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Murder at the Book Club: A DCI Chloe Taylor Mystery
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Murder at the Book Club by Colin Wade had a premise that immediately caught my attention: a book club, multiple murders, and a group of members with plenty of secrets to hide. As a mystery reader, I loved the idea of literary discussions turning into a murder investigation, and the village setting added to the cosy crime atmosphere.
I enjoyed the book club dynamics, particularly the tensions surrounding Rosemary Channing-Brearley and her influence over the investigation. DCI Chloe Taylor was also an interesting lead, and the pressure she faces both professionally and personally added another layer to the story. There were some intriguing twists and plenty of suspects to keep the mystery moving.
However, the pacing felt uneven at times. Some sections dragged, while the final reveal seemed to come together a little too quickly after the buildup. I would have liked a more balanced payoff that allowed the mystery to fully breathe.
Overall, this was an entertaining mystery with an appealing premise and some enjoyable character dynamics, even if it didn't completely deliver on its potential for me. Fans of British cosy crime, village mysteries, and police procedurals will likely find plenty to enjoy, especially if they appreciate an ensemble cast full of secrets.
Thank you to NetGalley, The Book Guild, and the author for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the book club dynamics, particularly the tensions surrounding Rosemary Channing-Brearley and her influence over the investigation. DCI Chloe Taylor was also an interesting lead, and the pressure she faces both professionally and personally added another layer to the story. There were some intriguing twists and plenty of suspects to keep the mystery moving.
However, the pacing felt uneven at times. Some sections dragged, while the final reveal seemed to come together a little too quickly after the buildup. I would have liked a more balanced payoff that allowed the mystery to fully breathe.
Overall, this was an entertaining mystery with an appealing premise and some enjoyable character dynamics, even if it didn't completely deliver on its potential for me. Fans of British cosy crime, village mysteries, and police procedurals will likely find plenty to enjoy, especially if they appreciate an ensemble cast full of secrets.
Thank you to NetGalley, The Book Guild, and the author for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
If you enjoy watching murder mystery series like Midsomer Murders, Pie in the Sky, Inspector Lewis or Inspector Morse than I think you would really enjoy Murder at the book club.
The village at the heart of this story has a book club with eight enthusiastic members, except one by one they seem to be meeting a sticky end....just what has happened to make people want to target the women? Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor is called to investigate the first murder, the poisoning of member Katharine, a local teaching assistant. Chloe soon realises that this case is more complex than originally thought and her team have to work quickly to find the culprit before another member faces an untimely end.
Short snappy chapters drive the action forward with characters you will love to hate. Queen Bee of the bookclub Rosemary Channing-Brearley, oozed vibes of Hyacinth Bucket to me and I laughed my head off and loathed her in equal measure (she wouldn't get to stay in my bookclub, especially with her use of the word "gals"!)
The story touches on topical subjects, such as work and family choices that many working women have to make regarding children and the trade off of priorities between family and work, but at times for me this detracted from the main heart of the story. I definitely got distracted by Chloe's relationship with her husband, who couldn't seem to leave her alone!
I really liked the character of Beverley and enjoyed learning more of her back story, and it would have been nicer to have more of the background of each of the book club members. By the conclusion of the story the various strands are all pulled together to a satisfying conclusion, did I guess one of the reveals? Yes but I didn't mind as it felt quite satisfying having worked it out. I look forward to seeing what Chloe and her team have to solve next.
The village at the heart of this story has a book club with eight enthusiastic members, except one by one they seem to be meeting a sticky end....just what has happened to make people want to target the women? Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor is called to investigate the first murder, the poisoning of member Katharine, a local teaching assistant. Chloe soon realises that this case is more complex than originally thought and her team have to work quickly to find the culprit before another member faces an untimely end.
Short snappy chapters drive the action forward with characters you will love to hate. Queen Bee of the bookclub Rosemary Channing-Brearley, oozed vibes of Hyacinth Bucket to me and I laughed my head off and loathed her in equal measure (she wouldn't get to stay in my bookclub, especially with her use of the word "gals"!)
The story touches on topical subjects, such as work and family choices that many working women have to make regarding children and the trade off of priorities between family and work, but at times for me this detracted from the main heart of the story. I definitely got distracted by Chloe's relationship with her husband, who couldn't seem to leave her alone!
