Enjoyable read! I love a fun mystery read! Abbi Waxman is one of my favorite authors, so of course I had to read this one! I enjoyed her rom-com/women's fiction more than this one. This was a good read, but I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight. Definitely got confused at times and it dragged in some parts. Overall it was enjoyable, but not my favorite.

*Thank you partner @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the #gifted book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

This is my second Abi Waxman book and it did not disappoint. Abi is able to deliver a mixture of complex characters and values combined with complicated moral dilemmas and ethical decision making. The last book I read dealt with complex relationships between a mother and daughter as the daughter toured colleges and prepared to leave the nest. The complex relationships in Abi’s newest book revolve around celebrities' claim(s) to fame. A modern take on a classic whodunit. If you enjoy mysteries and plots focused on living a hollywood lifestyle, this is the read for you!

Julia Mann, former actress, struggles with alcoholism and decided to go on another bender. Along with the typical hangover and remorse, Julia finds that she blacked out and wakes up to a dead body in her backyard. Naturally she becomes suspect numero uno and has no proof…preponderance of evidence isn’t even on her side. Determined to prove her innocence and find the murderer, she teams up with her new Gen Z sobriety sponsor. They make sleuthing look fun and easy even when it becomes deadly. You’ll love the relatable characters, their vulnerability, and the humor that they each provide the story line.

Thank you @AbbiWaxman and @BerkleyPub for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #BerkleyBookstagram #Berkley

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 396 / Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: April 15, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

Julia Mann is a recovering alcoholic and former actress who went to jail for 15 years for murdering her husband, which she didn’t do. She’s been keeping a low profile in the Hollywood Hills as an attorney representing those who need help until she goes on a bender and wakes up to find her ex and sworn enemy dead in her pool and once again, she’s being accused of a murder she didn’t commit. She and her new AA sponsor along with her motley crew of personal assistants, take it upon themselves to find the real murderer and clear her name.

Cranky old ladies with a lifetime of experience who speak their mind is my new favorite kind of character. I hope this turns into a series with many more murders for Julia and her crew to solve.

Very entertaining! While it's mainly a mystery, it was also hilarious. The characters were well formed and likeable. I appreciated the focus on recovery and coping mechanisms. If this turns into a series, I'll definitely read more.

Dear Fellow Reader,

I live in Wisconsin. We are currently playing peek-a-boo with spring. It is a long, tiresome game. We have had 70-degree days, and then this morning it was 34, and it snowed. Not that any of the snow stuck to the ground, but it is not exciting in April to look out the window and see the snow coming down so much that you can’t see across the street. The only thing to do is to know that the snow on the ground can’t last and that it will warm up.

And so I sit and look out my window and see the grey skies and think, I’ll write a book review for a book I really liked. Yes, I’m starting off with positivity. This book has good characters. They are not perfect by a long shot, but they are interesting.


As One Death at a Time opens, we meet Julia Mann, sitting on the side of a pool with her legs in the water. She is drunk, and one of her shoes is at the bottom of the pool. And there is a dead man in the pool. He was not dressed to go swimming. Nor was she sure who he was. And then there was the rifle, which she knew was out of place. She picked it up and threw it. Then she started to run.

We then meet Natasha Mason. Mason, as she is called, is attending her AA meeting. She has irritated one of the other members of the group, and he has started a small fire. Natasha is 25 and has striking features. You are given the impression that she and Jim spar frequently. When the fire debris is just about cleaned up, a woman walks into the meeting. The woman is about 60 and is beautifully dressed. Mason could tell that the other people in the room recognized the woman, and while she looked familiar to Mason, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. The woman indicated that she had relapsed and that she had a court card that needed to be signed by the group leader. Her name is Julia, and Julia does not want to talk. But after another attendee shares his story, Julia slowly tells of her arrest. Mason is fascinated by the story and the woman and volunteers to be her sponsor.

The next morning. Mason goes to Julia’s. Julia’s story is much more involved than Mason knew. Julia had been friends with Tony Eckenridge before she met her husband. Julia loved her husband. Tony, Julia, and Julia’s husband had all worked on the film Codex years ago. Codex was a bit of a cult classic, and there are rumors that it is going to be remade. Julia’s husband was murdered after the film was made, and while she didn’t kill him, she was convicted of the crime. Tony could have helped her, but he didn’t, and she hated him for that. While she was in jail, she sobered up and got her law degree so that she could help others. Tony, Julia, and Julia’s husband had all worked on the film Codex years ago. Codex was a bit of a cult classic, and there are rumors that it is going to be remade.

