The Other Half, written by Charlotte Vassell, is a compelling novel that delves into the complexities of relationships and the human experience. Set in the backdrop of a bustling city, the story follows the intertwining lives of four individuals as they navigate love, loss, and self-discovery. Vassell's vivid storytelling and rich character development make The Other Half a captivating read that resonates with its readers. The novel's exploration of themes such as identity, connection, and resilience makes it a thought-provoking and emotionally charged literary work.

I loved the synopsis for this one, as you know I love a good 'rich folk behaving badly' story, however this was just ok for me. This one had a bit of an identity crisis in that it didn't know if it was a police procedural or a take on how bad the rich can behave and mixing up the two did not work here. I think had it stuck with one or the other this would have been much better, because as we know, the rich normally get away with things and do not get investigated like us normal folk do, which is why we love reading about them. I think that is the root cause of why this one did not work for me.

I did enjoy the audio version of this as an FYI. Thank you to Anchor and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

3.75 ⭐️
It took me a few chapters to get into the story. I initially had difficulty with the writing style and distinguishing the characters. The story didn't get going until halfway through, that's when I really got into it and started enjoying it. All in all, it was a decent mystery book.

When Clemmie is found murdered the morning after her boyfriend's 30th birthday, accusations fly. This mystery is a look at London's socialites through the lens of Detective Caius Beauchamp. I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell a bit flat for me. I didn't find a single character truly loveable. It was at times laugh-out-loud funny.

Is it a mystery? A satire? A scathing critique of wealth? I do t know, and unfortunately neither does the book itself.

Generally I think “Jack of all trades, master of none” is a pejorative fallacy, but it does apply aptly to some books like this one that seem to be trying to do too many things at once and thus accomplishing none of them. Have we seen books do all three of the aforementioned things before? Yes. Did this book showcase these things successfully? Sadly not.

Once you’ve got a murder and a detective as a major character, you’re almost always writing what is primarily a mystery. And indeed that’s what has happened here. Except it isn’t a particularly good mystery either in structure or solution, and the pacing is slow as molasses. The solve, too, is a dud, and all of this takes over the story.

There’s some decent humor and critique of how the titular other half lives and behaves, but the plodding pace and lack of sharpness make those things drone rather than hit hard enough to make much impact.

There a lot of books that focus on the same topics as this one that are far better. Read one of those instead.

The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell is a savagely funny farce, as well as a pretty good murder mystery.
Clemmie, a wealthy socialite and influencer, is found brutally murdered in a London park. When the police investigate, her ersatz friends and peers obfuscate and close ranks to protect their inner circle of privileged peers. Doggedly tenacious DI Caius and his sidekick, DS Matt, are undeterred as they wade through the murky world of English aristocracy searching for the truth.
The early chapters were slow as the reader is introduced to a number of generally unlikeable uber-rich spoiled young adults, almost caricatures of real people. Once the detectives take center stage, the story becomes much more entertaining, with the repartee between Caius and Matt especially pleasing. I like the author’s clever prose, e.g., at Clemmie’s gym there was “a juice bar selling spirulina and optimism.” All is not critical of the socialites, though, as the descriptions of their cold upbringing, boarding school abuses, and mean kids and faculty do engender some sympathy. The young women are described as working at dead end, high visibility jobs (such as art gallery aides) to get a husband of proper status and “pass on their Norman genes.” I particularly enjoy the many references to Greek classics, a side effect of the wealthy’s boarding school education.
The ending is suitably dramatic as the murderer is identified. But there is a cliffhanger that begs for another tale featuring the detective team of Caius and Matt.
I look forward to the next novel in this series!

I was super excited to read this comedic-like thriller, “The Other Half”, but something about the execution was slightly off. I just never felt like I was truly part of the mystery or able to discern the characters/suspects to be able to put forward an educated guess as to whodunnit. I found this book to be a bit confusing and it didn’t really grab me. Therefore, I have to rate it 3 stars ⭐️ as it was just fine. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

Charlotte Vassell crafted an excellent murder mystery that ended up coming together brilliantly by the very end. Overall, I disliked most of the characters but really loved DI Caius and his partner Matt, and I would definitely read another book that focuses on their investigations.

THE OTHER HALF
Charlotte Vassell

This is the first time I have picked up a book by Charlotte Vassell and it will not be my last.

Black-tie, photography is strictly prohibited, and BYOC…sounds like a party.

Are you going?

You are officially invited to Rupert's 30th birthday party. A private “Midsummer Nights” themed evening gathering in northern London. By the end of the night, someone will be dead. Detective Caius (cool name) (cool spelling) is on the case, and it will be solved in no time.

THE OTHER HALF is a uniquely luxurious way to pass the time. Even when it’s bad it’s good, and even when it’s good it's bad. I loved the modern details from the start. A swanky private party, a millennial detective, and a bookstagrammer/book reviewer as one of the main characters.

Even though I ended THE OTHER HALF with three stars I would read what Vassell writes next. I consider my reading experience to be a success and I think it would be fun to follow Caius in his next case.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, Vintage Anchor, and Anchor for the advanced copies!

