What an absolutely fantastic novel this was. A delightful LA romp through the glitzy side and the seedy side of both modern and old(er) Los Angeles featuring a delightful found family...all in orbit around a former starlet/ex-con/lawyer. There's a fun mystery wrapped up in all of this, but the delightfulness is entirely around the varied cast of characters, especially the juxtaposed Julia and Mason. Plenty of wisecracks, fast cars, glitz and glamour...and the politics (sexual and otherwise) of both old and modern Hollywood. This was my first Abbi Waxman novel and I'm not afraid to say that it will not by my last. Just a tour-de-force in all the right ways. 5 unreserved stars. HIGHLY recommended. Please, Ms. Waxman...I know you may go back to writing other books...but the world needs more of Julia and Mason.

Big thank-you to NetGalley and Berkley for a chance to read an advance copy of One Death at a Time in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are uncompensated. You can preorder One Death at a Time now...and it is out April 15, 2025!

This is the saddest review ever to write. I could not get through this book. I just found myself not really caring about the characters or what happened and I eventually DNF'd.

Traditional format 📕 (digital). Release date April 15,2025

As a fan of Abbi Waxman’s previous works I was excited to give her latest book a read. This cozy mystery book was very different in style than her previous books but not in a good way in my opinion.

I didn’t love this one. There was way too much going on with far too many characters to keep track of and I lost interest in the outcome of this book because of this. It was a struggle to make it to the end. I am wondering if this might read better in audio format with a great narrator??

There were some funny moments and situations that I enjoyed but overall for me this book was a miss and just an average read at best. I give this one a 3/5.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and Net Galley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TY Berkley for the gifted copy and PRH Audio for the audiobook. I loved it!

One Death At A Time is probably technically a cozy mystery — there’s very little on-page violence and the detecting is done by amateur sleuths. But I really dislike that term because it calls to mind cheesy plots, punny titles (usually involving dogs or baking), and predictable storylines. This one though is a solid mystery with great character development and actual humor (rather than cheese).

I absolutely ADORED the quirky cast of characters, especially the intergenerational friendship between our two main characters Mason and Julia. Both of them think they’re taking care of the other… and they are. Heart melting. The Hollywood setting adds a fun twist compared to the small town feel found in cozies. I don’t think this author has written a series before, but I’m desperately hoping this is the start of one — these characters are too delightful to leave behind!

Audio: Narrated by the legendary Patti Murin, the audiobook is equally fantastic. There are characters of all generations, and Patti’s voice effortlessly shifts between Boomers and Gen-Z-ers… seriously impressive!!

Let me start by saying I absolutely LOVE Abbi Waxman. I have enjoyed every book she has written. For some reason I had a hard time connecting with these characters. As a big positive, as always, Abbi writes women so well. He characters are mult-faceted, strong, vunerable and funny! If you haven't read any of her books I would defintely recommend this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

What a great mystery! Mason is a very smart 20-something, recovering alcoholic and somewhat adrift in LA. And being booted out of Yale law school While attending an addiction meeting (like AA), Mason meets Julia Mann and becomes her sobriety sponsor. Julia is a 60-something former movie star who served 15 years for being wrongly convicted of killing her husband, attained a law degree while in prison and came out to become the legal avenging angel for the downtrodden and falsely accused. Mason kinda falls into being Julia’s personal assistant which means she helps investigate crimes that clients are accused of, steam Julia’s vintage designer clothes and drive Julia around in her many classic cars. Julia’s current problem is that the police are pretty sure that she’s guilty of killing the director found shot and dead floating in her pool. Unfortunately, Julia was blackout drunk when she comes to and sees the body and remembers nothing. There are too many twists and curves in this story but the oddly charming and witty cast of characters who help and hinder Mason and Julia as they search for whoever really killed the director and save Julia from, once again, being falsely accused and convicted of another murder. The dialogue is sharp and often laugh-out-loud funny. I very much hope this group has further adventures.

Abbi Waxman brings her delightful humor and heart to a boisterously suspenseful mystery. I could hardly believe how many things were happening at once, and how many complications were brought to play as Mason and Julia tore their way through the machinations of the Hollywood movie-making machine. With so much going on, you'd think you'd get confused, but Waxman has a deft hand and clear goals, and even though some of it is utterly unbelievable, it makes sense and fits perfectly in the world she's created. I fell in love with Julia and her strong moral compass, and with Mason, trying to maintain her boundaries while also breaking out of the shell she'd built for herself. Serious subplots and character development brought depth and breadth to what could have been just a romp. I really enjoyed it.

