Review of Advance Reader’s Copy eBook

Emersyn Gray has had a rough life lately. Money is mostly nonexistent, thanks to her ex-boyfriend stealing most of her savings. Financial restructuring had cost Emersyn her copywriting job; she’d just been let go from her waitressing job. How will she pay the rent and care for her niece?

When her friend, Jemma Ghosh, comes up with a plan to get Emersyn’s life savings back from ex-boyfriend, Hoffman Fisher, Emersyn reluctantly goes along with Jemma’s plan which includes fake business cards for a detective agency [meant to scare Hoffman into returning Emersyn’s money].

Emersyn’s plan to confront Hoffman at the country club hits a couple of snags, but a member named Wyatt helps her out. But when Freddie, the manager of the senior housing building Emersyn calls home, is found dead, the residents call on the Wyatt Detective Agency find out what happened.

Can Emersyn find the killer? Can she force Hoffman to return her money? And can she find another job?

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With decidedly likeable characters, a cute romantic situation, and a mystery to solve, this unfolding story has a bit of something for everyone. With just enough cozy, just enough humor, just enough suspense, readers are sure to keep the pages turning to see what comes next in this delightful story.

Readers who enjoy mysteries like “Only Murders in the Building” are sure to see some parallels here; they’re likely to find themselves rooting for Emersyn to succeed as this clever tale offers a smorgasbord of mystery, fun, and romance.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Ballantine / Bantam and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#DefinitelyMaybeNotADetective #NetGalley

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine and Sarah Fox for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was my first book by Sarah Fox.

This book was the perfect amount of cozy. Like, autumn Sunday-cup of coffee-on the couch cozy. lol
Also, also the right amount of humor sprinkled with suspense.

The personalities of the characters was chef’s kiss.
I am truly hoping that this will become a series because I’m invested now!!! lol

I truly appreciated the opportunity to read it!!!

Thank you to the publisher for this e-ARC!

This was a super fun lighthearted mystery with just the right amount of charm and suspense! It felt very "Only Murderers in the Building" in the best way! The cozy feeling made it very easy to sink right into the story. I enjoyed the humor that was sprinkled in throughout the story and cannot wait to see where book 2 ends up!

This is perfect for anyone who is a fan of a cozy mysteries with a side of heart and humor.

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective felt very Only Murders in the Building in the best way! I loved tagging along for this investigation and can’t wait to see how the next book turns out!

Amazing book loved the characters and plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. I loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

Emerson Gray and Wyatt are charmingly adorable characters in this delightful Rom-com mystery .

Emerson finds herself tangled up in a murder investigating after realizing she is a suspect for the murder. After encouragement from neighbors and friends she finds herself becoming a prominent figure in solving a mystery .

I enjoyed this book and think it would be a perfect book club book for an older women’s group !

Thank you for the advanced copy !

At first, I had a hard time getting into the book, but it definitely grew on me!

I was initially drawn to the book because the description gave mystery with some rom-com vibes. And it definitely delivered on that front! I love a good detective story, and it was fun following along with how Emersyn tried to solve the case.

There were definitely lines in the book that felt kinda cringe and millennial, which would sometimes take me out of the story and put it down for a day or two. For example, Emersyn is trying to swear less now that she takes care of her niece, but some of the lines are embarrassing to read.

I also found that it was difficult to keep up with the revolving cast of folks, particularly the elderly people in the building. There were a lot of personalities, and they often just blurred together for me.

Another issue I had was the insta-romance there seemed to be with either love interest. The connection with Wyatt felt incredibly surface level {next portion of review redacted for spoilers, full version available in StoryGraph}

But overall, a fun read! I enjoyed it, and may check out more works from the author in the future if they continue to write in this universe.

Thank you, NetGalley, Ballantine and Sarah Fox for this ARC.

Sarah Fox is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors so I was excited to read this one. Especially since I heard that this one was going to be different then the ones that she has written in the past. It was somewhat different and it took me awhile to get into it. The writing was different than her other books. I also don't know what I think about Emersyn. It took me awhile to warm up to her, but it could be because she was a new character to me and I feel I have to get to know her better.

As for the mystery, it was a fun mystery and I like the idea that she accidentally started a PI business because she was trying to get money back from her ex. She kind of fell into the mystery solving but then that is pretty much every cozy mystery. There did feel to be more romance in this book then I am used to in a cozy so that was an adjustment. Not going to complain about it since I had known ahead of time about the romance part.

Overall I won't say this one of my favorites by this author, but it did catch my attention and I look forward to the next on in this series.

I had to DNF this one — I just couldn’t get into the writing. The pacing felt slow, and the story didn’t hook me. I kept waiting for it to pick up, but it stayed flat and, honestly, a bit boring. Just not for me.

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective blends small-town charm with a light mystery, centered around Emersyn, a woman unexpectedly raising her late brother’s daughter while navigating the quirky world of Mirage. The town’s eccentric residents add a lot of heart and humor to the story, and the dynamic between Emersyn and her niece is genuinely touching.

However, the romantic elements fall flat. Emersyn’s rapid entanglements with two love interests feel unearned and unrealistic, lacking the emotional buildup needed to make the chemistry believable. Additionally, Emersyn’s repetitive inner monologue made her a frustrating protagonist at times, undercutting the novel’s potential depth.

Overall, it’s a cozy read with a strong setup and an engaging setting, but the character work—especially around the romance—could have used more nuance.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the arc!

