Book: The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club
Author: Gloria Chao
Rating: 4/5 stars

Kathryn Hu’s day can’t get any worse. That is until she finds out that her “faithful” and “wonderful” boyfriend, Tucker Jones, isn’t just cheating on her with one other girl - but two. Through bonding from their collective heartbreak, Kathryn, Olivia, and Elle try to plan how to get back at Tucker - although revenge can’t be served to someone who is dead. And they end up finding Tucker Jones dead.
It’s up to the three girls working together and forming what they call “The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club” to clear their name, prove themselves innocent, and find the real killer before it’s too late. That may be more difficult than they first thought possible though, when they realize that Tucker was involved in some shady business and had more than one person out to get him. Can they do what needs to be done before time runs out?

I am so glad that I got to experience listening to the audiobook of this story. I enjoyed the narration and thought that the narrator did a great job at bringing these characters to life. She subtly changed her voice to match each of the three main characters, which kept things easy to follow, as I always knew which character was speaking when. I found this helpful, as there were multiple characters involved in the story.

Along with the mystery, there were humorous elements woven throughout - especially those that were Kathryn’s inner thoughts since she was the narrator. I enjoyed hearing those thoughts brought to life and found myself laughing out loud at a few of the things she was thinking.
Additionally, the mystery in the story kept me guessing until the very end, and the last two chapters contained a plot twist that I didn’t expect!

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is the first book in the new Hu Done It mystery series - and I am looking very forward to listening to the audiobooks of the rest of the series as they are released.
Hopefully Kathryn will have better luck during the future stories!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the chance to listen to an ALC of The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao.

The audiobook turned out fantastic! Carolyn Kang did such a wonderful job bringing this to life. Thank you!

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is a delightful and riotously funny cozy mystery from Gloria Chao. Kathryn Hu may not have it all, and may not have social skills, but she has the most incredible boyfriend-Tucker Jones. As long as she has Tucker, she feels on top of the world. Until she goes to Tucker's apartment and witnesses him proposing to another woman.

As life comes crashing down around her, Kathryn meets up with Tucker's two other exes to plot revenge (a la John Tucker Must Die). But before they can meter out their revenge, they find him dead! And they have left DNA all over the crime scene. Now Kathryn, Olivia and Elle must work together to clear their names and find Tucker's real killer.

I absolutely loved this one. The audio version has a fantastic narrator. If you are looking for a coxy mystery, try Gloria Chao's The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club.

Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the access to this audiobook.

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao
4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced audio copy of this book!

If you loved Finlay Donovan Is Killing It or Dial A for Aunties, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club will be totally your vibe. Gloria Chao serves up a hilarious, fast-paced mystery with just the right amount of chaos, heart, and unexpected friendships.
The premise is wild in the best way: a group of ex-girlfriends teaming up to investigate a suspicious death tied to their mutual ex. What follows is part murder mystery, part bonding experience, with a cast of strong, funny women who are way more likable than you'd expect a “murder club” to be.

The story has just enough twists to keep things interesting without getting too dark. It's more about the ride, and the friendships, than any gritty crime details. Think laugh-out-loud moments, clever banter, and tight-knit bonds between friends.

This was a thoroughly entertaining read, with lots of humour. Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for something witty, a little dramatic, and a whole lot of fun. It was especially enjoyable on audio, which is the format I'd recommend for this book.

This was a fun audiobook to listen to! The narration was great! The story is basically John Tucker must die, but he actually dies. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the MMC being named Tucker. It felt to closely associated to the movie, but I think that’s is what the author was going for.

I enjoyed the character development of the three girls! Their antics were juvenile, but also entertaining! Kat was definitely the most likable! I really felt for her and her situation with both her relationship with Tucker and her overbearing parents! I found the budding friendship between the three girls to be my favorite part of the story!

Though I felt like the killer was fairly predictable, this was still a fun and entertaining cozy mystery! Definitely worth a listen, especially if you enjoyed the movie John Tucker Must Die!

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is pure popcorn thriller fun. It reads like a dark comedy—think John Tucker Must Die... but he’s actually dead. I was laughing the whole way through thanks to the sharp dialogue and twisty plot.

It strikes a great balance between chaos and real emotional growth. The revenge-driven exes start facing their own baggage and figuring out what really makes them happy. They could be a little annoying at times, but honestly? I enjoyed the ride.

Bonus points for the quirky sidenotes about phrase origins—such a clever touch. And the ending? Totally took me by surprise (in a good way). A fun, fast-paced read with more heart than you'd expect.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for the ARC!

These girls had me rolling. Like seriously. Full on laughing. I know this book is about finding who actually committed murder of someone they loved but they were a hoot.

Tucker. Seriously though same proposal and ring? This guy.

And the podcast. Loathed her. I loved the idea of the podcast being told in time with the story but geez she got on every actual nerve. And why do I picture her as Alexandria from Josie and the Pussycats? IYKYK.

And the girls. I love this group of strong women standing up for each other.

