I've never read anything quite like this book. I wasn't expecting the plot to go the way it did. The language and romance is stronger than a regular cozy but I found it a nice change of pace. There was a little too much detail for my liking which made it start off slow for me.

Charley owns a vintage clothing store, and with her good friend Frankie are members of the Agatha book club, which reads mysteries of course. When a member's sister is found murdered, Charley and Frankie are on the snoop. Helping hunky detective Marc doesn't hurt either. Good start to a fun to read cozy mystery. Highly recommend.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

4.5 Stars

This is the first book in the Oakwood Mystery series by Leslie Nagel. I think the name the Agathas Book Club Mystery series would be a more appropriate series title, but that is just me.

This is a schooling on how to plot the perfect murder using your favorite mystery novels. It seems someone in the Agathas Book Club is killing off people tied to their membership. They are cleverly using scenes from the books on the book club’s exclusive list. Detective Marcus (Mark) Ternault is on the case and Charley Carpenter, the owner of the Old Hat Vintage Fashions store and Agathas member is right by his side. These two have an on again, off again type of relationship. But the more Charley sticks her nose into things, the more annoyed Mark gets. He is confused by his growing feelings for Charley and her involvement in the case.

Until the killer’s identity was revealed near the end, I had no clue who it might be. I think I was zoned in more on the relationship between Mark and Charley than following the clues to the mystery.m I enjoyed how they used the plots in books to set the murder scene. I can’t wait to get to book two in this series and see where everything goes from here. Definitely liking a majority of the players here. Such a fun series. It is one I want to continue to follow.

If you love a good cozy mystery, you have to check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

The first of the Oakwood Mystery series. A decent novel to kill some time. Not stellar writing but good enough.

I wanted to be part of this club, well written, enjoyed this alot. I would seriously recommend, a good wintery read for mystery readers.

I enjoyed this mystery but I did feel that there was a bit too much violence and sex for a cozy. Charley owns a vintage clothing store in small town Ohio and belongs to a mystery book club. When murders start happening around town that are similar to the books the club is reading she works with the police in solving the crimes. Since this is the first book a lot of characters are introduced. The mystery was good with lots of suspects and twist and turns. The reader is given a chance to solve it. I was not a fan of the romantic side plot. There were no surprises there and there is some light sex. I probably will read the next one since I enjoyed the mystery.

I love a good mystery and that is exactly what this book provided. Charley Carpenter owns Old Hat Vintage Fashions and belongs to Agathas Book Club. While she feels she is not of the social circle that the Agathas are, she belongs to help promote her store.

After the latest meeting of the club, one of the members is found dead. Detective Marcus Trenault is on the case and Charley is having to deal with feelings about him as well as the death of a club member.

A few days later, another member of the club is found dead. That is when Charley realizes both murders are fashioned after two of the books the club members have read. She tried to help figure out “who done it”, by getting Marc to let her become an inside informant. He is none to keen on that as he has feelings for Charley.

One by one they eliminate members of the club but have they eliminated the right ones? To figure that out, you will have to read the book.

Charley Carpenter owns a vintage clothing store in her little hometown. She ,along with her bff, Frankie, is in the Agatha Book Club with other local women. These mystery lovers read a new book each month, culminating with a classic from Agatha Christie herself.
After the sister of one of the members is murdered, Charley finds herself drawn to the investigation, much to the dismay of Marcus Trenault, an Oakwood police detective. There has been bad blood between Charley anc Marcus dating back several years.
When another girl is killed, it is Charley who sees the connection.
Well plotted with a sneaky twist.

I got this for review, but also rented it from my local library and let me say... I am a big fan of The Book Club Murders. Cozies are a passion of mine and I felt a strong connection to the characters as well as loved the setting. This is a perfect novel for those starting off in this genre with the elements of a great cozy mystery.

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel
Review by Dawn Thomas
Rating: 5

264 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Alibi
Release Date: September 27, 2016

Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers

Charley is late for this month’s book club meeting where they are going to discuss a J.A. Jance book. What she doesn’t need right now is a roadblock. Every safety department vehicle is parked near a bridge overpass. Charley wants to see what is going on until she spots Detective Marcus Trenault. Since they have a history, and not in a good way, she makes a quick U-turn before he sees her.

Charley is the owner of Old Hat, a vintage clothing store. She is also an Agatha, a member of the local murder mystery club. When the sister of one of the Agathas turns up dead, Charley sets her mind to finding out who done it. A second woman is found dead in a locked room. Both deaths are suspicious and at each scene is a different murder mystery book. This ties the Agathas to the murders. Charley enlists the help from her best friend and fellow Agatha, Frankie. Together, they gather clues all to the dismay of Detective Marcus Trenault. His boss is getting pressure to solve the murders before anyone else dies.

This is a great mystery story. I love how the author ties in real mystery novels into the story. It reminds me of Agatha Christie’s story “And Then There Were None.”

I was looking forward to reading this as it takes place in a book club (hence the title!) and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Filled with quirky characters, a decent mystery and a wonderful setting, it was a quick and fun read.

*Huge thanks to Leslie Nagel, Random House Publishing Group - Alibi and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*

The things one will do to succeed in business. I don't mean anything illegal or immoral, but sometimes they can be dangerous and deadly. Not that joining a book club should require self defense training but rather Charley Carpenter figured she would need patience and perseverance training to be able to hobnob with the social elite belonging to the Agatha Christie book club. Members of which she hoped would then frequent her trendy vintage clothing store, she wasn't expecting a member to wind up dead. Dead in a way that mirrored one of the books they had recently read. Charley can't help but want to help and offers to keep the very handsome detective Trenault in the loop while she gets busy as a snoop. The chemistry between those two made the book that much more enjoyable and I was not able to guess the who done it all the way up to the end. Looking forward to many more installments. A true cozy!

I haven't read this author before. Good cosy mystery, I'd look out for the next one. Thank you for letting me read and review this book.

Solid genre mystery, and a series that shows potential.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.*

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was interesting: after a few murders in a wealthy Ohio suburb, the main character realizes that the murder scenes are straight out of the books that her book club has been reading. She begins working with the police, including the attractive detective she's had a crush on since seventh grade (but they've had a stormy past), to try to figure out who is committing these murders before more people are killed.

The main character, Charley, is cute and relate-able, the lone single career woman (she owns a vintage clothing shop) in a book club full of rich socialite wives. The full supporting cast is interesting and colorful, from her friends to the book club members to the other police officers on the force. I was a little overwhelmed at first, because you've just started the book and then bam, bam, bam, you're introduced to every member of the book club, and I was sure I'd never remember who was who, but the author is wise. She gave you enough one-on-one time with the characters to get to know them and keep them straight, and she even gives you another rundown of the group when Charley is giving the police her insights on her fellow book club members.

My one complaint about this book, and the only reason I would hesitate to recommend this book, is it has a lot more bad language than I generally prefer. I may give the next book in the series a try and attempt to overlook it, but if the pattern continues, I sadly think I'll have to give up this series. Too bad, because it's very well-written and extremely entertaining.

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel
Alibi, 2017
Crime Fiction (Cozy); 271 pgs
Source: NetGalley

I loved The Book Club Murders from the start. It's got a good combination of mystery and romance, all in a cozy setting. Charley Carpenter is the newest member of the Agathas Book Club and a bit of an outsider. The members are the wealthy and elite of Oakwood, Ohio. Charley does love to read, but her ulterior motive in joining the group was to expand notice of her store, Old Hat Vintage Fashions. She's been doing her best to fit in, but often feels more like the square peg trying to fit into the group's round hole. Luckily, one of her best friends is a member of the group and that makes the situation much more bearable.

On her way to a book club meeting one night, Charley is made to take a detour because her usual way is blocked by the police. Someone has been murdered. When the police come knocking on the door of the house where the group is meeting, it all becomes evident that the dead person is someone they know.

Detective Marcus Trenault hasn't seen a murder like this since his days working in the big city. The murder scene is well staged and the evidence scant. The weight of the investigation is on his shoulders as his boss and the mayor demand quick results.

Charley and Marc share a shaky past, one built on animosity. Just the same, their attraction to each other is immediate, although they both make an effort to resist. I was kind of taken surprise by the strength of the romance in The Book Club Murders, but it wasn't at all unwelcome. I thought Charley and Marc were well matched, and I though their story was well played out. Past grievances, misunderstandings, and family loyalty all coming into play.

Even with the strong romance thread, it never felt like the mystery took a backseat to the personal. When another body, clearly staged, is discovered, the pieces begin to come together for Charley, who is reluctant to go to the police. Charley and her friend, Frankie, had already begun nosing around the first murder, concerned that the Oakwood elite would close ranks against the police if questioned, and knowing they would have a better chance at getting answers.

Marc is none too happy with Charley's involvement in the investigation, but he does admire her persistence. When she finally does come to him with her suspicions about how the murders are connected, the staged death scenes taken straight out of the Agatha's reading list, he listens and does not immediately dismiss her. A quality I like in any love interest of the main character.

If I had a problem with this novel, it would be that Charley, as smart as she is, really should have come forward sooner with the information she had--and not just once. She also takes matters into her own hands a few times, doing more than just asking questions. She really needs to think more carefully before she acts. Even with that though, I really enjoyed reading The Book Club Murders. Charley is down to earth and resourceful. Marc is a bit brooding at the beginning, but I appreciate that he takes Charley seriously. He's also pretty smart, even though he and the police always seem one step behind Charley. I just wish she would trust him more to do his job.

The Book Club Murders was a hard novel to put down, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I admit I figured out the whodunit before I got there, but that did not hurt my enjoyment at all. It rarely does. I was just curious to see how everything would fall into place. I look forward to reading more about Charley and Marc in future books in the series.

This is a fun and entertaining start to a cozy mystery series! It had a great main character in Charley Carpenter. The other characters were interesting ones, the storyline held my attention, and I enjoyed the backdrop of Charley's shop and the book club. I'm looking forward to more in the series!