Julia Pritchard, an aging sitcom star making a comeback, and her stepdaughter, Blythe Pritchard, an aspiring attorney, form a pact to start fresh and pursue their dreams. But their plans go awry when Keith Pritchard, Julia’s soon-to-be ex-husband and Blythe’s father, goes missing and is presumed dead, the day they plan to move out of his mansion.

This book is written from the perspectives of Julia and Blythe - and a couple of other characters -  in alternating chapters. Sometimes the author has the characters changing their minds in an instant without any real explanation. I also had to go back a few times because things were attributed to the wrong character, and threw me off for a minute. There was some lagging throughout, mainly when there just random issues or events that really weren't relevant to the rest of the story.

I didn't totally figure out the murderer until the final 1/4 of the book, so that was good. I did however find it very far-fetched based on the type of man the rest of the book described victim Keith Pritchard as. This was a book that while I didn't have trouble finishing it, I'm not waiting with bated breath for the next one.

I received an ARC from #NetGalley and am providing my honest opinion in exchange.

From the start, I knew that Julia Pritchard wasn't the murder in the story, but somehow as the story progresses, I was less sure. It was pretty convincing in rattling my beliefs, The victim was her husband, someone who on the surface was a good man. 
A good mystery is not as straight forward, suffice to say that the story was convoluted enough to inspire a read, but not enough to cry foul over it. For a person who has read a few of her books, The Women on Retford Drive is more complex and more refined. 
Definitely a read.

This book is compelling. A rich man who abuses his wife turns up missing. She is the logical suspect, but she is as clueless as the police. Most of the book is spent with her trying to clear herself. One of the big issues is spousal abuse. With alternating narrators, it is sometimes confusing, so I rate this novel a 4 instead of a 5. I kept reading it and finished it within about 12 hours so I have to say it is a good whodunit. The plot kept twisting and turning until near the end. Is the whole story believable? Maybe.

Alretha is a magician of the author world. She always manages to trick, misdirect, and fool all my thoughts as a novice detective when trying to figure out......who did it?

Main characters of the story are Julia and Blythe Pritchard. Julia married Blythe’s father Keith, several years ago and became Blythe’s step-mother after her real mother went missing and was never found. The author names each chapter according to whose perspective the story is coming from which makes it much easier because these two women are very close and could easily get confused, in my opinion, if not known by the chapter name. This time, Blythe’s father goes missing and the women don’t know if he’s just missing or dead. They find out pretty early which happened, but don’t know “who” or “why”. At times, although they’re very close, each suspects the other. Slowly more characters are introduced as they do press conferences, searches etc for Keith Pritchard. Keith has also been abusive to Julia for about 5 years during the marriage which is why Julia filed for divorce and her and Blythe were in process of moving out of the house, when they found out Keith missed a very important flight overseas for his business

Many characters are interviewed by the police to find out where they were, what times, during the window of time that was narrowed down, by last people to have seen him alive. All have pretty good alibis, but not airtight and much suspicion is thrown around by these characters as to who they think may have wanted to harm Keith, especially Keith’s mother, who is crazy like a fox.. She’s not a fan of Julia’s so, of course, that’s who she points the finger at. Keith had a lot of money from his business and his mother thinks Julia did something in hopes of inheriting his money. She’s also in denial that her son was abusive, although his father mentioned the abusive relationship between Keith and his mother.

I don’t want to go into too much detail as I don’t want to accidentally give any spoilers away that would truly ruin a really wonderful, twisty mystery. It’s such a delight to read and try to figure out is he missing or dead?

You will enjoy this book. It’s really a very well written story and at times a nail biter! Put on your best detective hats and skills to see if you are wise enough to figure out the entire mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy for an honest review.

I just reviewed The Women On Retford Drive by Alretha Thomas (Award-Winning Author). #Thewomenonretforddrive #NetGalley

An interesting read.  It's not The Stepford Wives", for sure.  I was given a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

This mystery was told in the first person by multiple characters, so it gave the reader more insight into the characters and helped to form an opinion as to who killed Julia's soon to be ex-husband.  The concept was great and the writing was good, but this wasn't as good as some other mysteries I have read recently.

Julia Pritchard and her stepdaughter Blythe have finally found the courage to escape the abusive clutches of Keith Pritchard. With divorce proceedings underway the two women pack their things ready to move into their own apartment only to find that the soon to be ex husband and father has disappeared. As their world spirals out of control they soon discover who they can and can't trust and just how easily people can believe only what they want to believe. 

