Leigh Dunlap is a new author to me and when I read the blurb for this book I was intrigued.

This is a story of five women, all completely different, some with very strong personalities and senses of entitlement who live in the upmarket town of Buckhead. All these women have complicated domestic lives with husbands and children, themes of drug addiction and alcohol issues, some who even though very different have forged unconventional friendships and others who are not liked.

Shay Claypool is a detective, straight talking and not one to suffer fools. Along with her partner Dub she is determined to infiltrate this group and find out who murdered the Anderson Tupper, one of the richest families in Atlanta, a complicated bunch who are hiding secrets of wealth and the financial activities that go with it.

This is an entertaining read that I finished in an afternoon. It is one of those books that you keep turning the pages, quite humorous at times and it is the characters that shine to enable the plot to move along and keep you interested to see how it will all wrap up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

This was an interesting story, I really enjoyed the ending more so than the middle portion, the way all things were tied together was very well done. Anderson Tupper has been found deceased in the dugout of a little league baseball field, and it is up to Shay Claypool a detective with the Atlanta police department to solve the mystery. Anderson is from the uber wealthy Buckhead area of Atlanta, which is voting to leave Atlanta (and take all their tax dollars) and form their own town/city, this would be a big reduction in revenue for Atlanta and the pressure is on Shay to solve the murder quick. There is no end of possible suspects, several of the wives of other Buckhead residents (called Buckhead Betties) have their own reasons for wanting to get rid of Anderson, and some of the men as well were not keen on him. Money, drugs and infidelity issues, to name a few are all juggle, some have money, some are losing a ton of it, some are dealing drugs and it seems like everyone is fooling around with someone else. Shay is an enjoyable character, not willing to pin the murder on an easy suspect, she digs for the truth, and yeah that ending, I was not expecting, very good. I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The author succeeded in making me dislike all of the socialite women in this novel, their superficial relationships, and their spouses. The children were more complex and interesting, feeding into the ending. Easy read that I was eager to put behind me. I would not have finished this book if I were not obligated to write a review.

As someone now navigating the passion and politics of Little League, I enthusiastically jumped into Bless Your Heart. Youth sports have a way of inspiring the most rational of parents to lose their sh*t over positions and game time, so when a popular coach turns up dead in Buckhead, a wealthy Atlanta neighborhood, all the parents are immediately suspects. What follows is an enjoyable popcorn thriller with full of twists, turns and unlikeable characters. While I wouldn't want to be friends with any of the Buckhead Betties, the nickname for moms in this wealthy enclave, I did enjoy living vicariously through their ruthless determination to protect their status and that of their children---above all else.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced reader copy. As always, all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC of #BlessYourHeart by Leigh Dunlap

This is an addictive Southern mystery packed with mean moms, social satire, and one detective from the wrong side of the tracks.

When Anderson Tupper—wealthy Buckhead dad and volunteer coach—is murdered at a Little League field, Detective Shay Claypool is thrown into a world of chaos, secrets, and deceit. The suspects? A rotating cast of over-the-top Buckhead Betties—each one more scandalous than the last. Shay is a standout. A single mom juggling motherhood, her job, and the biases of a community that doesn’t want her in it. She’s smart, tenacious, and compelling. I loved that this wasn’t just about the murder mystery—though that part was juicy—it also explored class divides, motherhood, and what power looks like when it’s dressed in Gucci.

I love thrillers about rich housewives and this one did not disappoint! Suspenseful, fun and deeper than I expected, 5 stars!!!

Great book! Was so invested in every second of the story. Thank you for letting me read in advance. Cannot wait to read other things from this author.

A Buckhead socialite is killed on the little league field where he was a coach. This prominent, and wealthy, part of Atlanta has its share of interpersonal drama, but not usually to the point of murder. Detective Shay Claypool, from 'the other side of the tracks' is charged with investigating, a difficult task when everyone in the community has money... and secrets.

Being from the deep South and understanding the culture, I thought I would enjoy this mystery. But, far from it. The fictional residents of Buckhead are all painted with the same broad brush. They're alcoholics and/or druggies, value luxuries over people, and are all having affairs. Their friendships, if you can call them that, seem to be based solely on what their 'friends' can do for them. There was not a likeable soul in the bunch. It's hard to enjoy a book when the characters are all wretched people. In addition, the overuse of the F word was tiresome. I skipped the middle of the book and felt that I'd lost nothing by picking up the last few chapters. The plot was pretty good, which caused me to give three stars rather than the two I contemplated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed all the characters in this story and that you can be a mother and work too like Shay the detective. She was a great character and I enjoyed her throughout the book. The rich moms were just what I wanted in this book, over the top. The writing and details were great. This was laugh out loud funny at times but also a but had a few twists.

I'm really kind of torn on how to rate Bless Your Heart, to tell you the truth. On the plus side, the writing was well done. The storyline was a good one and there were parts that were really enjoyable. On the negative, it was a LOT of different characters. There were so many people involved that it made it hard to really connect with any of them and keeping everyone straight was tricky at first. I think the large cast of characters made it hard for me to really get into the story itself so for me, it didn't quite hit the mark.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Shay Claypool, an Atlanta detective from the wrong side of the tracks, is tasked with solving the murder of one of the wealthiest residents from the tony Buckhead neighborhood. Shay is good at her job, but she’s more used to dealing with drug dealers and sex workers than she is with the privileged, snobby people of Buckhead. But she’s about to learn that bad guys (and girls) come from all socioeconomic groups