Michelle Blanchard Ardillo

This cozy mystery should get an award for inclusivity! It ticks off all the boxes: gender, ethnicity, age, disabled/abled, economic status, it’s all in there.

Was it too much? Maybe. At the beginning it was a whole lot being thrown at the reader. I’ve seen reviews that say the first 20% or so was slow going, and I think it was because of the enormous world-building going on. An HOA with an attitude, a single mom with a small child, a friend dealing with a debilitating disease, neighbors from all over the world, and a retired librarian recently widowed and feeling a bit lost and undone. Then a suspicious death. Then another death. A vandalized Tesla. An aggressive dog mourning his owner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this debut novel that comes out on July 21, 2026. I requested this title based purely upon this description on NetGalley:

Perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

I loved The Thursday Murder Club, all the books in the series so far. I also have watched all the episodes of Only Murders in the Building and enjoyed them all. So this was a no-brainer for me.

I’m not sure this book really lives up to that quote, but after that first chunk of exposition of characters and setting was done, the plot took off and held together pretty well.

Probably the best representation of my feelings about this book are from a reader named Alice on Goodreads:

I will add two other things I loved. First, the things Neeti cooked throughout the novel all sounded wonderful and made me want to have a meal with her. The recipes at the end of the book are a nice bonus for those of us who would like to experiment with Indian food! Second, the author goes into great detail into Neeti’s traditional Indian dress, describing her sarees and blouses. I wish there were illustrations to show these beautiful outfits!