The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is a charming and clever cozy mystery with a lot of heart. When someone is murdered at the usually peaceful Marigold Cottages, a group of quirky tenants bands together to figure out what really happened. Each character feels distinct and real, and their unlikely friendships give the story its emotional core.

Jo Nichols balances humor, mystery, and warmth beautifully, with fun twists and some surprisingly touching moments. It’s not just about solving a crime, it’s about community, second chances, and finding connection in unexpected places. A feel-good read with just the right amount of suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mrs. B. is the landlord of the Marigold Cottages in Santa Barbara. The group of cottages form a circle with a courtyard in between. It’s a cozy place to live where everyone pitches in and it shows. Purchasing the cottages was the best thing Mrs. B’s deceased husband had ever done.

Mrs. B. is elderly, and she is picky about who she rents to. Her tenants are a rag tag group who she charges only what she knows they can afford. Sophie is a young woman who has had a scare in her past. Hamilton is agoraphobic, Nicholas is a young financier, Ocean is a lesbian artist and mother of two, Lily-Ann is a wealthy woman separated from her husband.

Anthony, the latest tenant who shows up at the same time as a corpse is a big guy with lots of tattoos. The other tenants are sure he’s spent time in prison. When the police take him in for questioning, everyone except Mrs. B thinks he is guilty.

Because everyone loves Mrs. B., they take it upon themselves to investigate.

It takes the murder, for the neighbors to take the time to get to know each other better.

This is a story about friendships, teamwork, and sacrifices. What would you do to protect someone you cared for?

This was well written. I loved the characters and the setting and hope that it is a series. The characters are quirky and they grow on you. I would read more.

This is a new release scheduled for August 19th.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for giving me an advanced readers copy for my honest review.

This story told in multiple viewpoints takes place in some small bungalows in Santa Barbara. Mrs. B is the landlady. She has filled her cottages with broken people. Among them are a young playwright who is getting over being stalked, an agoraphobe, a queer sculptor raising her two kids, a perfectionist with an almost ex-husband, and a man who works in the City Planning department and has some secrets.

When Mrs. B rents the last cottage to a man who has recently left prison and is a tattooed giant, the others wonder what she was thinking. But the story starts when they find a dead man in the bushes in their courtyard.

The local police inspector thinks he has a slam-dunk: former con plus new body means he obviously murdered him. He isn't willing to entertain other options despite what the other residents tell him. The residents of Marigold Cottages form a text group and become closer to each other while trying to free their new friend.

It even gets to the point where Mrs. B confesses to the murder in order to take the heat off her new tenant. But then Lily-Anne's ex tries to kill her and the body of a local developer who has been hounding Mrs. B. to sell her valuable property so that he can build apartments is found just feet away from the first body who also happens to be someone the developer brought in to help finance the deal.

This was an intriguing and twisty mystery with nicely quirky characters. I liked seeing the story be gradually revealed through the various characters.

Thank you to St Martin’s/Minotaur for my #gifted e-ARC via NetGalley

The Marigold Cottages in Santa Barbara are home to Mrs. B and an eclectic bunch of renters. But when a newcomer and a corpse arrive in quick succession, the (crooked) police inspector jumps on the newcomer’s ex-con status to quickly close the case. But Mrs. B is sure he didn’t do it—so the cottage residents grudgingly band together to help solve the case. Secrets are unearthed and a community is formed. But will justice eventually be done?

I love how this quirky bunch bands together when their established order is upset. I loved the mix of quirky characters and their problems came together and found community. This cozy mystery was full of smart dialogue and well-defined characters (including a truly loathsome cop). And it tackled some pretty deep subjects: body love/body shame, realistic trauma responses, betrayal, love, jail time, police corruption, and neurodivergence. And a great bonus is the Little Free Library that lives there too!

Trigger warning: murder, violence, sexual assault, alcoholism, stalking

What a twisty turny story! Lovable characters, quirky as all get out, laugh out loud funny at times. The coziest mystery I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long, long time.

THE MARIGOLD COTTAGES MURDER COLLECTIVE by Jo Nichols is a fun and charming cozy mystery that had me cheering on the quirky group of neighbors-turned-friends. First off, I adored the Santa Barbara location since I grew up 30 miles from the city, and the story reminded me of many wonderful memories I had of the city. Her strong descriptive skills brought the setting and the characters—and oh what characters they are!—to life. I loved the POV rotating between the core characters so that the reader gets a better sense of who they really are. Mrs. B, the mother hen owner of The Marigold Cottages, has a heart of gold. She is the one instrumental in bringing her tenants together to solve a murder that happened, and as they worked together forming The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, friendships grew. There are twists and turns aplenty that kept me turning pages in this well-plotted whodunit. I’m hoping that this will turn into a series because I’d love to spend more time with this delightful group of friends!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The frequent POV shifts and short chapters kept this tale moving at a steady pace. The cast of characters were quirky and likable, brought different skills to the table, and genuinely cared for one another.

