I found this piece to be exceptionally well-crafted, and I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to delve into more works by this author. Given its potential popularity among our library patrons, we're certainly looking forward to adding it to our collection

This is a clever murder mystery with a protagonist called Jayne Marple and a PI called Arnie Palmer. It is humorous and very well written. I’m not sure why I didn’t really warm to it but I found the ancillary characters annoying and I wasn’t bothered if they got murdered. I’m not sure that’s the idea in a book of this type. In my defence, Jayne also showed her irritation.

The book is framed via a game of Scrabble with the tile scores for various key words being the chapter headings. It gave a nice edge to the mystery and to the solutions and Ms Carparelli handled the overall plot arc very well indeed. I liked the solution and the way the story was finished. There are a lot of positives in this book.

I was given a copy of the book by NetGalley

I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried from this being amazing. I recommend it for those looking for a good suspense book. My only complaint is that in order to make it a standalone, the author gave away too much of the plots of the previous books.

When I first started to read this book I came very close to just quitting and adding it to the small list of books I didn’t like. But I stuck with it and I was surprised to find myself reading a very entertaining book.
Arnie and Jayne were both retired but Jayne still taught golf to others wanting to learn the game. Arnie, a retired school teacher, decided she wanted to become a private detective. Still looking for something to pass the time gathered a group of people, all ages, all backgrounds to play Scrabble.
The worst thing to happen is the murder of one of their guests. What was supposed to be a fun game went off the rails with this murder. Being Jayce and Arnie they decide to help the police find the murderer. Now of course the Police want them to stay away from their investigation but…well that just wasn’t happening.
Ms Carparelli has given us a book that turns into a murder mystery. Interesting characters along with a fast paced read. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bella Books

This book was so much fun to read. The characters were a perfect combination of fun and nasty. The names were tongue in cheek; take the protagonist, Jayne Marple…..Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple. The plot was fun and the author kept the story moving. The conclusion was surprising and satisfying. I loved the fact that the author included a characters list at the beginning of the book, had a scrabble word with its points for chapter titles, and included plenty of scrabble game moments.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

The first in a new cozy mystery series featuring Scrabble lovers, Arnie Palmer and Jayne Marple. When someone dies at the couple's scrabble night, they become determined to find the culprit.

I wanted to like this one because I love cozy mysteries. And at the beginning I was in. However, I think it took too long for the plot to progress. I kept waiting for more things to happen quicker (key for a cozy since they tend to be shorter). I'd be willing to give a second book a chance because it can be a learning curve, but this one was just too slow for my liking.

A playful murder mystery. Arnie is a retired school teacher and Jayne is a retired golf pro who occasionally gives lessons. Arnie has recently started to get her private investigators license and started an agency. They also host a bimonthly Scrabble game night. In the middle of their game night one of their guests dies from poisoning. Of course Jayne decides to help police Detective Schultz solve the case. There is playfulness in names of guests (potential suspects) like Fred and Ethel, Nick and Noreen. And each chapter begins with a Scrabble word and it’s point value. All of the suspects seem to be receiving mysterious haiku’s.

I found the character list at the beginning helpful in trying to sort out guests. The story is very dialogue driven. I wish there was more information or character building, but I get that it is hard in this type of book. I wasn’t clear on anyone’s ages except the few that were specifically given. This isn’t a romance and I was curious about Arnie and Jayne and how they got together. Their relationship is only referred to as new. I like that Schultz is competent and keeps tabs on the amateur sleuths. Overall the mystery is good but I wasn’t invested in Jayne and Arnie enough to need them to solve more cases.

A fun, humorous murder mystery! I actually laughed out loud at the witty banter in this book.
Main protagonists, Arny and Jane are retired and working as private detectives when a member of their scrabble game group starts choking and dies during one of their game nights. They decide to investigate along with a Colombo type detective.
The character personalities and even names are so fun as they reference old tv characters!
I enjoyed this book and it did have twists as I tried to guess whodunnit lol.
An entertaining read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley and Bella Books in exchange for an honest review.

Step right up, word wizards! The game's afoot, and it's a Scrabble-icious murder mystery that'll keep you on the edge of your seat! Meet Jayne Marple and Arnie Palmer, the unstoppable duo who went from swapping wordplay to solving crimes. They're the ultimate dynamic duo, trading in their tile-tapping skills for clue-cracking prowess. But, oh my stars! A dastardly killer has crashed the Scrabble soiree, leaving a trail of letters and bodies in their wake. Will Jayne and Arnie decipher the cryptic clues and outsmart the murderer? Grab your trusty dictionary, don your thinking cap, and get ready for a whodunit that's as clever as it is campy! The game's on, and the stakes are higher than a triple word score!

The cover is cute and i love to play scrabble so how could anyone not want to read and review.


A murder occurs during a scrabble game with a small group of eight people and one of them is a murderer.

The main characters are retirees who are trying to make their new business a success. This was a slow burn to begin with but once the story unfolds it will hook you to want to read more. I thought i had it figured out but then would have to go back and look again but i didn't so it was really a fun read.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Enter the whimsical world of Scrabble & Suspects,, where a retired golf pro and an English teacher team up to solve a murder mystery that unfolds during a seemingly innocent game night. Jayne and Arnie's budding romance takes a backseat as they navigate the quirky characters and slow-paced plot of the while running the newly formed Elsinore Detective Agency. While the story promises intrigue, its delivery falls short, leaving me craving more depth and excitement. Despite its shortcomings, It does offer a charming twist on the classic whodunit tale.

A murder occurs during a scrabble game with a small group of eight people. One of them is a murderer. The main characters are Jayne Marple and Arnolda (Arnie) Palmer, retirees who are trying to make their new romance and detective agency a success. This book started off tediously slow but picked up speed and got more interesting once the murder happens. The story had a very twisty plot and kept me guessing until the very end. My thanks to netgalley for this book to read and review.

Jayne Marple (retired golfer) and Arnie Palmer (retired school teacher turned private investigator) team up to solve a murder at their Scrabble game while puzzling out haikus.

This is a case of an interesting idea with not so great execution. The writing was repetitive, the dialogue was clunky, and there were still a few loose, unexplained threads after the story concluded. I loved the idea of an older Sapphic couple solving mysteries, and the set-up for the story was intriguing. I wish it'd been better edited.

This book is a perfect mix of cozy mystery and board games which happen to be two of my favourite things.

Jayne Marple and Arnolda 'Arnie' Palmer are retired, and embarking on a new career at a detective agency.

And their case is a doozy, as they're trying to uncover a murderer at a scrabble game.

Random thing: I really liked the list of all the characters, etc etc.

Anyway, good clever mystery. There's a few dangling plot threads, but no more than average, and the characters were fun. I did feel that they could have used a bit more fleshing out though. It is mostly just a mystery, so if you wanted a love story this isn't for you.