdered during their first meeting, they take matters into their own hands and start doing some detective work of their own.
Having two young children myself, I thought this would be a perfect book for me but in reality I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. From the beginning, I felt as though it was just trying a bit too hard to be funny and this made it fall a little flat for me. It did get better though and I had a mild interest in what happened next.
Overall, it was 'ok'. Not something I'd rush to read again but enjoyable.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.
The Expectant Detectives follows Alice, a pregnant city girl now living in a country village with her partner. We join her for the local ante-natal classes where she find a group of friends. But when someone is murdered during their first meeting, they take matters into their own hands and start doing some detective work of their own.
Having two young children myself, I thought this would be a perfect book for me but in reality I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. From the beginning, I felt as though it was just trying a bit too hard to be funny and this made it fall a little flat for me. It did get better though and I had a mild interest in what happened next.
Overall, it was 'ok'. Not something I'd rush to read again but enjoyable.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.
February 21, 2024
4.5/5
I had no idea what exactly to expect from the debut novel The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes, but it ended up being everything I could have ever hoped for! I love cozy mysteries, and this unlikely (to some extent) group of friends that link up after Alice and her husband move to a small village, really went for it with their sleuthing. It was quite humorous following a group of expectant mothers as they armchair detective their way through a murder, and there are even some other surprises along the way. The story itself is very funny, and I laughed out loud throughout the entire thing. Alice might just make her way into the list of my favorite characters of all time, and I adored silly little Helen the dog.
The audio is just as fun as the book is and I loved the narrator Kitty Kelly SO MUCH. I really hope she continues as the narrator for the series because I can't think of anyone better for Alice and just the whole vibe of the book in general. Listening to her was a dream, and I loved every minute of it. I will definitely have to grab a copy of The Expectant Detectives for my shelf, and I thoroughly enjoyed the witty, lightheartedness of it all. This was an easy read that kept me guessing, and I think if you are a fan of cozy mysteries that make you laugh, you won't find it hard to love this book.
Thank you to the publishers for my complimentary listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I had no idea what exactly to expect from the debut novel The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes, but it ended up being everything I could have ever hoped for! I love cozy mysteries, and this unlikely (to some extent) group of friends that link up after Alice and her husband move to a small village, really went for it with their sleuthing. It was quite humorous following a group of expectant mothers as they armchair detective their way through a murder, and there are even some other surprises along the way. The story itself is very funny, and I laughed out loud throughout the entire thing. Alice might just make her way into the list of my favorite characters of all time, and I adored silly little Helen the dog.
The audio is just as fun as the book is and I loved the narrator Kitty Kelly SO MUCH. I really hope she continues as the narrator for the series because I can't think of anyone better for Alice and just the whole vibe of the book in general. Listening to her was a dream, and I loved every minute of it. I will definitely have to grab a copy of The Expectant Detectives for my shelf, and I thoroughly enjoyed the witty, lightheartedness of it all. This was an easy read that kept me guessing, and I think if you are a fan of cozy mysteries that make you laugh, you won't find it hard to love this book.
Thank you to the publishers for my complimentary listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
December 26, 2023
I really loved The Expectant Detectives. It’s a lighthearted mystery that had me laughing the whole way through. Each of the characters in this book have amazing personalities and while all of them are unique they charmed the heck out of me. When I first started getting back into reading as an adult, I LOVED momcoms and women’s fiction books (still do by the way) so this one hit home for me. It was a really great mix of both PLUS a mystery. I couldn’t ask for more. I’m excited for the next one which will be released in 2024.
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ LOL mysteries
❥ Mommy sleuths
❥ Fun and relatable characters
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ LOL mysteries
❥ Mommy sleuths
❥ Fun and relatable characters
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 13, 2024
THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES by KAT AILES is nothing short of a pure delight to read (and listen to)!
Soon-to-be parents Alice & Joe, and their somewhat trouble-making dog Helen, just moved from London to the sleepy town of Penton. They expected a fresh start in the quaint countryside town and the quiet that comes with it.
What they didn’t expect was murder.
After attending their first antenatal class, a body is discovered on the first floor of the building. It’s clear to Alice - and her new-found pregnant friends - that everyone who was there that night is a suspect…and one of them just might be a murderer. With incurable curiosity and some time on their hands until their babies are born, Alice, Poppy, Hen and Ailsa start to investigate.
Enter town secrets and a questionable commune. Suspicious spouses and a persistent detective. A lot of history is unraveled with good humor and hijinks on top. And Alice and her friends unintentionally put themselves in danger, while also learning way too much about the absorbency of paper incontinence pants.
This book is laugh-out-loud funny with dashes of dark humor and sarcasm, while also weaving in some more serious and emotional moments. It’s charming, peppered with so many memorable characters and, at its core, a well crafted mystery. And happily the first in a new series!
While not quite a cozy, but not salacious, the banter and wit between the women reminded me of the chemistry of the Sex and the City foursome as well as the the ladies of Marlow Murder Club. If you’re a fan of found friends + amateur detecting + the comedy and tricky siituations of the Finlay Donovan series, THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES is for you.
Huge thanks to @stmartinspress & @minotaur_books for the eARC and to @macmillan.audio for the audio ARC. And a massive shout out to Kitty Kelly whose narration was so spot on - mixing emotion, humor and the perfect deadpan delivery of “Don’t bring Helen.”. Sweet, sweet Helen 🤍
Soon-to-be parents Alice & Joe, and their somewhat trouble-making dog Helen, just moved from London to the sleepy town of Penton. They expected a fresh start in the quaint countryside town and the quiet that comes with it.
What they didn’t expect was murder.
After attending their first antenatal class, a body is discovered on the first floor of the building. It’s clear to Alice - and her new-found pregnant friends - that everyone who was there that night is a suspect…and one of them just might be a murderer. With incurable curiosity and some time on their hands until their babies are born, Alice, Poppy, Hen and Ailsa start to investigate.
Enter town secrets and a questionable commune. Suspicious spouses and a persistent detective. A lot of history is unraveled with good humor and hijinks on top. And Alice and her friends unintentionally put themselves in danger, while also learning way too much about the absorbency of paper incontinence pants.
This book is laugh-out-loud funny with dashes of dark humor and sarcasm, while also weaving in some more serious and emotional moments. It’s charming, peppered with so many memorable characters and, at its core, a well crafted mystery. And happily the first in a new series!
While not quite a cozy, but not salacious, the banter and wit between the women reminded me of the chemistry of the Sex and the City foursome as well as the the ladies of Marlow Murder Club. If you’re a fan of found friends + amateur detecting + the comedy and tricky siituations of the Finlay Donovan series, THE EXPECTANT DETECTIVES is for you.
Huge thanks to @stmartinspress & @minotaur_books for the eARC and to @macmillan.audio for the audio ARC. And a massive shout out to Kitty Kelly whose narration was so spot on - mixing emotion, humor and the perfect deadpan delivery of “Don’t bring Helen.”. Sweet, sweet Helen 🤍
February 4, 2024
Alice and Joe move to a little town outside London shortly before their baby is due to be born. Their relationship is new, they’re soon-to-be parents, and now settling in to a new town. At their second pre-natal class, one of their classmates goes into labor and they all end up helping with the birth! At the end, a murder is discovered in the shop downstairs.
The group of women come together, first to support each other, then to discuss the murder, and end up sleuthing through clues to try to solve the crime/s. There’s lots of fun moments as they bumble through pending motherhood and investigating. I ended up really enjoying this quirky and well narrated audiobook.
The group of women come together, first to support each other, then to discuss the murder, and end up sleuthing through clues to try to solve the crime/s. There’s lots of fun moments as they bumble through pending motherhood and investigating. I ended up really enjoying this quirky and well narrated audiobook.
December 1, 2023
I think since the successes of other cozy mystery books, that humor is trying to be found again. This was more of a miss for me. It tried too hard to be FUNNY and rather became overbearing.
Our main character made decisions which I found to be far fetched/asking for trouble. It was also a pretty lengthy read, quite a bit could’ve been cut out and we still would’ve gotten the same idea.
Overall I’d recommend this is you’re really really into the mom vibes.
Thanks to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
Our main character made decisions which I found to be far fetched/asking for trouble. It was also a pretty lengthy read, quite a bit could’ve been cut out and we still would’ve gotten the same idea.
Overall I’d recommend this is you’re really really into the mom vibes.
Thanks to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
January 20, 2024
“While we may have reached the Investigate-a-murder-together-stage, we were definitely not ready for sleepovers and brushing each other‘s hair.”
After Alice becomes pregnant, her and her partner Joe decide to leave the hustle and bustle of London behind. Together they move to Penton, a quirky village outside of the city that promises a quieter and safer environment in which to raise their first child.
