I did not finish this book because I found the main character, Prairie, incredibly annoying—and it wasn’t just her. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book where I genuinely didn’t like most of the characters. I really tried to push through, but the writing style just didn’t keep me engaged.

I don’t like giving star ratings to books I didn’t finish, but NetGalley requires one in order to post a review. This one simply wasn’t for me.

This was a fun and interesting mystery about a newly divorced single mother with a talent for details, and it was engaging enough to keep hold of me to the end. I'm not sure I particularly liked Prairie, the main character, and I found her and her choices quite annoying at times. However, the plot was good. Overall, a fine read but not a stand out.

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy to review.

This was a fun, mid-paced mystery built around mom life, multi-level marketing chaos, and a main character named Prairie (yes, Prairie, and weirdly, I kind of love that as a name). It’s a good in-between read if you’ve just finished something heavy and want something lighter but not totally brainless.

The story follows a recently divorced mom who starts sleuthing after someone in her circle goes missing. Prairie is witty, bold, and, yeah, a little nosy. But honestly, how else are you supposed to uncover clues if you’re not kind of a busybody?

Now, a heads-up for readers like me who get distracted by tone: this book definitely feels like it was written by people who’ve spent a lot of time on TikTok learning how to be perfect communicators. There’s a strong “validate every feeling, acknowledge every trauma, don’t interrupt, mirror people’s language” energy to the way conversations play out. It’s not bad, just noticeable. Some scenes felt like a parenting or therapy script more than natural dialogue.

There are recurring themes around how men, especially white men in law enforcement, don’t listen to women or take them seriously. Prairie’s ex-husband was portrayed as someone who failed her, didn’t help when she needed it most, and basically took advantage of her, only to later have his own little reckoning. The general vibe is that men are clueless or harmful until they realize it and try to do better. If you’re not into that kind of feminist undercurrent, it’s worth knowing it’s there. It wasn’t in your face or obnoxious, but it’s woven throughout the book.

Also, fair warning: it’s pretty predictable. The person you think did it? Yeah, they did it. It doesn’t ruin the story, but if you’re looking for plot twists or a jaw-dropping reveal, you won’t find that here.

Still, I liked Prairie. Some reviewers found her annoying, and yeah, maybe if she were a real person she’d be a bit much. But she felt real. And relatable. I’m curious what she’ll do next, and I’ll probably read the second book assuming it doesn’t lean harder into those themes.

If you’re in the mood for a cozy, MLM-driven mystery with a dash of mom drama, some lightly feminist commentary, and an easy-to-root-for lead, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is a solid, mid-paced cozy mystery with a witty protagonist, neighborhood secrets, and just enough suspense to keep the pages turning. Prairie Nightingale—yes, that's her real name—is a divorced mom-turned-amateur sleuth who takes it upon herself to investigate the sudden disappearance of a former friend, Lisa Radcliffe, queen of a shady athleisure MLM (a clear nod to the infamous buttery soft leggings company).

There are fun moments—Prairie is nosy in the best way, curious and determined, and her obsession with patterns (in both homemaking and people) gives her a unique investigative edge. The inclusion of the MLM world, mom circles, and a disgraced doctor adds social commentary and depth to the mystery.

That said, Prairie sometimes veers into irritating territory, and while she has heart, her self-righteousness can wear thin. Also, must there always be a love interest in these kinds of books? FBI Agent Foster Rosemare is fine, but I could have done without it, and would love to have a mystery that doesn’t always lead to love. Prairie discovering a new purpose post-divorce would’ve been more compelling without the added distraction of square jaws and government suits.

I do plan to read book two as this was a nice palate cleanser.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun read. I love an amateur sleuth so I was very interested in this book. I loved that this book included MLMs, drama, parenting and some romance. I think anyone could enjoy this book because it includes so many different things.

Prairie - an unusual name for an unusual woman! Loved the sense of sisterhood and community and the family dynamics. The homemaking aspect made me blink at first. - a novel way to deal with things - maybe we should all try it! The relentless way Prairie pursues justice for Lisa, and the support (and opposition) she receives makes the plot more attractive. Never saw the final twist coming!

Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is the first book in A Prairie Nightingale Mysteries. Prairie is a woman who notices details, and she is nosy much to her children’s dismay. Once Prairie begins looking into a matter, she is like a dog with a bone (she does not give up until she has all the answers). I found Prairie to be annoying and unlikeable. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters are equally unpleasant and frustrating. The writing style made the story difficult to read. It reminded me of my college ethics textbook (which was easier to read). The story reminds me of a soap opera except everything is politically correct. I wish the blurb had mentioned the controversial content (physical and mental abuse for example) that the book contained as well as the foul language. The pacing is slow (paint dried faster). The mystery was simple and predictable. Despite the multiple suspects as well as a red herring or two, the killer stood out like a woman wearing a red dress to a black and white event. The reveal was long and drawn out (I wanted to yell at Prairie to get to the point because watching spiders build their webs was more fascinating). The whodunit wrapped up early leaving time at the end which was not needed (I found myself rolling my eyes). The mystery got lost among all the other things going on in the story. There is just too much stuff in this book (and too many people) and all the puzzle pieces do not fit together. Homemaker is not a cozy mystery (there is nothing cozy about this book) nor can it be classified as a mystery (not enough meat for that category). If you are suffering from insomnia, then Homemaker is the book for you!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

As these two authors turn their considerable talents to crafting a mystery novel, Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare introduces us to Prairie Nightingale, a snoopy domestic goddess who investigates the disappearance of her neighbor, the mistress of perfection, Lisa Radcliffe.

I loved this mystery, and although this is the first book I have read written by this dynamic duo, it won't be my last!

DNF @ 43%

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really, really tried with this one, but oh my god talk about annoying, unlikable, unredeemable main characters. "Homemaker" and yet she does nothing but go around bothering people all day for gossip regarding a missing person because all of her housework is taken care of a team of hired individuals. She even has a business card like okay maybe I should get a business card for being a stay at home student who reads and looks at celebrity subreddits all day 😭. Also the whole premise is just weak and takes great inspiration from LuLaRoe (yes all MLMs are the same but the whole set up in this is just too similar down to the rotten storage containers). Not once did I find myself caring enough about what could have possibly happened to the missing mom because the main character spends so much time just stroking her own ego. We also keep getting told the same information repeatedly as she goes around catching other characters up on what she learned. We as the reader already know what's going on, we don't need to be reminded every other page.

I'm sorry this book just made me so angry and I had really wanted to give it a chance enough to finish. Others seemed to have really liked this book so maybe I'm truly just a #1 hater.

Comic mystery perfect for Finlay Donovan fans.

Prairie Nightingale (lol) is a bit of a pariah in her Midwestern community. She's politically liberal, recently divorced, extremely outspoken, and curses too much. When a woman in her community mysteriously disappears, "Pray" is determined to get to the bottom of it. And of course she meets Emma, who has a podcast (Emma is sort of the Vero in this scenario).

I loved that Prairie had teen and tween daughters, who were so much more fun and snarky (and self-reliant) than poor Finlay's small children. Loved the Midwest setting.

Homemaker by new to me authors Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare, published by Thomas & Mercer, is book one in the new Prairie Nightingale Series.
Prairie Nightingale is a middle aged mother of two and she choose homemaking as her profession. So when one of the women from her circle disappears, she's determined to find out more.
A cozy mystery, PI mystery that had me highly entertained, I greatly enjoyed reading this gem and can't wait for the next book, coming 2/26.

Despite my best efforts I dnf'd at 50%. I don't know if it was the writing style or my expectations, but the story seemed to move very slowly and ended up having no interest in the storyline. I found I couldnt emerse myself in the story. Other reviews have been quite positive so I think this just wasn't a book for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc copy of this book to review.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows Prairie Nightingale (what a name!), a divorced mother of two daughters, while she investigates the disappearance of another mom from her community. Prairie makes some shocking discoveries and works with an attractive detective, a network of women victimized by a MLM and her ex-husband to get to the bottom of this mystery.

