Tags
4 stars, Book Review, cancer, family, murder mystery, Nina Simon
Review of Mother-Daughter Murder Night
Mother – there are two mothers to mention. Lana, high-powered real estate developer going through cancer treatments. And her daughter Beth who owns the home Lana is recuperating in. They haven’t been close since Beth left home when she was pregnant. That brings us to Daughter. Beth is a daughter and she has a daughter – Jack – short for Jacqueline. Avid outdoorswoman and kayak tour, Jack comes upon a dead body during one of her tours – Murder. Night – The action starts when Lana observes suspicious activity from Beth’s house through her binoculars – at night.
As the discoverer of the body, Jack is one of the first suspects. When her granddaughter comes under investication, Lana goes to work to find the real killer, dragging a willing Jack and a not so willing Beth into the fray with her.
The novel features a family of three strong women who support each other even when they sometimes don’t get along so well. A fourth woman, Detective Ramirez, is also strong in a background sort of way. Her male partner is jerk, falling into line with the rest of the not so heroic men in the story.
So, women – good. Men – meh. I don’t think the story was meant to portray this gender divide. The banding together of the family is the critical maneuver. “Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.” I love this tagline from the book blurb because it totally sets the tone for the book.
The actions of all three amateur detectives are chronicled giving it the feel of a police procedural, without the police. Intertwined with the search for the killer is the interaction of the three women and a growing sense of family. I really enjoyed this family murder mystery, the first novel from author Nina Simon.
Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.
*****************************
About Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.
High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of: 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 near their bungalow. Jack 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 never tried: trust each other.
**********************
Links
Add Mother-Daughter Murder Night to your Goodreads shelf:
Purchase Mother-Daughter Murder Night (Releases 9/5):