I really liked the character of Beverley and enjoyed learning more of her back story, and it would have been nicer to have more of the background of each of the book club members. By the conclusion of the story the various strands are all pulled together to a satisfying conclusion, did I guess one of the reveals? Yes but I didn't mind as it felt quite satisfying having worked it out. I look forward to seeing what Chloe and her team have to solve next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Excellent! An incredibly difficult series of murder cases for Chloe and her team to solve. Three women from the same book club all murdered in a short period of time, all with different MO's. A serial killer, an organised series of hits, or 3 different murderers? With excellent police work, lots of digging, and an anonymous tip, the cases are slowly sorted out. But at the same time, there's a fourth element, a cold case. Is that also linked? Just when it looks like Chloe has her suspect/s, something new comes to light that changes everything all over again. And there's the politics from above that puts pressure on Chloe to close the cases quickly. A well written police procedural, with great characters. I couldn't put it down!
Thanks to Netgalley, The Book Guild, and Colin Wade for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Netgalley, The Book Guild, and Colin Wade for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DCI Taylor is called to a suspicious murder and then another two. Investigations begin with a group of characters from the local book club, and Taylor wrestles with her senior officers and a local community member to allow her to conduct a full investigation.
The plot is well written, and the office-based scenarios reflect how police investigations work. Each step is carefully planned to give the reader plenty to think about, with several slick scenes that reset the reader's thoughts.
Overall, the concept of a close-knit community with secrets drives a good plot with ample opportunity to misread a situation, which is carefully planted in the story.
This is the second book in the series I have read, and I can't wait for the next one.
The plot is well written, and the office-based scenarios reflect how police investigations work. Each step is carefully planned to give the reader plenty to think about, with several slick scenes that reset the reader's thoughts.
Overall, the concept of a close-knit community with secrets drives a good plot with ample opportunity to misread a situation, which is carefully planted in the story.
This is the second book in the series I have read, and I can't wait for the next one.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A book club, secrets, and a poisoning… what could possibly go wrong? ☕️📚
I really enjoyed the mystery in Murder at the Book Club by Colin Wade. Just when I thought I had an idea of who was behind everything, I started questioning myself again.
What stood out to me most was how much can hide behind perfectly polite smiles. The tension between the characters kept things interesting, and DCI Chloe Taylor has her own personal pressures to deal with while trying to untangle the secrets surrounding the book club.
A cosy setting with a darker side, plenty of suspicion, and a mystery that kept me guessing!
I really enjoyed the mystery in Murder at the Book Club by Colin Wade. Just when I thought I had an idea of who was behind everything, I started questioning myself again.
What stood out to me most was how much can hide behind perfectly polite smiles. The tension between the characters kept things interesting, and DCI Chloe Taylor has her own personal pressures to deal with while trying to untangle the secrets surrounding the book club.
A cosy setting with a darker side, plenty of suspicion, and a mystery that kept me guessing!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a super enjoyable small village murder mystery. I really enjoyed the premise of it being around a bookclub. The police and group interactions were good and I liked seeing the case develop. The twists were engaging and it felt like I wanted to keep reading.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Murder at the Book Club was… okay. I wanted to like this one more than I did, especially with the book-club setting and a string of murders involving its members. There was definitely potential for a fun, twisty mystery.
Unfortunately, the story felt like it dragged in places, and I found myself waiting for things to move along. Then, after such a long buildup, the ending felt rushed. The final reveal came together very quickly, and the additional death at the end felt more like a last-minute attempt to add another twist than something that naturally fit the story.
I did enjoy Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor and some of the interpersonal dynamics surrounding the investigation, but overall, the pacing kept me from really getting invested in the mystery.
Not a bad read, but not one that will stick with me. 2.5 stars.
Unfortunately, the story felt like it dragged in places, and I found myself waiting for things to move along. Then, after such a long buildup, the ending felt rushed. The final reveal came together very quickly, and the additional death at the end felt more like a last-minute attempt to add another twist than something that naturally fit the story.
I did enjoy Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor and some of the interpersonal dynamics surrounding the investigation, but overall, the pacing kept me from really getting invested in the mystery.
Not a bad read, but not one that will stick with me. 2.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews