The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is a delightful blend of cozy mystery and heartfelt community drama. Mrs. B and her eclectic tenants create a warm, offbeat setting that feels like a welcoming dollhouse full of secrets and surprises. Each character brings something unique to the table—from Sophie’s anxious creativity to Ocean’s fierce independence—and their interactions add both humor and depth.

The plot keeps you guessing, especially with the unexpected twist of Mrs. B confessing to a crime she insists she didn’t commit. Watching the tenants band together in their own amateur detective squad was genuinely fun and added a refreshing sense of camaraderie.

While the story sometimes leans into familiar cozy mystery tropes, the author’s witty writing and strong character dynamics more than make up for it. The pace is steady, with enough twists to maintain suspense without overwhelming the charming seaside vibe.

If you enjoy mysteries that combine quirky characters, warm friendships, and a touch of intrigue, this one’s a solid, satisfying read.

So, a little bit sweet, saucy and mysterious. Can’t say this is my favorite type of mystery. It was an easy and fun read. Found it a little slower going than I like but it has heart and is a great relaxing story. We meet all the residents of Marigold Cottages, who in a way are family by association. When disaster strikes, they bond together and do what is necessary to survive and make things right. An enjoyable read.

That ending! I followed the plot line fairly closely and felt that I knew where the story was going. It was still enjoyable so I kept reading, even though the book started off a little slow. SO glad I did because the last page was worth it.

This cozy murder mystery features a cast of neighbors determined to save one of their own when he gets accused of murder. Everyone is eccentric, but determined to protect those they care about. The multiple POVs gives us a personal look into everyone's reasons for protecting their neighbors.

This will appeal to those who like amateur sleuths mixed with drama. We get not one, but two murders that need solved. While murder is the setup, the focus is mostly on the bonds that tie everyone together and how they decided to work together to solve the murders. I enjoyed the quirky characters and the glue holding them together, but the murderer reveals didn't quite hit for me.

Imagine six cute little cottages in Santa Barbara, each inhabited by someone who could benefit from Mrs. Golda Bakofsy’s–the landlady’s– interventions. You see, each had a painful secret and generally, each underestimated how much Mrs. B. actually knew about them.

There was Sophie, who had been stalked. She had healed but her parents were understandably anxious about her mental health. Lily-Ann was separated from her husband, but that wasn’t her secret. Hamilton seldom left his cottage and Nicholas usually exited by the back door for some reason. Then there’s Ocean who had known Mrs. B. since childhood.

Life is progressing as usual when Sophie looks out her window one evening and spies a man sleeping in the bushes. Except he wasn’t sleeping, was he?

What better activity than to figure out who killed the man outside Sophie’s window? Because they’re sure–well, pretty sure– that it wasn’t the man who just moved in.

What follows are schemes that rile the police, or are illegal, or are dangerous, or, occasionally, sound like just the ticket. “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” is a story about a murder. It’s scary in places, but mostly endearing and charming.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy. This is my honest review.

Mrs. B rents her cottages to people she cares about and who have nothing in common. When her
newest tenant, an ex-con, is being held on a charge of murder, Mrs.. B is convinced of his innocence
and gets the tenants to investigate and prove his innocence. As the investigation continues, the
tenants discover more about each other and connections are made. Solid cozy mystery with diverse
characters.
#TheMarigoldCottagesMurderCollective #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley

Thank you for the ARC!
I really enjoyed this book! I loved reading all the different characters point of views and trying to figure out who did it ! Definitely recommend !

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book felt like a perfect heir to the Thursday Murder Club Series. Anyone who loves Psych or Only Murders in the Building will eat this UP!
You know the plot, murder happens in a community of cottages owned by an eccentric old lady and the community is hell bent on finding the killer. Santa Barbara setting, fantastic humor, well-developed characters, and strategically placed secrets.
My only qualms is I didn’t care for the playwriting chunks of the book. The choice of writing style left me kind of confused with the ending, but I also finished the novel after several nights of bad sleep so that one might be on me.
I truly hope there are more in the series as I’m not ready to let this little makeshift family go just yet. If there are more to come, I’d love to see the book told from just third person point of view for all the characters, as I sometimes felt the jump between Sophie’s chapters and the others were a little off putting. Either way, I’ll be happy to receive more of this community’s story!

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is a delightful blend of mystery, humor, and heartwarming community. Jo Nichols creates a cast of quirky yet lovable tenants whose lives collide in the most unexpected way after a murder rocks their peaceful Santa Barbara cottage complex. I especially enjoyed the character of Mrs. B. She has a fierce loyalty and quiet strength really carried the emotional weight of the story.

The mystery itself had some fun twists (including a second murder!), and while it wasn’t the most shocking reveal, the journey was thoroughly entertaining. The charm of the characters and the witty dialogue kept me turning pages.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, especially those with a strong sense of community and themes of found family.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, by Jo Nichols, from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

An engaging if somewhat implausible cozy. Well, except for the parts when Ocean is talking about things like lasagna and boxed macaroni and cheese. Those bits had to’ve been lifted from real life!

Nice and easy poolside read. Put me in the mind a little of the Sue Grafton Kinsey Milhone “alphabet” books—some of the same types of characters, including that of California.

DESCRIPTION
The perfect summer read, full of charm and heart, written in the vein of The Thursday Murder Club or Only Murders in the Building but with a southern California twist.

Mrs. B, the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is a stubborn idealist who only rents to people she cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright with a dark past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe who likes to overshare; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the perfectionist Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro who’s hiding secrets.

