Hated grandma at first, but she grows on you. Loved the relationships that grew between these amazing women. Had me guessing who did it until the end.

When Los Angeles based real estate mogul Lana Rubicon is diagnosed with cancer, she moves to the central California coast so her daughter, Beth, and granddaughter, Jacqueline (aka Jack) can take care of her, a scary prospect since Lana doesn’t necessarily get along with them. But when a kayak group that Jack is leading discover a dead body, Lana jumps into the case to help her granddaughter. Will this prove to be the distraction and bonding agent that three of them need? I really wanted to like this book, and there were things I did. While a bit slow, especially at the beginning, the mystery did drawn me in. On the other hand, I figured out the killer pretty early. Lana has some rough edges, and it took quite a while to warm up to her. Since most (but not all) of the book is told from her third person point-of-view, that was an issue. It helped that I liked Beth and Jack and their relationship. I was also pretty discouraged by how most of the men in the story were portrayed. The setting came to life, and I enjoyed spending time there. Overall, the book has a serious tone and is more a traditional mystery than a cozy. It’s definitely not a thriller. As I said, this was a mixed bag. I’m glad I read it, but I will hesitate before I pick up anything else from this author.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon is both murder mystery and multi-generational family drama combined into one heartfelt and intriguing read. Grandmother, mother, and daughter are reunited by a devastating medical diagnosis and while working through their dysfunctional dynamics they also work together to solve a murder. This is a standalone mystery that could easily become a series if the author wished. High-powered L.A. real estate mogul, Lana Rubicon is seriously ill and now needs the assistance of her daughter, Beth who lives 300 miles north with her daughter, fifteen-year-old Jacqueline “Jack”. It is a difficult adjustment for everyone. While Jack is leading a kayak tour of the slough, a dead body is discovered. When Jack becomes a suspect, Beth begs Lana to hire a criminal lawyer, but the bored Lana decides this is the perfect opportunity to focus on anything but her disease and protect her granddaughter by finding the real murderer. As the women discover a web of family lies, hidden agendas, and land disputes the danger escalates, and they learn that to find the truth they must do something they have never done, depend on one another. This is a genre mash-up that delivers on both the dysfunctional family drama with humor, tough love, and learning to understand another’s view and an amateur cozy murder mystery that has plenty of twists and red herrings that kept me guessing until the end. The first third of the book leans more towards the family dynamics and discovery of the body and then the investigation plotline of the murder becomes intertwined, and the pace of the amateur investigation increases to the climax. The characters are entertaining and unique, but the family dynamics and interactions make them come to life. I enjoyed and recommend this unique genre mash-up.

It's hard to believe this is Nina Simon's first novel. It is very well written, with wonderful characters and a great plot. I love the honest, sticky family relations and the natural evolution and speed as these relationships grew and changed as the characters grew and changed. To learn that it started out as a project for her and her mom to do together as her mom faced and underwent her own serious cancer scare makes this even more meaningful. This was a fun read. I hope she writes more in the future.

This is an enjoyable twisty, turning mystery of who done it. The author weaves stories of three generations of women together nicely within this murder mystery. It’s nice to see how the main characters evolve and care for one another. Lana and her granddaughter Jack turned into amateur sleuth trying to solve this mystery. They end up getting into trouble along the way, but nothing they can’t get out of.

This book’s more about a mother/daughter’s journey to understand each other after years of conflict than murder mystery thriller but it’s still an enjoyable read because the characters are interesting and likable for the most part with the one exception being the male detective, Nicoletti whose unprofessional attitude and nastiness toward a 15 year-old Jack was jaw dropping. The pace starts to pick up around the middle of the book when everything comes together and questions are finally answered for an action packed ending.

This was a fun read for multiple reasons! I am familiar with the area, I grew up living with my mother and my grandmother ~ relationships similar to those in this read. And this was an intriguing mystery as well!

I had this on my October TBR thinking it would be more suspenseful than it was. In the end, I don't think it fits the October theme of the rest of my TBR, but it was still a great read. The book is an interesting blend of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and a mystery. I love the setting in the central CA coast area. I couldn't help but get Big Little Lies vibes considering the setting and the subtle dark notes. Later in the book you meet a ranch family going through a battle for land - hence the Yellowstone comparison. This wasn't one of those books that I couldn't put down, but I did enjoy the story, and it moves quickly since the chapters are pretty short. As a now motherless daughter who lost my mom to cancer, I really love the author's story of why she wrote this book. Would love to see this as a mini series or movie!