THE OTHER HALF…⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book just didn’t do it for me. I thought the mystery and suspense were good but the characters and their stories were just too much. There was too much going on with the abuse, racism and such. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

I took a chance on this one, and it was not for me. I think people who generally read this genre may like it, but I don't fall into that category.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of "The Other Half" by Charlotte Vassell. I love discovering police investigators for whom I can cheer and Det. Beauchamp is a new favorite. When an author's words can make me laugh out loud, I am always going to want more. A peek into how others live while still trying to be grounded in reality is what good writing should strive to be. This comes close. I look forward with anticipation for Det. Beauchamp's next case.

Travel to: Kent, England

This book isn't quite sure if it wants to be satire or a murder mystery, and as a result, I don't think it pulls off either one as well as it wants to. I love a good rich-people-behaving-badly trope, but the rich people who behave badly in this are just not fun to read about. Some of them are boring and some are so gross that their antics aren't funny. I also wasn't quite prepared, in a book that is marketed as a comedy-mystery, for the on-page sexual assault. But I do think the one thing that the book does well is show that it's not easy to walk away from your abuser.

All in all, I think the cover is the best thing about this book.

4.5/5!

Things I love in crime fiction: detectives and rich people problems. Charlotte Vassell came through for my reading heart with top notch representations of both in The Other Half.

From the very start Vassell was able to form a bond for me with multiple characters: the one I hate (Rupert), the one I worry about (Nell), and the one I’m cheering for (Detective Caius). Every character in this book is realistic, even those who seem a bit over-the-top, are just ridiculous enough to feel like you would roll your eyes at them just as much in real life as in the book.

Vassell’s characters have a strong relationship core, with many of them knowing each other for a decade or more. That bond leads to the inclusion of past events that I thought really helped to keep the story solid. They not only help the reader understand some of the actions of our characters, but they added a level of depth to the story that would have been missing without.

Clemmie is found murdered the day after her boyfriends strange buthday parry at a McDonald's
I wanted to love this thriller but sadly, I didn't. I struggled to finish it.

Took me a little bit to get everyone straight, but once I did, I realized this was a modern Christie, full of upper-class unlikeables who were mostly concerned with a disappearance of one of their circle (later revealed to be a murder) based on how it affected them. There's a lot going on here, and I'm not sure having the detective be so trend-chasing really worked, but I don't regret the time I spent with this idiot gang. Particularly liked the short chapters as it made it easier to keep up with all that was going on.

Caius Beauchamp , a modern day detective solves a murder. Poor Clemmie has been murdered. But by whom? Her supposed significant other is a very rich and spoiled man child and her friends either are envious of her fortune or have pity on her.
Rollicking read with a few turns. I sometimes had to turn back a page or two make sure I read what I thought I read. I enjoyed this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC. I do recommend this novel.

THE OTHER HALF i- The story takes place at Rupert Beauchamp's 30th birthday when his girlfriend Clemmie is found murdered. Hampstead Heath. While he is a leading suspect, how could he have committed it?

This murder mystery features a cast of extremely dislikable characters. It's witty, not overly complicated, and doesn't have a lot of characters, yet it's action-packed and just a little bit of a twist. I found this book to be a riot, with quick wit expertly done characterization. Most of the characters are vapid and ridiculous, The mystery is the central theme here but what kept me engaged was the satirical undertones.

The detective, Caius Beauchamp was very well done, Beauchamp's DS, Matt, was also a good character. The third officer, Amy, was a good character as well.

The ending was a bit incomplete, 4/5 for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read!

The cover grabbed me, and overall- oh, wow….I really did enjoy this book. It was my first read from this author. I highly recommend!

When social media influencer Clemency O’Hara is found dead in a park, everyone assumes it was probably her stuck up jerk boyfriend who killed her.. Except that he was at his tacky birthday party with about a hundred other people, so….maybe not. But if not Rupert Beauchamp, then who? That’s what DI Caius Beauchamp (no relation, pronounced differently) is trying to find out.

As Vassell takes us through the twists and turns of this mystery, we are privy to how the really rich really live (and die). Turns out, it’s not as pretty as it looks on Insta.

Did I like the book? Um, well, I’m not entirely sure. I absolutely loved the way Vassell kept the book lighthearted and comedic while also taking the time to weave in some thought provoking commentary on some significant social issues: racism, sexual assault, the harmful effects of social media, the vast discrepancy between the lives of the haves and have nots. The characters were as developed as they should be in a book like this. Was I super attached to any of them? No, not really. Was I given enough info to despise Rupert? Absolutely. I found Nell intriguing, Caius entertaining, and Alex…actually a little creepy. But, it’s a mystery and I’m not developing an attachment to the characters - I’m trying to figure out if they are capable of murder.

Overall, I do recommend the book for a quick read. There are some heavy themes, so while there is light-hearted banter and comedy, it is a little deeper of a read than I anticipated.

This book was published last month, so you should be able to find it at your favorite local bookstore.

Thanks to the author, Vintage Anchor and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.