Susan Parker has been called to investigate the death of Derek Chen. But his mother, Margaret, is convinced it’s murder and that it’s linked to The Murder Club. Upon delving deeper, Susan finds out that there is a club of wealthy people who are currently stalking a murderer. Once who has videos of his killings and whose feed the club has hacked into.

Naved Seth, who is in local law enforcement, brings a young lady named Urduja to meet Susan. Susan knows her as the local pizza delivery person, but it turns out Urduja and friends have been gathering information on the murderer and have identified the type of victims and their connection. But is this enough to tie to the club murderer who has now taken another victim?

And then it becomes personal. With the murderer entering Susan’s home and intimating he can take her daughter or sislaw at any time, Susan needs to get her head in the game and stop him. Everyone has family somewhere, and rotten seeds make for rotten trees...

Having not read the book before this, it became a little confusing at times to figure out characters and where everyone slotted in. Yet even for someone starting the series with this book, it was annoying the number of times the murder case from the first book was mentioned. And about how great Susan is at her job and how amazing she was at solving the case. And the fact that she is a marginalised woman of colour. And her ire towards white males. I understand that these needed to be introduced to the story, but saying them over and over wanted to make me skip paragraphs.

A lot of themes from the first book are brought over like Susan’s husband’s death, her attitude towards her husband’s family, and other relationships, and most of these remain open. It leads me to wonder how many books will be written in this series where these questions are strung out while cases are solved within.

I didn’t really connect with any of the characters and mainly read it for the story. This is odd, as in most books I can identify with a character’s feelings or actions. And I did not find this to be a gripping thriller. For that to happen, I need to feel I can’t put the book down without reading just one more chapter. It didn’t happen here. Susan and her team were obviously very close, but some procedures broken and collective decisions made were very iffy. There is loyalty and then there is the law. The twist, well... the clues are there from the chapter that makes it obvious.

The writing is easy to read with no major errors and even though this book ends off with questions and leads into the next, I would not buy the next one to find out the answers. It was just a “meh” for me.

What a drag. I loved the first book of the series, but this one just dragged on. I don't think there was ever a truly suspensful moment in the book. Yes, the plot twist was good, but I just felt like there was too mush filler in the story and just couldnt get done reading it fast enough.

Interesting premise - a club of millionaires hunting down a serial killer - all in all it was a pretty good book. I like thrillers but down read many. I would recommend checking this one out.

I enjoyed this far more than the first novel! I don’t know why I couldn’t get into the first one, but I took a shot at the second one hoping for better results. It sure delivered! This book started immediately with a rogue serial killer. (Most serial killers are rogue but 😆). I didn’t see the twist at the end, I wasn’t going that route at all. If you want a twisty, serial killer thriller, check this one out!!

The plot is excellent but the writing felt a little bit repetitive in places.
I understand the author was trying to set the scene with descriptions of the main character and her background and circumstances, presumably to allow this to read well as a standalone (which plot-wise it certainly does), but some points seem particularly laboured to the detriment of the fluency of the story.
That said the characters are well written and the investigation feels realistic, stalling and twisting as the truth unfolds.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy of "The Murder Club".
I want to give my honest and personal feedback for this book but I want to be honest, I only got through 40% of this book.

When requesting this book in particular on NetGalley to read, I enjoyed the title of the book & the book cover. I have not heard of Sam Baron so I don't know much about this person's style of writing.

It starts off with a FBI agent playing at a park with her daughter & sister-in-law. I'm gathering there is an unsolved murder regarding her husband (not sure if this is followed through in the book since I DNF). Then comes along a call for another possible serial murder investigation. Susan is coming off of a high with a small amount of publicity for catching a prior serial killer. She takes the call, there's a lot of repetitive descriptions of every thing over and over. I think the amount of times the FMC talk about her being a person of color is insane.

She brings up her recent capture of Splinter killer multiple times, over & over. It's mentioned as if we couldn't forget of how proud she is for capturing this serial killer. The names in the book are challenging. They aren't "easy" names. The characters go back and forth from using their first name and their last name. So now I'm trying to memorize the first and last names while keeping my thoughts organized. One character "Marisol Mancini", went back and forth in the same chapter changing the name reference. "Marisol this, lucky to have Mancini for that" Also, I'm guessing [Marisol Mancini] she is of some sort of Asian decent because of the "tone" the character writes in, but it's very confusing and disruptive, IMO.
ex: "Something he find in house perhaps?"
"I am thinking from the way the strands are twist around each other. It is common item"

I hate being negative towards this book, especially because of it being a free ARC copy. I hope that maybe some of the editing mistakes are revised and maybe some of the repetitiveness.

