Nova Davies loves her job at the St. Tredock community center, including the sparsely attended book club she runs. When ten thousand pounds is stolen from the center, the motley little crew of misfit book club members pull together to solve the mystery of the missing money and save both Nova’s job and the future of the community center.

I was completely charmed by this cozy mystery and its cast of quirky characters. Cranky Agatha Christie-crazed Phyllis (and her slobbering bulldog Craddock), an endearing elderly man named Arthur, and sci-fi fan Ash turn amateur sleuths, pulling a reluctant Nova into the chaos of their investigation. They’re constantly going in the wrong direction, guided (or misguided!) by Phyllis’s elaborate Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot inspired theories. This funny, heartfelt read where unlikely friends become found family is perfect for fans of Thursday Murder Club and Only Murders in the Building.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Spice Level: No sex on the page

THE BUSYBODY BOOK CLUB is a fun ride with lots of Agatha references.

I did not know where this mystery was going to go! There were characters I really disliked from the beginning (because that's what the author wanted the reader to feel), and others were quirky, and the main female character, Nova, captured my sympathy.

I think this might have been a second book . . . there are references to the past and why Nova is in this sleepy town getting over a past trauma. Nevertheless, it's easy to catch on.

There were side mysteries that I only caught on to shortly before the revelation. Was I not paying close attention to those details? That is possible. But I liked how the stories dovetailed into each other.

One of my favorite aspects were all the references to Agatha Christie.

I think cozy mystery readers will love this book.

Happy reading!

4.0

“The Busybody Book Club” was similar to Freya Sampson’s last book, “Nosy Neighbors” with a host of characters in what book club member Arthur might call a “found family” trope (maybe it should even be its own genre). That’s what I call books like Clare Pooley’s (if you haven’t read ‘Iona Iverson’, get on it!), some of Mike Gayle’s recent books, and others where a cross section of people—usually who are alone or feel that way—become their own kind of family.

There were several points in this book when I wished it would get through awkward parts, especially when when Phyllis and Nova (and, to a lesser extent, the others) were making fools of themelves. Phyllis went a bt too far with her ‘Marplisms’. My biggest complaint would be that I can’t picture this cottage in the cliffs! It’s the second book I’ve read with a similarly described structure and their really aren’t images online that help me fully envision this. The publisher should consider illustrations for readers’ sanity.

Overall, this as a good story, a little lighter than "Nosy Neighbors". It had mystery, a little romance, and generally would have appealed to the Busybody Book Club themselves. I wish I could recall more about "The Lost Ticket", but I remember really liking it and it was the reason I requested these two recent books.

Thank you to Freya Sampson, NetGalley, and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

#TheBusyBodyBookClub #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #foundfamily #caper #mystery #BerkeleyPublishing #FreyaSampson #Cornwall #community

Freya Sampson delivers that rare literary alchemy where the mystery itself becomes secondary to the absolute joy of watching bookworms attempt to solve it. This cozy mystery sparkles with humor as characters deploy their favorite fictional detective techniques on a very real disappearance—creating moments so genuinely funny I found myself laughing aloud in public places.

The St. Tredock Book Club assembles the most delightfully mismatched quintet of amateur sleuths you'll encounter. From Phyllis, the Agatha Christie devotee who views every situation through a Miss Marple lens, to teenage sci-fi enthusiast Ash convinced of supernatural explanations, these characters clash spectacularly over everything from literary tastes to investigative approaches. Yet somehow, their contradictory perspectives create a collective intelligence greater than its parts—especially when tracking their missing member and solving the mystery of the stolen community center funds.

The verbal sparring during their book discussions transported me directly into those cramped meeting rooms, where the scent of questionable biscuits mingles with passionate literary debates. I couldn't help nodding along whenever they referenced books I've loved, creating this wonderful sense of being an honorary member of their chaotic circle.

And then there's Craddock the English Bulldog, whose rumbling presence provides both comic relief and unexpected emotional weight. This slobbery sidekick somehow steals scenes without saying a word, proving the perfect foil for the humans' increasingly elaborate theories.

What makes this mystery special is how Sampson weaves friendship formation, amateur detective work, and personal growth into something far richer than a simple whodunit. These unlikely companions find connection through their investigation, reminding us that sometimes the best stories are the ones we create together—preferably with a good dog snoring nearby.

Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for the free copy for review.

The Busybody Book Club is a quaint and happy book. Full of mystery and intrigue, it is the story of a hodgepodge group of book club members with eclectic personalities who meet at the community center to talk about books. One night there is a robbery and the money that has been raised for the roof repairs goes missing. With their own “Miss Marple” in the group, they try to track down their prime suspect who has gone missing, and in the process stumble across a dead body.

This book is a story of stories. Told from the points of view of the different book club members, each one comes with their own side story. These stories will melt your heart as you see bonds forged and the emergence of found family. Together will they be able to crack the case in time to save the community center?

This was such a fun, sweet and cozy mystery. It was a fast, easy read and a great palate cleanser. Full of wit and charm, this book will have the reader laughing and cheering on this crazy cast of characters.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC of this book. It was such a refreshing delight.

Very aptly named! In this cozy mystery, Nova has recently moved to Cornwall with her fiancée and works at a local community center where she has many miscellaneous tasks. One of these includes running a monthly book club which is made up of a quirky and small motley crew. She seems to be extra forgetful as of late, which causes a large amount of money to go missing and puts the community center at risk. The book club members take it upon themselves to solve the case of the missing money and get pulled into something much more serious.

Overall this was a super quick read and I blew through it. It jumps right into the mystery and takes us along for the ride. I enjoyed all the random books mentioned throughout, although I got tired of the constant Agatha Christie mentions (but that's a me problem because I’m not a fan). The majority of characters were entertaining to read although I don’t think I’d be friends with any of them in real life since they’d stress me out 🤭

While it wasn’t the most realistic story especially with how it ended, I’m glad to have picked it up for the fun and short read that it was. A sweet little palette cleanser and I will definitely pick up more of the author’s books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a digital advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

This cozy mystery has a cast of quirky characters. In “The Busybody Book Club”, five unlikely, mismatched members of a dysfunctional book club find themselves caught up in a real-life mystery when one of their own members disappears, and a dead body is found at his home. Nova Davies, who is new in town and determined to revive the struggling community center, is quickly pulled into the drama. With missing money, buried secrets, and plenty of suspicion, the group must channel their inner Sherlock Holmes to uncover what really happened to Michael before their tight-knit community and their friendships fall apart. It’s uplifting tale of unlikely friendships, who come together to solve a crime. If you enjoy cozy murder mysteries, pick this one up for a quick, lighthearted read with some laugh out loud moments. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Nova has recently moved from London to a small town in England, is engaged To her fiancé, and working in a community center where she is leading a book club. During one of their meetings a significant amount of money has been stolen from the office and everyone is blaming Nova. What’s weird is that she's also been doing some very flaky things like deleting meetings and losing keys - none of it makes sense. When the main suspected thief goes missing, Nova and her group become amatuer sleuths in order to clear her name. But while digging into the mystery they have angered a few people, including Nova's fiance. Can they figure it out in time for Nova to get married and save the community center?

I loved the last book I read by this author (Nosy Neighbors) so I was thrilled when I got this one. It's a very cute cozy mystery with multi-generational friendships, some hijinks, and a of course there is a dog. I did figure this one out before the revelation, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of reading the story. I listened to a bit of the audiobook while walking to a Dr's appointment and it kept me distracted (since I hate going to the Dr). I always love a good British accent in a narration. I felt this was a bit like the Expectant Detectives Series (young woman from London who moves to small town England and solves a crime) but also had the young/old friends in a community center element from How to Age Disgracefully. It was a nice, light, cozy read.

Thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for this arc.

Mark this one down as a cozy and get prepared to wait a while before all the mysteries are solved. Each person has something in their life or background that impacts how they view and present to the world. While it’s clear that backgrounds must be explained in order to understand a lot of these things, oblique clues give few hints over the course of the book.

There are lots of convoluted goings-on with plenty of action that seems straight out of a movie or British murder/mystery TV show rather than being realistic. I rolled my eyes a lot. A few of the characters are difficult to like as well, especially Phyllis. She gives Boomers a bad name. Arthur is a love who developed his enjoyment of romance novels and their tropes from reading to his disabled British Ghanaian wife. Of course teen Ash, whose blooming gay romance is sweet to watch, is the SF fan. Quirkily dressing and possibly ditsy Nova is still grieving for her dad, feeling displaced in a new town, and needs to grow a bit of a backbone.