The tenants live contentedly in their doll-house bungalows in Santa Barbara, just minutes from the beach, until their peace is shattered when Anthony, a quiet, hulking, but potentially violent ex-con moves in. Three weeks later, a dead body is discovered on the streets of the peaceful neighborhood. Anthony is arrested, and the tenants heave sighs of relief. Until Mrs. B, convinced that he's innocent, marches down to the police station and confesses to the crime herself. The tenants band together and form “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” to save their beloved landlady. As clues are unearthed and secrets are revealed, the community of misfits only grows more tight-knit...until a second body is found. Full of eccentricity, humor, community, Marigold Cottages Murder Collective will keep you hooked until the last page.

It is not easy to define or classify The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, by Jo Nichols. In one sense, this novel is a murder mystery, but The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is also a human drama with quirky characters, whose personalities overwhelm the actual murder and the search for the guilty person. Mrs B owns these cottages, which appear to be close together but with each person/family in their own cottages. Mrs B is the glue that holds them all together. When there is a murder in their small area, they begin to form a glue that holds them together and changes their lives. Working together to identify the killer helps to create a family of strangers.

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is an unconventional murder mystery, with each chapter of the novel focused on a different character. The ending is certainly unique and revealing. The pacing is rather slow, especially at the beginning, but the novel, itself, is a promising start for Nichols. Thank you to Minotaur St Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to review.

3 stars

This was an interesting read but way too much going on and I lost interest in it. I was hoping for a fun murder mystery.

Basically, this book is about a murder bringing neighbors together. All the characters added something unique to this story. It was different, in a good way.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Endearing and intriguing all in one. I really enjoyed the eclectic cast of characters who through the community they fostered worked to solve the crimes committed at their doorstep.

The perfect cozy mystery! What a great introduction to Jo Nichols. Lots going on with fabulous characters. Never a dull moment. Lots of laugh out loud moments! This story had all the feels, charm and ‘who dunnit’
Thank you NetGalley, Jo Nichols and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When it comes to a cozy mystery what I'm looking for is a interesting main character as well as a surrounding cast of fun and diverse characters. This book serves that very well. The plot is good, moderately complex and moves along well and kept me engaged to see what happened next. I liked these characters enough that I would hope for a sequel of the next mystery at the marigold cottages.

Short take, a group of quirky individuals come together to solve a murder. Each chapter is told by a different character, giving us multiple POV to ponder. Even the investigating officer is included in that, adding a relatively unique view of events. There are rather a lot of these characters, too, which tended to slow me down considerably in the beginning as I sorted out who was who. That's on me, though, as sorting out multiple viewpoints tends to throw me off my game. In fact, while I ultimately considered Mrs. B, the owner of the Marigold Cottages as the main character, I'm honestly not sure which one you might land on for that role. I mean, after all, she's not only the one who brought this diverse cast together but also ultimately turned herself in and claimed to be the killer in order to help absolve new resident Anthony of the charge. The discovery of a dead body outside one of the cottages has thrown them all or a loop but rather than isolating themselves, they ultimately came together bonding as what we'd maybe call "found family". Interestingly enough, while not everyone was for Anthony becoming part of their little community, the shared viewpoints freely and without fear of rejection. I liked that aspect of openness and trust.

To be honest, I'm not sure they all agreed on whodunit even at the end. Take hopeful playwright Sophie's eventual play based on her notes and imagination. It leaves the reader a bit unsure, wondering who really did it and why. As for the why aspect, there turn out to be many reasons someone might have turned to murder. I won't detail the plot as part of the fun of this one is discovery as it goes along, but let's just say that while they may live relatively quiet, innocuous lives, the twists and turns that emerge from their combined backgrounds are stunning. You'll enjoy the officer's skeptical takes on some of what is disclosed, I'm sure. Besides, for me the story was perhaps more about the "found family" aspect of the situation as the actual murder investigation. You'll learn a great deal about the various characters, some more than others, as you read along.

Bottom line, while this wasn't quite a hit for me, I can see where others will rave. It was fun and I love the fact it left me thinking about it even after I'd finished reading. While I'm sure I'll have the same issue sorting out the characters once again should there be a follow-up, again, my issue, not the book's fault, I will definitely read any follow-up. I've seen others compare it to The Thursday Murder Club and/or Only Murders in the Building, which fit the "found friends" motif while solving crimes and could easily see why. Thanks #StMartinsPress -#MinotaurBooks for allowing me this early introduction to an intriguing take on community, friendship, family, and, yes, solving crimes. Heck, there's even a budding romance!

Eighty year-old Mrs.B rents her cottages to people she likes on a sliding scale—only charging what they can afford. The Pasadena neighborhood is changing and developers want her property. When a potential investor is found bludgeoned to death is the bushes one night, the tenants get together on their group chat to figure out the killer. It seems like just about everyone had a reason, but everyone is also keeping secrets.

Loved the quirky, original characters and the different points of view in this cozy that definitely kept me guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one, as I was drawn in by the cover and blurb, but, unfortunately, I only liked it. I just didn't connect with most of the (multiple) POVs -- I had some difficulty figuring out who was the chapter's narrator and had to backtrack numerous times. I did like the dialogue written like a play script -- that was interesting.

All in all, I enjoyed it, but am probably not the target demographic. I think this will appeal to a whole lot of folks.

Will I read more from the author? Maybe.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with so many amateur sleuths. When a murder occurs at the Marigold Cottages, the residents band together after one of them is falsely accused of the crime. This book started off a bit slow for me, but I’m very glad I kept reading. The quirky characters absolutely make this book! I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.