Emersyn Gray is raising her niece Livy after losing her brother to C, effectively unemployed, has a pond scum ex who stole her savings, and is living in a seniors-only apartment building where all of the oldsters are quirky and would do anything to help her.
Who killed Freddie? Who is Wyatt (the hunky guy with one name) really? How did Emerson and her BFF manage to establish a fake PI firm with the imaginative help of my favorite character, a teenaged wheelchair mobile Wunderkind who thinks she is in charge?
#DefinitelyMaybeNotADetective by Sarah Fox @the_write_fox @ballantinebooks Pub Jan 06, 2026
#romcom #CozyMystery #seniorsquad #snarky #romance #bookstagram #banter #fakePI #jobless #laughedmysoxoff #Mysterythriller #speakeasy #BFF #disabledgenius #misadventures ***** #review

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective appealed to me with the premise of a rom-com mystery murder. The focus is on Emersyn Gray, who is has the responsibility of being a parenting her late brother's daughter. She falls into a murder mystery at her apartment building that ends up involving numerous characters, including meeting Wyatt, a mysterious romantic interest.

What I Liked:
- I really enjoyed the concept and the characters. For the main characters of this new Scooby Doo gang, I loved their personalities, their interactions and I could visually see who they were and it reminded me of my favorite whodunnit tv shows. That was great. I also enjoyed the setting of the apartment building as the background for the first murder mystery. It sets it up well for a series for sure.
- There were some funny rom-com-y moments, but brief.

What I Struggled with:
- I struggled with the FMC. I felt like she was flighty and had way too much of an inner monologue that took me out of the story a lot. She also didn't come off as very smart or intuitive, as the characters in the book perceived her to be. Her arc with job hunting and how she lost her job was an ick for me. I wanted her to be quippy, smart and honestly a stable adult. And even the FMC acknowledge that this wasn't great for raising a kid, and I felt weird agreeing with her and also finding her immature and was on her parents side.
- The pacing of the book: It was weirdly paced and there were some chapters where I ended it going "Why did I have to read through all of that"
- SO MANY CHARACTERS. I couldn't keep track. There was too much happening
- The romance. It was cringy insta-love and I don't even know why the MMC is into FMC based on how she was acting throughout the whole thing.

Overalled, I felt like it was a okay. It wasn't my favorite and the skeleton was there. I would pick up the second book of the series just to keep seeing what happens next.

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective was my first book by Sarah Fox. I thoroughly enjoyed Emersyn and Wyatt's story. It was an interesting and unique premise. I will be recommending Definitely Maybe Not a Detective to my book club.

I really hope that this is a series because I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters. From the sassy women that live in the apartment complex to Emersyn herself and Wyatt.

Emersyn just wants to get her money back from her ex so her best friend makes business cards for a "fake" detective agency - Wyatt Investigations to spook him into giving the money back. However, the mysterious gentleman that helps Emersyn at the country club his name is Wyatt and he gets wrapped up in the story. Back at the apartment building Emersyn's superintendent ends up dying and her neighbor is blamed. Wyatt Investigations has their first case to solve!

This was quick witted, fun and kept you on your toes.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

Very cutesy and funny. A woman accidentally starts a PI agency and must solve a murder to keep her elderly neighbor from going to jail. Hijinks and romance ensue!

What a pleasurable story with a cast full of charming characters! I loved that everyone was a suspect. I also really liked that we knew very little about our victim. It gave very few clues about where the investigation would go. The characters were well-rounded and diverse, which I really appreciated. Emeryson’s love of Livy really shines, but the handling of grief and responsibility was done excellently. I have several friends in mind that I just know will love the hijinks that this crowd gets up to! I can’t wait to recommend it to them ❤️

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective is an absolute thrill! I had so much fun reading this! Emersyn Gray is down on her luck when her best friend, Jemma, cooks up a fake detective agency to scare her ex. Next thing she knows, she's fake agency has some very real work to solve the murder in her apartment building and clear her elderly neighbor's name. With a supporting cast of a good-naturedly scheming best friend, a bossy teenager, an unwanted heart-throb, and a charming group of senior ladies, there's nothing not to love about this book!

Thank you to Sarah Fox and NetGalley for this ARC!

I was so excited to dive into this book based on the “Only Murders In The Building” vibes. Add in a side of romance and I was sold. While I didn’t love this book as much as the show, it had a lot of high points and I found myself entertained throughout.

The characters, both main and side, were charming and had some depth. And the story is packed with twists I didn't see coming. just when I thought I had the murder pegged, another character landed in the hot seat. Despite the dark premise, it’s a surprisingly light, fast-paced read full of charm, humor, and neighborhood chaos. Bonus - the ending was unexpected and satisfying.

Overall it was ok. There were some fun moments and good dialog but in other parts it kinda dragged and was all over the place just to much side stuff going on. If the focus was more on her amateur sleuthing i think it would've been better. I enjoyed the FMC but the side characters were ok.

Thank you for the ARC all opinions are my own.

Me and cozy mysteries have an interesting relationship in that I want to love them and yet I never do.

The premise of this book was fantastic! A woman who gets saddled with solving a murder investigation with a hot stranger when neither of them has any experience? Sounds great. Unfortunately, the book just didn't work for me. Firstly, the character interactions between our two main characters is basically non-existent. Emersyn wants nothing to do with Wyatt for most if not all of the book, so there wasn't that partnership/ buddy cop dynamic that I was expecting. The other side characters were fun, and I liked Theo a lot, but I would've traded some of them for more interactions with Wyatt and Emersyn. This lack of partnership also made the romantic relationship portion of their story seem forced and not at all romantic, since we had no real idea of who Wyatt was as a person.

The mystery itself was pretty basic. I figured out who did it before the murder even took place (not really sure how that's possible, but I just got bad vibes from them when they were introduced).

I did like the storyline with Emersyn and her niece and thought that was very well done and loved any time Livvy was in a scene.

If this is a set up to an eventual series, it was okay, but as a standalone, there wasn't enough character or relationship development to have me invested in this book.