But what these expectant parents were not expecting was for a murder to occur in the same building as their prenatal class. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect- well minus the woman who was bringing life into the world as another life was exiting it. Now Alice, along with other fellow first time moms, find themselves involved in a labor intensive investigation, much to the chagrin of their significant others. Can these very different women, all in the infancy of their relationship, come together to deliver the truth?
The Expectant Detectives is the first book in a new cozy murder mystery series, by debut author, @k.ailes. It’s also downright hysterical, the on point humor giving birth to a new subgenre. While I did accurately predict some of the twists and turns, this didn’t make the story any less the bundle of joy that it turned out to be.
If you enjoy fun mysteries with small town charm and sharp wit, consider welcoming this new addition into the fold!
After Alice becomes pregnant, her and her partner Joe decide to leave the hustle and bustle of London behind. Together they move to Penton, a quirky village outside of the city that promises a quieter and safer environment in which to raise their first child.
But what these expectant parents were not expecting was for a murder to occur in the same building as their prenatal class. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect- well minus the woman who was bringing life into the world as another life was exiting it. Now Alice, along with other fellow first time moms, find themselves involved in a labor intensive investigation, much to the chagrin of their significant others. Can these very different women, all in the infancy of their relationship, come together to deliver the truth?
The Expectant Detectives is the first book in a new cozy murder mystery series, by debut author, @k.ailes. It’s also downright hysterical, the on point humor giving birth to a new subgenre. While I did accurately predict some of the twists and turns, this didn’t make the story any less the bundle of joy that it turned out to be.
If you enjoy fun mysteries with small town charm and sharp wit, consider welcoming this new addition into the fold!
June 8, 2023
An excellent mystery, full of good fun - what more could I ask for?
Alice is pregnant; along with her partner Joe they have decided it's time to leave London and move to the country - so the Cotswolds is where they settle. Desperate to fit in and find friends locally, they attend the local ante-natal class - where a dead body is found. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Alice - along with her crazy dog, Helen - begins to look the death. She is then joined by more women she met at the class. When another body turns up, they decide that the local police are missing things and determine to make a better job of investigating.
Oh, how I have loved this book! It's been a while since I had to stuff my hand in my mouth to stop myself laughing out loud when reading in bed beside my sleeping husband - I'm only glad the mirth didn't give me away! This is choc-full of fabulous characters and so many possibilities as to who was involved in what! Did I work it out? No - but I had great fun trying to. Totally fell in love with Helen the dog who was a real character. Entertaining to the very last and so very, very enjoyable. Definitely recommended to those who enjoy a good mystery with a few giggles thrown in. Another author to keep an eye on. 5*.
Alice is pregnant; along with her partner Joe they have decided it's time to leave London and move to the country - so the Cotswolds is where they settle. Desperate to fit in and find friends locally, they attend the local ante-natal class - where a dead body is found. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Alice - along with her crazy dog, Helen - begins to look the death. She is then joined by more women she met at the class. When another body turns up, they decide that the local police are missing things and determine to make a better job of investigating.
Oh, how I have loved this book! It's been a while since I had to stuff my hand in my mouth to stop myself laughing out loud when reading in bed beside my sleeping husband - I'm only glad the mirth didn't give me away! This is choc-full of fabulous characters and so many possibilities as to who was involved in what! Did I work it out? No - but I had great fun trying to. Totally fell in love with Helen the dog who was a real character. Entertaining to the very last and so very, very enjoyable. Definitely recommended to those who enjoy a good mystery with a few giggles thrown in. Another author to keep an eye on. 5*.
November 23, 2023
Grab your yurt and your hippie beads and join The Expectant Detectives in solving a murder. Kat Ailes’ British murder mystery is told from the viewpoint mother-to-be Alice. The story takes place in Penton, a small village outside of London. The action begins during Alice and Joe’s first pre-birthing class when one of the other attendees goes into labor and gives birth. At the same time, and in the same building, a man is murdered.
Classmates Alice, Poppy, Hen and Ailsa, all ‘heavy with child,’ begin an investigation, which involves several trips to a commune. Join in a gong bath, a birthing ceremony, shopping for essential oils, and interrogating suspects.
I loved the story, the four main characters, and Helen the dog.
Classmates Alice, Poppy, Hen and Ailsa, all ‘heavy with child,’ begin an investigation, which involves several trips to a commune. Join in a gong bath, a birthing ceremony, shopping for essential oils, and interrogating suspects.
I loved the story, the four main characters, and Helen the dog.