Anyway. Read it. It’s fun. And suspenseful. And go watch Josie and the Pussycats if you haven’t. Seriously, go.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Three exes walk into a murder scene…
Turns out, revenge is messy, and so is the closet where their cheating ex’s body is found. This book is a delightfully unhinged cozy mystery where poor decisions, bad alibis, and one very (overly) enthusiastic podcaster collide. The audio performance is pitch perfect, capturing every sideeye, panic spiral, and “oops, is that our DNA?” moment. These ladies didn’t kill him (probably), but they’re not above breaking a few laws to clear their names. Who killed him? Who cares? You’ll be too busy laughing.

This book was entertaining and I won't lie, the dark humor had me laughing.

Definitely gave off John Tucker vibes, but instead of he Must Die it's He's Dead.

The way these women banded together was amazing. It's part murder mystery, part comedy and I found it enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an ALC.

Three women. One ex. Total chaos. Kat, Olivia, and Elle each believe they are the only one dating Tucker Jones. When they find out about each other, they decide to confront him. But instead of answers, they find him dead. Now they are the main suspects and have to figure out who really did it before it’s too late.

The beginning was really strong. I liked the characters, their banter, and some of the humor made me laugh out loud. The idea of exes teaming up made for a fun and messy dynamic.

Around the halfway point, the story started to slow down. It felt a little long and lost some of the energy it started with. I found myself wanting it to move a bit faster. I had the audio. I did enjoy the audio narration.

If you enjoy stories about messy friendships, light mystery, and a little bit of drama, this might be a the read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao is one of the most laugh-out-loud mysteries I’ve read in ages. Think: Finlay Donovan, Dial A for Aunties, and a little John Tucker Must Die… but with more body-in-the-closet mayhem and a trio of smart, snarky women who are absolutely done being played.

Kat, Olivia, and Elle all dated the same charmingly sleazy man—Tucker Jones—and when they discover he’s been cheating on all of them, they plan a little harmless revenge bonding session. But then… they find his dead body. In a closet. With their DNA all over the crime scene. Oops.

Kat, our narrator, is hilarious and relatable with just the right amount of chaos energy, and watching her team up with the other exes to clear their names makes for a wildly entertaining ride. There’s a great balance of heart and humor, and I adored Kat’s loving (and extremely meddling) parents. Plus, Detective McHottie is just the right kind of cinnamon roll love interest—supportive, swoony, and entirely too good for this mess.

The twist? I did not see it coming—and it adds a jolt of tension that brings the whole mystery together in such a satisfying way. My only minor gripe was the podcast snippets sprinkled throughout. They were fun at first but eventually felt a little too gimmicky and pulled me out of the story a few times. Still, they added pressure and a satirical edge to the investigation that many readers will probably enjoy more than I did.

This book is pure cozy chaos: funny, sharp, and surprisingly heartfelt. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, twisty mystery with fabulous female friendships and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, you’ll want to join The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. Just maybe… check the closet first.

The narrator was fantastic. She really kept me hooked with the storyline the whole listen. She was engaging and funny and just the perfect choice for this book.

I finished this book in a day. That is very difficult for me to accomplish these days and yet this book had me hooked! This book was hilarious, out of the box, full of relatable moments, found family and girlish fun. I adored everything about the storyline, the action was packing a punch, the mystery was mysterious enough to keep me intrigued but it was all so funny. This reminded me of the Finlay Donovan series with a younger group of female characters. And that ending??? Did not see it coming but I loved that for the characters and the story. I don't know that it could have ended any other way now that I think about it, because that ending was perfect. I will be on the look out for more books from this author for sure.

This cozy mystery was such a fun ride! The cover drew me in, but the clever writing, wild revenge plot, and laugh-out-loud chemistry jokes completely won me over.

Three women—Kat the chemist, Olivia the lawyer, and Elle the writer—discover they’ve all been dating the same guy. Naturally, they plan a ridiculous revenge prank… only to find him already dead. From there, it turns into a quirky whodunit, complete with podcast drama, scrubbing DNA, and uncovering secrets from the past.

The dynamic between the trio was hilarious and heartwarming, and I loved how each woman brought something different to the group. I did figure out the culprit early on, and the ending felt a little abrupt, but it didn’t take away from how much fun I had reading (or listening—Carolyn Kang’s narration was excellent!).

If you enjoyed the movie The Other Woman than you will love this book. It’s injected with the same brand of humor and friendship. However we also get a little extra mystery with this book so cozy mystery lovers should put this on their radar too! And while the ending to the mystery ended up being a little cheesy it was perfect for the storyline.

Cat was an interesting character to say the least, little quirky but it made for an entertaining narration. Also, Cat’s fascination with knowing the origin of common sayings was a really fun addition to the story.

It seems like we’re headed toward a series with Cat and I can’t wait to read more!

Read if you love:
🕵️‍♂️ Mystery
👯‍♀️ Strong female friendship
🎙️ Podcasts

Thank you HTP Hive and Netgalley for my gifted copies in exchange for an honest review!

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club was just as hilarious of a cozy mystery as the name implies. With its trio of eccentric in their own way characters, a balance of quirky idioms and puns, an unhinged podcast, and an ending with such a twist, I didn’t even see it coming.
The body in the closet was going to be a problem. Kathryn Hu knew it. Yes, Tucker Jones was a cheating scumbag, and yes, she’d agreed to meet Olivia and Elle—Tucker’s other girlfriends—to exact revenge for all he’d put them through… But then they found him. Dead.

