Mother-Daughter Murder Night is everything you want in a mystery novel. A compelling whodunnit, supported by family drama from the investigators and the suspects, with a dash of eco-friendly history.

A former NASA engineer, Nina Simon, wrote this debut mystery with her mom while undergoing cancer treatment to pass their time together.

When Nina's mother battled stage 4 cancer in late 2020, it prompted her to leave her CEO position and care for her.

Amidst the challenges, Nina and her mother found solace in their shared love for murder mysteries, leading them to write a mystery book of their own to keep them busy during their long days in the hospital room. I loved hearing about the therapeutic power of creativity, courage, and resilience that emerged through the act of storytelling that bonded Nina and her mother during this challenging period.

This heartwarming family drama within a mystery introduces readers to an unlikely trio of amateur sleuths—a spirited grandmother, a determined single mother, and a curious teenage girl—bonding together to unravel a perplexing murder.

Lana Rubicon, a powerful real estate magnate accustomed to the bustling life of Los Angeles, finds her world shattered by a cancer diagnosis. She must move to a sleepy coastal town with her estranged daughter Beth and granddaughter Jack as she finds her life at a standstill.

However, their life takes a sharp turn when Jack stumbles upon a lifeless body during a kayaking excursion.

Suddenly entangled in a murder investigation, the three generations of Rubicon women embark on a little amateur sleuthing as they discover Jack is the main suspect in the investigation.

This novel will satisfy slow-burn mystery readers who appreciate the setting as much as they do their characters. She writes the characters distinctly and depicts a beautiful ending for these three women.

I can admit, though, that what really enhanced this book was hearing about Nina's publishing journey and how this project gave her and her mother something to do in their darkest moments. Nina's joy is infectious, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Patrons can enjoy a spoiler-filled episode with Nina to discuss the revealed killer and what Nina wanted to achieve with her ending. Thank you to William Morrow for the advanced copy and the opportunity to participate in this beautiful book launch.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night hits store shelves on September 5th.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night received so many great reviews and is a celebrity book club pick, I don’t know why I just didn’t connect.

The strength of the book is the relationship between the three generations of women and how they changed with time. I would say this was what saved the book for me.

The story did seem to drag throughout and the pacing just fell flat, and I did have a hard time with the constant POV shifts.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this book.

Definitely a fun read. Mother daughter relationships can be complex now add in a mysterious death and it gets even weirder. I Beth’s mom Lana is a successful real estate mogul. Jack Beths daughter works as a kayak tour guide. When a body shows up on one of jacks tours Lana steps in to solve the case. Made me think of Nancy drew but as a grandma .

The following is my review as posted on Goodreads and Instagram. I am thankful to the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another edition of “Catching Up on Fall ARCs” is done! Mother-Daughter Murder Night was a really fun book about a mother, daughter, and granddaughter who (somewhat reluctantly) team up to solve a murder that occurred in the waterways behind their home. The mother is a spunky, fierce woman who decides to take matters into her own hand to investigate and gather evidence. As the story progresses the women find their relationships put to the test and their lives in danger as they close in on the killer. There are so many funny, heartwarming, and tense moments in this book that really make you want to keep reading to the end! I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon was a fun and quirky read. The relationships between grandmother, mother, and daughter were very realistic and added so much to the feel of this book. I flew through the story and I wish it would be made into a series. It was a unique mystery. This book was not like any average mystery book that I’ve read. I hope to read many more books by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Another comedic mystery. While I've gotten hooked on a few others - Finley Donovan and Stephanie Plum, this one didn't do it for me. I'm generally not a comedic mystery fan so take that into account!

this is a very interesting read about a realtor finding out she has cancer and ends up moving in with her daughter and granddaughter while she recovers from surgery and having chemo. One night she sees something wierd out of the window, and the next day her granddaughter finds a dead body in the water. while she is working as a kayak guide. This brings the realtor to start investigating to make sure that her granddaughter is off the list of suspects.

I really enjoyed the characters and the twists and turns of the plot. It was funny and exciting at the same time.

When Lana is diagnosed with cancer, she moves north to be with her daughter and granddaughter during her recovery. While there, someone is murdered and her granddaughter is the first suspect. Lana takes it upon herself to investigate this murder to clear her granddaughter and fill her days.

Such a fun, popcorn thriller read!! A case of the who-dunits. This was witty, clever, heartwarming and intriguing! It was a bit far fetched at times, reminded me of Finlay Donovan, but it was a fun read so I was able to look past that.