January 17, 2024
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was a fun read! Some parts of the story were rather funny and the mystery kept me guessing. Pregnancy and childbirth play a prominent role in this story and I thought it was rather entertaining to imagine a group of hugely pregnant women playing detective. I am so glad that I took a chance and decided to give this book a try.
Alice and her boyfriend, Joe, have just moved to town with their dog, Helen, and are due to have a baby very soon. They enroll in a childbirth class and not only does one student go into labor during the first session but a man dies in the shop downstairs and they are all considered suspects. Alice wants to make friends and what could be a better way to bond than solving a murder with some of the women she has met at childbirth class?
I listened to the audiobook and thought Kitty Kelly did a great job with this story. This is only the second time that I have listened to this narrator’s work and I have been impressed both times. She did a great job with the more comical moments in this story which helped to bring the story to life. I liked the voices that she used for the various characters in this story and thought that she brought just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I believe that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that there was a nice balance of humor and mystery in this book and I loved the fact that it kept me guessing until the end. I plan to pick up the second book just as soon as it becomes available.
I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books.
This was a fun read! Some parts of the story were rather funny and the mystery kept me guessing. Pregnancy and childbirth play a prominent role in this story and I thought it was rather entertaining to imagine a group of hugely pregnant women playing detective. I am so glad that I took a chance and decided to give this book a try.
Alice and her boyfriend, Joe, have just moved to town with their dog, Helen, and are due to have a baby very soon. They enroll in a childbirth class and not only does one student go into labor during the first session but a man dies in the shop downstairs and they are all considered suspects. Alice wants to make friends and what could be a better way to bond than solving a murder with some of the women she has met at childbirth class?
I listened to the audiobook and thought Kitty Kelly did a great job with this story. This is only the second time that I have listened to this narrator’s work and I have been impressed both times. She did a great job with the more comical moments in this story which helped to bring the story to life. I liked the voices that she used for the various characters in this story and thought that she brought just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I believe that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that there was a nice balance of humor and mystery in this book and I loved the fact that it kept me guessing until the end. I plan to pick up the second book just as soon as it becomes available.
I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books.
January 3, 2024
I love the premise of this book. Joe and Alice are expecting a baby and decide to move from London to a small town in the Cotswolds. The mystery begins when there is a murder in the same building where the couple's prenatal class is being held. Alice and the other expectant moms are on the case and a commune is also involved, which sets up some amusing situations.
The pacing of the story is somewhat uneven, so I wasn't always fully engaged and lost interest a few times. Sometimes it seemed to be trying too hard to be funny, but there were some genuine moments of humor, so this could be the start of a fun new series. 3.25/3.5 stars
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Minotaur Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
The pacing of the story is somewhat uneven, so I wasn't always fully engaged and lost interest a few times. Sometimes it seemed to be trying too hard to be funny, but there were some genuine moments of humor, so this could be the start of a fun new series. 3.25/3.5 stars
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Minotaur Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
December 30, 2023
3.5 rounded up
The Expectant Detectives gave off Finlay Donovan and a little bit of The Thursday Murder Club vibes. MC Alice was irreverent and a little annoying, but also I loved how she was unashamedly herself. I honestly did not like her boyfriend/baby daddy Joe. The awkward friendships between all the expectant mothers were humorous, but I liked how they were all there for each other. The mystery and the book as a whole move along at a slow pace, in my opinion. There were a couple of twists. Some I figured out, but the main whodunit was a bit of a surprise. Overall, it's a fun read.
The Expectant Detectives gave off Finlay Donovan and a little bit of The Thursday Murder Club vibes. MC Alice was irreverent and a little annoying, but also I loved how she was unashamedly herself. I honestly did not like her boyfriend/baby daddy Joe. The awkward friendships between all the expectant mothers were humorous, but I liked how they were all there for each other. The mystery and the book as a whole move along at a slow pace, in my opinion. There were a couple of twists. Some I figured out, but the main whodunit was a bit of a surprise. Overall, it's a fun read.
January 13, 2024
This was a fun cozy mystery! We have a group if expecting mothers who get involved trying to solve the murder of a shopkeeper that happened during one of their lamaze classes! The banter totally gave me Finlay vibes, I giggled quite a few times. I really enjoyed the process of the women solving the mystery. This was a good one!
Thank you @netgalley for my copy!
Thank you @netgalley for my copy!
