There are a lot of murder mysteries out there, some you can guess and some are very complicated. What I liked best about this book is the relationship between the Grandmother-Mother-Daughter trio that was once strained and becomes very close as they get drawn into helping to solve a murder near their home.

My thoughts
When Lana finds out she has cancer she has to quit her job as a high power real estate agent and move in with her daughter and granddaughter to the beautiful Monterey Bay Area. Lana and her daughter Beth have a complex relationship but when a murder happens and Jack Lana’s granddaughter becomes a suspect the Rubicon women pull together to uncover whodunnit.
This book combines a murder mystery and a strained family that end up pulling together to help each other through this murder and sickness which ends up helping repair their family.Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.
This is Nina Simon debut novel and a Reese’s book club pick. Also if you can read Nina comment on Goodreads about why she wrote this book it’s very touching.

Smart, independent LA-based real estate mogul Lana Rubicon has moved in with her daughter and granddaughter in Monterrey County, California, following her cancer diagnosis. Used to being constantly busy, she is quickly drawn into an amateur murder investigation when granddaughter Jack comes across a dead body in the slough while leading a kayaking tour.

While some suspension of belief is necessary to believe someone could become as fully entrenched in a crime investigation as Lana does, I really enjoyed the mystery. But what I loved even more was the family drama that was wrapped up inside what I went into thinking would be a typical mystery. Lana shines as a strong, doesn’t take no for an answer women and the relationship she forges with her estranged daughter and granddaughter is fun to witness. The author’s note at the end describing how writing the novel as a special project with her own cancer-diagnosed mother was icing on the cake

Trigger warning: Cancer

Loved the family dynamics in this book!
The matriarch Lana stole the show, with her sleuthing that bonds the family together more than ever! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon!

This is such a great choice for a book club book. I had so much fun reading this slow burn mystery. I loved the relationships and the mystery flowed and was well written. There was humor and plenty to entertain. Reading the note in the back also made me relate to this so much as I also have had a parent go through the same thing. Nina Simon is an author to keep an eye on.

Final Rating: 3.5 rounded up

This was a really cozy murder mystery following a grandmother-mother-daughter trio! After being diagnosed with cancer Lana moves in with her daughter and granddaughter in a little coastal town and takes it upon herself to clear her granddaughter as a suspect in a murder and find the actual culprit. I loved how different each of the women were, and how they each had distinct personalities! The family dynamics is what really shone with this book, and I loved the note at the end that the author wrote this for her own mother during her cancer diagnosis and treatment which is so sweet! I was hoping for more high stakes, and at times you do have to suspend your disbelief, and I do wish that the trio had worked together a bit more, but overall it was a fantastic debut and I'm very excited to see what Nina Simon writes next!

Mother – there are two mothers to mention. Lana, high-powered real estate developer going through cancer treatments. And her daughter Beth who owns the home Lana is recuperating in. They haven’t been close since Beth left home when she was pregnant. That brings us to Daughter. Beth is a daughter and she has a daughter – Jack – short for Jacqueline. Avid outdoorswoman and kayak tour, Jack comes upon a dead body during one of her tours – Murder. Night – The action starts when Lana observes suspicious activity from Beth’s house through her binoculars – at night.

As the discoverer of the body, Jack is one of the first suspects. When her granddaughter comes under investication, Lana goes to work to find the real killer, dragging a willing Jack and a not so willing Beth into the fray with her.

The novel features a family of three strong women who support each other even when they sometimes don’t get along so well. A fourth woman, Detective Ramirez, is also strong in a background sort of way. Her male partner is jerk, falling into line with the rest of the not so heroic men in the story.

So, women – good. Men – meh. I don’t think the story was meant to portray this gender divide. The banding together of the family is the critical maneuver. “Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.” I love this tagline from the book blurb because it totally sets the tone for the book.

The actions of all three amateur detectives are chronicled giving it the feel of a police procedural, without the police. Intertwined with the search for the killer is the interaction of the three women and a growing sense of family. I really enjoyed this family murder mystery, the first novel from author Nina Simon.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

The cast:
Lana: the family matriarch, real estate mogul, currently battling cancer.
Beth: Lana's daughter, nurse
Jack: teenager, Beth's daughter, outdoor enthusiast and kayaker.

When Jack finds a body while kayaking, she is quickly the suspect. Beth and Lana are determined to protect her. Lana knows her granddaughter is not a murderer and begins to investigate on her own.

I loved this story of three strong women. I liked how they helped out the police, even though they didn't want their help.

Do not skip the authors notes. Learning how and why this book came about just makes the book all that more special.

Thanks to netgalley and William Morrow for the arc.

A mystery that brings together three generations of women, Mother-Daughter Murder Night is gripping and full of surprising twists. I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review

"Will you help me get him out of the trunk?' What a fun journey Nina Simon takes us on that will keep you guessing to the very end. Very relatable characters, I think most readers will be able to find something in the relationships developed in this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Nina Simon and HarperCollins Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a dark comedy murder mystery combo. With three generations of family drama added into it.

You have grandmother Lana, Daughter Beth, and teenage daughter/granddaughter Jack all forced to live under one roof due to the fact that Lana is dealing with cancer and cannot be on her own at the moment.

