The Book Club Murders

By: Leslie Nagel

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

In a charming cozy mystery series debut, Leslie Nagel's irrepressible small-town heroine finds that her fellow book club members may be taking their Agatha Christie a bit too literally - and murder a bit too lightly.

Charley Carpenter has poured heart and soul into her clothing store, Old Hat Vintage Fashions. She'll do anything to make it a success - even join the stuffy Agathas Book Club in order to cultivate customers among the wealthy elite of Oakwood, Ohio.

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.

Intelligent, fearless, and every bit as stubborn as Marc is, Charley soon learns the Agathas aren't the only ones with secrets to protect. Passions explode as she and Marc must race against time to prevent another murder. And if Charley's not careful, she may find herself becoming the killer's next plot twist.

©2016 Leslie Nagel (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A home-run debut...with action, adventure and murders involving mystery books, it is sure to please every cozy mystery fan! I highly recommend adding The Book Club Murders to your fall reading list." ( The Cozy Mystery Journal)

"Charley Carpenter is my kind of woman - smart, strong, and independent. She makes an engaging and utterly appealing new detective. Book some time with Charley today!" (Michael Lister, New York Times best-selling author of Blood Oath)

The book club murders

the story kept you guessing until the end,
both. story line and reader were great.

Language used was not necessary

The language used was not necessary. You should never use God’s name in vain. Story was okay otherwise.

Great Entree Cozy, Fun and Slightly Believable

There is a tone or background noise in the audio that may be disruptive. Good cozy that rightfully gives playful homage to Dame Christie!

Good read

Really enjoyed this book. Will read more of Leslie Bagel. Also hope Dina Perlman narrates.

Excellent start to a new series

Leslie Nagel has written a great story for the beginning of her new series. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, I highly recommend this audiobook.

Loved this Oakwood-set crime story!

Truly enjoyed this light, entertaining first-time writer's take on a book club and its reader members..one of whom is of course a demented murderer....set in a charming, distinctive, midwestern community in Ohio. Although the reader mis-pronounced a street name or two (it's pronounced SHA-fur, not Sha-FUR), it was a pleasure to listen to this book from start to finish. Of course it combined this reader's love for book clubs AND the idyllic mid-western yet sophisticated little city of Oakwood, Ohio in this playful romp. The writer shows promise in the crime genre itself, making Charlie a thoroughly likable heroine, even if the inclusion of her in the crime-solving process of an upper-income municipal government is not entirely believable. But, the suspension of belief regarding policing practise is one approach mastered by the grandmother of the modern mystery tale set in charming little towns in England, not Ohio. The interplay of the characters, the Agatha Christie motifs, and the depiction of familiar settings made this a thoroughly delightful read. And the "ladies of the book club" theme pays title homage to last century's famous Ladies of the Club novel written by Helen Hooven Santmyer of Xenia, Ohio-- a half hour drive from Oakwood. While not the epic novel of Santmyer, this delightful crime romp includes some well-sketched Oakwood mavens and their husbands, all brought to life by the audible reader. I can't wait to read Nagle's next novel..about Antique Homes - another great Oakwood theme. I guess I'm a bit jealous..if I had more time and skill...this is the book (series) I would have liked to have written! Thank you for writing this Leslie Nagle and for showing off our quiet, distinctive, little City with all its idiosynchrocies quirks. Thanks for introducing us to the brave, passionate, family-loyal, hard working, level-headed (except for her soft spot for bad boys) entrepreneur Charlie, and her big-city detective, Mark. Can't wait to read more about Charlie and Oakwood!

Boring start

I actually did not finish this book. It sounds like it was written with a thesaurus in hand.

good mystery

this was a wonderful cozy mystery that had a lot of twists and turns! The characters were incredibly believable and the narration was wonderful! My only pet peeve about certain cozy Mysteries is that they get too involved in personal relationships rather than focusing strictly on the mystery.

For fans of Agatha Christie

This was the pick for our online cozy book club. I will say that it is more intense than a traditional cozy. I read cozies because I don't like sexual situations or vulgar language in my books. Although this had a little of both, it did not cross the line in my opinion.
I adored the name of the book group, The Agathas!! That was great. This isn't the first book that I have read where the murders mimic scenes in books (as that is very AC) and I love it. Its like murder with flair. The characters were well developed and easily relatable. I thought it had just enough twists, all the way to the end, but not so many that you couldn't follow where it was going.
I really enjoyed this book and will definitely continue on with the series. I am not sure if I will continue with the audiobooks as I was not huge fan of the narrator.

Great story, but on necessary vulgarity

I love the story here. It’s intricate without being elaborate. But it is peppered with cursing – – so unnecessary. For me, it diminished the listening experience.