This book was – surprisingly – both charming and touching, along with being a suspenseful caper novel. Three older women – Grace, Daphne and Meg – are sitting in a London coffee shop together when a young, frightened girl lurches in. She heads for the restroom, and not long after a suspicious man comes in, claiming she’s his daughter. They tell him they’ve seen nothing and watch him leave, then they immediately scoot out the back, taking the young woman with them.

As the title indicates, these women are beginners in the art of murder, but their target is immediately obvious. What isn’t obvious are the personalities and characteristics of the women, and the author goes back in time to flesh out each character’s backstory, so the reader can see what shaped each one. While the three hadn’t really known each other well before the coffee shop incident, they are united in their desire to save the young girl, Nina. The real heartbreaker of the book is Nina’s story.

The reader is taken back in time where we see Nina being raised in a “care home” – in the US I think this would be a foster home – and the difficulties as well as the connections she has with some of the others in the home with her. Unfortunately, she meets another young woman when she’s on the way to the library one day. Reading the book, you want to reach through the pages and tell Nina to stay far, far away from this other young woman, but the story is already inevitable.

When Nina is again snatched by the man in the coffee shop, after experiencing a moment of safety with the women, the three redouble their efforts to save her. It becomes unsurprisingly clear that Nina is basically a prisoner of this man. He pimps her out relentlessly, moving houses frequently. It’s unclear just how the women will save her but they find an ally, Des, a friend of Daphne’s. He’s actually been in prison so they are hoping he can offer advice or maybe kill this man for them.

It becomes clear Des was neither a good or committed criminal, but he does offer some insight: the man who has Nina is basically after money, and he knows some people who might be able to help with the murder bit of the plan. What follows is basically a suspenseful caper plot, as the three women work uncomfortably with Des’s acquaintances to offer a ransom and reclaim Nina.

What’s really unexpected about this book is how touching it is. Grace, Daphne and Meg all have their own heartbreaking backstories, and as one of the women says to Nina at one point, “There’s a bit of trouble in every life.” The fact that they understand trouble makes them want to help. While their efforts sometimes seem almost silly, they are so dead serious in purpose that each step they take gets them closer to Nina.

The story is wonderful and so are these wonderful women. I am honored to have spent some time with them, and (not really a spoiler) delighted by their ultimate success. The author fills in the cracks and crevices of her story with wonderful details of London and different characters that, even if only encountered for a chapter, are so memorable they stick with you. The specific details in her story and the sweetness of the characters makes her book special.

Thanks to NetGalley and all for an ARC copy of this book.
I really enjoyed the writing style and the character development. I liked the relationships developed throughout the story. I just had a hard time with some aspects of the plot development.

Not everything is what it seems

First, thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for an advanced reader's copy of this great book!

On the surface, this book appears to hit all the soft spots of a cozy mystery. The three main characters are quirky and lovable but a little naive and totally inexperienced to murder someone. I was expecting a lot of laughing and although I did get some of that, I realized this plot is a lot darker than what I was expecting. That's always a plus in my book. I do enjoy dark and twisty.

It was slow in some places but I had no problem finishing the book. It was so unique and I would never have thought to put these aspects into a single book. I think it works very well. Not everyone in life is primed and ready for action. I'm definitely not so it gave some well needed air for me as a reader.

I have been wanting to read this book and it did not disappoint ! the title and cover of the book was asp perfect Z
I hope this author writes more book!

A Beginner’s Guide to Murder
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Mystery Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/5/22
Author: Rosalind Stopps
Publisher: HQ
Pages: 368
Goodreads Rating: 3.65

TW ⚠️: Child abuse, child trafficking, and mental illness.

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and HQ and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Grace, Meg and Daphne, all in their seventies, are minding their own business while enjoying a cup of tea in a café, when seventeen-year-old Nina stumbles in. She’s clearly distraught and running from someone, so the three women think nothing of hiding her when a suspicious-looking man starts asking if they’ve seen her. Once alone, Nina tells the women a little of what she’s running from. The need to protect her is immediate, and Grace, Meg and Daphne vow to do just this. But how? They soon realise there really is only one answer: murder.
 