I had read about half of Abbi Waxman's previous works so I was excited to get an ARC of her newest release. I was intrigued though to see the description because I felt like it was a departure from her previous style of writing.

A former actress who has done time in prison who now is accused of a second murder. Not only is Julia Mann accused of the murder, the victim was found in her swimming pool with the weapon, and she ran from the scene and the police.

Julia is court ordered to attend AA meetings where she meets a twenty-something year old Natasha Mann. Mann offers to be Julia's temporary sponsor much to Julia's protesting. Mann then finds herself working as Julia's assistant and helping try to solve the murder.

Waxman has formed a great cast of well-developed characters that the readers cannot help but root for and love.

I laughed out loud multiple times and was moved by several other parts of the book. Great job Waxman at bringing out all the emotions.

I am hopeful that Waxman will continue to write this genre of cozy mysteries. She did a fabulous job. I loved this book even more than I was expecting. A great piece of entertainment that left me wondering whodunit.

5 stars. I did struggle a bit keeping the wide array of characters straight in my mind. This was my only criticism but not enough to lower the rating.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I still adore Abbi Waxman, even if I didn’t totally adore this book!

I loved The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and liked Adult Assembly Required, both of which were romance/women’s fiction, which she’s SO good at! I was excited to see her try her hand at a cozy mystery. It was decent - it just didn’t work as well for me as her efforts in her usual genres.

I won’t rehash the entire plot - there are plenty of reviews or the blurb for that. I’ll only say that aging alcoholic actress Julia Mann has been accused of murdering an old professional nemesis - the second time she’s been arrested for a murder, and she joins forces with her twenty-something AA sponsor/personal assistant (Natasha) Mason to solve the mystery.

For me, this was too long with too many characters to keep track of, the story was chaotic at times, and I struggled to find a single character I liked or cared about - especially the two aforementioned leads. Julia is bossy and has a mouth like a sailor and Mason is just downright obnoxious most of the time. While some might find them funny - the humor wasn’t landing for me.

On the good side, the mystery was solid and despite the dreaded villain monologue, I did find the explanation believable and surprisingly thought-provoking. The insights into Hollywood and the machinations of the film industry were fascinating! I also respect the insights Waxman provided into alcoholism and addiction, which was a major issue for both leads. If you have a family member with the disease, you may find all the talk about it triggering. I did. 🙋🏻

It’s a decent mystery which seems to hint at a possible sequel or series. The many four and five star reviews on this one shows there’s an audience for it. I just hope Waxman doesn’t completely leave her romance roots behind!

I was excited for the opportunity to review Abby Waxman’s next novel. I’ve enjoyed her others!
This was full of witty remarks, snarky comebacks, and hilariously awkward interactions. She wrote them with great detail, I found myself cackling often.
There were quite a few characters I had to remember and found myself writing them down to remember who was who. The plot line was interesting but didn’t necessarily have me chomping at the bit to get back and keep reading. That said, it held my interest enough as I needed to know how it ended.
Worth a read if you’ve liked Abbi’s other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC. Natasha Mason is attending an AA meeting with this newcomer tells why she is there but with the most unbelievable story. "Mason", now intrigued, asked to be her sponsor. The following day, Mason arrives at her house only to learn she is the famous actress, Julia Mann, with quite a backstory. She is being accused of killing her biggest rival in the industry while obscenely drunk but Julia likes Mason so much, she asks her to help clear her name. Cute story and I can see this easily becoming a series! #OneDeathataTime #AbbiWaxman #BerkleyPubGroup #April2025

I absolutely love Abbi Waxman's writing style. This book is so full of humor, and charm. Her writing also helps her create incredibly fun and colourful characters. They ooze life and charisma. Reading her books always brings me joy and this one was extra fun due to the cozy mystery plot that was happening throughout. I loved this cozy mystery set in LA. It has a cursed movie element, old Hollywood glamour, fast cars, scheming and tons of banter and snark. I laughed out loud multiple times and just ate this book up. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for something fun to bring you joy.

“One Death at a Time” offers an intriguing premise with a former actress turned murder suspect determined to clear her name. The dynamic between the protagonist and her younger AA sponsor-turned-assistant adds depth and heart to the story. While the beginning was a bit slow to get into, the pacing picked up, making it a quick and engaging read. The characters were compelling enough that if this becomes a series, I’d definitely pick up the next book to see where their journey leads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.75 stars

This is definitely something a bit different for Abbi Waxman, whose previous books are infused with humor and real life emotion.

