I am hoping that this book is the first in a series, because the characters and the setting are absolutely perfect. This cozy mystery is set in beautiful Santa Barbara, California in a tiny compound of cottages which are owned by the eccentric Mrs. B. She only rents to people she thinks she can help, and who she likes. They all get along, but when Mrs. B rents to Anthony, who seems a little sketchy and who might have a criminal background, the residents of Marigold Cottages are not so sure about him and worry about their safety. A murder occurs nearby, and police immediately focus on Anthony. But is that fair? Is he being profiled? Together, this rag-tag group of very different individuals band together to clear Anthony's name. A great title that I look forward to recommending.

If you like cozy murders this one is for you. It is filled with quirky characters, all have background stories and specific POVs, that will be revealed as the story progresses, that further the story line. It's an odd mix of people, but in the end they all work together to solve the mystery. Even though it sounds like it is set in England, it actually is set in California, in what could be called a tiny house community. The story is cleverly crafted and keeps you guessing until the end. It is a delightful summer read.

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

This is everything I want in a cozy. Highly recommend for anyone who is a fan of the genre or looking to try the genre. This is a good time all around. I look forward to more from this author!

Really fun and cozy read! Loved the quirky characters and the found-family feel. The mystery was light but clever, and the different POVs made it feel fresh.

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective introduces readers to a charming yet slightly chaotic community of renters living under the watchful eye of landlady Mrs. B. The story kicks off with a murder right outside one of the cottages, shaking the peaceful illusion of the neighborhood. What follows is a mix of suspicion, small-town bias, and unlikely alliances.

The standout feature of the book is its eclectic cast—the "collective" of tenants is endearing in its messiness, each character bringing a unique voice to the investigation. When Anthony, a new tenant fresh out of prison and marked by tattoos, becomes the police’s prime suspect, the story takes a clear stance on prejudice and second chances. This gives the mystery a social undercurrent that adds depth beyond the whodunit.

However, the book’s structure is a major stumbling block. The format jumps between one character in first-person and the rest in third-person, and some parts are even written like a play. This made the reading experience feel disjointed and at times confusing. It pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in. Nichols' editor should have helped smooth this issue to make it easier for readers. Despite all of this, I did love the cast of characters. They are a great example of found family and all grew on me through the story. I will also look for future releases from Nichols.

I could have done without the ACAB element because I would rather read a fictional books without social unrest referenced but that is just my personal opinion.

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.

LOVED this book. This was the perfect kind of "cozy" mystery. I loved all the different POVs, secrets and trying to solve the murder along with the characters. A GREAT book!

I absolutely loved this book! It had all the elements that I enjoy in a cozy murder mystery - quirky, well-developed characters who come together to try and solve a murder that takes place outside their little neighborhood of cottages. Mrs. B is the owner of these cottages and only rents to those that she feels she can help. Each of the six tenants have their own back stories which we learn about as the story progresses. When a body is discovered outside of the cottages one morning by one of the tenants, everyone, except Mrs B, suspects the new tenant who had just moved in and had served some time in prison. As the tenants come together to try and solve the murder as well as who the murderer is, the author leads the reader on a humorous and witty journey with a few twists thrown in (and a second murder!). I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful and captivating story from the very first page till the end!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars - A lovely & quirky cozy mystery! "The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective" is set in Santa Barbara around a group of seaside bungalows with a sweet lady lady (Mrs. B) and her tenants who are a slightly motley crew that she's collected. But when murder comes their way they all pull together to solve the mystery & the best "Found Family" trope emerges. And it's told in several POV's and just has such a warm, almost "English Village" type feel to it (IYKYK). Really enjoyed it - gave me lots of "feels". My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for my advance reader's copy - a pleasure to read & review it!

This was a perfect found family style read and a cost mystery all in one. I feel like you can liken it to a warm hug that you didn’t know you needed until you got it. This book had likable characters and a good plot.

Easy to say I loved this book! Each chapter is a character telling the story moving the murder mystery along. Every character has their own eccentricities, but they blend together well. All have been living within the same complex, but living their own lives until a man is murdered and left in the hedges, which brings them all together to help the landlady Mrs B. Along the way they all have secrets that come out and how they effect the solution to the mystery was clever.y constructed by the author. Fast paced, well written and enjoyable characters and settings. I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for a review.

While cozy mysteries aren't typically my go-to genre, there are a few that have pleasantly surprised me, and The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is one of them.