My Thoughts: The story begins in the current with Nina running into the cafe, and then backtracks all of their own stories and how we got to that point. Each of the ladies, Grace, Meg, Daphne, and Nina narrates, alternating, from their own perspectives. Even the story starts with a bang, there are some slow parts in the first half of the story as the foundation is built. The characters are well developed, with depth, growth, inventive, and is just really works for this story. The author does a fantastic job at the plot, it is dark and disturbing, which fills you with horror and suspense, but is not graphic, it is just done in a very mysterious tasteful way. The author’s writing style is thought provoking, has complexity in layers, creative, and intriguing. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.

This was a good read. I found it to be heavy at times which made the read a bit slow. Overall a great book. I felt very connected to the characters and felt their pain, happiness, etc.

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Beginner’s Guide to Murder by Rosalind Stopps is a thriller with a stunning original premise. The story revolves around Grace, Meg, and Daphne, three old women in their 70s who become murderers in the most unlikeliest of ways. When a teenage girl stumbles into their lives, running away from a man, they decide that the only way to save her to murder the man and cover up his murder. Will they succeed?

Here is a gripping excerpt from Chapter 1:

"We had known him for two days when we decided to kill him. I say we, because I was there too, I was part of it, but I didn’t believe it. Not then. I didn’t think it would happen, but I couldn’t think of a better idea. I didn’t truly believe we would do it. I was so scared. So terrified. I didn’t feel safe and worse, I knew she wasn’t safe. That poor girl. I had to do something to help her, so I went along with it. I was still shaking, and I don’t think I knew which way was up. In some ways it didn’t seem real, although I wanted something terrible to happen to him, that’s for sure.
We knew what he was like. Two days was long enough to know that. Two minutes would have been long enough if we had trusted our instincts, but we weren’t a group at the beginning. No hive mind. No consensus. No we. Just a bunch of tired old women in a coffee shop after trying to do Pilates so that we could stay alive a little longer. Trying to cheat death, that’s how Grace put it. There’s such a clarity when Grace speaks. What she says, I often want to say; I think the same as her. She puts things much better than I do."

Overall, A Beginner’s Guide to Murder is a thriller that will appeal to fans of Only Murders in the Building or The Thursday Murder Club. One highlight of this book is the original premise, which really attracted me to this book. I was intrigued by the idea of a few old women becoming murderers. I did take off 2 stars, because I didn't feel engaged in the story and never felt connected to the characters. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book when it comes out in July!

Meg, Grace, and Daphne are acquaintances in their 70's, having tea in a cafe together, when teenage Nina rushes in, in need of help and hiding from someone. The women all band together to protect Nina, and when they find out more of her story, the new friends quickly decide the only solution is to hire a hitman. I really liked this a lot. I wasn't sure at first, but once it got going a bit, I got more and more into it and couldn't put it down. I expected more of a Thursday Murder Club feel, and it has the kind of mix of unlikely people working together but it's less light and funny. It's just as realistic, which is to say probably not very, but who cares. 4.5 stars rounded to 4.

What a promising concept and a great beginning! Staid old ladies on a vengeance mission! Who would suspect them? Or maybe... they're not so strait and respectable and quiet, after all. The beginning was so much fun to read!

Unfortunately, the final third was random characters running around on confusing missions with weird choices. Trying to figure out why a character did a risky thing or didn't do the obvious choice isn't the kind of mystery I wanted, and after introducing so many tantalizing characters, the ending was ultimately kind of a letdown without a lot of resolution.

Such a marvelous novel!
A trio of women, in their seventies, embark on a mission to save a young girl.
She has approached them in a coffee shop with the simple words “ help me”
These elderly women along with a merry band of helpers eventually free Nina from her captors.
Along the way we learn a bit about each of the women to discover what makes this decision so easy for them.
I couldn’t stop reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

When I first read the premise to this book I was really intrigued! It looked interesting and like a fun thriller, different from most. This book is described as a “comedy”, which I wouldn’t really agree with. It was actually quite heartbreaking in more than one aspect.

