Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Scroll down for audio version or click here
While not exactly un-putdownable, “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” is a fun, family-themed murder mystery that follows a grandmother-granddaughter duo investigating a murder, with reluctant assistance from the mother. So, okay, the “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” title is misleading, since the grandmom and her grandkid do most of the work, but author Nina Simon does put in a fleeting back-story somewhere in the middle of the novel to (sort of) justify the intriguing name. I hadn’t even heard about this book until my parents made a video-call from an airport bookshop to ask me if I wanted anything and that’s when I spotted the novel’s bold font title and though it would make a fun pick for mom and me to read.
I was expecting “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” to be something far more exciting, maybe a thriller about a mom-daughter duo trying to save themselves from a murderous cult or something. I don’t know. But despite my wild expectations from the book, it turned out be an engaging enough read. While the plot doesn’t keep you on the edge of your seat at any point, it’s one of the things I liked best about the novel – that I could leisurely read a few chapters every day without dying of anxiety over who the murderer is! In other words, if you’re looking for a nail-biting whodunnit, this is probably not it.
The primary focus of “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” tends be on its leading trio of women and Nina Simon amusingly spins the relationship dynamics between them. The primary protagonist is Lana Rubicon, a stylish, successful, fierce, and ambitious real estate shark, who is pushed into hibernation mode due to cancer. She leaves her plush LA home to move in with her daughter Beth and teen granddaughter Jack and is bored out her mind in their sleepy sea-side neighbourhood, until Jack finds a dead body during her part-time job as a kayak tour guide. Unfortunately, teen Jack becomes a potential suspect for the clueless cops, and Lana Rubicon takes it upon herself to investigate the case and clear Jack, but even after the cops remove Jack from their suspect list, Lana and Jack do not back off from their private snooping into the case to solve the murder mystery. Lana’s daughter Beth isn’t enthused about their investigations, but grudgingly helps them. And as more clues unravel, the women realize their lives might be in danger too.
Not too surprisingly, “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” features some classic Agatha Christie mystery elements, with multiple suspects, land and inheritance disputes, and a possible love affair gone wrong. But like I wrote earlier, it’s the complicated relationship between Lana, Beth, and Jack that stands out best in the novel, with all the women having distinctly different personalities. Lana is not your typical grandmother at all, she prioritizes her career over everything, so when cancer strikes, she isn’t enthused about having to live with her daughter Beth, as the two are almost estranged. So it takes a murder to shakes things up for the women, and they bond over solving pieces of the puzzle.
Author Nina Simon uses easy-to-read, casual language. As an international reader, I liked the fact that I never felt lost over any of the local or cultural references in the story. There’s considerable suspense throughout the book over who the murderer is and Nina throws plenty red-herrings to keep readers guessing until the end over the true motivations of the killer. Lana’s love for success, Jack’s passion for kayaking and sailing, and Beth’s general compassion for everything around her make “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” a cozy, casual read.
Rating: 3.5 on 5.
Read Next: Super Trash Clash Review – Super Cute
Also Read: Wives and Daughters – Book Review