One of my favorite types of books are those where there are multiple points of view. This book was perfect for that - I loved trying to piece together the mystery while constantly getting new information from each character! The mystery was compelling, but also wasn't so vile that it was disturbing. This is a perfect cozy mystery - with a bit of humor! - for fall. If "Gilmore Girls" and "Only Murders in the Building" had a baby, I think it would be this book!

While the story itself carried my attention, the audio narration was just ok. There were a few different narrators, but I felt like they all sounded very similar, so it was hard to keep track of who was doing what. I think it might read better in print, but it was still a good listen!

You can't go wrong with a cozy thriller. They're always fast and easy listen. The narrators were good, I don't have any complaints. I liked the little bit of humor strewn about. All in all a solid cozy thriller.

A charming cozy mystery with a stunning cast of characters that feel like a real community. I can't pick a favorite character - they're all wonderful. They're messy, they're flawed, and they're determined to figure out how a body ended up outside one of their doors.

The mystery itself is good, more of a 3 or 4 star, I thought the ending was satisfying, but I didn't get a moment of "OH OF COURSE!" that you really want with the big reveal. It all made sense in the end, I just wasn't super wowed.

The book really shines in its character development. I love the relationships between each of the cottages. Every character could be the main character, easily. They all have depth and motivations and leap off the page. I would love for this to become a series, I already miss the Marigold Cottage gang!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free arc, all opinions are my own.

Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club. Heartwarming, humorous, and mysterious, this book had it all.

When a body is found at the Marigold Cottages, a quirky and delightful group of individuals brought together by their lovable landlady Mrs. B decide to band together to solve the crime.

The mystery itself was full of twists and turns and kept you guessing, but the development of the relationships of the cast of characters living in Marigold Cottages was such a treat to follow. From the initial reservations and judgments to the development of found family, the characters in this story were delightful. I particularly enjoyed that the story was told from the perspective of all the different tenants so you really got a sense of their personalities and behaviors

A wonderful story, and the audiobook was beautifully narrated. Thank you to #MacMillanAudio and #Netgalley for an ALC.

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols is a delightfully quirky and heartwarming mystery that blends humor, suspense, and found-family charm with a sunny Southern California backdrop. With echoes of The Thursday Murder Club and Only Murders in the Building, this story follows a cast of lovable oddballs, each with their own secrets, who unite to clear their eccentric landlady’s name after she confesses to a crime they’re sure she didn’t commit. Nichols masterfully balances the cozy with the compelling, weaving in themes of redemption, chosen family, and the power of community. Funny, warm, and surprisingly twisty, this is a perfect summer read that will leave readers rooting for every misfit in Marigold Cottages.

3.5/5 This was fun!

This follows the residents at a complex of cottages (I don't know if it's necessarily a retirement community, but it has that feel, especially given who lives there) as they navigate and investigate a murder that has just taken place there. And there are some mysterious and spooky happenings that occur after.

I love me some good ole neighborhood drama and this book has plenty of that. There's lots of gossip about others in the neighborhood and the suspicious things that happen (some are not really suspicious but just the vibes that an old lady gets and does not like because, ya know, that's just how neighborhood gossip goes).

I liked the dynamics between the characters, it was very fun and chaotic and an almost reluctant alliance between then all.

This reminded me of Nancy Drew but in a (sort of) retirement community.

I think a lot of people will also have a lot of fun with this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

What a charming little murder mystery story! I loved the main characters. Maybe quirky is a bit of an understatement. They were…enchanting. I can’t pinpoint the feeling except that they all grabbed me. Each of them had a unique voice. Funny, awkward, petty, apologetic, nerdy, furtive. Together, they were like a ball pit with multi-colored balls, and I dove headfirst into their stories and grew to be fond of them like they were my own weird little family. I loved the different formats between narrative and playwright, and the chemistry between the characters (romantic and platonic both!) was fantastic! Lastly, though I was able to detect the mystery, it didn't affect the way I kept wanting to listen to the book. The female narrator did a fantastic job. The book started slowly, but with her voice, I was pulled into it and grew to love how she portrayed each character. The male voice, I was not greatly fond of, but I was willing to overlook it because the characters were interesting enough to keep me going.

I do, however, dislike the shift between first-person and third-person POVs upon character switch. I'm not sure what the purpose of this change is, and it was a bit distracting to me. I also thought there were too many POVs. Some POVs were only present once or twice. I even think one of them could be eliminated without affecting the story. But it could be a me-problem, because over five characters' POVs are usually a big turn-off for me. The fact that I enjoyed the story with seven POVs (I think there were seven? I could be wrong) says something about the writer's talent.

Overall, it was an enjoyable book. It sort of reminds me of a more romantic, less cartoony version of Vera Wong's Guide to Murder, with a great found-family as the cast, and it also touches on deeper themes of humanity while telling a cozy mystery story.

An annoying problem with J.D. Nichols' mystery novel, THE MARIGOLD COTTAGES MURDER COLLECTIVE, is that the diverse characters living in the Marigold cottages never quite achieve the feel of actual people existing in real life. This leads to the story's basic flaw that the whole premise of the plot seems implausible. There's been a murder at the Marigold, one of the occupants has been arrested and, for no discernible reason, the Marigold's owner, Mrs. B, decides to save him by confessing to the crime. While it may often be true that a mystery might require some suspension of disbelief, it asks too much of the reader to cancel it completely. The story goes on to sort things out, along with various sub-plots, until all is solved. Simply states, THE MARIGOLD COTTAGES MURDER COLLECTIVE is not a page-turner, and most people who enjoy an entertaining mystery should look elsewhere.

This charming mystery is set in Santa Barbara’s costal community of six Craftsman Cottages owned by the elderly Mrs. B who uses an eclectic sliding scale for determining rent for her tenants. Three weeks after leasing to an ex- con, a body is found in the bushes near the cottages. This delightful read has all the vibes of ‘Only Murders in the Building’. Told from multiple points of view. This is a fast- paced mystery filled with endearing characters. Jo Nichols has a witty writing style and I look forward to reading more of her work.

The audiobook is narrated by Megan Price who does a stunning job of narration.

Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I tend to read or listen to more intense, darker mysteries, but this was a nice change. A hopeful story about a landlady who rents a series of cottages on a beach in California. The cottages are rented out by a variety of people who only have one thing in common, Mrs. B, the landlady likes them. But they get a little nervous when she rents to a man who would appear to be a violent ex con. And when a murder takes place nearby, the new tenant becomes the prime suspect. The other renters breathe, a sigh of relief when he’s gone, Mrs. B is sure he’s innocent and she’s going to convince the rest of her tenants to step up and help prove his innocence. This was a really nice read in a time when there was so much ugliness in this country. It was a true balm for the soul

This is a very interesting cozy read. The story is mixed with clues throughout and with secrets thrown in. While reading it you kinda feel like you’re in a little village. The characters are quirky and fun. Recommend this for a quick read.

3.75⭐️
This was a cute cozy mystery that was a comforting read in between more gritty material. I will say that there was A LOT going on. Probably a bit too much as it seemed like the book didn’t know what it wanted to be at times. But it was enjoyable so that won out.

I consumed the audiobook and Megan Price did a fine job with the narration. She spoke at a great pace that didn’t need any rate increase beyond my personal desires. There were a few accents that were a bit harder to listen to but that’s purely a personal issue.

The book will be great if you just need a comfort read with a quirky cast of characters! The found family feel of the development they all live in is a bonus!
I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as so don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again.

3-3.5 stars

A community of people in apartment buildings in Southern California are navigating greedy real estate developers, family secrets and a new formerly incarcerated neighbor. There's a single mother with two children, a woman traumatized by a former stalker, and a quirky matriarch who runs the place. There's also a wealthy woman with a jealous soon-to-be-ex-husband, a man with curious ties to the matriarch, and I think another tenant? There are a lot of characters here, and sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's who. (Also, one character is written in first person while the rest are written in third person, and I'm not exactly sure why that is.)

I enjoyed the beginning and ending of this book but found the middle to be slow. I found the characters a bit flat, if not uneven, and felt like because there were so many POVs I didn't really feel any kind of connection to any particular character, even the ones I was clearly supposed to love. I do think there is an audience for this book, and the comparison to Only Murders In The Building feels apt for genre. This is a sweet summer read for people who like ensembles, protective meddling matriarchs, and amateur sleuths. But I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the Vera Wong series, which in my opinion is a much better version of the quirky lovable matriarch with a brood of found family.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for both the advanced listener copy of this book. The Audiobook was very well done. This book is out August 19, 2025.