Do they look guilty? Yes.

Do they feel guilty for having wished him dead just hours before? Maybe a little.

But—solid motive and a crime scene covered in their DNA aside—they’re innocent. They swear.

To clear their names, Kat, Olivia, and Elle team up to find the real killer. But as they go undercover and lie to everyone, including the hot detective working the case, they realize that every person in their ex's life had a reason to want him dead. Will they uncover the truth before they go down for a murder they didn't commit?
About the story:
Honestly, this one had me laughing at the ridiculousness of, well, everything, from page one all the way to the end. The characters were great and well developed. The story was perfect. There was a definite theme of finding friendship in the most unexpected places, when the characters needed it the most. There was an unexpected (and possibly unethical) meet-cute love story that developed too. There was even an underlying theme of the main character coming into her own (and to some extent, all the characters had a moment of growth and clarity). It was an enjoyable cozy mystery with a shocking ending that I just didn’t want to end.
About the Audio:
The audio was great, it brought the characters to life in a unique way. At first, I didn’t like the way Carolyn portrayed the main character, Kat. She seemed too young, too whiney, too sad, but then I realized, she is young, and she had reason to be whiney and sad, the situation she found herself in would have made everyone feel that way. The only thing I couldn’t get over, is even when the character was trying to be funny or confident, the narrator kept her same sad tone, and I think that took away from the audio version a bit. It was the only thing I would have changed. Carolyn seemed to be able to really encapsulate the characters as Gloria had written them, and bring them to life, which isn’t always easy to do when working with so many characters that all have such different and unique characteristics, and she did it without giving any hints to the twist at the end. The flow of the narration seemed to match the flow of the book, granted I tend to listen to audiobooks at a faster than normal rate because I read at a faster than normal speaking rate and tend to read along with the audio a lot to help me focus, and honestly this audio version was perfect as a read along or just a listen.

5⭐️ – Absolutely unputdownable fun from start to finish!

I loved everything about The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club! This book was the perfect mix of sharp humor, chaotic friendship dynamics, and just enough murder to keep things deliciously messy. The pacing never lagged—every chapter had me either laughing out loud or dying to see what would happen next. Even though I predicted the twist, I still loved the way it unfolded and thought Gloria Chao handled the reveal with flair and fabulous timing.

The character chemistry? Perfection. The audiobook? Chef’s kiss. This one is absolutely for fans of the Finlay Donovan series, Julie Chan Is Dead, and even the energy of Horrible Bosses movies. It’s fresh, funny, and just twisted enough to keep you hooked.

🚨 ALC Review 🚨
📚 Book Title: The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club
✍🏽Author: Gloria Chow
🎙️Narrator(s): Carolyn King
📕 Format: 🎧
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ = 3/5


🕑 Quick Take:
Kathryn plans to connect with her boyfriend, Tucker Jones, but discovers that he is a notorious cheater preparing to propose to his other girlfriend, Olivia. Kathryn and Olivia, shocked by this revelation, soon learn there is a third woman involved, Elle. The three women decide to team up for the ultimate prank of revenge, but their plans take a dark turn when they find out that Tucker is now dead. Kathryn becomes the primary suspect, but the women join forces to solve the murder and prove Kathryn’s innocence.

💕What I Loved:
This was a funny and quirky mystery that had the appropriate twists and turns. I was really shocked by who actually did it.

🎭 Narration:
Carolyn King did an excellent job narrating this story.

💭 Final Thoughts:
I recommend this read if you are looking for a mystery that intertwines humor.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this advanced listener copy.

4.5/5 ⭐️ This was a delightfully sentimental, feel good, murder story, if such a thing can exist. At first, the main character kinda bugged, but she almost immediately grew on me. This is full of humor, found family, romance, and a fun twist you truly don’t see coming. I am a little bummed because I didn’t realize this was not a stand alone until I only had four chapters left and knew there was no way this was going to be wrapped up nicely. So now I have to sit on this for a year and I was not mentally prepared for that and I will definitely be reading book two!

Kathryn Hu thinks she may have finally found the perfect man in Tucker Jones. This is until she finds out that Olivia and Elle are dating him as well. The women meet up and try to get back at him by destroying his condo. The revenge plot is going well until Kathryn finds Tucker in his closet, dead. Now, the three women must band together to find the real murderer before they are accused of killing him, or find themselves the next victims.

This was a goofy, and twisting murder mystery. At first, I thought it was heading towards a bit too cheesy, but then Chao was able to seamlessly redirect to some unexpected twists. The story line is a common one of revenge of scorned women, but this book was a fun take with a balance of humor and novelty that made it a thoroughly enjoyable listen. And I also enjoyed the incorporate of the podcast to the story, oh the ideas for revenge!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, NetGalley, and Gloria Chao for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The narration of this book is distractingly juvenile. It doesn’t match the story, in my opinion. I couldn’t get past it and it kept pulling me out of the story. I typically enjoy books in this genre and will try reading the print version instead for this one and for future installments.