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July 1922

If there's one thing to draw you together, it's shared misery.

Hettie and Ro married manipulative, lying, money-grubbing pigs. Therefore, they were instant friends. When those philandering dirtbags died, they found themselves the subjects of a murder investigation. Did they kill their husbands? No. Did they joke about it? Maybe. Do they need to find the killer before the crime is pinned on them? They do!

Join Hettie and Ro and their growing friendship as they delve into their own lives to find a killer, a best friend, and perhaps a brighter new outlook.

Book ONE in The Hettie & Ro Adventures. Are you ready for the roaring twenties? For spunky widows determined to take hold of their lives and learn from their mistakes? Who plan to crash into adventure and come out dancing? If so, you’ll love Hettie and Ro. For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, Leighann Dobbs, and Lee Strauss.

A light, cozy mystery with a fun peek into life in the life of a bright young thing. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers.

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2019

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About the author

Beth Byers

128 books282 followers

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5 stars
156 (38%)
4 stars
143 (35%)
3 stars
81 (19%)
2 stars
19 (4%)
1 star
8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
155 reviews2 followers
February 20, 2021
45% read and so far the only thing of note to happen is that a yacht capsized killing an unstated number of very drunk passengers. Because the wife of one of the deceased laughed hysterically on hearing of his death she and her friend whose husband also died are suspected of murder and of course these two deceased are the philanderers that have gone.

So I did finish the book and the plot was actually quite a good one but I felt the tale could have been told in half the pages. It needed a bit more substance to it. Since the two wives appear to be Scotland Yard's chief suspects they decided to solve the case, which of course they go on to do in record time. If your looking for something light and none too taxing to fill in a little time then this book is fine.
Profile Image for Tam Sesto.
887 reviews19 followers
October 12, 2023
It’s all about the friendship.

The characters were fascinating, the plot was clever, and the star of the show, Hettie and Ro’s friendship from the way it starts to the way they solve the murder. All in all, a fun book to read, and I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series. I can’t wait to see where their friendship takes them next.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Amanda Jane.
1,337 reviews11 followers
August 18, 2019
Not for me..

Too far.. too ridiculous.. too everything.. such an unbelievable plot and resolution that it's not worth reading really..

Errors with the name of a lead character, typos and other mistakes such as having to have an Officiant for the funeral; we have funeral directors not Officiants.

Plot hole surrounding the yacht and the survivors getting to hospital (to say more would make reading pointless). Lack of a defined motive behind the killer. Too many people are dismissed from the investigation off the cuff and there's never really any kind of investigation into any of the other victims or their potential to be the key to the crime. By killing off "multiple" people there was an opportunity to create more uncertainty and drama about the crime rather than only seriously considering a couple.. missed opportunity.. try killing off fewer and broadening the scope of the investigation.
Profile Image for Tony Hisgett.
3,094 reviews38 followers
October 2, 2020
This was a nice idea that wasn’t that well thought through. The problems started quite early as I found Harriet and Ro annoying rather than interesting. There were also problems with the plot, for example, a boat sinks and within a few hours there are homicide detectives trying to accuse people of murder without investigating any of the facts. In fact there wasn’t much of an investigation, in the end the guilty parties just made themselves known.
This wasn’t a great start to the series, but there is potential and hopefully neither of the newly independent women will be rushing to put a man back in charge, like many other historical mystery I have read recently.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Christine Margaret Costello.
315 reviews
September 11, 2021
Murder and mayhem

I enjoyed the friendship of these two ladies and the plot was good, will read the next in the series. There were a few errors in the book, instead of Leonard it said Leopold and some Americanism were in the story when it was set in London
Profile Image for Stevie Ferris.
41 reviews
January 22, 2025
Awesome

Love how the two women got together and became best of friends so fast because of their past enjoyed that because when you get older girlfriends are the only thing you have left
16 reviews
January 15, 2025
Sweet read