May 1, 2024
Alice és párja Joe első gyermeküket várják és úgy döntenek, hogy gyermeket vállalni és nevelni sokkal kellemesebb meg olcsóbb vidéken, mint Londonba, úgyhogy elköltöznek egy faluba Cotsworth-ba. Penton valóban festői környezetben helyezkedik el, van hippi közösség meg Nők Belső Istennőjének temploma és a szülés-előkészítő tanfolyam egy ezoterikus bolt fölött helyezkedik el, de legalább kiderül, hogy Alice nem az egyedüli kismama a környéken. Úgy gondolja, hogy a tanfolyamra járó leendő anyukákkal majd szép lassan jól összebarátkozik, csakhogy már a második alkalommal felgyorsulnak az események. Az egyik sorstársnak megindul a szülése és míg mindenki igyekszik kivenni a részét a kavarodásból, mire megérkeznek a mentők nemcsak egy újszülöttet, hanem egy halottat is találnak: a bolt tulajdonosát. Természetesen akik jelen voltak a szülésen (anya és apa jelöltek, meg a tanfolyam vezetője) mind gyanúsak, a nyomozást vezető detektív még az újdonsült anyukát is kihallgatja, pedig neki aztán szilárd alibije van: vajúdott. Alice és a többi kismama a fészekrakás helyett új izgalmat talál tehát: meg akarják találni a tettest, már csak azért is, hogy magukról eltereljék a rendőrségi gyanút.
A vicces cozy mysterik három dolgon tudnak a szememben elcsúszni: 1. ha nem szimpatikus a főszereplő esetleg a stílus, 2. ha erőltetett a humor (vagy egyáltalán nincs) 3. ha nagyon egyszerű a rejtély és könnyen megfejthető. Nos, jelentem hogy Ailes regénye mindháromban jól teljesített. Már az elejétől megfogott Alice és a stílusa. Talán azért is, mert a száraz angol humort nyomta, sőt közben még egy olyan ismerősre (barátra?) is szert tett, aki még magasabb szinten nyomta a szarkazmus (ő Aisla). Ráadásul roppant jól lehet a főszereplőnk problémáival azonosulni: vidékre költözés, beilleszkedés s mindezt úgy, hogy igazi hétköznapi nő ő, nincsen semmi szuper képessége, nem viselkedik úgy, mint a nagykönyvben megírt kismamák, sőt néha meg is ijed attól, hogy rá mennyi minden nem jellemző abból amit elvárnak az emberek az „állapotában” lévőktől. Teli van kétségekkel az új helyzetével és szerepével meg a jövővel kapcsolatban, s ha nagyon összecsapnak felette a hullámok, inkább sorozatokat darál és nasizik, mint komolyan cselekedne. Úgyhogy Alice meglátásai, meg a kalandok amikbe keveredett a kis gyilkosság mellett szépen szolgáltatták a mosolyfakasztást plusz még nagyon szimpatikus is volt a jelleme. Ráadásul ott volt még a páros kutyája, Helen aki további humorforrást adott: ahogy a gazdája fogalmaz, ő a „kutyavilág Doktor Szöszije” gyönyörű, de roppant buta, mint Amanda Seyfried (Karen Smith) karaktere a Bajos csajokból. Egy idő után ha Alice-t bárhová hívják mindig hozzáteszik az új ismerősök, szomszédok, rendőrök stb. hogy „Helent ne hozd” 😊 Mert a kutya viselkedése hagy maga után kívánnivalót ha bajba lehetett kerülni és rendetlenséget csinálni, akkor tuti Helen ott járt. Alice és Joe esetében tökéletesen igaz, ha életben tudták tartani Helent, akkor készek a gyerekre.
A rejtély is elég izgalmas volt, hiszen természetesen kiderül, hogy Penton lakói között már évek óta voltak feszültségek és régi összekuszálódott feszült viszonyok amelyeket a szónyeg alá söpörtek ahelyett, hogy nyilvánosan megoldottak volna, s a titkolózással még inkább gyanúsabbá vált mindenki. Volt egy pontja a dolgoknak, amire előbb rájöttem, mint Alice, de azt hiszem az direkt került bele, hogy az olvasó még feszültebben figyelje, hova fognak eljutni a kismamák és vajon nem lesz-e nagyon megterhelő nekik az, amikor kiderül, ki volt a tettes …
Tehát ha valaki szerette Finlay Donovant, akkor ajánlom Kat Ailes regényét is én nagyon jól éreztem magam az olvasása közben, megkedveltem a szereplőket, a helyszínt és látom a potenciált a további részekben. Ugyanis szintén sorozat lesz ebből, a második rész június elején fog angolul megjelenni.
