Thank you to BestSellersWorld, the publisher and the author.

Unfortunately, Lana is “stuck” in her daughter Beth's house in rural California, when someone is found washed up dead in the slough which happens to be on the kayak route of Beth's daughter's Jacqueline's (Jack, aka Tiny), 15, who give tours.

Lana has nothing else to do besides wile the day away so gets involved in this mysterious death.

It's sort of a humorous book too since Lana is a go-getter and a powerful real estate woman at that but can't work right now because of her current situation. I don't want to give her problem away, though others have in their reviews. She has wily ways and has interesting things to say in her own humorous way.

A good debut and the coziness and sometimes humorous words takes away from the serious subject.

Sort of a fast-paced book in places and short chapters which helps it too. ( )

I liked this, it's pretty much a straight mystery with plenty of intergenerational mother/daughter dynamic for padding. The relationships are solid, the sleuthing is ala Nancy Drew, and the pace moves at a good clip. ( )

I really enjoyed this murder mystery novel wrapped up in a family story.
The story opens with Beth burying a body, but it isn't what you think! Her teen daughter, Jack, works at a kayaking club, and is called to the scene of a dead body. Meanwhile, Lana, Beth's mom, finds out she has brain tumors. So, Lana comes to live with Beth and Jack. Since Lana can't run her business while convalescing, she decides to solve the murder mystery, and to protect her granddaughter.
Beth and Lana are at odds with each other. Lana has never visited them before, and now is changing Beth's home decor.
This story bonds the 3 women and also uncovers a shady and greedy person intent on taking control.
Enjoyable story. ( )

This is the type of book I enjoyed more in retrospect. I had trouble making myself read it. Although I liked the characters, the mystery just wasn’t compelling enough to make me want to pick it up each day. However, now that I’ve finished both the novel and the author’s note at the end, my opinion of it has improved quite a bit. I feel that the backstory of the book being written as a joint project during the author’s mother’s battle with lung cancer added greatly to the story and should perhaps have been in an introduction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ( )

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 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. ( )