Nina Simon, Mother-Daughter Murder Night

“Of all the titles on this list here’s the closest thing to what we here at McIntyre’s like to call a “palate cleanser”, that is, a fun, entertaining novel that allows you to relax for a few hours at a time. Which is not to say that such a book lacks substance. Far from it! Often times these sneaky good books have themes running through them that will have you thinking long after you’ve read them. Such is the case with this three generational crime solving family. Grandma, a high-powered real estate mogul from L.A., is ill and has to move in with her estranged daughter living far up the coast in a sleepy town with her own teenaged daughter, a situation none expected and none want. But such is life. Then death raises its ugly head and the three are off trying to solve a murder and there’s nothing like someone else’s death to bring a family together. Very fun, but with a nice heft to it, this is a propitious debut from an author worth keeping an eye on.” — Pete Mock