Részletesen: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/20...
A vicces cozy mysterik három dolgon tudnak a szememben elcsúszni: 1. ha nem szimpatikus a főszereplő esetleg a stílus, 2. ha erőltetett a humor (vagy egyáltalán nincs) 3. ha nagyon egyszerű a rejtély és könnyen megfejthető. Nos, jelentem hogy Ailes regénye mindháromban jól teljesített. Már az elejétől megfogott Alice és a stílusa. Talán azért is, mert a száraz angol humort nyomta, sőt közben még egy olyan ismerősre (barátra?) is szert tett, aki még magasabb szinten nyomta a szarkazmus (ő Aisla). Ráadásul roppant jól lehet a főszereplőnk problémáival azonosulni: vidékre költözés, beilleszkedés s mindezt úgy, hogy igazi hétköznapi nő ő, nincsen semmi szuper képessége, nem viselkedik úgy, mint a nagykönyvben megírt kismamák, sőt néha meg is ijed attól, hogy rá mennyi minden nem jellemző abból amit elvárnak az emberek az „állapotában” lévőktől. Teli van kétségekkel az új helyzetével és szerepével meg a jövővel kapcsolatban, s ha nagyon összecsapnak felette a hullámok, inkább sorozatokat darál és nasizik, mint komolyan cselekedne. Úgyhogy Alice meglátásai, meg a kalandok amikbe keveredett a kis gyilkosság mellett szépen szolgáltatták a mosolyfakasztást plusz még nagyon szimpatikus is volt a jelleme. Ráadásul ott volt még a páros kutyája, Helen aki további humorforrást adott: ahogy a gazdája fogalmaz, ő a „kutyavilág Doktor Szöszije” gyönyörű, de roppant buta, mint Amanda Seyfried (Karen Smith) karaktere a Bajos csajokból. Egy idő után ha Alice-t bárhová hívják mindig hozzáteszik az új ismerősök, szomszédok, rendőrök stb. hogy „Helent ne hozd” 😊 Mert a kutya viselkedése hagy maga után kívánnivalót ha bajba lehetett kerülni és rendetlenséget csinálni, akkor tuti Helen ott járt. Alice és Joe esetében tökéletesen igaz, ha életben tudták tartani Helent, akkor készek a gyerekre.
A rejtély is elég izgalmas volt, hiszen természetesen kiderül, hogy Penton lakói között már évek óta voltak feszültségek és régi összekuszálódott feszült viszonyok amelyeket a szónyeg alá söpörtek ahelyett, hogy nyilvánosan megoldottak volna, s a titkolózással még inkább gyanúsabbá vált mindenki. Volt egy pontja a dolgoknak, amire előbb rájöttem, mint Alice, de azt hiszem az direkt került bele, hogy az olvasó még feszültebben figyelje, hova fognak eljutni a kismamák és vajon nem lesz-e nagyon megterhelő nekik az, amikor kiderül, ki volt a tettes …
Tehát ha valaki szerette Finlay Donovant, akkor ajánlom Kat Ailes regényét is én nagyon jól éreztem magam az olvasása közben, megkedveltem a szereplőket, a helyszínt és látom a potenciált a további részekben. Ugyanis szintén sorozat lesz ebből, a második rész június elején fog angolul megjelenni.
Részletesen: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/20...
January 13, 2024
Dollycas's Thoughts
Expectant parents Alice and Joe, and their dog, Helen move out of the city to the small village of Penton for a simpler life as they prepare for the arrival of their first child. Neither are really ready to be parents but it's too late to turn back now. Knowing no one, they sign up for a prenatal class being held above Nature's Way, an organic shop, selling wind chimes, dream catchers, things made from hemp, and other "weird hippy" stuff. Shortly after the second class begins one of the participants goes into labor and delivers the baby on the spot. While everyone is distracted by the birth the owner of the shop downstairs is murdered and the entire class are suspects in his murder.
Alice makes quick friends with expectant mom Poppy, but soon, new mom, Hen, and still preggers, Ailsa are traipsing around the countryside trying to find the killer with some assistance from "beautiful" and "exceptionally stupid" Helen also known as "Legally Blonde of the dog world". They soon find the sleepy town of Penton has many secrets that people are not willing to reveal including a curious prior death that has gone unsolved. Will the expectant detectives be able to solve two mysteries? Or will they just find themselves in a whole lotta trouble?
