The Busybody Book Club

They can’t even agree on what to read, so how are they going to solve a murder?

Having recently moved from London to a small Cornish seaside village, Nova Davies started a book club at the local community center, but so far it’s a disaster. The five members disagree on everything, and to make matters worse, a significant sum of money is stolen during one of the meetings, putting the much-loved community center at risk.

Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when he disappears and a dead body turns up at his house. But the book club has their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove Michael’s been framed, while romance reader Arthur believes there’s a mystery woman involved, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark forces are at play.

• The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson
• Published by: Berkley on May 27, 2025
• Genre: Mystery/Cozy
• Pages: 336
• Dates/Time Read: 7.18.2025 – 7.21.2025 (4 days); 7 hours 35 minutes
• Format: Paperback, physical copy
• Add on Goodreads
• Purchase on Amazon
• ⭐⭐⭐½

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I’m beginning to think that cozy mysteries aren’t quite my thing. I’ve read a few over my book loving years, and while I find them entertaining-ish, they just aren’t my go-to when I’m really wanting to dive into a book and be swept away from real life for a while. With that being said, sure, I found this book to be entertaining and fun, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a cozy, clean mystery. Especially if you’re a fan of old school Agatha Christie novels, since one of the MCs from this book is a huge fan of hers, and likens herself (ad nauseam) to the famous Miss Marple from Christie’s books.

This was the June Once Upon a Book Club subscription box book selection, so there were gifts with it!! One of my favorite things about this book, was the motley crew of book club members. Each and every one of them is from different backgrounds, at different stages in their lives, and it really makes for some interesting interactions between the members. What starts out as a mystery of “who took the petty cash money?”, snowballs into several more little mysteries spread throughout the book. Each character had some kind of mystery surrounding them, and that kept the story interesting. From secret crushes to murder, this book had a little bit of everything in it. I can honestly say that I never had any of the mysteries totally solved or figured out the “whodunnit” before the end of the book, and I was surprised by that. I also found all of the characters relatable and likable. Even the flatulent and arthritic Mr. Craddock was quite endearing.

You have to get out there and seize life with both hands, Nono, he used to say when he closed the pages and kissed her goodnight. After all, no one writes books about characters who sit around waiting for life to happen to them.

My only complaint about the book was that the finale fell a little flat to me. There is resolution to the big mystery and all of the character’s side mysteries, but the main mystery explanation felt so “blah”. Really? You couldn’t think of a more catchy, or intriguing way, to end the book? There’s even a little minor surprise twist to conclude one of the side mysteries, but it happened so fast and with little to no explanation, that it didn’t make much sense to me as a reader.

As for the gifts in the box, they were also quite meh. There was a pair of nicely lined rubber gloves for dishwashing or gardening maybe? A small bookmark holder with a faux leather bookmark included, a collection of English tea bags in a cute Bridgerton look-a-like book/box, and a painting printed on an 8×10 cardboard. Thanks to the magic of AI and graphic programs, I make the gifts look good don’t I? lol I’m still a huge fan on OUABC, but the gifts are starting to disappoint unfortunately.