Thanks Netgalley and the Publishers. I really enjoyed this book, made me smile and liked all the characters and it also had a good storyline. Well worth a read.

What a great fun book this was to read!
A group of expectant parents brought together by a murder doesn’t sound like it will be fun but it really was.
I had some proper laugh out loud moments whilst reading this and Alice is such a genuine and relatable character.
The relationships build throughout the story and I remember having those same feelings about my ‘mum’ friends.
A great read and one I think all should read
Thank you for this copy to read and review

Thanks to the publisher and author for the advanced copy. This was such a unique spin on the amateur detective storyline, and Alice was a great character.

Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more by this author.

Rating: 3.4/5

The cosy mystery market is a crowded one, so producing something that not only ticks the right boxes, but also stands out from the crowd, is no simple task for the author. With "The Expectant Detectives", Kat Ailes has certainly managed to produce something that is better than the majority, but that perhaps just falls short of being right at the top of the class.

There is plenty to like about this cosy mystery: There is some keen observational humour running throughout the narrative and this is backed up and strengthened by solid characterisation and well-handled, natural dialogue. Richard Osman's entry into the cosy mystery market has brought with it an increased focus and perhaps also created - or at least made more popular - the idea of having a group of alternative amateur detectives at the heart of the story. Here, instead of Richard Osman's septuagenarians, we have a group of very soon-to-be-mothers doing the sleuthing. For the most part this idea works well, but there were times when this strand of the humour felt overdone and became a tad like a one-trick pony. Readers who are experiencing, or who have experienced, pregnancy may well readily lap this up, but others who do not fall into this category may find it a little excessive and potentially alienating at times.

The mystery element of the story - or perhaps more accurately described as "mysteries" - is pretty well structured and stands up to scrutiny, but this aspect of the story does take quite a while to get going. Personally, I felt there was a bit too much scene-setting and re-treading of the same ground in the first half of the book and this contributed to an overall sensation that the story could have been punchier and more impactful if it had been about 20% shorter.

Nonetheless, overall this is a good, entertaining read that could be described as part "cosy mystery" and part "chick-lit with a kick".

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Kat the talented author and Bonnier Books UK for the advance copy to read.

I absolutely loved this book. The main character Alice was so relatable when I was expecting my first (apart from the murders and detectoring). The book made me laugh out loud on many occasions. I really loved the interaction between the characters and Ailsa. I love that the murder brought this group of expectant parents together.

Would highly recommend if you want a light hearted funny who done it book.

Loved this cosy mystery, it was well written! Love how Alice gets herself involved. Perfect read for cosy mystery fans.

I enjoyed this cosy crime novel - here a group of mums brought together purely by the fact that they are pregnant are driven to investigate the murder of Mr Oliver right under their feet! He is killed while Hen is giving birth during their first ante-natal session. One of their number is initially suspected of the murder and the group are determined to prove her innocence. Their friendship is tried as theories abound and test their trust in each other. Once a second murder takes place the stakes are raised.

The book is funny - especially the capers of Helen, the blonde dog - and the characters felt real - the ladies with the anxieties common to mothers to be.

A real delight and as a bonus I did not foresee the ending.

One I will be recommending.

The Expectant Detectives really is the definition of cosy crime, a small village is left shocked when a dead body is discovered during an AnteNatal class.

Alice is hysterical with her quick witted banter and I instantly fell in love with her very honest inner dialogue. The character development throughout this book is fantastic, there really is someone in that village that we can all relate to. Plus, Helen the trusty pooch really does steal the show.

As the story develops so does the friendship between Alice and the other expectant mothers, which makes for a really warming read. The different storylines running parallel, end up intertwined perfectly which keeps you guessing throughout.

This was my first read by this author but I will certainly be on the lookout for more. Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for the chance to review.

Very funny whodunnit with some fabulous female characters and some even more fabulous dogs. Loved Helen, I too have a dog who can’t be trusted. The real story here though is about friendship and how the female friends you have make life easier.