I found the story to be entertaining and witty, though it felt a little slow at times. This is cozy and quick, perfect for a beach read.

Thank you to the authors for allowing me to review your work!

I kept checking to see if this story was #2 in a series because I felt like I had missed something (the detailed but spread-out backstory of what happened with the doctor, her divorce, her “business”…it was pretty confusing at times). I enjoyed the story itself. I liked the characters. I like how the ending sets up for future Prairie (and crew) investigations. Overall a fun read!

Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is a fabulously fun read! I loved it. I can't really tell you it is a cozy, but maybe cozy adjacent. It is the first book in the Prairie Nightingale series. Prairie Hawk Nightingale is a Green Bay homemaker. It says so on her business card. Following her divorce, where she received a trust to run the home, she started a business, where she hired people to do most of the tasks a housewife does, a cook, gardener, handyman, manager. I admittedly was a bit confused at first, not really sure who she really was nor where the book was going, but I was intrigued. She had an unconventional upbringing and brought much of that to her life as a mother and what I at first saw as being a busybody. When the mystery, one of the school moms going missing, got going, the story pace picked up. Relationships started clarifying and building. I do have to say, I was pretty sure what happened to the missing woman, but watching Prairie unravel it was fun. The last 10% of the book was mostly the setup for the rest of the series, but it had some fun moments as well!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the chance to read it.

This was a good palate cleanser for this escapist. I enjoyed this cozy book as it had some depth, humor, and mystery. I do wish the mystery was less obvious, but sometimes that works versus ending up with a non-sensical twist that leaves you scratching your head. A friend and I enjoy Dateline and Homemaker made me think of us if we were Prairie...detail-oriented, nosy...;)

Pacing was a little slow at times, but it did pick up, Yes, I agree with others that there was a lot going that could be construed as unbelievable at times in this book. However, put yourselves in someone else's shoes and look through a different lens because for me, it was more believable than not. I appreciated how many groups of people were represented in this book and it was a fitting read for the beginning of Pride month!. I also got Finlay Donovan vibes for those familiar with that series.

I'm looking forward to reading book 2 when it releases next year to see what Prairie encounters. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun read! I enjoyed the characters and the stories. As a SAHM myself I can relate to a lot of this story. Prairie was a fun chaotic character that reminds me of a few women I know in town. I definitely enjoyed this book.

This was great! Prairie is funny & smart. I love her relationship with her ex-husband, daughters, and ex-mother in law. She has a knack for seeing things about people that ultimately help solve the mystery. I’m looking forward to the next book!

#Homemaker #NetGalley is the first in a new series featuring Prairie Nightingale and I loved every minute of it.
Prairie has a unique home life, she's divorced and co-parenting two daughters with the assistance of her ex husband.
She's turned her homemaker status into a business, and she seems to do it with ease.
Prairie has a knack for being nosy, and it's gotten her into some unfortunate circumstances, to the point of losing friends, and being gossiped about.
When another mother disappears under strange circumstances, her nosiness kicks in, and soon she's unraveling a devious plot with unbelievable secrets.
This is an intense cozy mystery, but it's written so well that I did not want to put it down.
I'm hoping to see more of this series, I'm sure Prairie will find many more secrets to investigate.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Smart and witty, just perfect for a new mystery series. A little bit cozy mystery, women’s lit and romcom this book will stick with me a long time. Prairie runs her life like most of us wish, a mom farming out daily jobs of housekeeping, gardening and husband nonsense. Recently divorced she and her husband get along wonderfully with only a few bumps. Her daughters have genuinely wonderful and realistic personalities. A former friend has gone missing and she’s taken it upon herself to investigate. But, she’s not interfering with the police just finding different paths to take or questions to ask. The FBI guy causes a little spark and it’s just maybe a little more than a friendship. The flow and writing style is easy to read and get lost in the words. Having read these authors before I knew I’d like it. I was given an early copy and have written my review honestly and voluntarily.