Mother-Daughter Murder Night ⭐⭐⭐💫

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon


G👀dreads About Summary

Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.

A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Gilmore Girls , but with murder.

High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she’s built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does.

Then Jack—tiny in stature but fiercely independent—happens upon a dead body while kayaking. She quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She’ll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power. With Jack and Beth’s help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they’ve always depend on each other.

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

The How/Why: It's anybody's guess. Probably suggested by Libby or Hoopla while I was searching another title. 
BINGO - I just remembered! Susan Patterson (James Patterson's wife) has a book that was just published called The Mother-Daughter Book Club. Its about four friends and their daughters gather in Italy, etc. etc. I saw it too late to request in NetGalley so I tagged it in Libby to Notify Me when it becomes available. In the meantime, Libby's rabbit hole pulled other similar titles and Mother-Daughter Murder Night was one that caught my eye.  

⭐⭐⭐ 💫 

🎉 Overall Storytelling? 🎉🎉🎉🎊

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎏

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Maybe 🤷 If you like a cozy mystery and family drama that turns HEA. 

🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖ 

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author?  Maybe 🤷 

💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? MŪrdɇr, Disȼriminɐti0n

🌶 Spice? No

🌪 Plot Twist? No

👟 Pace? Okay, drug on in parts

💻 Tidbits ~ A peek into the past. Mother-Daughter (Lana and Beth) started Mother-Daughter MŪrdɇr Night when Beth was a teenager and Lana’s husband left. Lana was busy building her real estate empire and barely had time for her daughter. Their common thread was watching the popular crime show Columbo and trying to solve the mysteries.

Fast forward. Single mother Beth, a registered nurse at an elder care facility, now has a teenage daughter Jack. Beth has little in common with her 4" stiletto wearing, high society mother. Jack calls her grandmother Prima, which I think is completely adorable. Beth may disagree!
Lana is diagnosed with cancer and has to temporarily move into Lana and Jack’s coastal cottage during treatment/recovery.
Jack is a very independent teenager. She has a job at a kayak shack as a group tour guide.

One sleepless night Lana is gazing out the window around 2 am and sees someone with a wheel barrel dumping something into the slough.

Next thing you know Jack is out paddleboarding and discovers a D ɇ ɐd body. Since she found the body, she is being heavily questioned by the authorities.

Next thing you know another D ɇ ɐd man, one of Beth’s favorite patients dies.

Is there a connection between the two bodies?

Lana, bored out of her mind, can’t help but try to clear her granddaughter’s name. She starts noseying around trying to put two-and-two together. She’s pretty good at it and before you know it, it’s a family affair with all three of the Rubicon ladies putting their heads together and sorting out the details. If we've learned anything by now, we know that the d ɇ vil is in the details!

Can Lana and Beth repair their strained relationship and solve the crimes with their super sleuthing skills learned from Columbo? The apple didn’t fall far from the tree as Jack is also following the breadcrumbs adding to the discovery. Watch out for red herrings along the way!

I thought there was great chemistry with this family trio. We moved from family drama to combined investigative teamwork. Lana brings on the strategy, Beth has medical insider info, Jack is the explorer who knows the waterways. 

I deducted one star for being too slow, dragging out in the middle, therefore making it feel too long. 
I deducted half star for the narration. I enjoy Jane Oppenheimer. I think this one would have benefitted with dual narration. Not that every character needs their own voice, but it would have enhanced the storytelling IMO since it alternates between three POVs and three generations of the Rubicon ladies. 

I *DID* enjoy the Mother-Daughter-Granddaughter super sleuthing as well as Beth and Lana's master manipulation techniques to obtain information. We could be friends!    

🎧 Narrator: Jane Oppenheimer

🎧12.38 hours 🕮 368 pages


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