Julia, an aging movie star who has previously served time for the murder of her husband and since gotten her law degree, is arrested for the murder of an acquaintance that occurred at her house while she was blackout drunk. Natasha Mason meets Julia in an AA meeting and agrees to become her sponsor and her assistant, and they work together to find out who really killed the guy. This was good. I liked Mason, and sort of liked Julia, though she doesn't make it easy. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

4.5 Hollywood stars

I’ve read a few other Abbi Waxman books, and I think she develops great, often quirky characters. This time, Waxman focuses on a whole bevy of memorable characters in Hollywood.

Natasha Mason is leading an AA meeting when a retired actress, Julia, checks in. The stories can be wild at meetings, and Julia’s is no different. She’s found a dead man in her pool, and she can’t remember anything about that night. She’s already spent years in prison on a murder charge, so it doesn’t take long for the police to think she’s guilty again. Somehow, Mason ends up as Julia’s temporary sponsor, and she’s soon pulled into the actress’s orbit.

Julia is investigating the murder of the man in her pool so that she’s not sent to prison again, and she enlists Mason and a whole cast of supporting characters. Claudia, her chef, always seems to have something delicious to eat. Her temporary agent/lawyer is a gorgeous hunk and Will is an expert researcher.

While this one is set in modern times, it has an old Hollywood nostalgic and glamorous feel. There are writers, producers, movie remakes, intrigue, legal cases, fast cars, attacks, disguises, and murder all thrown together in this one. Even during all the mayhem, I liked how the characters made it a point to attend daily AA meetings. Time spent in Palm Springs, Solvang, burlesque clubs, are all infused with a sense of danger for Julia and Mason.

It is a race to see if they will figure it out before someone else ends up dead. I quite enjoyed this one!

An Absolute Gem!

As every avid reader knows, most books are average to good with a fair number of clunkers thrown in. So when you come across a book you truly enjoy, you savor every minute of it.

One Death at a Time is one of those rare gems that are a delight from start to finish. It is as satisfying as receiving a gift you were not expecting. The characters are quirky, smart, and unique. The mystery is intriguing, the dialogue is witty, and there is plenty of drama.

Retired actress Julia teams with her new assistant/AA sponsor, Mason, to discover how her mortal enemy’s body ended up in her swimming pool while she was blackout drunk. They are ably assisted by Julia’s housekeeper, Claudia, who keeps them all well fed; Will, her researcher with an encyclopedic memory; and, her attractive new attorney, Archie.

Kudos, Ms. Waxman! I hope further adventures await this fun and eccentric team.

I liked this book but didn't love it. The characters have great potential and I would definitely read a follow-up. Julia and Mason both had many layers that I would love to learn more about. There were a lot of characters though, so it didn't always feel like they were getting the time they needed to get to know them enough. Mostly though, the mystery felt a bit disjointed. The backstory was interesting, but it was spread out across too many people and places and didn't include enough of the main suspects (I don't want to spoil anything, so won't say more.) All that said, I would still recommend it for a light, fun read.

Funny and quirky mystery based in Hollywood. While I enjoyed the book overall, I thought there were too many characters that were only touched on so I had a hard time tracking them all and differentiating. If you enjoy a cozy mystery, you will like this one.

This was an interesting read. I’ve enjoyed the author’s books in the past especially The Garden of Small Beginnings.
This one was different though but the relationship between the main characters and the skillful way they were developed drew me in.
A good read. Thank you for the advance copy Net Galkey.

Loved the book! Julia is a jaded retired actress who secretly likes underdogs and Natasha is just trying to stay sober and find a life. Fate throws them together and the murderer doesn't stand a chance. There's humor and excitement and a few twists in this lovely tale. I look forward to seeing more of the crazy duo.

This was a quick and enjoyable read with strong female characters and an engaging story. What begins as a straightforward tale of a young Gen Z woman sponsoring an older, former actress soon unfolds into a mystery full of unexpected twists.
Julia, an ex-actress, finds herself at an AA meeting after a night of heavy drinking—one that ended with the shocking discovery of a dead body in her swimming pool. Enter Natasha Mason, or "Mason" as she prefers, who steps up to sponsor Julia, unaware of just how intertwined their lives will become and how much they both need each other.

