"How Not To Murder Your Ex" by Katie Marsh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"How Not To Murder Your Ex" by Katie Marsh is a sweet cozy murder mystery with quirky characters and a quaint setting. The cover is very eye-catching, and the title made me grab the book.

The book is set in a seaside English town. The main characters are single mom Clio and her two best friends: Amber - a police officer who was kicked out of the force - and Jeanie  - a new mom to twins. Clio is forced to live in a caravan with her teenage daughter, Nina, after losing her business and all her money to her despicable ex, Gary.

When Gary steals her daughter's money as well, Clio sees red and threatens him in front of an audience. The next thing she knows, he is lying dead on the doorstep of her caravan. Unfortunately, she doesn't recall the events of the previous night. She and her friends celebrated her forty-fifth birthday, and they all drank like there was no tomorrow. To add insult to injury, she also suffers from the bad symptoms of Menopause.

Clio quickly becomes the main suspect due to their shared history. She is sure she didn't kill him, no matter how big the temptation was. "She wanted him dead, but not that dead". The plot thickens when she is arrested for the murder of her ex. Now it is up to her friends to dig in and find the real murderer before Clio is charged with murder and sent to jail.

I enjoyed the book very much. There's nothing I like more than good cozy mysteries, and this one fit the bill perfectly with a mysterious death, colorful characters, and red herrings aplenty to keep the reader engaged. The book is written in the third POV of the three women with the perspective of the abhorrent Gary thrown in for good measure. The perspective of Gary is written from the days before his death leading up to the death itself. The author did a good job describing his character, I will tell you that.

I loved that the main characters were women in their 40s, and  I loved their humor and the interactions between them. The reader is quickly wrapped up in their lives. I smiled when the author described the antics of the babies and loved the sheer loyalty of the women to each other. Everyone needs good friends like Amber and Jeanie. I did think Clio was too scattered and impulsive and acted without thought at times. Midway through, I suspected the identity of the murderer, but I didn't foresee the twist at the end.

Overall, it was a fun read, albeit a bit slow-paced at times. I would love to read more books with those perky heroines. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery with quirky characters.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "How Not To Murder Your Ex" by Katie Marsh