The story follows Meg, Grace, and Daphne who are seventy-something women. They meet Nina by fate when she runs into a cafe they are at. Nina is in trouble and the women are determined to help. The story has promise but I just didn’t enjoy the way it was laid out. A lot of inner dialogue from the characters about their pasts, which I was kind of left unfulfilled by. I would describe it as a slow- burn “thriller”. By the time the plot line picked up the book was nearly over. I did enjoy the last bit though.

There are trigger warnings as domestic abuse, and human trafficking are discussed. My favorite character was Nina, the teenage girl who was dealt an impossible hand and chose to fight and survive. I wish I got to hear more of her story!

I am really being generous with the 2 stars...

I really wanted to like this book. I loved the blurb and was looking forward to knowing more about Grace, Daphne and Meg and how they get involved in murder at this late stage of their lives. When Nina comes running in I had high hopes we were in for a good start.
It took until almost all of the book to get to the point of it all. I stuck with it out of obligation otherwise I would have DFN at the beginning.
It was so slow and more inner dialog than anything. It just wasn't for me, I'm more of a fast paced thriller reader and this just wasn't it.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360 for the arc, I wish I had just liked the book better.

Grace, Meg, Daphne are seventy year old women who are one day enjoying a cup of tea in a cafe. Seventeen year old Nina runs in, begging for their help. While Nina is in the bathroom, a man walks in looking for her, asking if they’ve seen her. They know he’s suspicious and can’t be trusted so they send him on his way, pretending they haven’t seen her.

Once he’s gone, Nina tells them exactly what she’s running from and it is just as horrible as they suspected. They are immediately drawn to her and want to protect her in any way possible, even if that includes murder. What happens next is a blurry of danger at all corners that you will have to read to find out where the story goes.

The book alternates between the backstories of all four women as well as the current situation of saving Nina. The older women are acquaintances and don’t know each other well but we get to see their relationship progress as they become lifelong friends. We also get to see Nina’s past and how she was thrown into her current situation.

The story is very heart breaking but is also combined with dark humor. Human trafficking is a large topic in the book and is talks about how runaways and orphans speciically are targeted. It also shows that the home care system can really fail children. I love the cast of characters and their range of ages. The fact that they’re a little older than you would expect when you think of a hero makes it all the more unique as well.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three seventy-something women, Grace, Daphne, and Meg, acquaintances from taking a Pilates class for seniors, decide to go for tea together after class. A terrified young teen named Nina races in, improperly dressed for the cold, begging them to help her. They see how desperate she is, and send her to the ladies’ room to collect herself. It is when she has gone that a man who resembles a toad with no neck barges in, demanding to know if anyone saw her and claiming her as his “daughter.” They all deny she came in, including the shop owner, who sends him away. The owner then promptly demands that the four of them leave, telling them she wants no trouble brought to her by them or the man chasing the girl.

After the new friends discover what a horrible, criminal man “Toad” actually is, they decide to drive to to Daphne’s place on the water to keep Nina safe, only to be followed and stopped on the road by Toad and his cronies. They grab Nina out of the car and take off with her, threatening the ladies and leaving them to ponder their next move. As they begin to share their stories, the women discover the many things that both bind them together and make them so different; but one thing they agree on is that Toad must be murdered. Their decision is to hire a hit man, remove him from the picture, and get their now-beloved Nina back safely. It’s easy to see how one might underestimate these three older women, but that person will do so at their own peril…

Captivating, imaginative, mysterious, compelling, and most importantly, the one word I use infrequently: unputdownable! A psychological suspense novel, “A Beginner’s Guide to Murder,” has many twists and turns; some stunning, some a bit more predictable, but it’s full of dark humor, and I quite literally laughed out loud at some parts, which was unexpected. The main characters are beautifully written, fully fleshed-out, and I’m sure that every reader will see a bit of his-/herself in Grace, Daphne, and Meg, and quite probably the supporting cast of characters as well. There are triggers throughout the book to be aware of, including rape and trafficking of young women. That being said, it was an absolutely entertaining, clever, compelling book at “family” and what that means to each individual, and how much one is willing to risk to save someone they truly love.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, HQ/HarperCollins Publisher, and Rosalind Stopps for the ability to read and review this ARC.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Harper 360 and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Wow. I’m absolutely stunned. What a read. Dark but wildly entertaining.