Their group texts discussing theories and next steps were fun, especially with Hamilton’s random facts thrown in. The center of this found family group was Ocean and Mrs. B, both taking care of each other sincerely and mothering the others in different ways. I enjoyed the sharp banter between Sophie and Nicholas and I really loved the moments when Lily-Ann and Anthony were together because they were both so blunt.

An entertaining cozy mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Mrs. B, the charming owner of Santa Barbara's Marigold Cottages, has a unique talent for collecting people as tenants. Her quirky residents include Ocean, a lesbian artist and mother of two; Lily Ann, a perfectionist workaholic estranged from her husband; Sophie, a wannabe playwright grappling with past trauma; Hamilton, an agoraphobic gamer; and new arrival Anthony, an ex-con.

When Sophie discovers a dead body, local police are quick to pin it on Anthony. But Mrs. B adamantly believes in his innocence, prompting the tenants of Marigold Cottages to form a group chat and collective to find the real killer.

This book was an absolute blast! Getting to know each of these eccentric tenants reminded me so much of Only Murders in the Building. I loved uncovering their secrets and piecing together the clues to figure out the culprit. The audiobook narrators did a fantastic job, and the engaging writing style kept me hooked from start to finish.

4.5⭐

I fell in love with this cozy mystery and the delightfully charming and quirky residents of the Marigold Cottages. The story is told through the various perspectives of the residents which I love because each is so unique and brings something necessary and needed to the collective as they work to solve the mystery and save their beloved home.

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

Book Review: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols.
Published by St. Martin’s Press. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted book in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with a murder mystery that includes a group chat, a suspicious ex-con, and a chapter written like a play script—but here we are. The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is exactly what cozy mystery lovers need: charming, a little chaotic, full of misfits, and delightfully nosy. Think Only Murders in the Building meets The Golden Girls with a dash of Agatha Christie and a generous helping of quirk.

At the center of the story is Mrs. B—Golda Bakofsky—a fiercely protective landlady with a sharp tongue, a soft heart, and a gift for collecting broken people like stray cats. She owns six Craftsman cottages in sunny Santa Barbara, which she rents out at questionably low rates based entirely on vibes. If she feels you need a place to land, you get one. If you’re normal and well-adjusted, you’re probably out of luck. Her tenants are as eclectic as a garage sale bin, and somehow, she knows just how to pick them.

There’s Sophie, the anxious playwright with an unresolved trauma and a tendency to narrate her life like a one-woman show. Hamilton, the agoraphobe who could win trivia night single-handedly but would never actually go. Ocean, a queer sculptor and single mom balancing art, parenting, and neighbor drama. Lily-Ann, a perfectionist dealing with a high-conflict divorce and an HOA-level love of order. Nicholas, a quiet man who works in city planning and is clearly hiding something. And finally, Anthony—the hulking, tattooed ex-con who is either the neighborhood’s biggest mistake or its most misunderstood new addition.

When a dead body turns up on their quiet little street, Anthony is arrested almost immediately—because of course he is. He has a record, he looks the part, and in a neighborhood full of weirdos, he’s the one everyone’s still a little afraid of. But Mrs. B isn’t buying it. In a move that’s either wildly brave or deeply unhinged (it’s Mrs. B, so both), she walks into the police station and confesses to the crime herself. The tenants, who’ve barely said more than polite hellos to each other up to this point, suddenly find themselves forming an unlikely team: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective.

What follows is part amateur sleuthing, part group therapy, and part neighborhood potluck with a side of homicide. As they dig into the mystery, they also start to dig into each other’s lives. Secrets are uncovered. Trust is built. Relationships shift. And yes—another body drops, because one murder is never enough when the real estate market is this competitive.

Jo Nichols handles this large cast with surprising finesse. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, and while that usually makes my eye twitch, here it works. The characters are distinct enough that you never forget who’s who, and the short chapters keep the story moving fast. The mix of first- and third-person narration is a bold choice (I questioned it at first) but ends up adding texture to the story—especially as Sophie’s chapters evolve into script-like scenes that blur the lines between truth and performance.