A Unique Cast of Characters
Set against the charming backdrop of Santa Barbara, this novel introduces us to an eclectic group of residents living in a cluster of cottages near the ocean. The heart of the community is Ms. Golda Bakofsy, the endearing landlady who considers her tenants to be like family. Each character adds a unique flavor to the story:

*Hamilton: An agoraphobic who avoids situations that might induce panic.
*Sophie: A hopeful playwright with dreams of making it big.
*Nicholas: The quiet and secretive tenant whose past is shrouded in mystery.
*Ocean: An artist with a vivid imagination and a keen eye for detail.
*Lily-Ann: Currently navigating the emotional turmoil of a divorce.
*Anthony: The newest member of the group, struggling to fit in.

A Gripping Mystery
The tranquility of the cottages is shattered when a body is discovered in the courtyard, and suspicion immediately falls on Anthony, who is quickly arrested. Ms. Bakofsy, with her unwavering belief in Anthony’s innocence, decides to take matters into her own hands. Despite their doubts, the other tenants rally around their beloved landlady, determined to uncover the truth and clear Anthony’s name.

My Thoughts
The author excels at crafting vivid descriptions and dialogue that make it easy to visualize the characters and their picturesque setting. Also, the dynamic interactions among the tenants add depth and humor to the narrative, keeping me engaged throughout.

I'll certainly keep an eye out for more works by this talented author.

In conclusion, while I don’t frequently reach for cozy mysteries, books like this one remind me of the surprises that await when I do.

A nice fun cozy mystery for a hot Summer day. I enjoyed the feel of this book, not too serious and not to predictable. It was paced nicely and easy to follow along.

All the renters at these bungalows have nothing in common except for their landlord, Mrs. b. When a murder happens in their neighborhood they all work together to solve it. I really liked the mix of unique characters, each one was well developed. This is for people who love cozy mysteries and I really enjoyed it, especially the twists.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for a review. I fully expected this to be a simple, cheesy, cozy murder mystery, but I am surprised at how much I loved it! It has all the elements of a cozy mystery but the story is woven very creatively and all of the characters are likeable in their own way. It was just the right amount of witty, fun, and cozy. I didn’t guess the ending and even in the last chapter I was still asking myself “ok but who did it?!”

I give this one 4.5⭐️ and will definitely be looking for other work from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols.

I was interested in the novel's premise and the comparison to the Thursday Murder Club series, though, in this novel, only one character is at the age of the leads in Richard Osman's series. I can't say if the comparison to Only Murders in the Building is correct as I only watched one episode, but there is at least a closer mix of older and younger characters, so that may be a closer comparison.

What I liked:
I thought the murder mystery itself was interesting - the characters awaken to find a dead body on the outskirts of the property at a time when the area is just being re-zoned for more residential housing (which is an interesting direction to take in today's housing market). A new tenant in their cottages has a criminal record and the suspicion immediately falls upon him, but the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is intent upon seeing him freed and the true murderer caught with the combined intentions of herself and her other tenants.

The collected ensemble of residents in the cottages to be a fun mishmash of personalities and life experiences. Hamilton was the true star for me, but I enjoyed Mrs. B's meddling and Ocean's herding, and Lily-Ann's organizing. It was cute to have the neighbors rally around their landlady who has given each of them some sort of assistance over time that they want to repay for her.

The book reminding me very, very, very loosely of Dead Money by Jakob Kerr. It feels like the mystery genre might be returning to an era of unreliable narrators. With every tenant and the detective having their own POV chapters, there is a lot of room for red herrings and misdirection.

What I didn't like:

I don't expect massive introspection and depth from a cozy mystery, but the characters of Anthony and the detective felt especially two-dimensional and cardboard. Anthony is an ex-con with a heart of gold, which is great, but I feel like the author made him feel like he was only included in attempts to solve the mystery as hints he should actually be attacking or harming the people they interviewed or investigated because he's an ex-con. It felt incredibly horrible to see the author try and make him feel included in found family, but also as if he is the hammer of the family and that is why he is welcome. It almost felt like "Oh, Anthony is a criminal and he's too stupid to realize when we invited him to lunch we just meant lunch, bless his heart, get him some milk, silly that other man got his arm broken." It's also one thing for a cozy series to have a bumbling detective who misses clues or is distracted by the actions of the characters -- it's another to make a detective who straight up doesn't care about due process, search and seizure rules, detaining people, etc. He was a paper thin super villain that any lawyer could get dismissed easily if this had gone to court and his incompetence and vitriol just felt overly aggressive and unnecessary for a cozy themed book.