The story is a whirlwind adventure, from the gritty charm of LA's burlesque bars to the sun-soaked landscapes of Palm Springs. With its blend of lighthearted moments and thrilling turns, this book will keep you guessing until the very end.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced, not-quite-cozy mystery with strong, dynamic female leads. It's a fun, satisfying read!

Fun read that was also a page-turner because of the mystery. The characters were likable and pulled you in. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Mason and Julia. I also liked how they stayed true to the need to continuously need to go to AA meetings. That wasn't just something they threw around when it was convenient.

Mason, a Gen Z AA member, and Julia, a former actor now an attorney revisiting her sobriety, team up to solve two Hollywood murders. With snarky, witty dialogue, this Hollywood mystery is a quick, enjoyable read.

The cast of characters is entertaining—though there are just too many for my memory. For this reason, I rated the book a 4 rather than a 5. I hope there is another adventure for Mason and Julia in the near future!

Thank you to BookBrowse and Berkley for an early read in exchange for a fair review. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to all mystery lovers.

I enjoyed reading One Death at a Time. This was a fast paced book with fun over-the-top characters based in Hollywood. An aging former movie star (Julia Mann) and her AA sponsor (Natasha Mason) are on the trail of solving a murder that Julia has been accused of committing. This is a cozy with many great, offbeat characters with a believable resolution. I hope this becomes a series!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The novel blends humor with suspense as Julia and Mason delve into a whirlwind investigation across Los Angeles, from the glitzy Hollywood Hills to the world of burlesque and country clubs. Waxman’s signature sharp dialogue and memorable characters keep the pace lively, with moments of genuine emotional depth exploring themes like addiction and second chances. The quirky cast, including showgirls and Hollywood agents, adds to the chaotic charm of the story.

If you're looking for a smart, laugh-out-loud mystery, this book delivers.

One death at a Time starts off at a fun gallop, I loved the two main characters and their opposing personalities. The story feels like Hacks, meets Suits with a sprinkle of a platonic Hart to Hart, but as the plot moves forward our enjoyable characters get bogged down in endless suspect interviews that all seem to go nowhere, characters upon characters start piling up, we’re overstuffed and nothing is moving the plot forward. There’s also endless eating, it’s quite bizarre, everyone between these covers is constantly scarfing down baked goods….no one in LA eats this many carbs. Even with my criticisms I did have a good time reading this one and think Waxman could work these folks into a satisfying series if she tightened up the plots, kept the action coming and turned the focus to fewer characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early peek.

Mason is has been sober for three years and she works hard to maintain it. At one of her AA meetings, she encounters Julia Mann, a well respected actress (though Mason, who isn’t interested in entertainment, doesn’t initially have a clue she is famous) shows up for at AA as a result court ordered meetings and tells the group she found a dead body in her pool—and this isn’t the first time she has run afoul of the law. She had also spent a substantial amount of time in prison for a crime she didn’t commit and used her time behind bars to purse her law degree. Now instead of acting, she is a respected attorney. Mason becomes Julia’s sponsor and then her assistant, and the two women realize they have a lot in common. Ultimately, they put their heads together to help uncover the murderer framing Julia and more.

The plot may sound a bit complicated, but it is very compelling, easy to understand and you’ll get sucked in. I enjoyed the wit, candor and cleverness in the writing. The characters are witty and engaging and possess a quirky quality that the reader gets drawn into, and grows quite fond of. I could see them Julia, Mason and their ragtag group of detectives continuing to partner and solving more crimes together in additional books. I consumed this book quickly to try to answer figure out whodunnit and was saddened when it wrapped up (after quite a thrilling finale). One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman is a definite recommend.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

One Death at a Time takes readers into the lives of an unlikely pair of crime solvers. Natasha Mason meets former actress, ex con Julia Mann at an AA meeting . Before long, Mason has been hired as Mann’s assistant. But much to her to surprise Natasha discovers that her duties include keeping her new boss out of jail for a second time.