The story starts from there. Mason is hired to be Julia’s assistant, and she meets the others in Julia’s circle. Together, they work to find out what really happened to Tony. The first question being, why was Tony even at her house that night when they were enemies? And who did kill Julia’s first husband?

The characters are quirky and fun, and there are a lot of them. I thought the book’s tangled story lines were straightened out in almost believable ways. There is a lot that goes on in this story and I enjoyed it. I recommend that you read this book.

Thanks for reading.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Cozy Thriller, Hollywood Fiction
Spice Level: Nothing on page, but affairs and such are mentioned
Language: Profanity peppered throughout
Representation: Gay and Bi side characters

ONE DEATH AT A TIME is a Hollywood-esque mystery full of drama and glitter.

Is this one cozy? I would call it cozy adjacent because of the cursing that will offend some readers. This is also like a buddy book, where two women have a genuine friendship that grows out of their common pain—in this case the commonalities involve bad choices and alcoholism. I see more buddy books between men, so it's nice to have one centered around women.

I enjoyed the prickly Julia who hires Mason to help investigate the murder that happened at her pool. Mason is also blunt and sarcastic and fun to read. (I had to keep reminding myself that Mason [her last name] was a woman because the name sounded masculine to me.) The other side characters are quirky and might make you raise your eyebrows. Everything can sagely be nodded over if you say, "Ah, Hollywood." We can expect anything from the film industry.

Things to watch for:

- Revenge
- Redemption
- Favoritism
- Feminism
- Guilt vs Blame
- Even a touch of romance

I think most mystery readers will enjoy this book since it skirts the line of cozy and a traditional mystery.

Happy reading!

Cozy mystery with a solid character development plot line. This featured so many great aspects. Former actress finds a dead body, everyone thinks she did it (I mean she's already been in jail for unaliving someone before) and the rest you just have to read ;)

Fun, funny buddy comedy set on the outskirts of that glam hotspot, Hollywood's movie industry. There's bad behavior from entitled jerks, there's a high-speed golf cart chase, there's a distinctly sapphic undertone to the leads' chemistry...there's a lot to enjoy, in other words.

Youthful impulsivity (Natasha quitting law school was the kind of stupid thing I'd've yelled at her for) and the darker side of alcohol abuse (blackouts are not new to Julia) are facets of this story. Adjusting to aging, launching a career, re-launching a career...all bantered over and really dealt with as Natasha and Julia are traipsing from pillar to post to figure out how the hell Tony, Julia's nasty ex-lover, ended up dead in her pool. Most of all, though, I was there to see how Julia would stay sober in a super high-stress world like moviemaking. Author Waxman dealt with Julia's very new sobriety and the underknown challenges the sobriety seeker faces staying on the wagon (low blood sugar is one of the most common traps for the unwary) honestly and forthrightly without didacticism.

This contrasts to the, um, shall we say heightened, tone and nature of the crime these women are united to solve. Everything about it is absurd. It's meant to be. This is the movie industry we're skewering. I'm not inclined to seek out these areas of comedy that often. I'm glad I did this time because, well, I needed a laugh that was more substantial than a romcom, had service to Ma'at and the Rightness of the world, and felt grounded enough in reality...you do not get more real that seeking sobriety...to give me a place to stand while I was craning my neck to follow the story's breakneck action.

I'm not even whelmed, still less overwhelmed, by the storytelling voice. It felt...flat...to me because it tried so hard. I'm a tough room, especially for comedy, because it is so difficult to convince me you mean it when you're being funny. This story fell only slightly short in my eyes, largely due to Natasha's dramatic unsuitability to the role of sponsor. Not that Julia would ever be someone to take real advantage of that relationship. She's not really built to listen to critique, only to hear criticism. Many an actor falls into that habit of hearing.

All that said, I'm impressed by the story's honest and unusually detailed dealings with alcohol addiction. I give it four stars for that, and for managing to make even cynical old mystery-reader me pay attention to the sleuths' frenetic chasing after fairly obvious clues.

Author Waxman will get more of my dwindling supply of eyeblinks in future.

Mason meets an older actress at an AA meeting and decides to volunteer as her sponsor. Instead, she is sucked into the mess that is the life of Julia Mann. Julia has found the body of her long-time enemy in her pool and is not ready to go BACK to prison. Mason joins the team of misfits helping Julia solve the crime to keep Julia free. Hijinks ensue and there are plenty of people with the motive to kill that man! Can they figure it out, or will the real killer get them first?

Occasionally, I will find a mystery that I really like. I love Abbi Waxman's other books but this was not them. I enjoyed all the characters and the found family of it all but the storyline was not my favorite. Plus, everything wrapped up fast in the end and left me wishing for justice for long-ago crimes. I would read a cozy story that shows these characters later down the line and I would likely LOVE it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

Loved this book! Love these characters! I hope to see more of Mason and Mann in the future. So witty and smart.
Thank you @berkleypub for the gifted arc.

