Couldn’t get into it. Too much rambling about characters, the setting, etc. tried too hard to use flowery language instead of just telling a good story.

After reading some glowing reviews of this, Victoria Dowd's crime thriller, I had high expectations, but whilst I did enjoy reading it, but felt a sense of disappointment too that it had not turned out even better. Ursula Smart is the unwanted party when she accompanies her mother on her literary book club trip to the remote Ambergris Towers run by Mr and Mrs Angel, under frozen and snowy conditions, where a horror of murders are to take place that have the place referred to as The Slaughter House. In a atmospheric narrative, there a wide cast of characters that include the Aunts Less and Charlotte, Mirabelle, Bridget and the dog, Mr Bojangles. Who will survive and live to tell the tale? Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

The Smart Woman's Guide to murder by Victoria Dowd.
At a country house in the middle of nowhere the guests are snowed in.
Ursula gatecrashes her mother's book club in an isolated country retreat. We have Mirabella Aunts Charlotte and Less and Bridget with her dog mr bojangles.
Then the murders begin.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Ursula character. I loved the story. Very cleverly written. I would never have guessed how it went. 5*.

The Smart Woman's Guide to Murder is a book full of unlikeable characters who keep getting murdered

Ursula the daughter of Pandora had me laughing out loud through out the book with her comments and her observations.

Hard to say anything without giving the plot away so I wont

It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon figuring out who was the murderer in the locked room so to speak and laughing while I was trying to accomplish this feat.

Thanks to Net Galley and Joffe Books for an entertaining read.

Very very similar to 2 recent books which have been released. The Guestlist by Lucy Foley and Murder at the Book Club by Betsy Reavely. Just very samey

I did enjoy the book, it was well written and funny at times. I didn't like the characters though which made it a bit slow to read.

Oh wow. Fabulous!

This book was exactly what I needed right now. Especially at this point in time where real life is as crazy as the bunch of people in this book!!

A mother, an unwelcome daughter, aunts an even a dog, Mr Bojangles. If I ever get a dog I know what I’m calling it haha!! It was a much welcomed breath of fresh air and a fantastic mystery, where a crazy and slightly lunatic bunch of women are able to cause havoc!!
A book club where the book has been read three times already! A body is found! So whodunnit?! The book just keeps throwing curveballs at you and I didn’t come close to working it out and these are most definitely my favourite type of books. Keeps you guessing till the very end. I also love the way the book was written. Very fluid and easy to absorb.

You feel like you’ve been thrown into chaos and craziness pretty much straightaway and I love that. It makes the book an instant page turner. I also wonder if like me, the reader will relate to a certain character! If you love a classic mystery with a good few laughs thrown in then this is the book for you!

Thanks to Netgally for giving me the chance to review this book. I definitely look forward to more of Victoria Dowd’s work! I’ve never read anything by her before but I certainly will do so now.

I hate not finishing a book. I also hate giving negative feedback, especially when I didn't get thru the whole book. I tried to read all the way thru but was having a hard time.. this style of writing just didn't vibe with me. It was almost "too descriptive" in it's writing. That's the best way I can describe it.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to read it, I'm sure lots of others will enjoy it.

This is one of the best dark comedy who dunnit i have ever read ..... the intricate and almost subtle clues are brilliant and the ending is one that i have never come across before and it never occurred to me ....... this is one of the books that will have you wanting more from Victoria Dowd.....
This smart woman's guide to murder is brilliant and has great moments of ups and downs in the hunt for the killer.....the antics the book club get up to and the process of elimination is extremely good..

It is my first book with her and she hasnt let herself down..... what a brilliant author and a fantastic book...... i loved every minute of it and would recommend it to friends and family

Five stars from me and i will be reading more from the brilliant Victoria Dowd

I had a hard time getting into this book. In the beginning the onslaught of descriptive writing and unlikeable characters made me want to DNF. I did decide to stick with it as i was intrigued by the plot, nothing really happened until a quarter way though. ⁣

I did find the book quite repetitive which was annoying especially the butlers use of the word madam in every sentence, the mother telling everyone to shut up all the time and the constant descriptions of snow. ⁣
2.5 stars rounded to 3 stars.

The book had a fantastic plot and the pace really picked up towards the end. There was also some great laugh out loud moments and parts which I really enjoyed. ⁣

Another case of me liking the idea of a book better than the reality. The blurb is good, but all the characters are fairly awful and not in an enjoyably awful way. This is being sold as an update to the classic murder mysteries, but apart from being set in a big country house, I didn't really see the connection. Never mind. Not for me.

Ursula, daughter of Pandora Smart, wasn't supposed to be joining her mother's little week-end getaway Book Club but she's there as well as death since bodies start quickly to pile-up around her. Who's the murderer? Who will be the next victim?

