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

This is the type of book I enjoyed more in retrospect. I had trouble making myself read it. Although I liked the characters, the mystery just wasn’t compelling enough to make me want to pick it up each day. However, now that I’ve finished both the novel and the author’s note at the end, my opinion of it has improved quite a bit. I feel that the backstory of the book being written as a joint project during the author’s mother’s battle with lung cancer added greatly to the story and should perhaps have been in an introduction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a unique tale of murder, mystery, and family. I wasn’t expecting the story that I got but I was thoroughly pleased with it. The story revolves around Lana (grandmother), Beth (mother), and Jack (granddaughter). It is primarily told from Lana’s perspective. Every family has their qualms and their own share of baggage, Lana has to come live with her estranged daughter due to medical issues. It is while Lana is there that a body is found and it is up to these women to discover who the real culprit is before it’s too late. Loved every moment of this book, from character development to character growth. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is hard to believe this is a debut, as Simon confidently combines mystery, comedy and a dysfunctional family into a successful read. Jack, the 15 year old daughter discovers a dead body and becomes a suspect so the family must come together and become detectives to save Jack. Be sure to read the author's note on the story's inspiration, it made me like it even more!

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. With mother daughter relationships as one of its focuses- we watch as relationships are strained and healed. This is a feel good story with humor and twists along the way. The characters will steal your heart! Definitely recommend.

I loved watching the author interview with Nina and Cindy at Thoughts for a Page podcast. There is something so special about hearing authors speak about their books. It was extra special hearing about Nina’s mom and the process of this story coming together.

I was lucky enough to read this before Reese Witherspoon picked it for her book club as now there is a 4 month wait at my library. Simon's debut is definitely a worthwhile choice!

It seems that so many cozy mysteries follow the same ole same oles. This does not. A fresh take with total woman power! It is lighthearted and yet touches on many weighty themes. The mystery-solving team is 3 strong ladies - a grandma, and her daughter and granddaughter. They each have different strengths, and when pulled together become an unstoppable trio. To get there, though, they needed to overcome their own dysfunctional relationships.

The plot is well thought out. The characters are well fleshed out and fun. The setting is beautifully detailed. My only gripe would be that it felt a little slow in the middle but generally it was entertaining the whole way through.

The author's note was very touching as well. Simon and her mother wrote this as a labor of love (and distraction) while her mother went through her own trials with cancer.

I am hoping this is just the beginning and that there will be many to come in a new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reese Witherspoon’s September Book Club pick, Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a fun whodunnit in which a grandmother, her daughter and granddaughter become involved in solving a murder, but in doing so, learn so much more about each other and themselves. These women, each with their own style of dress, ideas and thought processes all come to this mystery with a different way of handling things. But this is a family affair and family come first even when dealing with a dead body!

The Rubicon women are Lana (the grandmother) who is going through cancer treatments. With a flourishing career in Los Angeles, she has had to move back to the quiet little town her daughter Beth lives in. Beth (the daughter) is a caregiver at a senior facility. She and her daughter Jack, (Lana’s granddaughter) a teenager who works as a kayaking guide must somehow now all live together under the same roof. Needless to say, it’s way too close for comfort.

But when a body is found in the water by Jack and she becomes the prime suspect in a murder, the mother-daughter duo must begin to investigate the situation much against the advice of two angry detectives. And Jack certainly wants in!

What they begin to discover is as mysterious as the murder itself. Where did the body come from? Could it have been dumped from someplace else and the tide moved it? Is it possible Jack’s boss the owner of the kayak business who himself is acting pretty suspicious had something to do with the murder? And by the way, who is the dead guy?

Then one of Beth’s seniors dies in his sleep at the facility. That’s when the investigation takes a curious turn. The women discover that the murder could be tied to this wealthy patriarch who owns a large amount of land that just happens to be near where they body could have been disposed. Now, the two adult children are fighting with a someone who says they are in possession of a deed to the land that says their father did not want them to have the land. And that’s when everything begins to get interesting and dangerous.

They continue investigating in their own “special” ways, with Lana fighting for her life as well as those she loves. They start to lean on each other and begin to try and sort out past problems which were never resolved, spoken about misunderstood or forgiven.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a Murder She Wrote like amateur crime-solving mystery with three smart, snarky, brave women who just happen to be related. It’s clever, it’s funny and it’s sentimental. Just a wonderful old-fashioned cozy with a modern-day twist.

Thank you #NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #NinaSimon #Mother-Daughter Murder Night for the advanced copy.

Congratulations to Nina Simon for having her debut novel Mother-Daughter Murder Night selected as the September pick of Reese's Book Club!

The relationships among three generations of mothers and daughters are complicated, but add a cancer diagnosis and a dead body ... and things get very interesting.

This story about real estate mogul Lana, her down-to-earth daughter Beth, and her adventurous teen daughter Jack is an interesting blend of murder and family drama. The plot includes more than one complicated family, care for the ecosystem near their southern California town, and a cast of quirky secondary characters. Will we see some of them again in a sequel?

I love the origin story of this novel. Nina Simon stepped away from a CEO position to care for her mother after a cancer diagnosis. With their shared love of murder mysteries, they brainstormed characters and plot points during chemo treatments and hospital days. The results of this challenging time was her mother's restored health and this enjoyable novel.

Although their covers are similar, don't confuse this with Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. While Mother-Daughter Murder Night includes some laughs, it's not the slapstick humor of Vera Wong.

Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley, and the Thoughts From a Page Patreon community for a review copy of this novel.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon is a lovable mystery. When you throw together an estranged mother and daughter, what better activity to bring them together than to try to solve a murder? Beth and her daughter, Jack, have created a quiet life in a small coastal town…until Beth’s mother, Lana, calls from LA with some frightening news—she’s sick and needs Beth’s help. Now all three women are living together and things are definitely strained.

When a dead body is found on the water while Jack is leading a kayak tour, the women are thrown into the investigation when the police question Jack. Lana has a lot of free time and wants to protect her granddaughter so she starts investigating herself. Soon all three women are looking for clues in their small town and annoying the local detectives. There are plenty of suspects but not a lot of motive. Will the women be able to find the killer and clear Jack’s name?

I enjoyed the story! All the main characters were lovable and I liked seeing their family dynamic develop. The story had a cozy mystery feel, with twists and turns to keep me guessing how the crime had taken place. Overall a pretty decent read!