Jack finds a dead body while she is out and It's quickly ruled as murder. Lana decides to use all of her years of being a crime reader to solve this case herself and clear the name of what she believes is an innocent man.

Of course during all of this you have family drama because Lana and her daughter Beth have not really spoken in years and don't fully understand each other.

I loved the fact that even though you are dealing with a murder investigation and a lot of family drama, there's still quite a bit of comedy throughout this book. And it fits very well. It never feels out of place or mocking.

I really did enjoy the unique aspects of this book and can definitely see myself reading something by this author again.

I heard this author talk about her book on a Galley Gab Fest show and knew I had to read it.
First. I love that the author wrote this book in conjunction with her mother as a distraction because of her mother’s health issues.
Lana was my favorite character. She had nerves of steel and nothing, not even cancer, phased her. She kicked ass and took names the entire time. Beth was a good foil for her mother and Jack rounded out the three generations.
The plot was intricate and the murder mystery quite involved,
This book would make a great buddy read with family members.

An entertaining mystery novel. If you like the Sunshine Vicram series by Darynda Jones you will like this story. Hopefully many more books to come involving the Rubicon women.

The spooky season is finally upon us and with it, Mother-Daughter Murder Night, the debut novel by Nina Simon, has breezed in, providing those of us who hide during horror movie commercials a nice respite from overly gory thriller novels.

Powerful L.A. businesswoman Lana Rubicon does not have time to step away from her real estate empire, even if it involves prioritizing her own health. However, that is exactly what she must do when she is diagnosed with several brain tumors. Four months after her diagnosis, Lana finds herself still in her daughter’s sleepy coastal town and in desperate need of a distraction. When her granddaughter Jack becomes a key person of interest in a murder, Lana is determined to find the real killer and clear her granddaughter’s name.
While the whodunnit storyline does take a back seat to the familial dynamics in this story, I found myself so invested in these strong women that I did not mind the mystery was not really at the forefront. This was a delightful novel and the way it came into conception made it that much more powerful.
Mother-Daughter Murder Night should be on everyone’s fall tbr piles this season.

*Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

10 out of 10 everyone should read this book. I don't even want to spoil it. I love the way it's written. It's so stupid fun. I loved it. Everything about it. It cured my depression. It took my cat to the vet. I kid, but I really enjoyed this book and I don't want to leave a synopsis or review about the writing. It's just good. Try it. Look at the blurb, if it sounds fun, try it.

The cozy mystery aspect of this book is fun, but I found the multigenerational dynamics between Lana, Beth, and Jack far more interesting. As the formidable matriarch recently diagnosed with metastatic cancer, Lana is a force of nature in her ability to track down clues--but her newfound vulnerability makes her more human and relatable. I also loved the teenage Jack; she reminds me a bit of myself when I was that age. I wish Nina Simon had spent more time on Beth, but it was great to see how she raised not only Jack but herself starting at age eighteen.

Also, the author's note at the end about Simon's own mother's lung cancer made me cry (and made me appreciate the book more).

This mystery and the generational dysfunction was just great to read about. I thought I would be a bit more comedic/funny with the cover but still thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Not quite a cozy mystery and not a full on thrill ride but somewhere in the middle that was a nice enjoyable read.

The relationships were very much realistic and the battle between the mother and daughter was almost too real. I loved the mystery and how they each tried to solve it and deal with it in their own ways. Never having lived in a swampy/water area it was nice to get a different perspective on living in an area like that. I liked getting the point of views from all of the different characters as well.

Loverly debut novel and can’t wait to read what else this author writes in the future.

Mother Daughter Murder Night is an impressive debut novel. I enjoyed the setting the author chose for the story, it resonates with our family such as, nature, wildlife, conservation and kayaking. I loved the strong women characters portrayed in the book, especially the relationship between mother, daughter and granddaughter. The author acknowledges that the story came about because of her own mother and her cancer diagnosis…what a beautiful tribute to her. Read this is you like murder mysteries, family secrets, strong female relationships and a bit of humor, sass and amateur sleuths.

"Gilmore Girls" meets "Only Murders in the Building" in this whodunnit about a grandmother, mother, and daughter who become amateur sleuths.

After Lana Rubicon is diagnosed with cancer, she leaves behind her real estate empire in Los Angeles to live with her daughter, Beth, and teenage granddaughter, Jacqueline ("Jack"), 300 miles away in Monterey County, California. When Jack happens upon a dead body while on a kayaking tour, she quickly becomes a murder suspect. Beth thinks Lana should focus on her recovery, but Lana decides to find the true murderer and protect her family. With Beth and Jack's help, Lana uncovers lies, family vendettas, and land disputes in their sleepy coastal town. As the three women become amateur sleuths, they must do the one thing they have always resisted and depend on each other.

Reading this book reminded me a lot of two of my favorite shows, "Gilmore Girls" and "Only Murders in the Building." Based on the book's description, I was expecting a cozy mystery, but this book was definitely more of a family drama. I was disappointed by this at first, but I ended up really enjoying the family dynamics of the three headstrong Rubicon women, with Lana being my unexpected favorite. I didn't find the mystery that compelling, and I couldn't get past the fact that law enforcement initially considered a 15-year-old as their prime suspect, which was just too far-fetched for me. Overall, an entertaining debut from author Nina Simon, and I look forward to reading her future novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.