The story is told by Ursula which elevate the tone of the reading thanks to her unique temper and her relationship with her mother and the other members of the Book Club. It's quite a funny one. To give you an idea: "... it wasn't too much of a leap to imagine someone had stuffed their mother and sat them in the window. I looked over at mother. It was a tempting thought."
Between the very isolated old manor/house, the bad weather (always at the party this one!) and their strange hosts, we got a mysterious, ominous atmosphere where everyone can become the next victim (for some, it's easy to wish for) and/or being THE KILLER!

The 'Bridget' character is a bit weird in her behaviour, giving the feeling that it doesn't add-up.

SPOILERS:
1- How come the vape-pen, as a murder tool, hasn't been destroyed after all these years?
2- Why has it even being brought during this week-end and kept inside her handbag for everyone to see?

So, it was really promising until the very ending ruining the whole story. But I'm still curious to read something else from the author since i do like her writing.

I enjoyed this for what it was - a modern version of the "locked room" mystery. The clues in this cosy-mystery are there from the beginning - its just that the have yet to be put into perspective - and there are also a few red herrings.

I enjoyed the style of writing (quirky and witty) - though the narrator - Ursula - did grate on me a little (bit of an attention seeking neurotic with a daddy fixation). The pace was steady (real time if you will) as we kick off with a bang and then wind back to the beginning and proceed from thereon. Snappy chapter headings offer some much needed advice if you want to survive a murderous weekend away.

Would be interested in reading something else from this author. Nice little isolation read!

A murder mystery book should not be this much fun. I was laughing out loud until the first murder and even after. If you are planning to read this, you need to prepare yourself for an unconventional murder story with several feral females, each with unique annoying traits that will make you wish you were a murderer. This novel fulfills everything the title suggests and more. If you’re looking for a bone-chilling cocktail of Cristie and King, it may fall not satisfy your needs but if you’re a soft rookie like me in crime-fiction in search of a fun time, this is book serves this purpose beautifully.
Dowd’s style and narration, her wry humor, wit and on the spot hilarious and acrimonious remarks combined with a level of sarcasm I am not used to in crime-fiction novels turned this book into a one of a kind reading experience. Definitely recommended for the fans of the genre and I am looking forward to the second book of the series! Well done Victoria Dowd!

I struggled with this book. After reading rave reviews, I was anxious to get reading. I loved the book cover and the description so it was a surprising disappointment.

The storyline was engaging. How can you go wrong with a women's book club gathered at a country mansion for a nice retreat and that retreat turns into a nightmare as bodies start appearing? Unfortunately, something went wrong as I continued reading. I seem to think it was the condescending characters and their snarky remarks. I began to hate all of the characters. Maybe there was supposed to be some wry humor, but I didn't get it.

I still managed to finish the book and I have to admit that the ending was a surprise.

Two stars -- it was okay. Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

What could go wrong if you have to join a book club meeting whose members are your mother and her friends? And did I mention that your relation with your mother is not a matter of roses; and her friends are all braggarts and pretentious? Oh, and did I mention that its a book club where no one talks about books?🙄 And to top it all you have to live with them for a weekend in a house that has "marooned" plastered on its locations.

In a house where almost no one is fan of one another and is quick to pass off murderous glances, can a real murder take place? Is one of the "friends" to be labelled as guilty? Read the freshly released mystery to find out!

For all those Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes fans out there, you are in for a fresh style of delivering a mystery. You won't be forever on edge as you were while reading Murder on the Orient Express or you won't be bound in ties by the brilliant grey matter of Sherlock Holmes.

A murder has taken place, and more are likely to follow. But you'll always pursue the mystery with a light mood, thanks to the easy sarcasm that rolls off so smoothly in the narration. However, things are to get more mysterious and serious as you keep on turning the pages.

At the start of every episode you'll be fed with a rule- the smart woman's guide to murder. They, however, do not always tend to have a literary connotation, many are to be taken at the symbolic (and humorous!) level too.

The book has one thing that a mystery book has to have- picturesque narration; words sketching pictures. You can see a dead body lying in the snow. You can feel the silence of a library and you can smell the fishy environment.

And lets not forget to do a check upon the features of a mystery that the book has- A lonely old place. Check. References to death. Check. Moody weather. Check. Unaccountable/mysterious deeds. Check.

All in all, its a good read if you want a taste of mystery and thriller wrapped up in a light tone.

Also, if you are an introvert who likes to stay hidden in books (but is witty enough to pass off snarky comments at people you have a misfortune to stay with), there's a bonus for you since you'll find a relatable character inside.😉

When will people learn that when you go away to an isolated area with no cell phone service you gon get got? Seriously, it’s like saying Bloody Mary in front of the mirror three times and not expecting her to rush out at you. But all jokes aside this novel by Victoria Dowd has a great concept as it takes a tale as old as time and attempts to revamp it. However, I will admit that this book just wasn’t for me. As a fan of thriller and who-dun-it novels I had a very difficult time getting through this book as it moved too slowly for my taste and the characters were so unlikeable that their deaths didn’t bring me enough satisfaction. I will also say that the narrator was perhaps the most unlikeable of the bunch and the number of time the plot jumped to her father was disorienting and quite irksome by the end. All this being said, if you start this book, see it through as the twist is definitely well thought out.