Tropes from their favorite reading material help the club members suss out motives behind all the various mysteries in the book and each character gets their moment to shine as they discover things about themselves and reveal what makes them tick. As the book moves towards the end though, I still hadn’t solved who had done most of the things. I realized why when that person’s identity was revealed and I saw how few clues had been dropped. But what about the other mystery? Yeah, same thing. Makes sense but … How quickly the cornered characters give up all pretense and almost immediately confess all is something straight out of a cozy TV mystery show. I’m sure RL police would love for it to be this easy.

The found family here is delightful. I enjoyed the glimpses of Cornwall as well as the literary references. The facts and truths behind the mysteries make sense but I would have liked to have had more of a chance to play along at home rather than be presented with what was, to me, an out of the blue resolution. And many of the characters needed a bit more depth. C+

An enjoyable, bookish cozy mystery. The busy body book club members fancy themselves amateur sleuths. They are an eclectic mix of characters which was fun and so were the book references. I did not like Nova's fiance Craig at all! The mystery was enjoyable but no major twists. An easy read.

This is my fourth book by Freya Sampson and I really enjoyed it. I absolutely love the eclectic found family aspect of the book. The characters were so interesting and well written. I also love books centered around book clubs, bookstores, and libraries, so this one totally fits the bill.

Synopsis: The five members of the St. Tredock Book Club disagree on everything, from the books they read to the biscuits they eat. But when one of the group suddenly disappears and a dead body is discovered at his house, these bibliophiles must put their differences aside to solve the mystery.

Having recently moved to Cornwall, Nova Davies started the book club to impress her new colleagues at the community center, but so far it’s a disaster. To make matters worse, six thousand pounds is stolen from the community center during one of her meetings, putting both her job and the whole center at risk.

Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when a dead body is discovered at his house and Michael disappears. The police think he’s simply run away, but the other members have their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove he’s a murderer as well as a thief, while secret romance reader Arthur believes Michael’s eloped with his mistress, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark forces are at play.

While trying to find Michael and recover the money, each book club member has their own secrets to protect. With inspiration from their favorite fictional sleuths, they won’t rest until they’ve cracked the case and everyone is safe at home where they belong.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for the advanced digital copy of the book. It will be published on May 27, 2025.

I loved this book. Set in Cornwall, former Londoner Nova works at the Community Center as, what we’d call stateside, a social worker. As the book opens, Nova is running the book club at the Community Center, agonizing that no one will show up. Luckily a few people straggle in, led by the bossy Phyllis who is so entirely bossy that she’s allowed to bring her smelly dog with her wherever she goes. She’s joined by the affable, older Art, who reads romances because his now blind wife loves them and he reads them to her; a painfully shy teen, Ash; and a man named Michael who seems to have come from afar to join the club but who seems to have read little of the book they’re discussing.

The discussion is going well when Michael gets a text and charges out, leaving awkwardness in his wake, and the club breaks up shortly afterwards. It’s the next morning when things begin to go badly wrong. When Nova arrives at work, she finds that the roof fund, which was kept in a tin in her office, has disappeared, and it appears she’d forgotten to lock her office door. Since the book club was the last group in the building, suspicion falls on Michael. Further investigation reveals that Michael has vanished, and not only that, his elderly mother has died after a fall down the stairs.

While this takes the heat of the theft off Nova, there’s still the overriding problem: the Community Center may be forced to close as unsafe without the needed roof repairs. Nova is getting it from all sides. She’s about to be married, and she and her fiancée are living with his parents while they look for a house. Her fiancée’s mother, Pamela, is a controlling person who wants nothing more than a big church wedding, where Nova had wanted a registry office affair and a drink in the pub with friends after. Because her fiancée wants to please his mother, the big white dress, wedding favors, flowers, photos and everything else wedding is headed like a freight train toward the reluctant Nova.