______
I had a hard time getting into the story at first because Alice and Joe moved to Penton with very little planning. The house needs work, they take forever to unpack, their furniture doesn't fit, and they haven't brought much for a baby that is due very soon. Alice seems oblivious about what is happening around her and has no clue how her life is going to change when that baby arrives. And Joe isn't any better. Being a mom of four and a grandparent of six this made me a little crazy but I tried to remember back to when my first child was born, but nope, still crazy.
But I set that aside and kept reading and started laughing. Helen the dog steals the show. If there is mischief to find, she will find it. But it wasn't all fun and games when one adventure takes a scary turn. You know the dog is extra precious when your friends invite you somewhere and they clearly tell you, "Don't bring Helen!"
Truthfully the story is full of laugh-out-loud moments that had nothing to do with the dog including a special delivery from the prenatal class instructor and her lessons.
Ms. Ailes put forth a mystery with a lot of moving parts that took the expectant detectives to some interesting places including a commune, a birthing celebration, a gong bath, the newspaper archives, walks in the woods, and some pretty gardens too. Tying the new mystery to an old one did give the story some depth. It had the expectant detectives jumping to some faulty conclusions but Alice did find a clue that helped all the other clues fall into place. She also found a note that opened a whole new can of worms. I was able to hone in on the killer before Alice but I didn't have all the details right until it was all spelled out.
The Expectant Detectives turned out to be a very entertaining read so I am glad I stuck with it. Tickling my funny bone got me engaged and then the story kept my attention. There were a couple of pacing issues and a bit of repetition but not enough issues to stop reading. Plus I needed to know how everything came together at the end.
Now I am interested in how this series is going to continue as all the expectant detectives become new moms. Dead Tired is set to be released on June 4, 2024. I will need to see how Alice is handling all the things motherhood is throwing at her and I assume another murder.
Expectant parents Alice and Joe, and their dog, Helen move out of the city to the small village of Penton for a simpler life as they prepare for the arrival of their first child. Neither are really ready to be parents but it's too late to turn back now. Knowing no one, they sign up for a prenatal class being held above Nature's Way, an organic shop, selling wind chimes, dream catchers, things made from hemp, and other "weird hippy" stuff. Shortly after the second class begins one of the participants goes into labor and delivers the baby on the spot. While everyone is distracted by the birth the owner of the shop downstairs is murdered and the entire class are suspects in his murder.
Alice makes quick friends with expectant mom Poppy, but soon, new mom, Hen, and still preggers, Ailsa are traipsing around the countryside trying to find the killer with some assistance from "beautiful" and "exceptionally stupid" Helen also known as "Legally Blonde of the dog world". They soon find the sleepy town of Penton has many secrets that people are not willing to reveal including a curious prior death that has gone unsolved. Will the expectant detectives be able to solve two mysteries? Or will they just find themselves in a whole lotta trouble?
______
I had a hard time getting into the story at first because Alice and Joe moved to Penton with very little planning. The house needs work, they take forever to unpack, their furniture doesn't fit, and they haven't brought much for a baby that is due very soon. Alice seems oblivious about what is happening around her and has no clue how her life is going to change when that baby arrives. And Joe isn't any better. Being a mom of four and a grandparent of six this made me a little crazy but I tried to remember back to when my first child was born, but nope, still crazy.
But I set that aside and kept reading and started laughing. Helen the dog steals the show. If there is mischief to find, she will find it. But it wasn't all fun and games when one adventure takes a scary turn. You know the dog is extra precious when your friends invite you somewhere and they clearly tell you, "Don't bring Helen!"
Truthfully the story is full of laugh-out-loud moments that had nothing to do with the dog including a special delivery from the prenatal class instructor and her lessons.
Ms. Ailes put forth a mystery with a lot of moving parts that took the expectant detectives to some interesting places including a commune, a birthing celebration, a gong bath, the newspaper archives, walks in the woods, and some pretty gardens too. Tying the new mystery to an old one did give the story some depth. It had the expectant detectives jumping to some faulty conclusions but Alice did find a clue that helped all the other clues fall into place. She also found a note that opened a whole new can of worms. I was able to hone in on the killer before Alice but I didn't have all the details right until it was all spelled out.
The Expectant Detectives turned out to be a very entertaining read so I am glad I stuck with it. Tickling my funny bone got me engaged and then the story kept my attention. There were a couple of pacing issues and a bit of repetition but not enough issues to stop reading. Plus I needed to know how everything came together at the end.