2.5 Stars - Thank you to Netgalley, Victoria Dowd, and Joffe Books for the advanced read of “The Smart Woman’s Guide yo Murder”!

Ursula's mother has organised a book club weekend away at faded and isolated country house Ambergris Towers. Ursula is tagging along under much sufferance which is repeatedly made abundantly clear to her. Joining them are book club members her Aunt Charlotte, Mirabelle, Less who Ursula named years ago as she’s joyless and Bridget with pampered pooch Mr Bojangles. The staff of the house are Mr and Mrs Angel - think Bela Lugosi for Mr Angel. He suggests a fortune teller for the first nights entertainment which somewhat reluctantly they agree to. As the weather closes in with snow falling heavily and no means of communication, the occupants of the house realise there’s a killer on the loose. The story is told by Ursula.

The characters in the book are vividly portrayed but not especially easy to like. It’s hard to imagine a more sarcastic and caustic bunch and their target is usually poor Ursula. They drink copiously and frankly so would I if I had the misfortune to be stuck that lot or I just might just kill them myself!!! The story is very funny at times, it’s highly entertaining, smart and snarky. The killing spree has a Jonathan Creek style mystery ‘how is it done’ element to it which adds an extra element of intrigue as you and the occupants of the house try to figure out what’s going on and why. The murders are as creative as the characters and it’s most definitely in the spirit of an Agatha Christie novel but a darned sight more fun. There’s a Gothic feel to the storytelling too which is partly provided by the house and it’s feel , gloom, mystery and secrets. Each chapter has a rule which are really clever and some are very amusing. The story is well written, there’s a good pace and plot, there are plenty of twists with a dash of suspense and copious amounts of tension between the characters.

Overall, a very entertaining, fun read which is perfect for right now.

The Smart Woman's Guide to Murder is the first book in a series inspired by the Golden Age of crime. It is very much a homage to Agatha Christie and is a classic murder mystery set in a country house but has been yanked into the 21st century and features a collection of unusual characters, with all their strange and difficult relationships. Pandora Smart is attending a weekend retreat hosted by her book club at a beautiful, isolated country estate and decides to take her daughter Ursula with her much to the annoyance of the rest of the patrons. The five members: Pandora, Bridget, Charlotte, Mirabelle and Joy have very little in common with one another but manage to keep it together enough to discuss (or not) books. However, it soon becomes clear that someone has been killed when a body is found in the grounds but with a frigid blizzard incoming, they are snowed in before too long with no means of communication to contact the outside world and the relevant authorities and no form of transportation to leave. It appears they are stuck with one another for the foreseeable but that isn't so pleasant when one of them may be a cold-blooded murderer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ”locked room” mystery and must admit to chortling out loud quite a bit; it's no easy feat to make me laugh I promise you. I find very little amusing but the subtle wit and charm of this clever little book had me hook, line and sinker. Dowd has brought the country house mystery bang up to date and I devoured it in a single captivating sitting. We have a limited pool of suspects present at the retreat who all turn out to seemingly have it within them to commit murder with their motives being the likes of envy right through to resentment and long-held grudges. This is a compelling and addictive read full of mystery and with plenty to keep you thinking. Ursula is a fantastic character whose acerbic commentary illuminates each page and provides a contrast between the light and dark elements. If you enjoy old-school mysteries made bang up to date with a decent dose of sardonic humour then this is well worth your time. It's just something a tad different from the usual. I look forward to the sequel and reacquainting myself with the Smarts. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Joffe for an ARC.

Ursula (what she calls herself) invites herself to the mother's book club, where they all meet at an isolated country house for a long weekend. Her mother's best friend, two aunts, and another woman with her dog, Mr Bojangles are all present and accounted for. This retreat is their chance to escape bustling suburbia. But someone has other ideas.

A body is found on the grounds. Has one of their own group started a killing spree ... or was this victim specifically targeted?

Leaving is not an option ... they are snowed in.

What the book club members need is to stop sniping at each other long enough to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again. But how to go about solving a murder mystery ... before someone else dies?

Although some of the characters would have driven me batty had I been among them for more than a day, I found them to be quite entertaining ... even humorous at times. They each had their own quirks and issues and I saw all of them being capable of murder. It started out slow and pretty much retained a slower pace throughout. Like an old fashioned murder mystery in the days before cell phones and the internet, and DNA testing, it held my interest from start to finish.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

3.5 STARS