Meanwhile, she can’t seem to put a foot right at work, and the book club, headed up by Phyllis (who has a bit of a Miss Marple obsession) has decided to investigate the theft, Michael’s disappearance, and the possible non accidental death of Michael’s mother. As Nova gets drawn into the investigation, her boss finds this to be another black mark against her. Moreover, her fiancée isn’t too thrilled. He thinks she should quit her dream job and stay home where he can take care of her (reader, you may reach a conclusion about the fiancée sooner than Nova does).

This tale is told in a charming, light touch manner that still manages to create fully dimensional characters, all of whom you’ll come to be fond of, even bossy Phyllis. There’s some real emotional heft at the heart of the book but the mystery part of it is also excellent with a great show down as the final scene. I could not have enjoyed this book more.

3.5 Stars

I loved The Lost Ticket by this author and jumped at the chance to read this, her newest, from NetGalley. While The Lost Ticket remains my favourite, this one did not disappoint. Who wouldn’t like to read a book about a book club!? Count me in!

I am not one for cozy mysteries, but because of my positive experience reading this author before, I wanted to give it a chance. What made this a winner for me is the characters. We have curmudgeon old women, teens, and everything in between. There are five members of the club. When one of them goes missing, and they find a dead person at his house, the rest of the group decides to investigate.

This was charming and heartwarming in equal measure. It was the perfect escape with quirky characters, lots of humour and a wonderful sense of community. The story was engaging, and it left me with all the feels. I loved the witty dialogue, and even though the characters are unique, they were also very relatable. The couple of niggles I do have is the predictable main plotline, and even some of the subplots could have been explored with a bit more depth. Even though I noticed these small points, The Busybody Book Club was a fun read that brought me joy.

What a fun and cozy story set in a small town, featuring a delightful group of book club members trying to solve a mystery!

We have the following book club members:

Nova Davies - Nova is new to town and works at the community center hosting the book club. She's getting married in 10 days and the stress of the missing/stolen money is getting to her.

Phyllis Hudson - the real busybody of this book club. Phyllis (who's in her 70s) and her sidekick Craddock (her dog) is obsessed with all things Agatha Christie (with a particular obsession with Miss Marple), has an overactive imagination, and fancies herself a detective. She is convinced, and even managed to convince everyone else, that Michael is a thief and a murderer.

Arthur Robinson - the sweetest 81 year old ever. Arthur is a retired farmer who loves reading romance novels aloud to his sick wife, Esi.

Ash Chalabi - the youngest member of the group. Ash is a shy and quiet teenager who loves Star Wars and science fiction.

Michael Watkins - a mysterious and miserable looking man in his 60s. Michael suddenly storms out of their book club meeting the same night that the community center fundraised money goes missing. Naturally, he's a prime suspect.

While there is a mystery element to this story, this was more of a character-focused story. Every single member of this book club is going through something and the more time they spend together, the more they learn about each other and form the unlikeliest and sweetest friendships. It's wonderful to see people with such different interests, taste in books, and of different generations come together and discuss their thoughts and opinions in a safe environment.

Seeing as this features a group of fairly well-read book club members, you can expect a lot of book references, particularly references to many of Agatha Christie's books (in which I've only read one...), Bridgerton (in which I've only watched the show), Much Ado About Nothing (which I am unfamiliar with... so there were definitely spoilers), and Star Wars (in which I still haven't watched The Rise of Skywalker/Episode IX and had managed to avoid spoilers up until I read this book.... 😭).

Anyways, here's the full list of books/movies mentioned in this book (this book also includes some spoilers for some of the following):
- Where the Crawdads Sing (some spoilers)
- Murder at the Vicarage
- The Viscount Who Loved Me (some spoilers)
- Grease
- At Bertram's Hotel
- Frozen
- Return of the Jedi /Episode VI
- Much Ado About Nothing (some spoilers)
- They Do It With Mirrors
- After the Funeral
- Murder is Easy
- The Force Awakens /Episode VII
- The Last Jedi /Episode VIII
- The Rise of Skywalker /IX (major spoilers)
- The Empire Strikes Back /Episode V
- Ordeal by Innocence
- A Murder is Announced
- A Caribbean Mystery
- And Then There Were None
- The Moving Finger
- Devil in Winter
- Pride and Prejudice
- On the Way to the Wedding
- The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Pilgram's Progress
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Wuthering Heights
- Anna Karenina
- The Big Sleep
- Columbo
- The Left Hand of Darkness
- The Mousetrap

The following authors were also mentioned: Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Josephine Tey.