The book balances tone beautifully. It’s funny without trying too hard, emotional without dragging into melodrama, and smart without being smug. It’s also surprisingly warm-hearted for a story with two dead bodies and one ex-con with a murder charge. You come for the murder mystery, but you stay for the characters—people who are messy, a little broken, but fully committed to protecting one another. This is a story about community, about choosing your people, and about how sometimes, the weirdos make the best neighbors.

That said, not everything is perfect. Some readers may find the format jarring at first, especially with the frequent POV shifts. There’s a lot of dialogue (some of it written in text message form), and if you’re looking for a straight-laced procedural, this ain’t it. The mystery, while satisfying, takes a backseat at times to the interpersonal drama. But for me, that was part of the charm. I didn’t need it to be a taut, twisty thriller—I just needed to enjoy the ride. And I absolutely did.

One of my favorite quotes from the book: “You don’t have to be good at being a person. You just have to show up and try.”

By the end, I wasn’t just entertained—I was moved. I rooted for every single one of these strange, endearing characters. I laughed. I got a little teary. I wanted to move into one of the cottages myself, preferably next to Ocean and her kids, with Mrs. B showing up unannounced to bring me slightly stale biscotti and unsolicited life advice.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Funny, heartfelt, cleverly written, and quietly profound. If this becomes a series, I’ll be first in line for the next case.

Found family, check. Corky characters, check. Cozy mystery, check. Overbearing older landlord, check. I mean come on, this novel had it all and I adored it. The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is about a group of 5 very different neighbors (plus their adorable but pushy landlord Mrs. B) who come together to solve a murder in their small community. Mrs. B owns all 6 bungalows and only rents to people she feels like are in need in some way or another. She's a fixer even if it doesn't always come off right. We get narration from the majority of the characters as they work together to solve this who-dunnit while also taking their surface level acquaintance vibes to becoming true neighbors and friends. This cozy takes place in Santa Barbara and feels like a character as well.Your heart will love them as you speed through these short chapters. It was such a nice read after a few duds, highly recommend! Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review, pub day is August 19th!

This one wasn’t quite for me—but I can absolutely see how it would appeal to fans of traditional cozy mysteries. The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective offers all the classic elements: a quiet residential square, a colorful cast of neighbors, and a quirky older landlord who seems to know more than she lets on. If you enjoyed 10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte, you might enjoy this too—it has a very similar vibe and setup.

Personally, I think I’ve just drifted away from this particular style. I found it hard to connect with the characters, who felt more like types than individuals, and the repeated emphasis on their defining traits wore on me over time. There’s also a portion of the book written in script format, which, while creative, pulled me out of the story more than it pulled me in.

That said, I appreciate what the author was trying to do—there’s a charm and intention behind the structure that cozy mystery lovers might really enjoy. If you’re looking for a light, character-driven whodunit with some theatrical flair, this could be worth checking out.

Loved this “who did it” little neighborhood mystery. I could see this book becoming a movie! The characters were so vibrantly described and each had their own storyline. The story kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the perspective changing with each chapter. Some chapters seemed a bit too long/dragged out, but overall the details seemed necessary and appropriate!

Hilarious, incissive, colourful, wholesome and delightful. A perfect palate cleanser in between longer or heavier reads.

We get everything here we love cozy mysteries for:

* a vivid cast of weirdos who create tons of situational and interpersonal humour, but also enable social commentary about how we view certain people and how stereotypes can be misleading;
* a wholesome found family that maybe doesn't always get along, but when it matters, it's one for all, all for one;
* lots of foodie scenes;
* heavier topics like murder, divorce, grief, stalking, prison, mental health issues etc. treated with grace so nothing is feeling gratuitous - the murder is discussed and the corpse is found, but nothing gruesome happens on page
* plot twists and red herrings galore - I've gotten caught by a few; I did not predict the real turn of events!

...and a bit of a meta-narrative where one of the pov characters narrates in first person as opposed to the rest being in 3rd person, and the 1st person narrator is writing a story based on what's happening... are we reading the real story, or the fictionalized version created by this character?

The biggest accomplishment is this book made me laugh out loud, multiple times, to the point I was worried I'll wake up my husband while reading at night. I have a fraught history with "humorous", "comedic" or "satirical" books, usually they make me facepalm and cringe, or at best I'm totally bored and don't understand what's supposed to be funny. Not here! The humour captures the zeitgeist without relying on memes that will be outdated in a few months, unlike some others books I've read.