I liked this one. There is a writing/publishing trend right now focusing on older protagonists in mystery/thrillers and this was a perfect fit for that trend. I liked the mother daughter relationship, and felt like it actually was very on point and not trite or precious. Was the storyline original? No, not particularly. Did I enjoy reading this? Absolutely.
And I will absolutely recommend to others.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night features 3 generations of women, a bit like Gilmore Girls (as the blurb mentions), but with a Rear Window type murder mystery that the Grandmother (Lana), the Daughter (Beth) and Granddaughter (Jack) must work together to solve. The beautifully descriptive story takes place in Elkhorn Slough on Monterey Bay, California. I've toured the Elkhorn Slough by boat to see the amazing otters and birds and creatures, so I was excited to read a mystery set in one of my favorite places! I absolutely LOVED the character of Lana as she added so much humor, insight and livened the story up. The murder mystery was intriguing, but the story of how these three women came together to heal and. become a family again was the real heart of this story and it made it worth reading. The story was slow in areas and a bit repetitive in others, but the revelations and twists kept me wanting to read more. Also, I wished for a bit more main character development for the 3 main characters, about who they were before and the relationships they had with each other (why was Beth a nurse when she seemed interested in artistic outdoor landscaping? did Jack have any friends? Did Lana and Jack see each other much before this time?). That information would have made this a total five star for me. It was impressive that this book is the author's first novel and she wrote it as her own mother was going through a health crisis similar to Lana's. I look forward to reading more of this author's work!

I thought that MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT would be more comical than I expected (given the title of the book and the cover), and it's more of a family drama with a light mystery as a secondary storyline. The story involves power dynamics between women from different generations and how they can come together amid their differences. I enjoyed the messaging behind the story, but it took a while for me to get invested into the story. I usually DNF after 50 pages, but this book needed an additional 40 pages for me to really get into it. That being said, once I got into the story, I was really excited to see how it played out. MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT is a cozy mystery for all mothers and daughters.

Earlier this month, I read Mother-Daughter Night and loved it. This was more than just a mystery/suspense novel, but also a novel about mother and daughter relationships, the choices we make as parents-- as humans, really--and how they can impact the other.

Lana Rubicon is as ambitious as they come, putting her career in real estate above all else. She learned the hard way how a person can only depend on themselves. A diagnosis of cancer and the stresses treatment put on her body mean Lana must turn to her daughter, Beth, for help. Lana finds Beth to be an enigma. She seems to be everything Lana is not. Beth lives a quiet life as a nurse in a sleepy coastal town with her teenage daughter, Jack. Jack is fiercely independent and longs for a different life than the one she's living. She loves her grandmother and mother and wishes they got along better.

When Jack finds a dead body while leading a kayak tour, the police are quick to name her as their main suspect. Lana and Beth are beside themselves with the accusations made by the police. Lana is quick to realize the police are not up to the task of finding the real killer, and, in an effort to prove her granddaughter is innocent, she begins to look for other possible suspects on her own. Beth, on the other hand, is not keen on the idea of her mother conducting her own investigation, especially not while she's in such a weakened state and should be focusing on her recovery. It soon becomes clear though that there is no stopping Lana, and Jack and a reluctant Beth lend her a hand.

Lana and Beth's relationship is mired in the past by slights and misunderstandings. I found myself siding with one or the other at various points in the book, but ultimately hoping they would find common ground between them. They are so much alike even as they think they are so different. And I really felt for Jack being in the middle. The relationships between all three women do grow over the course of the novel. I found all of them extremely relatable. (Not to mention I love the idea of a Mother-Daughter Murder Night! Read the book and you'll know why.)

From wealthy ranchers to land trusts, family vendettas and secret deals, Lana, Beth and Jack find themselves in dangerous territory. While not a fast paced mystery in the way some mysteries are, Mother-Daughter Murder Night was a compelling read. The mystery itself was made up of a complex web of conflict and characters that had me wanting to know where each thread would lead. While the final whodunnit was not a real surprise, the fun was in getting there.

This charming mystery delightfully unfolds through the eyes of three generations of women. As Lana, the grandmother, finds herself in a new environment, she and her daughter Beth and granddaughter Jack stumble upon a intriguing puzzle to solve. With their unique perspectives and playful banter, they weave together a tale of love, family, and mystery.