Set in Hollywood, we’re introduced to a quirky cast of characters on a mission to clear Julia’s name and solve a murder.

While Julia Mann was hard to connect with as a character, Natasha’s intelligence and no nonsense, razor sharp personality shines through the book giving the story substance. Fast paced and suspenseful this is fun weekend read.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This is the premise of Abbi Waxman's "One Death at a Time". A young, by the book AA member (Natasha) accepts the challenge of being a temporary sponsor of an aging, cranky, famous and former actor (Julia) who does not feel she needs her help. But she needs someone's help.
Someone (her ex business partner, Tony) was killed at her house and she knows/remembers nothing since she was in an alcoholic blackout. Julia's past history complicated matters further as she was convicted of murdering her ex husband and served a prison sentence for that. Once she was released she quit acting and got her law degree.
When Natasha shows up at Julia's house for her first meeting she is offered a job as her personal assistant/investigator. Her's had just quit. Let the games begin!
This was a fun, rollicking read. The characters, even with their flaws, were likeable and added to the story arc. If I had to put it into a genre I would say a cozy mystery with an edge. It has a fair amount of F bombs, lots of sarcasm and unscrupulous activities going on. And to top it off, this 'edge ' is interwoven with trying to find out who killed Tony so Julia won't have to go to prison again. On second thought, there is a lot more edge than coziness present!
After a year of reading some fairly serious books, this was a refreshing read. Thanks
Bookbrowse and Netgalley!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of One Death at a Time in exchange for an honest review.

The NetGalley description of One Death at a Time is pretty solid, so I’ll jump directly to my thoughts. This novel is a departure for Ms. Waxman, who seems to relish jumping around different genres. This book is a whodunnit mystery that’s set in the present but somehow has an old timey Hollywood vibe, especially with the whole ‘was the legendary old movie cursed’ angle. Your enjoyment will largely depend on you tolerance for the lead characters, Julia and Mason. They have a Hacks vibe—funny, snarky, abrasive, but underneath you know they care about each other—which for me is a compliment but your mileage may vary. There was a solid collection of supporting characters. And I found the recovering alcoholic storylines believable.

I think One Death at a Time is a slightly more serious version of the Findlay Donovan series, which is another compliment. I won’t be at all surprised if Ms. Waxman returns to these characters in a sequel, and I’ll absolutely read it if she does. Recommended.

Abbi Waxman's books are all different, but each one is funny and heartwarming, with wonderful, quirky characters. One Death at a Time is no exception. Natasha Mason (who goes by her last name) is a recovering alcoholic who meets crotchety former actress Julia Mann at an AA meeting. Shortly after Mason agrees to act as Julia's personal assistant, the cops come calling. It turns out Julia is the prime suspect in the murder of a longtime enemy. Unfortunately for Julia, she has no recollection of what happened the night of the murder because she was blackout drunk.

Since the cops don't seem to be looking for any other suspects, Julia, Mason, and an assorted cast of characters have to do their own detective work to clear Julia's name.

It was a lot of fun to follow along as Julia and her gang leapt from one improbable situation to another. A very enjoyable plot together with well-drawn and interesting characters made for a great read. I wish Abbi would write more sequels, because I always want to spend more time with her characters!

Thanks to BookBrowse, NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of both mystery novels & Abbi Waxman's, so I was thrilled to get an early widget for her latest, "One Death at a Time", This is a bit different than some of her back-list; it's a wacky cozy mystery but still set in the California Southland. And I really liked it - it was quite humorous and LOL over-the-top, easy to read and just plain fun. If you like slapstick capers - this is your book! I liked the two main characters, and the animals in it too (no harm), and though the mystery itself was a bit weak, I still highly recommend it. Many thanks to the publisher and Net Glley - so fun to read & review this one!