2023-06-08
Sleuthing is a family affair in this novel featuring strong women and even stronger motives for murder.
When teenage Jack Rubicon becomes the prime suspect following the discovery of a body in Monterey Bay’s Elkhorn Slough, her mother, Beth, and grandmother Lana step in to prove she’s innocent. Mother-daughter bonding rituals don’t usually include criminal investigations, but in this by-the-book, well-paced debut crime novel, three independent women morph into amateur sleuths to solve the murder of Ricardo Cruz, a young man who worked for a local land trust. At the time of Ricardo’s death, Lana is living with Beth and Jack while she undergoes cancer treatment. An energetic Los Angeles real estate mogul who doesn't “ ‘do’ sick,” the antsy Lana sets up a murder board and decides to pass the time gathering evidence about Ricardo’s death. Beth and Lana have been on the outs ever since Beth became a single mother 15 years before. They’d once had a good relationship, and one of Beth’s fondest childhood memories involves the nights she and Lana obsessed over episodes of Columbo, trying to ferret out the identity of the murderers. Having learned that rumpled detective’s crime-solving techniques will soon prove invaluable when Beth and Jack are pulled into the investigation as well. They soon discover another suspicious death tied to a wealthy local family fighting over the fate of a multimillion-dollar ranch on the Monterey coast. Simon puts most of her muscle into developing Lana’s character while Beth and Jack, as likable as they are, aren’t as fully drawn. Simon knows how to build an intriguing plot with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings, and a handful of jaw-clenching attacks on the Rubicons designed to stop their investigation.
Nancy Drew meets Columbo in this feisty-female–driven whodunit.
“I loved the concept—three generations of the Rubicon family, all women, team up to solve a murder in their Northern California coastal town. But a novel can’t succeed on concept alone, and I’m pleased to say that Simon crafted an endearing trio of fully fleshed out characters.” — New York Times
“I just loved how intriguing the mystery is but also the dynamics between a grandmother, a mother, and a teenage daughter.” — Reese Witherspoon, Reese’s Book Club Pick
“Simon’s depiction of the difficult family dynamics is engrossing, but she also offers a riveting whodunit that will keep readers guessing to the end.” — Washington Post
“Simon’s dazzling debut delivers everything a mystery fan could crave, including a realistically nuanced cast of characters, a vividly evoked coastal California setting, writing imbued with a deliciously desiccated sense of wit, and a perfectly plotted murder with enough red herrings deftly dropped in to confound the most experienced mystery reader. Insightful and frequently funny analysis of family dynamics wrapped up in a cleverly crafted cozy crime novel.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Clever…An endearing tale about how something so unexpected can be the thing that repairs old family wounds and broken hearts.” — Shondaland
“With all the right touches of heart, humor and whodunit, Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the murder mystery that I didn’t know I was longing for. Nina Simon combines compelling, easy-to-root-for characters with a cozy mystery, then amplifies and elevates both with complicated, tightly woven family dynamics and timely connections to real-world issues that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds.” — Bookreporter.com
“Three women bond while investigating a homicide in Simon’s spirited debut…. Simon stocks her layered plot with plausibly motivated suspects and convincing red herrings, but it’s her indomitable female characters and their nuanced relationships that give this mystery its spark. Readers will be delighted.” — Publishers Weekly
“Simon mixes a light, breezy style with a harder-edge story with domestic suspense at its heart. The plot of Mother-Daughter Murder Night never lags as Simon also maintains the emotional growth of her strong characters…. Mother-Daughter Murder Night marks the advent of a new author to watch.” — South Florida Sun Sentinel
"Sleuthing is a family affair in this novel featuring strong women and even stronger motives for murder…. Simon knows how to build an intriguing plot with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings, and a handful of jaw-clenching attacks on the Rubicons designed to stop their investigation…. Nancy Drew meets Columbo in this feisty-female–driven whodunit." — Kirkus Reviews
“As a reader, I inhaled this book hungrily, captivated by the truly delightful characters that Simon has created. The relationship between Lana and Beth is perfectly complex—hilarious, heartwarming, and frustrating because of how real it was. As an author, the writing made me clench my fist and go, "How dare a debut be THIS GOOD?" — Jesse Q. Sutanto, national bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
“Nina Simon's wildly entertaining debut mystery Mother-Daughter Murder Night is an ode to strong women everywhere. The coastal California setting, complete with a bootleg drive-in and the aptly named 'Kayak Shack,' serves as the perfect proving grounds for the fiercely independent Rubicon women.” — Eli Cranor, author of Don't Know Tough and Ozark Dogs
“Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery. Nina Simon’s debut is a spot-on look at the complicated relationship between parents and their children. I can’t wait to spend even more nights with her characters. Simon is a writer to watch.” — Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Like a Sister
“Nina Simon's Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the rarest of novels. A lively and tender story of family that Simon deftly transforms into an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery set against the polarizing backdrop of land conservation, no novel has ever made family drama (or murder) this much fun. One part The Maid and one part family drama à la The Nest, Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a resounding and impressive triumph. I fell in love with Tiny, Lana, and Beth immediately, and so will you.” — Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
"Equal parts charming and chilling: a fine mystery." — Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
“With a clear-eyed blend of family stresses and furtive schemes, the author produces a classic whodunit and embraces the strength that is often nurtured among multiple generations of women. Celebrate Simon’s success.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch
"As much a story about the complicated love between a mother and daughter as it is a sublime whodunnit, Nina Simon's Mother-Daughter Murder Night is sure to enthrall any reader who likes their mystery with equal doses of humor, family intrigue, and surprises." — Rob Osler, MWA Award-winning author of Devil’s Chew Toy
“On the cozy side, this debut mystery is woven around family rifts and redemption, and will leave readers with warm fuzzies.” — Booklist
“In the appealing Mother-Daughter Murder Night, first-time novelist Nina Simon integrates spirited family dynamics with the intricacies of a complex whodunnit…. This skillfully crafted multigenerational study of disparate characters will keep mystery readers guessing with its surprising, immensely well-plotted cries and clues.” — Shelf Awareness