This mystery has both of those, but also a heavy dose of Los Angeles narcissism and a boatload of snark. Former actress Julia Mann has had quite a life. She starred in an iconic sci fi flick, descended into alcoholism, went to prison for the murder of her husband, and emerged to become a defense attorney. She still battles the bottle at times, and now she is accused of another murder - which she doesn't think she committed but can't be sure since she was blotto at the time.

Into this scenario accidentally steps Natasha Mason, simply known by her last name. She too is a recovering alcoholic, and has a bouncer's tough talking persona and physical strength. She started as Julia's AA sponsor but quickly slid into being her personal assistant.

The characters are multi dimensional and unsentimental and include Julia's housekeeper/cook/surrogate mother Claudia, research assistant Will, stand-in attorney and other assorted folks. It's a wild ride. These people do not act like normal characters so you never know what to expect. But their menagerie forms their own kind of family and they do take care of each other. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Julia Mann, aging ex-actress-turned lawyer, has been accused of murder (again). With the help of her AA sponsor, the much younger Natasha Mason, and the rest of her household staff, they work to clear her name. Their investigation brings them behind the scenes in LA's film industry and all the way to Palm Springs. One Death at a Time is full of loud characters bursting with personality. Primarily set in Hollywood, each character seems to lack a filter, and while they can be brash with their comments, they're all secretly marshmallows on the inside, making this a fast paced, while also cozy murder mystery to read!

The "Death" in the title lends itself to the cheeky fun murder mystery that is "One Death at a Time". I mean even the cover lets you know you are in for a good time, despite the obvious murder tone. Great writing style that captures the readers attention and keeps the story moving along.

4.5 Stars

Really freaking good and just shy of perfect. I just think the beginning felt a little muddled, like I needed to read the first few chapters twice to get a handle on the setup and MCs. But then it quickly took off and I was addicted to the characters, settings, and adrenaline.

I love the abrasive and snarky women leads with incredible and deep backstories. It’s entertaining and funny but not fluffy. Full of serious topics but told through humorous characters and delightful antics. Murder and mayhem woven together with intelligence and a bit of bravado.

Also, Waxman is so good at creating a wide cast of secondary characters. Quirky, unique, or relatable. Add in murder mystery, Hollywood drama, trips around picturesque California, a burlesque club, glamorous homes, car chases, and a justifiable dog-napping… it’s an incredible story for the fantastic characters to navigate.

It all adds up to a must- read book. Highly recommend and can’t wait for more.

One Death at a Time is the newest book by author Abbi Waxman and is a non-stop wild ride from beginning to end. Mason is a young woman who is at a bit of loose ends. Julia is a former star actress who finds herself in hot water, once again. They meet at an AA meeting where Mason offers to be Julia’s sponsor, and has no idea the path that choice will lead her on. They work together with a cast of other fun characters to solve the murders that keep adding up.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a genre bending book, taking the found family feel-good stories Abbi Waxman is known for, but adding in a mystery and non-stop action story to what she does so well. The story was like jumping into one of Julia’s amazing cars and holding on while we fly through the story at top speed. In the best possible way. Julia and Mason are a match made in Hollywood heaven; they were perfect for each other.

I would say this is great for fans of Finlay Donovan, but I liked One Death at a Time even more. I hope the author considers writing more about this amazing team. The setting at Julia’s amazing home, throughout LA, and even a few side trips to Palm Springs were so fun. The other characters that team up to help Julia were perfect, I loved them all, especially Claudia.

Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley, author Abbi Waxman, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I've read two previous books by Abbi Waxman and enjoyed both of them. The writing in this book is not at the same standard. It has too many characters. The attempts to be funny fall flat. The locations jump around making the story hard to follow. I was extremely disappointed. The two stars are generous.

I LOVED this book! A fun romp through Hollywood following the murder of the head of a major studio and the aging actress who is determined to solve the case so she herself doesn't go to jail for it. This book has so much: hilarious but endearing Boomer/Gen Z friendships, amateur detectives doing a better job than the cops, and a glorious grand dame of a centerpiece, whose one liners could cause the destruction of many large egos. Luckily, it seems like this is the setup for a whole series of mysteries, as the large cast of unique characters each does their part to make an impression on the reader. I recommend this to anyone who likes fun, laughter, mysteries, and the glamour and corruption of the entertainment industry.