Thank you. Ashley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
My rating:
3.5 stars, rounded up
My Opinion:
I enjoyed the plot and the ending. There were some parts that I didn't enjoy. The FMC (She is a special agent with the FBI) was insufferable. It took her a while to put things together. The last few chapters are where she puts everything together. I also didn't enjoy the hate towards men. She was very off putting towards men, and wanted to praise herself. I did enjoy the aspect of bring in her home life while trying to solve the murders.
I gave it 3 and a half stars because of the plot and I did enjoy the premise of the book. I loved the idea of a serial killer, cop thriller. I have read a lot of supernatural thrillers and this was a nice change. I like how modern pod casters were brought in to help solve and bring the idea to the police. It was fairly fast paced and wanted me to keep turning the page.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I greatly appreciate that NetGalley and the publisher sent me a digital copy, and I love the idea and concept of the book, but it was simply not done well. The writing feels a lot like it was written by a high school student for a creative writing assignment. It's also a bit all over the place. While I really liked the idea of where it was going, it sadly just couldn't keep my interest because of the writing. I think this book should have gone through a lot more revisions and the editor should have coached the author on the writing style and ways to enhance and elevate it.

This book kept me on my toes! Intense and fast paced. Sam Baron - keep writing them like this! I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day.

I chose to read this book simply because of the title and I was not disappointed. This story grabs you from the very beginning and does not let go! I felt like I was there, right beside Susan, as she searches for the killer. I followed along, deciphering the clues and was still surprised with the twist at the end.

I would definitely put this book at the top of my list of books I recommend for people who love mystery, crime, and catching the bad guy!

Susan Parker is called to a murder scene where a very wealthy man is found murdered. While talking to his mother she learns of a group he was in called The Murder Club, where the club had been watching a serial killer murder he victims. Meanwhile her and her team are trying to solve the murder of a mother with her children in the house. Soon the two investigations merge into one big question, what is happening here.
This was an intense story with so many suspects and so many connection but yet someone is trying to stop Susan and her team. I read this book in one night. The story keep me engaged in all the goings on and I couldn't read fast enough. Thanks to netgalley and Storm Publising for the opportunity to read this fast paced story. Sam Baron is definitely a author I will be looking forward to reading again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Although this is the 2nd book in a series, it is fine as a standalone. You get enough background to be informed and want to know more. It does leave you hanging at the end with some of that and makes you want to read the next book in the series. This was a fast paced serial killer thriller with an ending that you don't see coming. It kept me turning pages far later into the night than I planned.

to be honest this was an OK book. It wasn't amazing and the main character was quite unlikeable but it was an easy read. it lacked a little depth for my taste.

DNF at 50%

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me the FMC was extremely unlikeable and her dialogue was hateful and cringe.
At first, I was gripped and was excited to see where this one went. However, the FMCs blatant dislike for white males was a bit off putting for me. Never once could readers forget that she was a marginalized woman of color, being bullied by every white male she comes across. As a woman of color myself, I get what the author was trying to convey, but after a while it just felt forced.
In addition to that, some of her actions to be outlandish and brash.

Not an enjoyable read for me, but maybe I'll give this author another try.

The Murder Club features FBI Agent Susan Parker, who delves into a case involving the murders of several prominent community members linked by a secretive club. As she uncovers layers of conspiracy involving power, wealth, and corruption, the personal stakes rise, threatening her career and life. Sam Baron crafts a taut thriller with a complex protagonist, challenging readers to solve the mystery alongside her as the suspense builds to a shocking conclusion.

While "The Murder Club" is the second book in the FBI Susan Parker series, I had not read the previous book, but it worked as a stand-alone. Now, a third book is scheduled to be released, and I have the first on my TBR. The story was fast-paced and kept me on my toes.

Throughout the book, you follow from the perspective of Susan Parker, who is a compelling character, but throughout the book, there is a lack of overall growth. With it being a thriller, this can be acceptable, but there was little else. Without having read the previous installment in the series, it felt like her husband's death was briefly touched on, and the mystery was there since it was technically unsolved, but we only got a little taste. It would've been excellent for further developing that larger story instead of leaving it to feel like an afterthought.

Parker's team was great. At times, it felt like they were playing a role on CSI or any other crime TV show. But for what it was, it was great. The representation of the characters was also well done.

The structure of the story felt very natural and was well-paced. Ultimately, the concept of having everything happen "in real time" with the story was exciting and intrigued me enough to stay on the lookout for the third book. There was some disjointedness when the perspective shifted from the Clothesline Killer to Susan. Some chapters felt misplaced and would have worked better if the timing had been closely observed. It wasn't enough to bother me while reading; instead, it was just an aspect that I noted.