Not very technical or descriptive but if you are looking for something that is an easy to read book, you’ve found it. I rather enjoyed it.
144 reviews2 followers
August 20, 2019
Two new friends and murders to solve

Hettie and Ro meet at a party where their drunken husbands are groping other women and being their usual cruel selves. They decide to leave together for another party after their husbands loudly announce their intentions to continue drinking on Leonard's yacht with mistresses in tow. When Hettie and Ro come home in the early morning, they are greeted by the news of an accident with the yacht and multiple dead. Identifying bodies is only slightly harder than discovering that they are the prime suspects in the murder investigation. How to prove your innocence is a bit harder when you clearly hated the dead spouse. This book focused on the plight of women who could not escape abusive husbands legally, but done with grace and humor as Hettie and Ro begin to walk in freedom of they can just prove they are not murderers. A fun read of a serious problem.
45 reviews1 follower
Read
September 19, 2019
Loved it!

Reads as a fast paced first adventure for two tried and tested friends. Perhaps too tried. The shared grief and relief bring them closer together throughout. Each has a moment or two of decent men seeing them as real individuals with hearts and minds.
There was a point where I screamed (in my mind) an obvious next step. The friends took that step. Often characters make downright stupid moves, like in horror movies where everybody splits up and walks, backwards, into the night woods. No such stupidness with Hettie & Ro!
Profile Image for Patricia Crockett.
76 reviews1 follower
August 22, 2019
I couldn’t put this book down!

This book is for those of us who have a wonderful best friend, or those (like me) who truly wish for one!
I highlighted so many things in this books, and I saved many to ponder again and again.
It’s such a great read, well written with not one, but two fabulous female protagonists.
I’m not going to give any spoilers-youve just got to read it for yourself!
Profile Image for Terri Borkgren.
819 reviews7 followers
October 19, 2019
I loved this first in a series. The two main characters become fast friends and detectives in solving the deaths of their philandering husbands. Hettie and Ro take the reader on their 1920 adventure where they begin to become independent from their dependant lifestyle with the husbands who consistently betray them and hints at other women being abused in that era. It's done in a light way but the story is a wonderful read.
Profile Image for Marie Shirley Griffin.
808 reviews10 followers
August 26, 2019
Interesting

It's a "cozy" mystery, but it's a bit more gritty.

Two women becoming fast friends while bonding over the horror of their marriages. It's at a time when divorce was not legal and women were nothing more than chattel.

It's not a book for those who have been beaten or worse.
Profile Image for Tara.
84 reviews
August 20, 2019
2.5 stars

I enjoyed the story, but maybe not the characters? Maybe with more embellishments/development of their character.
Also, surely it would've been relatively easy to prove where they were (it's not like they were alone) and therefore be off the hook so to speak.
Profile Image for Erin.
3,190 reviews451 followers
July 6, 2020
How I loved Hettie and Ro with their love at first sight meeting, their terrible husbands, their enormous wealth and their witty banter. I wish there were more than four books in the series, but it's all tied up very neatly and happily.
220 reviews5 followers
August 20, 2019
Enjoyed it

This is a fun new series. I like the main characters and look forward to reading about their adventures. A good, short read.
13 reviews1 follower
August 31, 2019
Fun Read

Enjoyed reading the Philanderers Gone and meeting Bettie and Ro. Looking forward to reading more adventures in the near future.
Profile Image for Janice Fahrney-rudeen.
147 reviews2 followers
September 1, 2019
Bright young things!

This seems to be the beginning of a GREAT new series! I really enjoyed both the characters and the solution. I have already pre-order the 2nd book.
Profile Image for Kathy Holm.
260 reviews3 followers
October 29, 2019
Philanderer's Gone

This book was hard to read because it was boring and repetitive...finally at the end of the 18th chapter, it was over..and so was I.
Profile Image for Ronnale.
124 reviews
November 2, 2019
Fun read

This was a fun read, well written and had me wondering "who done it" most of the way. Love Beth Byers books
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews