This was an entertaining read, not to be taken too seriously, but with some VERY serious themes of abuse and misuse of power. It wrote about a world that is alien to me. Fan zones, worship of television series, gossip about celebrities and internet bloggers. Consequently, at times I found it hard to follow, or even particularly care about some of the peaks and troughs of popularity. On the other hand, I was distressed by the human trafficking and misogyny. It’s a cleverly constructed narrative, interspersed with hashtag comments. I enjoyed it, even though it was different from my normal choice of reading.

Sleuths is a fun debut novel that is thoroughly of its time. It focuses on pop culture and super-fandom while introducing a dark and sinister plot possibility involving a celebrity. Incorporating social media posts and articles about fandom throughout the story makes for an interesting and enjoyable read that is certain to appeal to popcorn thriller fans who like to give new authors a try.

Melody is a fangirl: she is obsessed with the star of a British period drama and has created a popular fan social media account that analyzes the on-screen and personal activities of her idol. When he is captured on hidden video at an exclusive and secret night club with an unknown woman, the gossip begins to circulate. The fervor only escalates when the gossip account pulls the video a few hours after posting it. Melody tries to analyze the situation on a live video feed and gets massively misinterpreted, forcing her to close her accounts in the face of being canceled. She and two of her fellow fans embark on an investigation into who their idol's paramour might be, and in the process they uncover what may be evidence of a human trafficking ring. The plot is thickened by Melody's awkward involvement with a journalist whom she meets while trying to gain access to the secret night club.

The story is fast-paced and very entertaining, and while Melody makes some ridiculous choices, she is likable and easy to root for. The examination of the parasocial relationships between fans and celebrities is timely and spot-on, and this social commentary enhances the plot by making the story feel fresh and new. The author did a fantastic job of creating a fictional fandom very similar to the toxic communities that surround real-life productions and celebrities.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A great read. Five stars. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC

This book is already compared to Only Murders In The Building, but it really shouldn't be. It is its own witty and dark stands alone story and doesn't need the comparison at all.

That said, let's talk about how 3 fans of a sexy period drama and most importantly of all the handsome leading man stumble upon a very dark secret and set out to save the day.

Mel is floundering at work and in life. She is living the London dream in a tiny flat, eking out an existence, but her fandom page and socials dedicated to Larksholm keep her going and are the centre of her world, that is until one day a grainy video from a night club brings her (virtual) world crashing down and she decides to make it right by finding out the why, where and what for behind the video. Helped (and often hindered) by her fellow fans Aggie and Priya she delves into full detective mode little realising it's going to be taking her to the dark underbelly of London and far away from her beloved regency world.

So I really enjoyed this book, although a lot of the fan stuff passed me by as I have never been a super fan of anything, but the story was captivating enough to keep me hooked. It was witty and dark in equal measure, and I absolutely loved how they just kept coming up with such ludicrous plans that worked.

The only downside for me was the sex scene between Mel and Levi. I just didn't add anything to the book or the plot!

It's not easy running a fan site.

Melody is accused of posting a fake picture, when all she's done is post a picture of actor Griff kissing an unknown woman.

But when Melody and her friends try to prove the photos is real, and Griff is no longer single, they find a missing person's report instead of a girlfriend...

Brilliant

Improved. Investigated. Informed.

I’ll admit it: this book and I did not hit it off at first. The world of online fandoms and celebrity obsession? Not my scene, not my hobby, and not somewhere I’m hoping to vacation anytime soon. For the first few chapters, I was basically side-eyeing everyone.

But then… it clicked.

The writing is genuinely excellent — vivid, sharply observed, and surprisingly funny in places. And Melody, who initially baffled me, slowly shook off the fangirl fog and morphed into a rather determined little sleuth. Once she found her stride, I found mine too.

It ends up being a light, easy read that still manages to orbit around something far darker beneath the surface. And honestly? For a debut, Samantha Moody has done a cracking job.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC of “Sleuths” by Samantha Moody.

This book was a hoot! I really enjoyed it and read it in one sitting. Melody is brilliant. More please.

This may have been a slow start but the story built and the ending was exciting
An enjoyable read and would recommend

Sleuths is a sharp, funny and surprisingly tense mystery that takes online fandom, celebrity obsession and the chaos of amateur sleuthing and spins it into a story that feels fresh and hugely entertaining. The central hook is brilliant. A fan account admin posts a photo of her favourite actor and suddenly finds herself at the centre of a storm when the woman in the picture turns out to be missing. It is the perfect mix of modern paranoia, internet drama and real danger.

Melody is such a relatable lead. She is adrift in work, clinging to her fandom for comfort, and when everything blows up she throws herself into detective mode with a mixture of panic, stubbornness and charm. Her friendship with Aggie and Priya gives the book a warm, chaotic energy, and I loved the way they bicker, plot and charge headfirst into trouble. Every plan they put together feels just unhinged enough to work and it adds so much personality to the story.

The mystery itself is clever and fast paced. The deeper Melody digs, the stranger and darker things become, and I enjoyed the way the story shifts from lighthearted fandom comedy into something much more unsettling. The London settings, the nightclub scenes and the glimpses into the darker corners of celebrity culture all add to the atmosphere. There are moments of real tension tucked between the laughs, and the balance works beautifully.

Levi is a great addition to the group and brings a nice spark whenever he appears. The dynamic between him and Melody feels natural and believable without taking over the plot. It sits neatly within the story and adds that touch of warmth without distracting from the mystery.

Witty, engaging and far more gripping than I expected, this is a clever and entertaining thriller with heart, humour and a surprisingly dark edge. A great pick if you enjoy modern mysteries with messy characters, internet drama and a storyline that pulls you in from the start.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This was definitely an interesting unique read
I enjoyed it the characters were definitely interesting and the story was good

It’s defo a one that is a little slow to start but im glad I carried on! I really enjoyed the concept and thought it was a great read!

This book was a little bit hit and miss at times for me, I enjoyed the friendship between Mel, Aggie and Priya but can’t say I was sold on the whole fandom thing.

In the end I went with 4 stars because it was fun overall despite being totally unbelievable but I think that just added to the story.

This was a great debut and I look forward to reading more in the future.

Perhaps not as funny as it may consider itself to be, Sleuths is still a sharp satire of modern celebrity and stan culture, pitching an uber-fan as the unlikely Miss Marple uncovering her idol's seedy underbelly. Enjoyably prickly at times, Sleuths is 'Bridget Jones has a crack at solving a possible kidnapping' and mostly succeeds on those terms

I enjoyed this book once I got into it. At first it didn’t really grab my attention, but it eventually did. It was somewhat slow moving, and it’s written it British English. But overall, it wasn’t bad!

3.75 stars

I genuienly enjoyed this book. I will say that the beginning took a little bit to get going but once everyone came together and started actually planning things out and putting eachother to work it ramped up and became one of those books that I didn't want to put down. All of the characters felt like they were written very well and felt like they responded in a real way to the things happening around them, however I will never claim to completely understand the hardcore fandom individuals so maybe that isn't really how some of them act. I liked that there was a romantic interest included in the story but that it in no way took a front seat to the event they were trying to solve, it felt like an added bonus that made my heart happy.