Genre Fiction
![Nina Simon - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0CGZVYGVM.jpg)
Mother-Daughter Murder Night: A Novel
Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.
A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.
"Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery." - Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Like a Sister
High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of:her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she's built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage-and hoping that boredom won't kill her before the cancer does.
Then Jack-tiny in stature but fiercely independent-happens upon a dead body while kayaking. She quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She'll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power.
With Jack and Beth's help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they've always resisted: depend on each other.
A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.
"Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery." - Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Like a Sister
High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of:her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she's built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage-and hoping that boredom won't kill her before the cancer does.
Then Jack-tiny in stature but fiercely independent-happens upon a dead body while kayaking. She quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She'll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power.
With Jack and Beth's help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they've always resisted: depend on each other.
Editorial Reviews
"Simon's dazzling debut delivers everything a mystery fan could crave, including a realistically nuanced cast of characters, a vividly evoked coastal California setting, writing imbued with a deliciously desiccated sense of wit, and a perfectly plotted murder with enough red herrings deftly dropped in to confound the most experienced mystery reader. Insightful and frequently funny analysis of family dynamics wrapped up in a cleverly crafted cozy crime novel." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Three women bond while investigating a homicide in Simon's spirited debut…. Simon stocks her layered plot with plausibly motivated suspects and convincing red herrings, but it's her indomitable female characters and their nuanced relationships that give this mystery its spark. Readers will be delighted." - Publishers Weekly
"Nina Simon's Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the rarest of novels. A lively and tender story of family that Simon deftly transforms into an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery set against the polarizing backdrop of land conservation, no novel has ever made family drama (or murder) this much fun. One part The Maid and one part family drama à la The Nest, Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a resounding and impressive triumph. I fell in love with Tiny, Lana, and Beth immediately, and so will you." - Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
"As a reader, I inhaled this book hungrily, captivated by the truly delightful characters that Simon has created. The relationship between Lana and Beth is perfectly complex-both hilarious, heartwarming, and frustrating because of how real it was. As an author, the writing made me clench my fist and go, "How dare a debut be THIS GOOD?" - Jesse Q. Sutanto, national bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
"Sleuthing is a family affair in this novel featuring strong women and even stronger motives for murder…. Simon knows how to build an intriguing plot with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings, and a handful of jaw-clenching attacks on the Rubicons designed to stop their inves...
"Three women bond while investigating a homicide in Simon's spirited debut…. Simon stocks her layered plot with plausibly motivated suspects and convincing red herrings, but it's her indomitable female characters and their nuanced relationships that give this mystery its spark. Readers will be delighted." - Publishers Weekly
"Nina Simon's Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the rarest of novels. A lively and tender story of family that Simon deftly transforms into an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery set against the polarizing backdrop of land conservation, no novel has ever made family drama (or murder) this much fun. One part The Maid and one part family drama à la The Nest, Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a resounding and impressive triumph. I fell in love with Tiny, Lana, and Beth immediately, and so will you." - Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
"As a reader, I inhaled this book hungrily, captivated by the truly delightful characters that Simon has created. The relationship between Lana and Beth is perfectly complex-both hilarious, heartwarming, and frustrating because of how real it was. As an author, the writing made me clench my fist and go, "How dare a debut be THIS GOOD?" - Jesse Q. Sutanto, national bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
"Sleuthing is a family affair in this novel featuring strong women and even stronger motives for murder…. Simon knows how to build an intriguing plot with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings, and a handful of jaw-clenching attacks on the Rubicons designed to stop their inves...
