Much as I love to read about grisly murders and psychological drama, every now and again, my head needs a break and I look for something on the lighter side. When I saw the description of this cozy mystery - the first of a series - it sounded great on several levels. As the title suggests, it's centered around books and a group of rather stuffy women who get together to read and discuss mysteries as part of the Agathas Book Club - and as an avid reader of that genre, it couldn't be more perfect. Adding to the appeal is that the book is set in Oakwood, Ohio - a Dayton suburb quite familiar to me for the first 18 years of my life as I grew up on a farm perhaps 45 minutes away. I didn't hesitate to request an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, and I was elated when that request was approved. Maggie pulled out a chocolate sponge cake to serve the police, who came to question her. She sent the cake with the police to the police station. Is this something you would do? All in all, this was quite an entertaining ride. It did have certain OTT elements, but those were quite limited, and such farfetched situations are anyway part and parcel of this genre nowadays. So I just kept my logical hat aside and enjoyed the journey, going with the flow merrily. I wanted a fun popcorn thriller, and the book delivered! Count me in to try more books by this author. We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available. In the meantime, use our generic mystery questions …then take off on your own: The author knows his locational setting well, and it shows! The description of Dun Laoghaire, its culture, its small town vibe, the Gardai, the library – every tiny detail connected to the Irish town serves to add a layer of authenticity to the proceedings, no matter how wild the ride gets.

The Book Club Murders: The Oakwood Book Club Mystery Series

Although mixing with the most influential women in town has its advantages, Charley finds the endless gossip a high price to pay. But after two women with close ties to the Agathas are brutally murdered, everyone falls under threat—and suspicion. When key evidence indicates that both murders are the work of the same hand, Charley realizes that the killer has arranged each corpse in perfect imitation of crime scenes from the Club’s murder mystery reading list. She uses her membership in the Club to convince Detective Marcus Trenault to use her as an inside informant. Not that he could stop her anyway. Charley has the inside scoop about the other members and Marc is going to have to bite his tongue and use her as an informant. Not that Charley gave him any chance to say No!Overall, a well crafted murder mystery to keep readers thinking. Charley is a heroine readers will love and want to read more about. I know I do. I’m looking forward to more books in this new series. When Izzy relocates from the city to the seaside town of Dun Laoghaire to escape a controlling ex, she thinks she's found the perfect haven. The town welcome her and she's soon invited to the local book club - but the group is established and tight-knit and each has their own issues that drag Izzy down. This book was entertaining 😄. It’s not the usual dark and somber mystery/suspense that I’m used to, but interesting nonetheless (with humorous parts). I could actually see this book being adapted into a film.

The Book Club Murders (Oakwood Mystery, book 1) by Leslie Nagel

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. Leslie Nagel is a good author and I plan on reading more of her. In a charming cozy mystery series debut, Leslie Nagel’s irrepressible small-town heroine finds that her fellow mystery book club members may be taking their Agatha Christie a bit too literally—and murder a bit too lightly.From the latest Scandinavian serial killer to Golden Age detective stories, we love our crime novels!