Now I am interested in how this series is going to continue as all the expectant detectives become new moms. Dead Tired is set to be released on June 4, 2024. I will need to see how Alice is handling all the things motherhood is throwing at her and I assume another murder.
October 8, 2023
I had a really great time reading this book, it was an intriguing mystery, and I loved the set up! Can't wait for more!
June 7, 2023
I’ll be totally honest and say I wasn’t sure what I was going to make if it. Never having gone through pregnancy and it many facets, which I know a lot more about now than I did before, I thought this may not be my cup of tea. However, it was both a funny and entertaining sort of chicklit cosy crime! The story centres around Alice who has moved to the village of Penton in the Cotswolds with her partner Joe after finding out, unexpectedly, that she is pregnant and thinking it would good to espouse a more laid back lifestyle than they had in London.
Briefly, when attending their first antenatal class there is a shock in store when firstly one of the women goes into labour shortly followed by the discovery of a dead body downstairs in the building. With a number of the mothers to be and their partners under suspicion Alice puts together an informal group of ‘expectant detectives’ to try and find the killer.
I absolutely loved Alice’s crazy dog Helen! Who calls their dog Helen? Some of the pregnancy detail was a little graphic for me but I’m sure a lot of mothers are going to really relate to it. The investigations did at times seem like they were secondary to their daily life for the characters but that was okay. The plot was good and I found the whole thing really very entertaining. A fun and engaging read.
Briefly, when attending their first antenatal class there is a shock in store when firstly one of the women goes into labour shortly followed by the discovery of a dead body downstairs in the building. With a number of the mothers to be and their partners under suspicion Alice puts together an informal group of ‘expectant detectives’ to try and find the killer.
I absolutely loved Alice’s crazy dog Helen! Who calls their dog Helen? Some of the pregnancy detail was a little graphic for me but I’m sure a lot of mothers are going to really relate to it. The investigations did at times seem like they were secondary to their daily life for the characters but that was okay. The plot was good and I found the whole thing really very entertaining. A fun and engaging read.
January 27, 2024
I was in the mood for a cozy mystery and The Expectant Detectives really hit the spot!
Expectant parents Alice and Joe have just relocated from London to the country, looking for a quiet place to raise their child. Instead of quiet, however, they find themselves accidentally enmeshed in a murder investigation when a man is killed in the bulding where they are taking a prenatal class.
Alice and the other expectant mothers, upset that they could be considered suspects, take it upon themselves to play amateur detectives. Their goal is to catch the real killer and clear their names.
This was such a fun read! There are just enough twists and turns with respect to the murder to keep things interesting, while all of the antics kept me laughing with each turn of the page. And then of course there's Alice's silly dog Helen who steals the show in every scene she is in.
I tandem read this between a physical copy of the book and the audio version. I really vibed with the author's writing style and just flew through it. Kitty Kelly also does a phenomenal job narrating the audio, capturing all of the charming, cozy vibes as well as the laughs.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries that have a bit of a Finlay Donovan vibe, I recommend checking out this one!
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Expectant parents Alice and Joe have just relocated from London to the country, looking for a quiet place to raise their child. Instead of quiet, however, they find themselves accidentally enmeshed in a murder investigation when a man is killed in the bulding where they are taking a prenatal class.
Alice and the other expectant mothers, upset that they could be considered suspects, take it upon themselves to play amateur detectives. Their goal is to catch the real killer and clear their names.
This was such a fun read! There are just enough twists and turns with respect to the murder to keep things interesting, while all of the antics kept me laughing with each turn of the page. And then of course there's Alice's silly dog Helen who steals the show in every scene she is in.
I tandem read this between a physical copy of the book and the audio version. I really vibed with the author's writing style and just flew through it. Kitty Kelly also does a phenomenal job narrating the audio, capturing all of the charming, cozy vibes as well as the laughs.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries that have a bit of a Finlay Donovan vibe, I recommend checking out this one!
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2024
I LOVED this book. I saw it in Barnes and Noble and thought the cover was so funny, only to read the sleeve and find the plot even funnier. An entire army of pregnant women from a prenatal class find themselves solving a murder. It’s such millennial style writing and humor and I ate it up. What I did not anticipate was a very well written mystery! And a very heartfelt ending. What an amazing way to juxtapose murder and death with new life through birth! Seriously so clever
January 13, 2024
I couldn’t finish this one and kept losing interest. There was also far too much pregnancy stuffs, which I get is part of the series/book/plot but this was TMI.
Thanks netgalley for my ALC.
Thanks netgalley for my ALC.
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