4.25

This is a story about strays. Strays, and the people who take them in and give them a purpose. Yes, there’s a recently orphaned dog, the ugliest in the world apparently, and a cat who was run over and lived. The real strays of this story, however, are the people taken in by Julia Mann. Don’t get me wrong. The strays include a successful Hollywood agent/lawyer, one of the hottest young actresses, and the daughter of two Berkley psychiatrists. Not exactly “Oliver Twist”.

This mystery is different than most. Mason gave me a film noir vibe, but don’t for a second think of a black-and-white themed episode of every TV series ever made. It’s just a feeling. She is a loner, an incessant sleuth, and a misfit and is on the periphery of classic Hollywood and the movie star who hired her.

I struggled a bit with the first half of the book, but that seems to happen a lot, so I’m always second-guessing myself. I knew all along, however, that these were unique and interesting characters and could just picture Mason, Claudia, Will, and the rest of the team. Mason and Julia are very different, yet they both struggle with addiction and have a reputation of not caring, even though they are really very caring and generous.

A modern mystery with a classic Hollywood nod. It’s not necessarily the work of a mystery mastermind, but you’ll be in it as much for the pack of strays as finding a killer.

Thank you to Abbi Waxman, NetGalley, and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

I’ve long been a big fan of Abbi Waxman’s books because I can count on her to craft characters who are a little bit eccentric and a lot bit lovable. Despite this being her first cozy mystery, her characters maintained that Abbi Waxman feel.

There is a lot going on here. A famous actress is accused of murder - for the second time - when a dead man is found floating in her pool. Julia Mann doesn’t know how he got there because she was blacked out on a drinking bender. She meets Natasha Mason at an AA meeting where Mason not only volunteers to be her sponsor, but also decides she will prove Julia’s innocence. What follows is exactly what you would expect when two highly unqualified and slightly unhinged amateur detectives attempt to investigate a murder.

ONE DEATH AT A TIME has all the oddities I expect from a Waxman novel. The scenarios are absurd and the sarcasm top notch. While it may lack some of the charm of her other books, it makes up for it with hilarity as this unlikely duo struggles to get out of their own way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Lights, snark, and action!
Think sharp dialogue, chaotic energy, and just enough plot to keep you guessing.

This one follows Julia, a grumpy former actress with a messy past, and Mason, her younger sobriety sponsor, as they find themselves unexpectedly caught up in a murder investigation. The whole thing is very L.A.—quirky, fast-paced, and full of personality.

At first, I was into it. The voice is clever, sarcastic, and full of energy, and for a while, that really worked for me. But over time, I found myself wishing for a little more quiet and a little less quip. The humour didn’t always hit the right note for me, and I caught myself wanting to connect more with the characters underneath all the snark.

There were also a lot of side characters and detours, which made the plot feel a bit scattered. I struggled to stay fully grounded in the story, especially since I didn’t feel a strong emotional connection to Julia or Mason. Their dynamic had potential, but it never fully clicked for me.

That said, I’ve really enjoyed Abbi Waxman’s previous novels—Nina Hill is still a favourite—and I’ll absolutely keep reading her work. This one just wasn’t quite the right fit, but I can see it working well for readers who love sharp banter and a madcap mystery vibe.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book was a bit different from what I've read by Abbi Waxman. It had a surprising premise but was not my favorite book by the author.
Julia Mann is an irreverent, in-your-face, celebrity turned criminal defense lawyer. When this drunken, oscar-winning actress finds a body floating in her pool, she flees the scene and is further accused of murder. Sentenced to a stint in Alcoholics Anonymous, she meets her young Gen-Z'er sponsor, Natasha Mason, whom she takes on as a personal assistant. Mason is introduced to Julia's world and aids her in clearing her name while upholding her sobriety.

The partnership is odd but the dynamics of their working relationship (and eventual friendship) seemed to work. The author takes us through seedy establishments and spins us in circles before dumping us into the meat of the plot towards the end. Truthfully, I did not care for Julia (the main character) as much as I did Mason. I was more interested in Mason's backstory.

The plot was fast-paced but was a bit crude in comparison to Abbi Waxman's other novels. I liked how the author patterned her story around alcohol addiction, so I see why the characters needed to be rougher around the edges but the main characters did not appeal to me like the wonderful characters in her previous novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This review is voluntary, and all thoughts are my own.

Trigger warning: alcoholism, language

Funny and fast-paced, this was my first read by Abbi Waxman, and I loved it! Her writing is sharp, her dialogue hilarious, her humor irreverent, and her characters memorable. The book was fun and wildly entertaining!

At the heart of the book is the intergenerational relationship between Natasha "Mason" and Julia, a former film star turned lawyer who has previously served time for killing her husband and is once again a suspect in a murder investigation. Mason is Julia's AA sponsor and becomes her assistant, and together, they try to uncover the real culprit. I loved their dynamic and witty banter. Both characters are dynamic and well-developed, and I adored them. They are smart, blunt, snarky, and a little unpredictable but kind-hearted, especially to those in need. The secondary characters are also quirky and interesting, especially those close to Mason and Julia.

There are several secondary characters to keep track of, but I enjoy a large suspect pool, and they all bring drama. The mystery is clever and well-crafted, with plenty of action, danger, and shenanigans. The story also touches on several complex topics, including the sobriety journey of the FMCs, and it does so respectfully. Additionally, it offers a glimpse into Hollywood, exploring how women have been shortchanged in the film industry. The peek behind the curtain in Hollywood explores how women have been shortchanged in the film industry.

I had a great time reading this, and fingers crossed, it will become a series!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the gifted ARC!

What a quirky and fun cozy mystery this was! Julia Mann is an ex-actress and ex-con, who teams up with her Gen Z sobriety sponsor, Natasha Mason, to solve a murder before it is pinned on Julia and sends her back to prison. Along for the ride are an eccentric cast of side characters, giant martini glasses, and dead piranhas.

This was a fast-paced, funny, twisty read. It starts off with a slightly farcical mystery, which normally isn’t my vibe, but it’s so well-written that the absurdity of it only made it more fun. I fell in love with all of the characters, especially the abrasive, sassy leading ladies, Julia and Mason. While the story itself is full of comical situations and characters, Waxman is somehow able to also inject immense depth into each character. Within this witty framework, multiple serious topics are explored without it feeling too heavy.

As someone in recovery myself, I appreciated Waxman’s honest exploration of addiction and felt it was pretty spot-on. I think the juxtaposition of this serious theme with all of the funny shenanigans throughout the book was very well-done (and a hard thing to get right!).

If you’re in the mood for a cozy-but-hilarious murder mystery that’ll keep you guessing, look no further.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted eARC!

One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman was such a fun read! I was immediately invested in both Julia and Mason’s stories and how they worked together to solve the mystery. The involvement of AA and sobriety in the story was really refreshing! It added a layer of humanity into the sometimes kooky story. This is the first book I’ve read by the author but it won’t be the last! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC!

3.5 stars

This is Abbi Waxman’s first mystery, and it was funny and entertaining! A body is found in an alcoholic actress’s pool, and she is the main suspect. Unfortunately, she blacked out and can’t remember a thing…except that she didn’t do it. Since the police already think she’s guilty and aren’t putting much effort into investigating other suspects, she and her assistant (who is also her AA sponsor) decide to solve the case themselves!

I really enjoyed that this mystery was set in Hollywood. It was a fun look into the wild lives of celebrities. There was so much action packed into the story, especially toward the end. The characters were always zooming frantically in a fast car, and the pace really kept me turning pages, needing to get to the next clue.

I struggled a little with the number of characters to keep track of (I wish I had kept a list!), and I had a hard time connecting with both of the main characters. However, I appreciated the realistic representation of alcoholism and addiction, as well as the relationship that developed between the main characters. The ending kept me guessing, and I was hooked the whole time. I recommend this book if you’re looking for a funny and adventurous mystery!

Thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy; all opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
🔎 Cozy mysteries
🔎 Books about celebrities
🔎 Eccentric characters
🔎 Fast-paced stories

I enjoyed this Hollywood murder mystery that had a great cast of characters, was set in LA, was laugh out loud funny and also had a lot of heart. It was good on audio and looks like a great start to a (hopefully) new series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Julia Mann, a cranky older actress turned lawyer meets a Mason at an AA meeting. Mason, a young law school drop out, decides to become Julia's sponsor but her role expands when it turns out that there is a dead man found in Julia's pool. The two women, along with Julia's other assistant, begin to investigate the murder, hoping to clear Julia's name as well as stopping the murderer from killing again.

This was sort of a hybrid of cozy mystery and story of a friendship spanning generations. I liked the humor that was scattered throughout and the actual mystery kept me wondering and reading (and listening). The female duo had great dynamics and I could totally see this as a series. Since I haven't yet read Waxman's earlier works I wasn't as thrown off by the new direction of this novel from her older ones. I loved listening to this audiobook and I definitely made dinner one night solely to keep listening. This is a cute, fun and hijinxy Hollywood mystery.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC to review