Review of "The Busybody Book Club: A Cozy Mystery" by Freya Sampson

In this humorous cozy mystery, four VERY disparate members of a book club investigate a theft; a suspected murder; and a disappearance.

*****

Let's meet the book club participants.

✸ Nova Davies:



Nova recently moved from London to St. Tredock, where she has her dream job at the St. Tredock Community Center. Nova helps coordinate the center's programs, which include the food bank; the tai chi class; the after-school club; the carers support group; the knit and natter group; the silver swans ballet class; and more. Nova also re-started the community center's book club, which shut down when Nova's predecessor was fired for drinking whiskey while overseeing the under-fives play group.



Nova and her fiancé Craig.....



......currently live with Craig's parents while the couple look for a house. Craig's parents, especially his pushy mother Pamela, have insisted on making a HUGE wedding, though Nova wanted a small quiet affair. This causes tension in the household.



✸ Phyllis Hudson:

Phyllis is an older woman who goes nowhere without her flatulent English bulldog Craddock.





Phyllis knows all the Agatha Christie books by heart, and applies the Miss Jane Marple philosophy - 'suspect everyone' - to all situations. As a result Phyllis exposed the too-chatty postman who was stealing ladies underwear from washing lines, and the girl in the newsagents who wouldn't allow Craddock in the shop and had her hand in the till.



Phyllis had a horrible mother and is haunted by a sad incident in her past.

✸ Arthur Robinson:



Arthur is an eighty-one-year-old retired dairy farmer who rides around town on a battered tractor.



Arthur and his beloved wife Esi were married in Esi's hometown in Ghana in 1966, and have been together for six decades. Arthur is a huge fan of romance novels, a predilection he acquired when he started reading books to Esi, who lost her vision over time.



Arthur is kind, caring, and always looking out for others. Arthur's overarching philosophy is 'it always comes down to love'.



✸ Ash Chalabi:

Ash is a shy teenage computer whiz who can look up information at lightning speed.



Ash doesn't say much at book club meetings, but avidly listens to the discussions. Ash loves the Stars Wars movies and sometimes wears a 'Return of the Jedi' T-shirt.



Ash has a crush on his handsome classmate Dan, who always has smart things to say while discussing books in English class. This is what inspired Ash to join the community center book club.



*****

As the story opens, a Wednesday night book club meeting is in session at the community center, and a man named Michael Watkins - who attended one previous meeting - shows up late. The club is discussing 'Where The Crawdads Sing' when Michael gets a text message, jumps up, and runs out of the room.



The next morning, the petty cash box, which contains ten thousand pounds for roof repairs, is missing from the office. This is tragic for the community center, which will be forced to shut down if the money isn't found.



Suspicion falls on Michael Watkins, and Phyllis decides to be a present-day Miss Marple. Phyllis and her pooch Craddock make their way to Michael's home, where Michael and his wife Cynthia live with Michael's mother.



As Phyllis skulks around Michael's house spying, a stretcher is wheeled out. Phyllis learns that Michael's mother was killed by a fall down the stairs, and the police suspect murder. Moreover, when several book club members pay a 'condolence call' on Michael, they learn he's vanished.


Nova and the others decide they have to investigate all this, to get back their ten thousand pounds. Things get complicated as the amateur sleuths are all over the place with their suspicions.



Did Michael kill his mother for the inheritance? Did Cynthia kill her mother-in-law and Michael for the inheritance? Did Michael run off with another woman? Was Michael abducted and imprisoned somewhere?

Nova, Phyllis, Arthur, and Ash all participate in the investigation, and Phyllis in particular is a hoot as she applies the Miss Marple principle to everything she sees, and usually comes up with the wrong end of the stick.



Meanwhile, the book club members go on with their personal lives, and it's fun to see Nova tussling with her fiancé and his parents; Ash and Arthur bonding over an occurrence at the library; and Phyllis barging in everywhere with smelly Craddock - who's usually not a welcome guest.



As events progress, secrets emerge; there are romantic sparks; and the protagonists bond and help one another. All this leads to a surprising, but satisfying and believable finale.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery and will look out for more books by Freya Sampson.

Thanks to Netgalley, Freya Sampson, and Berkley for a copy of the book

Rating: 3.5 stars.