The Mistletoe Murder Club is book 4 in Katie Marsh’s The Bad Girls Detective Agency mystery series. I haven’t previously read any of this series, but this book is easily read as a standalone.
Clio and her friends from the Bad Girls Detective Agency are drawn into investigating a murder when the director and leading actress of a play Clio is appearing in, is found dead in her dressing room just before the play begins on opening night. Making things more complicated is the fact that the victim, Beatrice Butler, is famous and not well liked among the cast and crew of the play.
It’s soon clear to the reader that things are not as straightforward as they seem. I found the author’s use of chapters written from Beatrice’s point of view in the hours leading up to the murder a refreshing approach. Although I came to feel like Beatrice got what she deserved, her chapters revealed some unexpected aspects of the mystery and I thought they were an interesting way to convey some of the information behind her death.
I liked the relationships between Amber, Clio, Jeannie, and Melissa, you could tell that they were good friends and really cared for each other, despite at least one of them trying to hide the fact that she cared.
I found The Mistletoe Murder Club quite entertaining. The story was a mix of drama and comedy, and contained blackmail, deception, manipulation, and cruelty. It made for an interesting read and I would recommend it to cozy mystery readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Mistletoe Murder Club will be available on September 5 2025.
Life, Tea, and Everything 