I felt the subject of spousal abuse was well considered and didn't seem either exaggerated or minimalised. As the thread which held the story together this was contrasted by characters with kind hearts and the two together gave a good impression of real life even if very few of us are as wealthy as Keith Pritchard.

This is a very easy read, the chapters are short and move the story along from one of four points of view. I loved the mother-in-law she was deliciously deranged and her husband was a sweetheart.  That said each of them facilitated the abuse their son dished out to both his wives and their culpability was well explained. 

Thanks to Netgalley I was able to read an advanced copy of this book and as it is the first of a series I can look forward to reading more in the future.

This book was highly disappointing. There was a really good mystery at the core (a missing person and multiple suspects with legit reasons for wanting him gone) but everything except for that mystery line was just not good.  It all seemed very superficial.  The relationship between Julia and Blythe (stepmom and stepdaughter) was not consistent.  The way the characters spoke was stilted; at one point Blythe referred to Julia’s “tresses,” later while washing her hair in the shower, Julia refers to her “locks,” and dialogue between characters seemed as if they were reciting lines in a play instead of just talking to each other.  What was especially disappointing though was the author’s apparent need to get “timely” references into the story.  Among others, there were comments about how people “who aren’t born in this country” are paranoid about ICE, how America is a country divided between rich and poor, and (most egregiously) a baseless mention about how a mixed-race (not apparent anywhere else in the book) character is involved with Black Lives Matter.  None of those had anything to do with the plot of the story and just seemed extremely gratuitous. It also took me completely out of the mystery at hand, because the statements were so jarring.  I wanted to like this book because of the mystery, but there were too many things wrong to be able to recommend it.  Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Women on Retford Drive is an excellent kickoff to a new mystery series by Alretha Thomas.  An intriguing plot and well defined characters combine to make this a great read.  Is Keith dead or is his disappearance an elaborate hoax?  If he is dead,  who killed him and why?       These and other questions spurred on my reading and speculations.  I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book in this series.

The Women on Retford Drive  was an amazing book. Normally with books that have suspense or mystery, I am able to figure everything out by the middle of the book. Not with this book, this one kept me guessing until the very end. I could not put the book down after I started reading it. You could relate to the characters, they felt real, like they were your friends or someone that you knew. I cannot wait until another book come out from this author, I plan on reading everything, it was that well written.

This held my interest from beginning to end. Lots of twists and a surprise ending. I'd be interested in reading the next book in the series.

Where is Keith Pritchard? Is he alive or dead? Is it a hoax? The good people of Dancing Hills believe his soon to be ex-wife, Julia Pritchard and his daughter Blythe have killed him. The police also suspect them, and at times, the women suspect each other. 

This effective and twisty mystery is the first in a whodunit series. It’s told from multiple points of view, alternating between Julia and Blythe. Their lawyer, Stephen, and the lead detective on the case, also have a few chapters. The novel offers a gripping story that will have you missing your train stop or bus stop or whatever mode of transportation you’re using to get to and from work. At least that was the case for me.  

If you really like good mysteries, you will love this one. I highly recommend The Women on Retford Drive. On a side note, the book touches on domestic abuse.

I’d like to thank the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable whodunit in the vein of Gone Girl. But in this case it’s Gone Guy. Keith Pritchard was scheduled to fly out of Los Angeles on his private Jet to New York on a roadshow to take his company public, but he never makes his flight. This startling occurrence sends his soon to be ex-wife Julia into a panic along with his daughter, Blythe, both of whom are leaving him. Julia believes Keith is behind his own disappearance, but Blythe thinks her father’s dead and the police believe the women, who have been abused by Keith, may be guilty. Racing against the clock, Julia and Blythe start their own investigation that leads to a litany of suspects, including each other. I had a difficult time trying to determine what and if anything had happened to Keith. This book kept me on the edge of my seat with my eyes glued to my Kindle. 

The characters were thoroughly fleshed out and the writing flowed. The story is told in alternating views—Julia, Blythe, their attorney Stephen and the lead detective Brian Johnson. There are myriad twists and turns and surprising revelations, the biggest of which comes at the end. I recommend this book.

I’m grateful to the publisher and netgalley for giving me access to this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Look, I'm just going to cut to the chase - The Women on Retford Drive is bad. 

It tells the story of an abusive man, Keith Pritchard, who has gone missing and is presumed dead. His soon to be ex-wife, Julia, and his daughter, Blythe, both become suspects and amateur detectives trying to figure out what happened to him. 

