This book is full of murder, family drama, and mystery. The grandmother and daughter do not exactly get along but they realize they need to help the granddaughter. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages fast to see the ending. A fun read and you will love the way they all work together to solve the murder.

I'm not a huge mystery reader, but this was a fun read with engaging characters. I enjoyed the relationship between the grandmother and her granddaughter the most. But I did like the way that the relationship between the grandmother and her daughter evolved.

I thought this book was boring. I finished it, but it really wasn’t compelling for me. I never really connected with the characters and the mystery wasn’t there.

Very good first novel that this writer has dedicated to her mother who passed away from lung cancer. The story, while a murder mystery, also centers around the family dynamics between a grandmother, mother and daughter. The three generations of women become amateur detectives when faced with a murder loosely connected to the daughter. The grandmother is battling lung cancer, therefore drawing on the author’s personal experience. As I lost my own mother to lung cancer, this part of the storyline resonated with me. The mystery itself took many twists and turns and kept the reader guessing.

So, I had an interesting experience with this book. I requested it from NetGalley in June and there it sat in pending purgatory as its publication date came and went. I assumed I wouldn't be getting a copy, so I borrowed it from my library on October 1st. I thought it was awful, so I quit reading it and returned it. So, imagine my surprise when a few days later I get an email saying I've been approved to read it. Oops. Well, I didn't feel right about reviewing a book I barely read so I picked up where I left off. I made it further but still had to give up on it. I found the constant man bashing extremely off-putting. Men need simple instructions to understand anything, men can't understand sarcasm, etc. Yuck. It wouldn't be okay to say that about women and it's not any better to say it about men. I was also disgusted by the way the cops were talking to the 15-year-old girl. It was repulsive, inappropriate and I can't imagine any cop acting like that in real life. Especially with zero evidence she killed anyone. I made it to 30% before being unable to continue on. I am obviously not the right reader for this book as I found so much of it distasteful. I'm clearly in the minority though, so give this one a try if it sounds good to you! I did like the very beginning and I thought Lana was fun even though she was over the top.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow. I'm sorry I was unable to finish this one.

Truly enjoyed this contemporary intergenerational mystery, especially how Lana, the grandmother, takes a murder investigation by the horns and will not rest until it is solved.

I so thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had no clue who the killer was and that is always a plus. Besides the murder mystery, we had such a great family story.

Lana has had a very tenuous relationship with her daughter Beth, ever since she got pregnant as teenager and had her daughter Jack. Beth left home and got by on her own. When Lana is diagnosed with cancer, she needs her daughter's help so she moves in with them in a little coastal town along a slough. It is completely different than the life she lives in Los Angeles as a high-powered real estate agent and there is a lot of tension in the beginning. When Jack stumbles upon a dead body in the slough, she becomes a suspect in the murder so this sets Lana into full detective mode. Beth, who works in an assisted living home, is not happy at first but when one of her beloved patients dies, it seems they are connected and next thing you know, the whole family is involved.

I loved the growth between the women. They all changed for the better. All the outlying characters were just as flushed out. Just totally a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for a copy of this book for review.

This debut was a quirky novel about a typically dysfunctional family and the lengths one will go to for one you love. Overall, I liked this book, but I knew who the murderer was before I was halfway through the novel. I liked that the story was very original and touched a bit on climate change. Keep on writing Nina Simon. Hopefully you will catch me with the next book.

Fall is the perfect time for whodunnits, and this one was an adorable story about a mother/daughter/grandmother trying to solve a murder and getting into all sorts of trouble along the way. Beth's daughter Jack stumbles across a dead body while guiding tourists on kayaks one day. Her recently-diagnosed-with-cancer mother, Lana, has just moved in with them and makes it her new goal to solve what happened. Through creative sleuthing, dodging detectives, and some family strife, the three women are eventually brought together in a real life "murder night", instead of just the movies they used to watch together.

Very cute, perfect for fall, and a heartwarming story about family.

I loved this fun and sassy murder mystery. The relationship between Lana (the mom/Grandmother), Beth, and her daughter Jack was entertaining and delightful to read. Truly an enjoyable read and an easy cozy mystery that kept you guessing. I loved the playful banter between mother and daughter and grandmother and grandaughter. A great read to enjoy on a chilly night in October!

Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Mother-Daughter murder night is a whodunit debut by Simon focusing on three different women who put on their amateur sleuth hats to solve a murder. These women are all related - hence the title - three generations coming together, not only to solve a murder but to fix the broken bonds between themselves. I absolutely loved Jack (the granddaughter), I found her to be adventurous, smart and resourceful. Beth (the mom) is a humble, sweet and an ever loving mom. Lana (the grandmother) is a fierce, witty, no shit taking badass. There is such an authenticity to these characters that you cant help love each of them for both their strengths and their weaknesses.
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The mystery, while being more of a cozy, took a backseat to the family dynamics, I was still invested on both aspects. The pacing of this one is super slow, as I just stated this one really focuses on the relationship of the three women. I would have preferred more twists in this one, or at least for them to happen a bit faster, but I felt everything wrapped up nicely and I did really enjoy the family drama of it all.
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While I know this is a tribute to the authors mother, I personally am not a huge fan when one of the main characters issue of cancer is a major focus. Cancer is a huge trigger for a lot of people, and while I know that it happens (and really truly is heartbreaking), I don’t like reading about how cancer made a person realize how wonderful their family truly is. So heed this as a trigger warning to all of my friends, cancer is talked about a lot in this one.
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I will most definitely be following Simon’s work. This one wasn’t my favorite due to the fact I wrongly assumed this would be more thriller than a family drama. Writing was great, pacing could use some picking up, but overall a decent story. I think this will be a huge hit for book clubs.
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Nina Simon for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Mother-Daughter Murder Night was released on September 5th, be sure to check it out.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon is a cozy murder mystery.
Beth has been estranged from her mother, Lana, since getting pregnant in high school and setting out on her own. When Lana finds out she has cancer, she calls her daughter for help and moves into her home. Her granddaughter who is eager to spread her wings and find new adventures, stumbles upon a body while at work leading kayak tours. Lana is determined to find out what happened.
This was definitely a cozy mystery with a lot of family tension weaved in. I really enjoyed the family drama along with the murder mystery. I also appreciated how much time and details went into the setting and the descriptions of the wildlife.

Nina Simon paints a glorious picture of 3 generations of women being sucked, some more willingly than others, into a criminal scheme.

Fifteen year old Jacqueline, aka Jack, guides kayak tours along the Slough. The day she finds a body floating in the water changes not only her life, but the life of her ill but spirited grandmother Lana and her hardworking mother Beth. Lana turns her interest to solving the crime to exonerate Jack, pulling in the entire family along the way.

Does a family of Colombo lovers have what it takes to solve real crimes? Or are they in over their heads?

This was a fun and fast 5 star read that reminded me of the Finlay Donovan series. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed that series or who is looking for a quick paced multi-generational read.

A great mystery that would appeal to a wide range of readers. Loved the setting and the quirky characters that gave off a Gilmore Girls vibe.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
William Morrow
Available Now!
5 stars

Lana Rubicon is a powerful and successful businesswoman who has built a real estate empire. There's nothing that can bring her down… except cancer. Having no choice, Lana uproots her life and goes to live with her daughter Beth, who she doesn't have the best relationship with, and her granddaughter Jack. Now, without her empire to run, Lana suffers from boredom which results in her staring out her bedroom window with binoculars and comes across a particular sight in the middle of the night.
Lana's granddaughter, Jack, works as a guide for kayak tours. During one tour a body is found floating in the water. After the detectives do their sweep of the crime and make some inquires, they are quick to make Jack a suspect. Hating how the detectives treat Jack, Lana sets off to find the real culprit with Jack and Beth's help. As Lana heads deeper and deeper into her amateur investigation, she finds out there's more than meets the eye in this small coastal town.

I truly enjoyed reading this book! It was a cozy mystery filled with whodunnits and the relationships between mothers and daughters. I loved the twists and turn this book took as the story progressed. Not only did I love the way the mystery was unfolding, I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between the three women, and how their relationship evolved throughout the book. Not only with each other, but with themselves too. Initially, what drew me to the book was the title, and I love how the title was referenced in the book in regards to a tradition that Lana and Beth had.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night is Simon's debut novel and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

Thank you, Netgalley, William Morrow Books, and Nina Simon, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(A review will be posted on my Instagram page bibliophiles_elite)

I found it hard to believe that MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon is a debut novel. Simon started writing it when her own Mom was diagnosed with cancer and one of the characters in this mystery battles cancer, too. She needs a diversion and an unsolved murder is the perfect distraction. Simon introduces readers to a very likeable and somewhat quirky trio: a hard as nails real estate dealmaker and grandmother (Lana); her hard-working daughter (Beth) who is a nurse and single Mom; plus, teenage granddaughter (Jack for Jacqueline) who loves outdoor activities like paddleboarding and kayaking. They have their differences, but truly love and respect each other so when it appears that Jack is a prime suspect in a recent murder, all three eventually get involved in the investigating. Yes, there are some poor decisions, but plenty of surprises for the characters along with both suspenseful and amusing vignettes for readers. MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT received a starred review from Library Journal ("dazzling debut delivers everything a mystery fan could crave") and has been chosen as a Reese Book Club pick. You are sure to enjoy this light, cozy and very entertaining mystery! 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.
The book is as good as you hope it will be from the blurb! Mother-Daughter Murder Night starts when the mother is diagnosed with cancer and has no one else to call but her daughter. The two don’t have a great relationship, don’t get along, and haven’t worked through past hurts, but Lana moves in with Beth to undergo treatment. Lana thinks she sees something suspicious out her bedroom window in the middle of the night, and then her granddaughter Jack discovers a dead body. Everybody is a suspect and there are many layers to uncover. Lana and Jack work together to solve the crimes, and eventually the daughter Beth joins in as well. Great fall read! The acknowledgements really got me in my feels.