Overall, I immensely enjoyed The Murder Club by Sam Baron. The concept was interesting and left the reader on a cliffhanger. The twists and turns throughout the story made me gasp and outraged. It's an excellent thriller for anyone looking for something fast-paced with a good storyline and strong character personalities.

**While this book can be read as a standalone. I recommend that you read the first book in the series The Therapy Room first.**
*** I received this as an arc from NetGalley so thank you NetGalley this in no way impacts my opinion or review.***

FBI Agent Susan Parker's leisurely afternoon with her daughter turns into a murder investigation when she's called to the scene of a wealthy man's death. She discovers he was part of a sinister club obsessed with a serial killer known as the 'Clothesline killer', who targets single mothers. As Susan delves deeper, she teams up with a local pizza delivery girl who has been investigating the cases independently. Together, they uncover a chilling trail of clues leading to forgotten victims. As the killer targets another club member, Susan finds herself in his crosshairs, racing against time to stop him before her family becomes his next victims.

Overall rating: 3.8

Rating breakdown:
1. **Plot and Storytelling:** 4/5 While there were moments that didn't fully captivate me, overall, it was engaging, enjoyable, and well crafted.

2. **Characterization:** 3/5 The characters felt believable with their strengths and flaws, but I was disappointed by the lack of growth or development throughout the book.

3. **Writing Style:** 5/5 Sam Baron's writing style impressed me, earning a perfect score of 5 out of 5. The narrative flowed smoothly with a well-planned pace, keeping me entertained throughout. I'll be seeking out more of his work.

4. **Originality:** 3/5 While the story of a police procedural chasing a serial killer had some interesting elements, it didn't feel particularly unique, especially compared to the first book in the series.

5. **Emotional Impact and Resolution:** 4/5 This book kept me engaged and guessing, earning a 4 out of 5. Although the resolution wasn't entirely to my liking, it was satisfying overall, leaving me curious about the next steps in the series.

Would I buy this book? Yes although I did receive it as an arc it is available on KU and I highly recommend that you check it out.

If you enjoyed this book, I recommend checking out "The Therapy Room" by Sam Baron, the first book in this series. If you're looking for a new series, "The Third to Die" by Allison Brennan is a gripping thriller with strong character development, compelling plotting, and a solid police component.

I love me some thrillers - especially based on police or FBI characters. Unfortunately- this is one you can probably skip.

I thought it was pretty interesting at first and really did bring me in fairly quickly - but then the writing somewhat lost me. I did like how it was somewhat based on profiling but it quickly lost that.

I’d say the thing that bothered me the absolute most about the book - is how it literally ends on an insane cliffhanger and then says “order the next book”. Don’t get me wrong I’m ALL for good cliff hangers in series - but this really rubbed me the wrong way..

It also continuously directly mentions a plot line of a previous book - I mean like 20+ times.

Overall rating - 2.5/5

This is ONE OF THE BEST thriller/mystery books I’ve ever read!! I was on my toes from the very beginning, nothing went how I expected it to either! Very amazing, definitely recommend!!

Sam Baron delivered another scintillating crime thriller with THE MURDER CLUB. In my opinion, this author combines great pacing and a writing style that suits this genre to perfection. Just as it was for THE THERAPY ROOM, I was unable to put this one down once I started reading it.

While it is entirely possible to read and enjoy this book as a standalone, I do recommend that you start at the beginning of the series.

In THE MURDER CLUB, it's not local law enforcement - or even the FBI - who discovers that Santa Carina Valley is the hunting ground of a serial killer - it's a group of billionaires! This "murder club" somehow managed to identify and stalk a serial killer by hacking into the killer's camera network. The problem is - well, the killer knows. And now he's coming for them.

What made this book in particular so thrilling to me is that Sam Baron used factual information regarding serial killers to flesh out the methodology of this case, as well as the behavior of the killer. I'm telling you - after the first few chapters, I moved to a chair that was in a corner of the room so my back was to the wall. I also went and checked my shower head. Thoroughly.

I felt this one was would be better than it was, given who it is written by. I also didn't realize this is a part of a series before requesting it as an ARC on Netgalley. I haven't read the first one, but feel I should have before reading this one - not because this one can't be a standalone, but because that's just how I am. The story is pretty fast paced and keeps you on your toes guessing what's going to happen next.. though some of it was predictable. The characters, for the most part, were enjoyable and the plot is pretty neat. This book is very violent, so if that's a trigger for you, steer clear of this one. I did find a handful of grammatical errors and also places where words are missing.