The Expectant Detective, a cosy murder mystery by Kat Ailes was a fun and an easy read. Here is my review.
I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The first person narrator, the heavily pregnant Alice, finds herself moving to the rural Peyton with her boyfriend Joe as a result and struggling to adapt to her new neighbours. This is made worse when she is embroiled in a murderer when a man is poisoned in the middle of her antenatal class and to top it all off Joe is definitely acting a little shifty too.
There are some laugh out funny moments with Alice’s descriptions of the highs and many lows of being pregnant- something which many women will relate to. As with all cosy murder mysteries there is a cast of interesting and weird characters and suspects with many possible motives.
There are a few mysteries to be solved and while I did figure out one of them, I didn’t really guess who the murderer was.
The book was easy to read and I did finish this is one sitting but I did find the middle did drag a tiny bit ( but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book).
Perfect for fans of
Cosy crime

I really liked Alice, she was the best protagonist I’ve ever read. Was she on the spectrum somewhere, was that the author’s intention?
I haven’t ever read ‘cosy crime ‘ before not that I actually know what the genre is and to whom its target audience are.
Regardless of that statement I did really like the book, it was a fantastic read and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to everyone I know.
It’s an interesting premise too, which I guess makes sense being as the characters all met each other at an antenatal meeting.

Four late middle-aged men - head man of a decades established commune, the local devoted to natural remedies/herbs shop owner and the made money-now-local-gent with attitudes somewhere right of Attila the Hun. Four very pregnant women - Alice, with Joe and totally badly behaved dog Helen newly in from London hoping to live the London-dream of life in the countryside, Hen with suited husband and of the perfect coiffured/manicured/house proud life, Poppy with a wife and dogs supplying tea and comfort/gossip to Alice and Ailsa, sans male and an acerbic hippy type also raised in the commune. Much is discussed of and at the peculiar antenatal clinic after a murder happened in the shop downstairs - noises ably covered by the unexpected birth going on upstairs. I really didn't take to the characters meaning I almost gave up but things did improve after about 25% to my mind. The story improved the characters did not, they are just too over the top and silly to appeal. There are some hilarious bits about pregnancy however; Murder 2 follows on and Poppy's wife becomes a suspect such that the ladies seriously start detecting in an ad hoc rambling sort of way. Some red herrings, attempted murders, wacky ideas of the 1960s sort and an eventual dénouement. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy .

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review! This book did not disappoint, it’s a brilliantly funny cosy mystery. The book is hilarious, I liked Alice, she is new to a town and does not know anyone and its much different to her life in London and she is bored on maternity leave and apprehensive of the impending new arrival and motherhood. I especially loved all the drama Helen the dog created. I would recommend this book for any cosy crime fan. And anyone who loves a good mystery.

I am a bit of a squeamish reader and we hoping there wasn't a gruesome birth story. This was a good book though and a great story. I must admit I only read it as I’d run out at anything else but I must admit that was closed minded of me. Really enjoyed it and would recommend it!

An amusing setting for a murder mystery. Well thought out, brilliant characters and plot twists. Might be a bit off-putting if you are at the end of your pregnancy though!

Humorous and enjoyable cosy crime novel with great characters. Well-written and well paced mystery which unfolds in an amusing and unpredictable way. I didn't guess who the killer was. Recommended,

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

I adored this cosy detective novel which definitely had Richard Osman vibes. I was really invested in the storyline and would love to read more books by this author in the future.

Alice and her partner Joe have just made the terrifying move from London to rural Penton only weeks before Alice is due to birth their first, unplanned baby. Attending an antenatal class in an attempt to both prepare and make some new friends doesn't turn out quite as planned when a labour and a murder interrupt the evening.

This is a brilliantly funny cosy mystery, with characters that I wish I knew in real life. It took me about 20% of the book to really connect with it, but I am so glad that I persevered, as the rest of the book was well worth it.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This is a great book. A cosy crime mystery with lots of humour and interesting characters. Loved the daft dog, Helen, who caused all sorts of problems. Had me chuckling many times through the book. Didn’t guess who did it either which is a bonus! Will be looking forward to more from this author.

I'm not too sure what I was expecting from this book, I mainly picked it because I read the synopsis and it sounded like a funny cosy crime book. I wasn't let down. The book was hilarious, especially loved all the drama that Helen the dog created.
I didn't guess who the killer was and I was definitely surprised by who it was, I guess that makes for a good murder mystery.
I would recommend this book for any cosy crime fan. And anyone who loves a good mystery.