This book was just another example of why Freya Sampson has become an auto-read author for me - I loved it!

While I liked Nova as an MC and felt for her and all she’d been through, I was sometimes wishing she’d stick up for herself more. However, I did like seeing her growth over the course of the story. The side characters added so much to the plot, and I loved how we got POVs from each of them throughout the book. This little found-family had me both laughing and getting emotional, and the bond they all formed was very sweet.

I always enjoy a cozy mystery, and add a *potential* murder into the mix and it makes things even more interesting. There were so many twists and turns here that I was always on my toes, and constantly changing my theory as to what was going on. Even with all of the different story threads, it never felt like there was too much going on. The way everything came together in the end was satisfying, and the epilogue was just the cherry on top.

The Busybody Book Club can't seem to agree on much, and when one of their members runs out of a meeting and goes missing, they wonder what is going on. Later they find out that money has been stolen from their meeting place, and one of the members mother's has been killed. While another member of the book club, Nova, is trying to clear her name about the stolen money, other events begin to happen to discredit her. This ragtag book club bans together to solve all of these mysteries, and it was a good time! I enjoyed all of the characters! This was humorous, heart-warming, and mysterious. I will definitely read this author again!

3.5

This is a fun cozy mystery filled with colorful characters set in a small British town in Cornwall. This was an easy read. It wasn't riveting per se, it held my attention well and the sense of enjoyment I got while reading Phyllis, Arthur, Ash, and Nova's (mis) adventures kept me reading. The side stories helped a lot with the pace and egged my curiosity on.

Phyllis, relating everything to an Agatha Christie mystery. Her dog Caddock is a wonderful addition to the cast.
Arthur, and his dedication to his blind wife's love for romance was very endearing.
Ash, the teenager who oddly found his place amongst the book club's older members.
Nova, the hot mess who is set to get married in 9 days but the issue with her job kept her from being the dutiful bride her future in-laws and husband expects her to be.

I'm inclined to read more of Freya Sampson after this. I do enjoy light and heartwarming books once in a while. They make for great palate cleansers in between binging fantasy and murder mysteries.

Another fun story about an intergenerational group of friends who belong to the same book club and work together to solve a murder and protect one another. Good on audio and perfect for fans of the Thursday Murder club series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars rounded up

this was such a fun read!! the story follows nora, one of the employees at the local community center. she hosts a book club, where a ragtag group of people meet up and eventually get involved in a murder investigation. i still had fun following the characters throughout their investigations even though the storylines were pretty predictable. one of my favorite parts was seeing the group become more vulnerable with each other and become their own little family. i really enjoyed the literary and (appropriate) pop culture references that were scattered throughout the story.

i will admit i had a bit of a hard time with nora’s character. at times i didn’t mind her, but i absolutely hated how she allowed herself to be steamrolled over and over again. i HATED the wedding storyline and the fiancé was a horrible person for allowing his mother to treat nora that way. it ended up being okay in the end, but it was a struggle for a minute.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was a sweet little cozy mystery. I found that I was pretty attached to this eccentric, rag-tag group of book lovers and was rooting for them all to live happily ever after. Mysteries aren't always my jam as I so often find the conclusion to be rather underwhelming, this sugar-sweet tale being no different. That said, it was still a satisfying ending, if a little predictable.

I was particularly fond of Arthur and his grandfatherly relationship with Ash. Their interactions were so stinkin wholesome! The found-family aspect of the group was really enjoyable to read, but it's these two who really had my heart throughout! It is also worth mentioning that all of the characters we follow in this book are very well developed. As a character-driven reader, this is what really kept me flipping the pages! The stories, growth and reveals about this book club crew had me tearing up a few times - I cared more about what happened to them than whatever the resolution was in regards to the mystery. Like so many things, though, that's all on reading preferences! I know loads of people will enjoy putting their detective skills to the test and figure things out before the big reveals.

If you're in the market for a cozy, small-town mystery with great, wholesome characters and relationships - look no further!

The Busybody Book Club is out May 27. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.