I really struggled to get into this book but eventually it drew me in.
Housewife Chris Martin is fed up with the life of dull domesticity so gets a job at her local newspaper. This draws her into a murder, drugs police corruption and crooked property deals. During her clumsy foray into amateur detection she manages to get run off the road and held hostage by a drug addict.

Oh lord am I having a bad run of books lately! I don't want to take it all out on this book though, but boy was this a bore. A Real Shot in the Arm was the story of Chris Martin. A older woman who has just gone back to her career in a small time newspaper, reporting on local boring activities, when all of a sudden she finds someone hanged at a conference she is reporting on. She teams up with another reporter to uncover details as the detectives are ruling it a suicide but all signs point to murder. This novel had the potential to be good but just really fell flat with unlikeable characters and quite a boring follow through. Don't even get me started on the way both her husband and the other reporter speak to her. I don't know any women in my life who would stand for this type of talk. For instance, having a go and having a hissy fit because Chris was working late and god forbid dinner wasn't on the table and the washing wasn't ironed. Jeez louise!
Sorry but this one was just not my cup of tea!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the 1980's this book was a refreshing break from mobile phones and social media but the sexism and misogyny from the majority of the male characters ruined this book for me.
What could have been a clever, different novel is instead a somewhat painful cliche.