Hot Girl Murder Club ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead

Kindle, Head of Zues

NetGalley About Summary

...a buzzy, bloody new thriller about success, sisterhood, and demanding justice…by any means necessary.

What’s a girl got to do to get some fame, a few million record sales, and justice for murder?

Ten years ago, aspiring singer-actress Scout Sage lost the only thing that mattered: her sister, Georgia. Ever since Georgia’s mysterious death at a Hollywood party, Scout’s done her best to honor her memory, clawing her way through the industry and collecting a network of climbers along the way, fellow hot girls in stilettos with cutthroat ambition, a new Hollywood order.

But when a slew of targeted murders makes headlines across L.A., all pointing to Scout as the killer, she turns overnight from a mid-tier pop star into the world’s most famous (alleged) murderer. Now everything she’s worked to build—including the justice she wants for Georgia—will fall apart unless Scout can prove she’s not guilty.

Meanwhile, the young and unusual detective assigned to her case, herself no stranger to tragedy, begins to unearth secrets not even Scout knows, let alone her millions of new fans. Particularly about the ways Georgia’s death connects to an even older pattern of crimes long hushed over in Hollywood—an old reign of terror that, if brought to light, could be the fuel that ignites a reckoning the world over.

Genre: General Fiction
Goodreads added: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Horror
I'm removing horror. There were a couple of scenes but they didn't set off my cringe meter. 

The How/Why: Was listed on NetGalley. First attracted to the title, then the summary, then the narrator sealed the deal. Requested>Approved.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.75 bumped up to 4)

🎉 Overall Storytelling? 🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣(see Pace below)

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Maybe 🤷 If you like your mystery/thriller with a side of heavy political overtones.

🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖  

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

💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? MŪrdɇr, Sɇxuɐl Violɇncɇ & Assɐult, MiŞoǥyny & SɇxiŞm

🌶 Spice? No. Google says: Heavy Sɇxuɐl Themes but not spicy.

🌪 Plot Twist? Yes

👟 Pace? The first 80% was chaotic at times. The last 20% was full speed ahead. 

💻 Tidbits ~ A Girl Gang Sisterhood out for… Revenge or Justice?

Our Ladies of the Dark is the network of ambitions, stiletto clacking Hollywood women dubbed The Hot Girl MŪrdɇr Club. They feel the need to take vigilante justice into their own hands.

Scout, a pop star navigating the entertainment industry while trying to seek justice for the mŪrdɇr of her sister at an upscale Hollywood party 10 years ago.

Grey Holloway, an investigator assigned to Hollywood murder cases, is dealing with her own past while investigating Scout and her secret sisterhood society.

There were several other characters to keep track of while trying to determine if they were the good guys/gals or the bad guys/gals.

Favorite Character: Sabel, the French key member of the inner circle. Who doesn't need someone in their corner watching their back and coordinating alibis? She was the most level headed of the entire entourage.

Pros: I enjoyed the old Hollywood setting and the sisterly bonds presented in dual timeline with multiple POVs. There was quite a puzzle to put together assembling the missing pieces.
Cons: I did not enjoy the heavy political undertones, which I was not expecting from the About Summary.
Bottom Line: The mystery was interesting and kept me listening. Be prepared for a heavy social and political agenda.
Just between us sisters: Hollywood elite men are bad. Politicians are worse. 🤫

Pacing - The first 80% was chaotic at times. The last 20% was full speed ahead.

I deducted one star. Half for the chaotic pacing the first three quarters of the story, half for the political agenda without warning.

🎧 Narrator: Brittany Pressley. This girl is on 🔥FIRE🔥. She has quickly become one of my favs and seems to be everywhere these days!

🎧10.18 hours 🕮 336 pages

Not yet published. Expected July 14, 2026

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review. 

27 and counting

Extra Tidbit
How weird is this? I went to my Facebook NetGalley group's search bar and entered the title to see if anyone else was reading or had read this one yet. I got this popup warning:
How did they get THAT from this title? There isn't even an option to let them know this book isn't about that.

I asked Google who indicated it's an automated blanket safety filter that cannot understand context or intent. Combo words G and M triᵷᵷer vï0lɇnt and graphic content protocols.

I sent the info to my contact at MacMillan Audio just so they are aware that the title was not searchable on FB.

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