I am a big fan of the ‘cosy crime’ genre and this book did not disappoint. Despite reading many such books this is my first where the detectives are a group of mums bought together solely due to the fact they are all pregnant. It is literally that single fact that binds then initially although as the book progresses the loveliest of friendship blooms - despite the fact they don’t all trust each other or their respective partners. Add to the mix three dogs well two and one that does not wish to be associated with the term, a baby or three and a whole lot of secrets and you have a really fun book, despite two murder victims - probably not so fun for them! I didn’t guess the murderer(s) so bonus points for that! A solid 4 stars out of 5 for a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley UK, the author Kat Ailes and her publishers for this advanced read chapter in return for my honest personal review.

The Expectant Detectives
by Kat Ailes

Alice and Joe are pregnant and they are moving from London to Penton in the Cotswold, they join a ante natal group held above a new age hippy shop and at one of their sessions one of the expectant mothers gives birth, and when waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Alice ventures into the shop and discovers the owner dead… and all the ladies (and gents) at the ante natal group are all suspects and Alice is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

I liked this book.. it was fun and it was punchy… the book had great pace and it was a good mystery and it tied up all the lose ends of the story.

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.

Its a very cosy mystery and I enjoyed it immensely.


#ExpectantDetectives #NetGalley #pregnant #murder

A very funny book. Alice and Joe are having a baby and move from London to Penton, a Costswolds village. They meet a group of other pregnant women at an unexpectedly exciting antenatal class.
A murder happens, and partner of one of the expectant mothers is a suspect, so the ladies join forces to prove her innocence. The story features the local commune and a lot of wacky local characters, connections discovered, and the growing friendship between the women. There are a lot of funny scenes, especially with Helen and Ronnie, the dogs.
Recommended.

This is a light detective story, with some obviously serious crime.

Airy and sometimes funny was a lovely change from darker thrillers but I enjoyed this.

I did like the location and the scenery but felt it was a tad stereotypical.

A thoroughly entertaining mystery set in a Cotswold village albeit with a slight 'London' view, living in the area myself. Good development of plot and characters although I did find the main one, Alice, somewhat irritating at times, she seemed to have an uncanny knack of putting her foot in it, unnecessarily a lot of the time. Definitely a touch of Midsomer Murders or a modern Father Brown, plus a hint of Motherland with an alternative twist. Helen, the dog, being an added bonus. Plenty of daftness overall.

As a fan of Midsomer Murders, I know well that beneath the beating beat of a chocolate box English village lies ... murder, mayhem and well, hilarity. And that's certainly Alice's experience when she moves to the beautiful village of Penton, with her partner Joe, dog Helen and of course "the bump" (after all this is The Expectant Detectives).
The excitement kicks off fairly shortly as our couple attend a birthing class and reality comes crashing in with a birth and murder both occurring.
The cast of characters is amusing and yes, there are indeed a few stereotypes but there are non the less enjoyable and the storyline moves along fairly rapidly so that there is no time to become bored. Much of the humour comes from the thoughts of Alice as she interacts with her fellow mums (mums to be) and also the actions of her daft dog Helen.
To summarise: The Expectant Detectives is a fun cosy mystery and a delightful addition to the genre. I'm hoping for a return to Penton and further adventures for Alice and her friends.

Nothing ever happens in sleepy country villages...

So a dead body turning up at an ante-natal class, and the mothers-to-be finding themselves under suspicion definitely doesn't count as nothing.

And when inter-personal relationships start getting really complicated, Alice, Ailsa, Hen and Poppy can't help getting involved in unravelling the mystery

This wasn't my usual thriller choice, so I wasn't sure about it when I started reading, but I loved it. I'm surprised the kids didn't think I'd gone mad at my occasional snort of laughter. If you've ever been pregnant then I think it might make you laugh too. Of course, as well of the humour of pregnancy, there's the mystery. The plot was easy to follow and there were plenty of red herrings so the murderer was masked until near the end. I found it enjoyable reading.

Genuinely Glorious..
What a belter of a read! The unsuspecting and very pregnant Alice together with partner Joe have made a move from London to the delightful Cotswolds village of Penton. Surely nothing can go wrong - beautiful surroundings, village life and oodles of space is just what they need. Well, it seems that things can go wrong. When a suspicious death occurs in an ante natal meet, simultaneously to a birth, things begin to go spectacularly downhill. As suspicions abound, Alice makes new acquaintances and finds her new role as amateur detective strangely appealing. Secrets have a habit of outing themselves, however, and soon these ladies are in way over their depth - or are they? A genuinely glorious read with a delicious cast of well drawn, credible and relatable characters and a fun, frothy plot populated amply with red herrings and laced generously with huge dollops of humour. Funny and furious.