The story is told through alternative points of view in each chapter. A lot of times, these alternating perspectives are profoundly useful when unraveling a mystery but they did not work here at all. The biggest reason why this failed is that all of the characters are the same. Seriously. They are all very flat, one dimensional, interchangeable characters. Despite the fact that at least 4 different characters get their own chapters, they all read the same. There is zero character development here. Julia is an actress, Blythe is a law student, Stephen is an attorney and Brian is a detective. That is all we learn about them. There are no nuances to their personalities, quirky traits, growth nothing that makes them stand out from anyone else. 

This also bleeds over into my biggest problem with this book. It was very dialogue heavy. The characters narrated literally every single little minute thing that they were doing out loud, which was off-putting, to say the least. And despite the insane MURDER INVESTIGATION that they are all embroiled in, it's all very ho-hum, pass the potatoes kind of dialogue. The author's favorite words/phrases to use were 'anyway,' 'speaking of,' and 'by the way,' which all lead to unintentionally hilarious scenes of dialogue. 

Have you guys ever seen the movie, The Room? Because this book reminded me of that. The tone was ALL over the place and things were hysterical that clearly were not meant to be. Needless to say, I won't be continuing this series. 

I received this ARC as a courtesy from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Women on Retford Drive is the first book in Alretha Thomas’ Dancing Hills Mystery series. She’s off to a great start. I immediately connected to the two protagonists, Julia Pritchard an aging actress and her stepdaughter Blythe, an aspiring attorney. 

The novel opens with the women preparing to leave their abusive husband and father respectively, Keith Pritchard. They’re excited about finally breaking free of the suffocating and destructive grip he has on their lives. But their dream turns into a nightmare when he goes missing the day of their move. There’s a bloody shirt, but no body. There’s an abandoned car with blood in it, but no body. Where is Keith Pritchard and is he dead? Getting the answer to the aforementioned question, coupled with Alretha’s stunning storytelling, had me swiping my phone like a mad person. The writing, a nice balance of dialogue and narrative, is engaging, and it held me from beginning all the way through the shocking end.

If you love mysteries, you won’t want to miss this one.

Many thanks to the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Fast paced quick read. This book will hold your interest all the way through.  There is constant dialogue, chain of thought of each character. Brings to light abusive relationships and why women stay.. Only a few expletives and no steamy sex. A good mystery for a rainy day or an afternoon poolside!

The adage be careful what you wish for came to mind while reading The Women on Retford Drive. Julia and her stepdaughter Blythe longed for the day when they could be free from their abusive husband and father, Keith Pritchard. But did they want their freedom badly enough that they would be willing to commit murder? That’s the lingering question in this ingenious mystery. I immediately connected to Julia and Blythe who alternately tell the story. Their lawyer and the detective on the case also have a few chapters. Once I started reading, it was very difficult to put this book down. I just had to know what had happened to Keith and who did it? Was he dead? Was he going to suddenly make an appearance?  It’s a nail-biter. Every time I thought I knew who the culprit was, something else was revealed to discount my theory. The ending is explosive and surprising. This is an excellent mystery. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

The Women on Retford Drive is a first person multiple POV mystery. I tend to lean toward third person stories, but the author was able to write this story seamlessly, pulling me in at page one. Julia and Blythe Pritchard are inseparable and have suffered several years of abuse at the hands of Keith Pritchard, Julia’s husband and Blythe’s father. The story opens on the day they plan to leave Keith’s mansion. It’s the perfect day to make their escape because Keith is on his way to New York. He’s in the process of taking his company public. But all hell breaks loose when the women are notified that Keith missed his flight and cannot be found. The women suspect he’s on his way back to the house to stop them from leaving, but that theory is tossed when the housekeeper discovers Keith’s bloody shirt. Blythe surmises there’s foul play. But where is his body? Is he dead? Julia believes it’s a hoax and that Keith is trying to thwart their plans. I had planned to read the book over several days, but I failed. I read it in one sitting because I had to know what had happened, if anything, and who did it. The writing is excellent, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. This is one of the best mysteries I’ve read so far this year.

Gripping storyline.  Keeps you guessing the outcome until the very end.  Couldn't read it quickly enough.

This is a riveting mystery. Julia Pritchard and her stepdaughter Blythe are anxious to start their new lives away from their abusive husband and father, Keith Pritchard. Unfortunately, he goes missing the day they make their getaway. When the housekeeper makes a gruesome discovery in the laundry room, the women fear the police will point the finger at them. But was Keith really hurt? Is Keith dead? If so, where is his body and moreover, who did it? This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride and the reveal in the end was mind-blowing. This is an excellent mystery with relateable characters you can root for. It's the first book in a series. I'm looking forward to reading book #2.