I love this book! Lana's humor and spirit made me laugh and feel happy. The author's personal story about her mom's cancer diagnosis touched my heart. The book's message of hope and resilience is inspiring. I highly recommend it - it's a warm and uplifting read that will make you feel good!

Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a good cozy amateur sleuth mystery involving Lana, a high-powered Los Angeles real estate business woman who is undergoing cancer treatments north of LA and staying with her daughter, Beth, and granddaughter, Jack. When Jack finds dead body on the slough during one her the kayak tours she leads, Lana steps in to occupy her down time by trying to solve the murder. Lana rebuilds her strained relationship with Beth and grows closer to her granddaughter as they work together on this project despite warnings from police detectives to back off. There are interesting tidbits and references to Lana's Jewish upbringing, but most of the story centers on Lana' struggle to adjust to her illness and new way of life in small town California.

Lana, Beth and Jack. Complicated mother/daughter/granddaughter roles that play out really well as the mystery in the story unfolds. Jack leads kayaking groups on the river and inlets and one weekend, part of her tour discover a dead body. It's hard to not give too much away, but the way the author builds on the relationships among the community and family really propels the mystery (and guessing) along.

Solid thriller that felt a bit like the finlay Donovan books. Fun read overall. I originally thought this would feel a bit like Disturbia because of the description and cover but I wasn’t disappointed it took a different direction.

Lana Rubicon, a high-powered businesswoman, takes pride in her sharp intellect, impeccable taste, and the impressive L.A. real estate empire she has meticulously built. However, her world takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself confined to a quiet coastal town, 300 miles north of the city, recovering from cancer alongside her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack. Lana, used to calculating square footage, now finds herself counting otters, hoping that boredom won't claim her before the illness does.

Unexpectedly, Jack, despite her small stature but fierce independence, stumbles upon a lifeless body while kayaking. This discovery thrusts her into the centre of a homicide investigation, making the Rubicon women the focal point of chaos. While Beth believes Lana should prioritize recovery, Lana has other plans. She decides to don her wig, unearth the true murderer, protect her family, and demonstrate that she still possesses power. Collaborating with Jack and Beth, Lana delves into a realm of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes concealed beneath the surface of a community comprised of folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers.

As the amateur investigation leads the headstrong Rubicon women into increasingly perilous territory, they must rely on the one thing that has always bonded them—each other. Nina Simon masterfully tackles multiple themes in this narrative, seamlessly weaving the connection between three generations with a compelling mystery that persists throughout. The narrative's foundation is robust, enticing readers and holding their attention. The characters are relatable and offer layers worth exploring.

The alternating viewpoints of Jack, Beth, and Lana provide a well-rounded perspective, showcasing the strengths and complexities of each woman. Despite being the youngest, Jack's mature viewpoint adds depth to the story. The Rubicon family, already teeming with drama before the discovery of the dead body, is depicted with a blend of emotion and humour, creating a captivating narrative that resonates with readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a great book!! There are great characters and great story building in between the covers of this novel. The California coast setting makes this story that much more enjoyable for me. Character development is a strength of this author, along with relationship building amongst those characters. Three generations of women come together, trying to exist through an unexpected sickness, teenage years, and trying to survive amongst the differences. While the matriarch is trying not to succumb to the boredom she's expecting to experience upon her arrival in the small town, the youngest daughter enjoys spending her day at school and working at the local shop as a kayak guide, amongst the otters, and our middle mother tries her best to get along the best she can in a mix of personalities under the same roof, when a murder happens too close to home. Everyone's a suspect, but none look better than daughter Jack since she's the one who discovered the body. Grandma Lana has enough time on her hands and an interest in defending dear Jack. Beth finds out what the other two ladies are up to and on our hands, we have a great mystery novel and what turns into 3 amateur detectives looking for the truth. Traipse through this town of characters, or shall I say suspects, to discover some perfectly placed love and affection in some unexpected places, including a bit of forgiveness and understanding on some hard lived years amongst some great family members, neighbors and friends.

Considering that "mother-daughter murder nights" are what my mom and I call our regularly-scheduled Dateline binges, when I saw this title, I knew I had to give it a shot. For being a debut novelist, Nina Simon does a terrific job of crafting a tight plot in an atmospheric setting that's speckled with engaging characters - the trio of women at its heart are an excellently-complicated little family unit, and all three are really likeable, and the suspects who surround them are all sufficiently-shady. This was a really good, fast-moving read, and I look forward to seeing what else Simon writes in the future.