The second biggest accomplishment is that while I usually struggle with remembering who's who in multi-pov ensemble cast works, here the characters were so unique it was easy to remember them, and even their narration reflects their personality, which is a golden standard not every author meets. A logical perfectionist narrates differently than an impulsive artsy type, and so forth.

Finally, everything adds up in this mystery in its own way. The coincidences seem believable (for example that in a small community different people would accidentally run into each other in a local restaurant) and the big reveal doesn't rely on a coincidence, villain monologue or "accidentally stumbled upon" (except the things like discovering the corpse). This is a common weakness of mystery plots where solutions are served to the characters rather than characters working on the solution. Not here!

Overall this was a fast-paced read (short chapters, lots of dialogue and sms / chat messages made me breeze through the pages) with extremely lovable characters who were quirky but not in an insulting way, humour that made me laugh and wasn't forced and heartwarming story of found family and finding confidence to be yourself in the world that judges you based on looks and stereotypes. The murder mystery was just a cherry on top, and the narrative even pokes fun at itself at some point asking what's more important, solving the mystery, or what happens to all the weirdos?

The ending was extremely satisfactory and uplifting, and this book will go to my Netgalley's best of the year list.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press & Minotaur Books for the ARC!

I love cozy mysteries and was hoping to find a potential new series to dive into.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The premise was promising, an apartment community coming together to solve a murder-fun! It just didn't work for me. I didn't mind the different points of view, switching first and third person, or how many characters there were. What initially turned me off was the way the detective described each character "the pretty little Chinese girl", "the big woman", "lesbian. Pity". It turned me off. I also didn't like how he ignored process's and procedure. Once the author began incorporating violence against women, I lost interest.
Sadly, this was a miss for me.

This was a fun cozy murder mystery debut with a wide range of characters! I really enjoyed all of the characters and their quirks. They ended up mixing together so well!

There were parts of this that were slower and I didn't love the play portion of it, but I didn't full guess the ending! Highly recommend if you're looking for an easy cozy read!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advance copies!

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective was an absolute delight! The perfect cozy mystery with loads of charm, heart, and suspense! The characters are super eccentric and lovable. The mystery itself had some awesome twists and the journey to the final reveal was fantastic!

Mrs. B is the landlady of The Marigold Cottages, a community of bungalows in Santa Barbara, and she only rents to people she cares about. The tenants include Sophie, a play writer struggling to overcome a traumatic past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe eager to develop friendships; Ocean, a sculptor raising her kids alone; Lily-Ann, a soon to be divorcée and perfectionist trying to embrace herself; and Nicholas, a finance bro who has his own secrets. Unexpectedly, Anthony, an ex-con, moves in. A few weeks later, a murder happens in the neighborhood and Anthony is subsequently arrested. Mrs. B is convinced that he's innocent, so she confesses to the crime. The tenants come together and develop The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective to help their landlady. As they go about uncovering the mystery, a multitude of clues are discovered, secrets emerge, and their community grows closer together throughout the ordeal. Then, a second body is found and things get chaotic.

What an entertaining, fun read full of quirkiness, coziness, and community. There are lots of unexpected moments throughout, both in the actual mystery itself and in the interactions between the characters. The ending is excellently done and is so surprising! There are several humorous moments between the characters that are great as well! The found family theme and community are both so heartwarming. The setting is wonderful and the overall plot is developed very well! Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

This was such a charming cozy mystery, and I really enjoyed it. The multiple points of view really drove the storytelling and kept me engaged throughout. I loved the uplifting themes of found family and community as well as the core mystery that delivered some nice twists. The characters were easy to connect with, and this was a very satisfying read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A solid debut! I enjoyed reading this and breezed through it, but found myself wondering what makes the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective unique. The Thursday Murder Club has expertise, Only Murders in the Building has comedy, this felt like it was still figuring out its niche.

The ending wrapped things up tidily, which I appreciated (even if I felt a tiny bit conflicted). None of the characters really jumped out as a favorite, except maybe Anthony, who doesn't have his own POV chapters. If this becomes a series, I’d keep reading, especially if the next installment sharpens the collective’s identity a bit more.

Loved this book! Landlady Mrs. B has collected a group of misfits in her charming Santa Barbara cottages. When a murder occurs on the property, suspicion immediately falls on Anthony, who was formerly incarcerated. Mrs. B is determined to clear his name and enlists the help of the other residents to clear his name.

In the course of solving the crime, we learn more about the complicated histories of the residents and what brought them to the Marigold Cottages. The characters are drawn with depth and humor. A wonderful cozy mystery!

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