Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

27 reviews

ksilvio's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Racism, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

taural41's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, and Blood

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

What a good time this book was! I'm so amazed that it was a debut novel haha some people are just too talented. (And also too cool?? Ms. Simon's career history is so heckin' impressive.) I loved the relationships in this family between these very different and complex women. I also really really enjoyed having a kind of disabled sleuth! I loved Nancy Drew back in the day, but there was the running joke that she was knocked out all over the place and just totally okay an hour later. It's not very human. I can't wait to read more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Cancer

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

There's some cops in this book that made me reallllll mad. No police brutality, but you will want to punch one in the face : )

wolfebh's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Murder

chaterbox87's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail

brimclala's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder

kspotts2010's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Sexism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

okiecozyreader's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Sometimes I feel like Reese’s Bookclub picks are rated low, but I really liked this one. Lana Rubicon is such a great character - smart, determined, strong; and I love how Nina Simon wrote this book with her mother, also going through chemo for cancer.

I do feel like the title seems a little misleading, but when I got to the parts of the book that mentioned it, I got it - it was a mother-daughter tradition of watching murder mysteries.

Lana is temporarily living with her daughter Beth and her granddaughter Jack (Jacqueline), who works when she’s not in school for a kayak company. They live in a marshy area where a body is discovered. When Jack is questioned by the police, Lana begins collecting evidence to do the work the police don’t seem to be doing. She and Beth haven’t had the best relationship and she often feels discarded by her family. 

“Lana hated being invisible. It was only slightly less terrifying than being dead.” Ch 11

“We’d melt cheese on bialys and watch in her bed. Mother-daughter murder night, we used to call it. It was our little ritual.” Ch 21

“Land is the most precious form of power on this planet. There’s only so much of it.  When you buy it—“  
         “—or steal it—“
         Lana nodded. “You stake a claim on its future. If you own the land, you can do what you want. You can plant trees, build skyscrapers, or plan a whole new city. You can shape the future you want for yourself and your family.” Ch 31

“Most men find strong women exhausting—especially when they’re married to them.” Ch 41

“But love was the trump card. Love was more potent than land.” Ch 43

“Life is a negotiation. With yourself. With others. You can’t sit around waiting for someone else to guess what you want. You have to ask for it, even if it’s scary.” Ch 44

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent

bessadams's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

mc860's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

3.25

Tough beginning but better ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Death of parent