Nina Simon’s debut novel, Mother-Daughter Murder Night, marks a fine beginning to an auspicious career. My thanks go to Net Galley and William Morrow for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

The story unfolds with three generations of women—Lana, Beth, and Jack—solving a murder mystery together. Lana, the grandmother, has just received dreadful news from her doctor, and she’s forced to rely upon Beth, her estranged daughter, for help to and from chemo appointments. Jack is her granddaughter, Beth’s daughter. Although all three are important characters, Lana is the protagonist.

Lana doesn’t deal well with helplessness.

No sooner has she moved into the little beach house in central California where the other two reside, than Jack, a teenager with a job as a kayak tour guide when not in school, finds a dead body while she is working. Suspicion initially falls on Jack, and so Beth and Lana dive in, first seeking to prove that Jack is innocent, and then, led by Lana, to find out who actually did it.

Amateur sleuth books come with an inherent challenge to the author, because obviously, civilians that have never worked in law enforcement are badly outmatched by actual cops. They don’t have the tools, the connections, or the experience to carry it off, and so such mystery novels sometimes end up looking ridiculous. Simon holds her own here nicely. Another issue I see frequently is with characters that are children. Jack is a teen, and she’s a bright girl, but Simon doesn’t fall into the trap of creating an unbelievably smart teen in order to justify making her walk and talk exactly like an adult. Jack has the naivete and occasional bad judgement common to kids her age, and because of this, the story rings true.

There are a couple of things that I’d change if I could. First, the whole “fiercely independent” and “tiny firecracker” personas are badly overused and becoming a cliché. The second may be partially due to my own false assumptions. Between the cover and the title, I initially thought this would be a comic caper, with the women planning to mete out some vigilante justice with hilarious missteps and hijinks along the way. Although the book has its moments, it’s not as funny as I anticipated.

Nonetheless, this is a fun read, easily followed, and with more character development than one usually sees in a novel of this nature. The chemo occasionally seems a little too easy on Lana, but it’s not beyond the pale; after all, different people tolerate these things at different levels. There’s never a moment where I slam down the book due to disbelief. I appreciate the working class realism in Beth and Jack’s lives.

I recommend Mother-Daughter Murder Night to those that enjoy the genre, and I look forward to seeing what Simon writes next.

While I’m typically not a huge “cozy mystery” fan, I really did enjoy Mother-Daughter Murder Night. I thought the characters were well-developed and believable, and the sub-plot of the relationship between Beth and Lana, as well as the relationship between both women and Jack, the daughter/granddaughter was just as robust as the main “whodunnit” plot line and definitely brought the “cozy” warmth to the story.

What I did feel like was a struggle for me, and is typically my struggle with the cozy mysteries I’ve read prior, is that the “mystery” felt a little too drawn out, in so far as the conclusion, while maybe not necessarily obvious, definitely didn’t feel like a major reveal or surprise, so as far as the mystery was concerned, it felt a little anticlimactic. That being said, the story as a whole was captivating enough because of the character development, the readability of the piece, and the humor and charm that shone throughout.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of Dial A for Aunties, as it gave off similar familial relationship centered cozy mystery vibes.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night
Author: Nina Simon
Pages: 363

What I expected: a fun, light mystery
What I got: A fun, light mystery...with a lot of depth.

This was a delight to read. I love strong female characters and this book had three of them-Teen Daughter Jack, Mom Beth and Prima (Grandmother) Lana.

There was palpable tension between Beth and Lana ( I was happy that that tension was explained), but also fierce love and loyalty. Jack was a delight-a teen who loves her family, her work and her hobby. Beth showed just how hard it is to be a mom/single mom (but wasn't "woe is me") and Lana showed us just what sacrifices it takes to be a successful business woman-sacrifices of your family and own happiness. This is all in addition to a mystery that was well plotted.

The side characters were well drawn and boy did I finish this book wanting to live by a slough (which I admit, I needed to Google!).

I hope we see a second book and this becomes a fun series!

Congratulations Nina Simon on your great debut novel!

Thank you William Morrow for my digital ARC