It has been a long time since I didn’t finish a book. With so many people giving it four and five stars, I may have enjoyed it, but after getting 20% in and still not being hooked I just couldn’t give any more of my time to it.
I did notice some other reviewers saying it was a slow start and once you got to the middle it really started to get going, so hopefully.

The reason I couldn’t get into it is because it was all tell and no show. The characters were telling us all the things they were instantly thinking or about past events that may have a relevance to the story, but it just kept going and going.
And with me not really being invested in the characters yet, because they didn’t simply ask the girl why she was running from the man, as add to any horror of the situation, I found myself not caring.

If you do decide to give A Beginner’s Guide to Murder by Rosaling Stopps, I hope it really is the intense thriller filled with dark humor that others have said it is.

Three 70-something women who recently met at a Pilates class are having coffee afterward and discussing how they can go about arranging the murder of a man nicknamed the Toad. As you do. And that’s how this sometimes comic mystery with dark themes begins.

Each chapter features one of four characters: the three women, self-effacing Meg, statuesque Jamaican Grace, the mysterious and bizarrely-dressed Daphne, and the 17-year-old Nina, who has asked for their help. Each character’s distinctive backstory plays out in her chapters.

I have such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, each character is vividly drawn, and the action can is thrilling at times. On the other hand, the plot, which involves the trafficking of vulnerable young women, is hard to take, and three of the four women have backgrounds of being abused by men even before the current trafficking nightmare.

I wasn’t expecting to read a cozy, but the darkness of the plot and backstories is a strange contrast to the humorous elements in the women’s interactions with each other and their enlistment of a ragtag bunch to help them with their mission. I felt I was being emotionally manipulated; that the author had concocted a recipe to play with readers’ different emotions. It didn’t have that feeling of taking me away to its world. I stayed outside and watched the gears turn.

It’s certainly not a bad book; just one that didn’t resonate with me. I may be a little bit tough on it because of the blurb saying it’s like a Kate Atkinson book, when there is nothing about it that made me think of any of Kate Atkinson’s books. The publisher isn’t doing this author any favors with that blurb.

I really hoped to like this one more than I did. It wasn't a bad book. I actually quite loved the fact that these three old ladies went so far to protect someone they loved. On the other hand, the book was slow and messy. I struggled to get through it and almost DNF'd it a few times. It was a slow read and I struggled to form a connection with any of the main characters.

I think a lot of people will love this book. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Well I did NOT expect that. I just went in blind and enjoyed the ride and I loved every single page. The twists and turns. The pacing and plot. The characters. It was all just a joy to read.

4 Stars

I saw a review somewhere saying this book was funny so I decided to give it a read. This book is not funny whatsoever, but it is good.

A young girl runs into a coffee shop and asks three elderly women for help. She’s been kidnapped for sex trafficking, and the three seniors decide to best way to help is murder.

This book was very devastating at times, but the emotions were written very well. Despite the terrible crimes occurring within this novel, I never felt overwhelmed by the descriptions. The difficult topics were handled with care.

This book switches narration between the three elders (Meg, Daphne, and Grace) and the young girl (Nina). Meg and Grace were written in first person and Daphne and Nina were written in third. It was an odd choice and I don’t understand the reasoning for this split, but it didn’t affect my reading experience. I did enjoy seeing how each of the characters thought about themselves and each other.

Overall this is a great choice if you’re looking for a charming thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.