Mother-Daughter Murder Night

3.5***

Lana Rubison is a high-powered businesswoman in Los Angeles, specializing in real estate deals and developments. Her daughter Beth, works as a nurse at a nursing home and is content to live in a small beach cottage in the Monterey Bay area with her daughter, teenager Jacqueline (Jack). But when Lana has a serious medical emergency, she winds up living with Beth and Jack. And when Jack discovers the body of an environmentalist while leading a group of tourists on a sunset kayak tour, Lana feels compelled to investigate.

I enjoyed this fresh take on the typical whodunit / cozy mystery. The amateur sleuths here are intelligent and reasonable in the risks they take. Of course, they should probably leave the sleuthing to the show more professionals, but then we wouldn’t have much of a story.

I appreciated that Simon crafted a plot that kept me guessing right up to the reveal. First I thought it was X, then I was sure it was Y, then I went back to X, only to settle on W a few chapters later. I was kept guessing right up to the reveal.

But, what I really enjoyed about the book was the family dynamics. Beth and Lana are frequently at odds, but clearly love one another. And they are both fiercely protective of Jack. I could not help but think back on the often-fraught relationship I had with my own mother. We loved one another but could not live close to one another. And yet, when the need arose, we were there for one another. I still miss her (but wouldn’t want to live together).

The ending of this novel makes me hope for a sequel. I want to know how the Rubicon women navigate the next phase of their journey. show less

Earlier this month, I read Mother-Daughter Night and loved it. This was more than just a mystery/suspense novel, but also a novel about mother and daughter relationships, the choices we make as parents-- as humans, really--and how they can impact the other.

Lana Rubicon is as ambitious as they come, putting her career in real estate above all else. She learned the hard way how a person can only depend on themselves. A diagnosis of cancer and the stresses treatment put on her body mean Lana must turn to her daughter, Beth, for help. Lana finds Beth to be an enigma. She seems to be everything Lana is not. Beth lives a quiet life as a nurse in a sleepy coastal town with her teenage daughter, Jack. Jack is fiercely independent and longs for show more a different life than the one she's living. She loves her grandmother and mother and wishes they got along better.

When Jack finds a dead body while leading a kayak tour, the police are quick to name her as their main suspect. Lana and Beth are beside themselves with the accusations made by the police. Lana is quick to realize the police are not up to the task of finding the real killer, and, in an effort to prove her granddaughter is innocent, she begins to look for other possible suspects on her own. Beth, on the other hand, is not keen on the idea of her mother conducting her own investigation, especially not while she's in such a weakened state and should be focusing on her recovery. It soon becomes clear though that there is no stopping Lana, and Jack and a reluctant Beth lend her a hand.

Lana and Beth's relationship is mired in the past by slights and misunderstandings. I found myself siding with one or the other at various points in the book, but ultimately hoping they would find common ground between them. They are so much alike even as they think they are so different. And I really felt for Jack being in the middle. The relationships between all three women do grow over the course of the novel. I found all of them extremely relatable. (Not to mention I love the idea of a Mother-Daughter Murder Night! Read the book and you'll know why.)

From wealthy ranchers to land trusts, family vendettas and secret deals, Lana, Beth and Jack find themselves in dangerous territory. While not a fast paced mystery in the way some mysteries are, Mother-Daughter Murder Night was a compelling read. The mystery itself was made up of a complex web of conflict and characters that had me wanting to know where each thread would lead. While the final whodunnit was not a real surprise, the fun was in getting there. show less

This was in many ways not an enjoyable read for me. It started out so slowly and dragged on & on & on. It didn't help that I never really got a feel for the mom and even less so for her daughter. They remained shadowy and opaque. Tepid. While Lana became 95% of the book. A pity because I couldn't stand her! Shallow, arrogant, full of herself and manipulative. Meh.

And the overdrawn scene between her and a younger male character; painting Lana as some dangerous, alluring, femme fatale cougar. Cringe.

But, towards the 80% mark they all started to grow on me and moved beyond the one dimensional. And the resolution of the mystery was complex and satisfying. I just wish the story was cut 100 or so pages and all the characters fleshed out show more sooner. show less

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for sending me a copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

At the heart of MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon (William Morrow/HarperCollins, September 5, 2023), are three generations of strong women in one family: Lana, Beth, and Jack. I just fell in love with these characters. I was also enthralled by the setting: Elkhorn Slough in Monterey Bay, California.

Beth’s tranquil life is upended when her mother, real estate mogul Lana, moves into Beth’s beach bungalow after a cancer diagnosis. Her daughter, free-spirited Jack, discovers a corpse while leading a kayaking tour, creating further disruption in the family of three. Discovering that the dead man show more was murdered and that her granddaughter may be a suspect, Lana discovers a direction for her boundless energy: amateur detective work.

Neither Beth nor the police are enthusiastic about Lana’s new mission. Jack wants to help Lana, and Beth wants to protect her daughter. While Beth doesn’t think she is much like Lana, Jack thinks they have a lot in common with each other–and with her.

Every potential murder suspect is keeping secrets on both sides of the Elkhorn Slough, and Lana may have finally found a project too big for even her to tackle as environmental preservation and corporate development interests collide, which appear to be closely connected with the murder victim. There is plenty of family drama coming into play, which I found to be very realistic, being in the middle generation, like Beth.

This is a first-rate mystery, and I say this as a mystery fan for four decades who has read hundreds of them. The identity of the murderer surprised me, the red herrings were well executed, and the big climax at the end was terrifying. The reader can feel that Simon is writing from a place of deep love for the characters and the setting. The characters are based on Simon, her mother, and her daughter, and the setting is a beautiful place with which she is familiar. Very artfully done and highly recommended. I can’t believe this is Simon’s first novel. show less

Loved this one! Hooray for this debut! It’s a well-written, clever page-turner containing several singular women characters. This is for you if you like clever murder mysteries with a variety of plausible suspects as well as heartfelt, authentic family drama celebrating strong women. The location is realistically described and made me feel like I was right there at Elkhorn Slough near Monterey, CA.

In addition to the action, which kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I followed the female characters who struggled against being underestimated and striving to be seen for their qualities and strengths.

The splendid mystery and the theme of strong women is balanced with an intelligent story of family show more relationships – forgiveness, independence, respect, and ultimately heartwarming.

I highly recommend this 5-star novel! show less

Thank you Thomas for this BB. It was great. It literally cries out for a sequel.High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has much to be proud of: her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she's built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, recuperating in a sleepy coastal town with her grown daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana Otter counts instead of square metres-and hopes boredom won't kill her before cancer does.Then Jack-Tiny in stature but fiercely independent-happens upon a dead body while kayaking near her bungalow. Jack quickly becomes a suspect in the murder investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, show more but Lana has a better idea. She dons her wig, finds the real killer, protects her family, and proves she still has power.With Jack and Beth's help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur sleuthing moves into increasingly dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they've always resisted: depend on each other. show less

This book is an entertaining murder mystery about three independent, strong women who unite to save each other. The characters are well-developed, the plot is complicated, and the humor made me laugh out loud. Beth and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Jack—short for Jacqueline—have carved out a quiet life near the Elkhorn Slough in Monterey, far away from Beth's mother, Lana, a high-power real estate mogul in Los Angeles. Lana's cancer brings them back together, but it's a rocky reunion at best. Then Jack stumbles onto a dead body while leading a Kyack tour and becomes a murder suspect, spurring Lana into action to clear her granddaughter. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, especially the conclusion. I highly recommend show more this one. show less