I’m delighted today to be helping launch the blog tour for How Not To Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh, and sharing my publication day review. Published today (1st December) by Boldwood Books, the first in The Bad Girls Detective Agency series, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Thank you, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support: the copy I read was my own, downloaded when the book was part of Amazon’s First Reads programme.
I’m now getting used to the fact that my favourite authors sometimes decide to turn to crime – and, despite the change of genre, I was really delighted to hear that Katie would be writing books for Boldwood, even if cosy mysteries aren’t really my usual choice of reading. And this really is a big change for her – I’ve always approached her books with tissues close to hand, knowing there’ll be tears, that their storylines will break my heart but leave me joyful and uplifted by the end (and if you pop her name into my search bar, you’ll find reviews of all her earlier books). But from the cover alone, I can see this one requires a rather different approach – an appropriate cocktail maybe? But she’s always been such a fantastic writer, and I’m quite excited by her change in direction – this was one I was really looking forward to…
It is 5:30 am on Clio’s forty-fifth birthday and her hated ex is lying dead on her doorstep. Even worse, this is no accident. Someone’s killed him…
When single mum Clio’s ex Gary turns up dead on the doorstep of her caravan – the one she’s been forced to live in ever since he stole every penny she had – there’s only one suspect. Her.
What’s more, she doesn’t remember much about the night he was killed – not just because of the forgetfulness that’s been plaguing her along with the hot flushes – but because she definitely had one too many cocktails with her two best friends Amber and Jeanie.
Clio does remember them talking about how much they all hated him though. And, in the frame for murder, she has to ask herself – if she didn’t kill Gary, who did? One of his many enemies? Or someone a little closer to home? And can she and her friends find the real killer before it’s too late?
Unputdownable mystery set on the English coast – perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Bad Sisters, and How to Kill Your Family.
A cosy mystery, they said. Now, I don’t know about you, but that rather made me feel I knew what I was expecting – and it certainly wasn’t three women friends and a drunken night of birthday celebrations ending up with one of them passed out on the floor, another locked in the toilet, and the third returning from a night in the dunes with no memory of the night before to find her ex-husband lying dead on the doorstep with the back of his head bashed in. But they’d also promised clever, and laugh-out-loud – and this book was certainly one that delivered in every possible way.
It’s a wonderful story of female friendship, with the most fantastic and very real characters. Clio is struggling in every way – living in a borrowed caravan after being shafted by ex Gary, no money, the peri-menopause making life a misery – but she’s determined that teen daughter Nina will achieve her dream of university and becoming a doctor. Amber is ex-police, a massive chip on her shoulder after the way her career ended, larger than life, with an unexpected touch of OCD – but just the woman you’d want in your corner if you found yourself in Clio’s position. And then there’s Jeanie – at long last she’s the mother of twins, but with all her confidence entirely gone, her marriage in pieces. I loved every one of them – each of them has their own viewpoint as the story builds – and the relationship between them is something very special indeed.
And then there’s Gary – and as the women deal with what happens afterwards, in parallel we follow the last day of his life. And we discover how thoroughly horrendous and obnoxious he was – entirely lacking in any moral compass, unable to keep it in his trousers, willing to go to any lengths to secure the money he needs to save his business and support the lifestyle he believes he deserves no matter who he hurts in the process. He’s such a total git that you almost feel sorry for him – within limits, of course – but can also understand that there might be quite a few people who wouldn’t mourn his passing.
I don’t want to spoil the story in any way, but I have to say I loved every single moment – all at breakneck speed, the tension steadily mounting as Clio becomes the prime suspect and the friends join forces to make up for the ineptitude of the police investigation. There are moments of high drama, bravery that takes your breath away, moments you read through your fingers – there are villains aplenty, and the mystery certainly takes plenty of twists and turns that I really didn’t see coming. But what I haven’t mentioned is the humour, that sparks and crackles throughout – yes, it’s quirky at times, and “laugh-out-loud” might not always be my favourite thing, but this book was a complete joy from its beginning to its wholly satisfying and glorious end. And then there’s the exceptional warmth of the story – the strength of the women’s friendship is something that really does your heart good.
And the very best thing? This is only the first book in a planned series (next one to follow in March), and I really can’t wait to see what life has in store for these wonderful women that I love so much. This book was sheer enjoyment from beginning to end, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
About the author
Katie Marsh wrote romantic fiction before turning to crime. Her debut novel was a World Book Night pick and her books are published in ten languages.
She lives in the English countryside and loves strong coffee and pretending to be in charge of her children. How Not to Murder Your Ex, the first in her Bad Girls Detective Agency series, is published by Boldwood Books in December 2023.
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