I also hated literally everything about Sophie and her backstory and how it impacted the present story. When I read a cozy mystery I would love if violence against women weren't both a central and extraneous plot point like we were exposed to in the 2000s where every criminal show was about raping and murdering some woman somewhere. To have entire chapters about Sophie being aggressively stalked, with multiple other victims, no type of police intervention, and with no resolution outside of random violence that solved nothing was unnecessary and a reminder of how unsafe the world is for women just existing. To then have Sophie be so damaged from this, but also so self-destructive without any intervention from her super caring neighbors or Mrs. B, who could just call her parents for her, is wild in the overall found-family-vibe of the murder collective. This was not a cozy storyline and the way it overall plays into the ending of the story is awful, unnecessary, and really negatively affected my reading experience. I had similar thoughts about Drop Dead Sisters, which was released last year -- sexual assault/sexual violence don't really play in the cozy genre. It very much goes over the line on what constitutes cozy, and instead veers into truly dangerous territory that should have real consequences, not a light touch. Also, having everyone's chapters be their actions/stream of thought and having hers be written in the form of a play was distracting.

Loved this! I can see the comparisons to The Thursday Murder Club - one of my favorite mystery series - and it works wonderfully. The characters are fleshed out and the slight humor works. I enjoyed it so much …no notes.

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is a very nice little cozy mystery. Mrs. B runs the Marigold Cottages and seemingly collects people that she likes and wants to help. A murder brings up a whole slew of suspects and a sinister background plot in the wings as the story keeps you guessing until the end. The cast of characters is very diverse and I loved each of them as they made the story. The ending adds a little twists that makes me want to read more of these characters in the future. I really enjoyed this one. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Rating: 4.75/5 stars (rounded up)

This was SUCH a fun read and was exactly what I was looking for!

Following a group of eccentric characters living in a group of six cottages, a murder rocks the group. Though they usually keep to themselves for the most part, Mrs. B, the cottage landlady, is adamant that the ex-con she recently took on as a new renter (and who is accused of the murder) is innocent. Because Mrs. B is important to each of the cottage renters for different reasons, they decide to come together for her sake to help, even more so when Mrs. B decides to confess to the murder herself to get the police off Anthony's back (the ex-con). Whether or not they actually solve the murder, they're determined to keep this spunky old lady out of the slammer.

With lots of twists, turns, complicated relationships, and, most of all, HUMOR, this book has it all! Again, it's a fun read and I actually laughed out loud while reading it! I really enjoyed the banter, the different characters' quirks, habits, histories, and secrets, and the different winding roads the story takes/details that are revealed as this odd group tries to solve the murder. For being a light and fun mystery, there is excellent character development throughout the story. I found myself not only invested in the murder plot itself but in the characters, too- by the end, I truly cared about them.

The short chapters and quick pacing of the story itself made this a quick read, and I always wanted to keep reading! It has a lot of points of view, switching each chapter, which I normally would struggle with. However, they are easy to follow in this story! The author does a great job of making each perspective distinct, and it was fun to get an inside look into the thoughts and personalities of the different characters. Needless to say, I was impressed by the various perspectives.

The ending was INCREDIBLE! Throughout the whole book, I was 'lost' in the sense that I truly never felt like I had everything figured out, which made it even more fun to read! Plus, I came away with great themes/messages about family, love, coming together, and what we do for the people we love.

This was almost a perfect five star for me, but I found myself getting a bit frustrated/tired at Sophie's vulnerability being brought up so often and in often overstated/signposted ways.

Overall, a great read that I would recommend to anyone!

*Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one…
Found family, good vibes, leaves you guessing…lots of Characters to love

Mrs. B rents out her rent controlled cottages to a collection of quirky characters, those of whom she has appointed herself their nosy grandmother. When a body shows up outside of one of the cottages and a resident arrested, Mrs. B takes it upon herself to be the savior of the day and admits to the crime. In order to keep grandma from facing jail time, the remaining residents must band together to solve the murder. Forming lasting bonds through community along the way.


I loved loved loved this book. Mrs B is the old lady we all aspire to be. The characters were all so different with unique quirks. I actually found the residents to be more interesting than the murder, which is rare for me when reading these kinds of books. The way that the author was able to use the fact that one of the residents was an aspiring play write to write part of the book in the format of a script was genius...especially when it came to the ending, but I won’t spoil. If I had to describe this book with one word, it would be fun! The characters and experience were all just fun. I would recommend this to anyone looking to have a good time.