Week 14 Review: Dead Tired

From Goodreads:

The second in a charming and hilarious mystery series by Kat Ailes, Dead Tired follows a group of new moms who didn't think their maternity leave would involve so much murder. "Full of charming characters, including Alice's goofy dog, this fast-paced, original cozy is great fun."—Publishers Weekly

Being a new mom is murder. Alice didn't think her maternity leave would involve so much, well, murder. Before becoming proud new moms, she and her friends bonded more than members of a prenatal group usually would, as they became accidental amateur sleuths and solved a crime together. Now, with all this behind them and Alice's son Jack somehow already a year old, Alice is keen to finally catch up on some sleep.

So when an opportunity presents itself in the unlikely form of an eco-protest, Alice and her friends willingly chain themselves to trees and settle in as an excuse to get some overdue rest. Not the most comfortable arrangement ever, but at this point, they'll take what they can get. However, the next morning one of their fellow protesters is found strangled, and any hope of a peaceful interlude is suddenly swept away. 

Soon Alice and her friends become entangled in a plot involving rogue artists, an enigmatic local entrepreneur, and nude (optional) protesting, offering an unexpected—but not necessarily unwelcome—break from changing diapers and wrestling baby toys away from Helen the dog. Alice, whose success rate in solving countryside murder is at an all-time high (one out of one), cannot resist the chance to demonstrate her detective skills once more, and assembles her gang of new moms to investigate this latest mystery in their not-so-sleepy English countryside village.

My Review:
I had such a fantastic time reading this book! I loved the first and I was really looking forward to spending more time with these detectives who were pregnant, but have had their babies now. And watching them navigate early parenthood while dealing with the mystery? So much fun! 

I really enjoyed the cast of characters from the first book and I'm so happy for all the ones that came back, all the friends that she made in the birthing class. That they get pulled into another case, this time while caring for their young children, yeah, I loved to read it! 

This case was complicated and crazy, going in all sorts of places. That it starts off with a eco-protest, well, that opens up so many possible suspects, and I had a great time watching them find these leads and figure out where they went.

How things came together was really good and clever again, I really enjoy her writing and crafting of mysteries and the ending really paid off, and made me so glad that I had read this book. I had a great time, and I do hope that we continue on, though maybe branch out a bit because we don't want to empty out this small town of everybody! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to continue on with this series! 

Author: Kat Ailes
Series: The Expectant Detectives #2
Read: March 31st, 2024  
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Loved the first book, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Expected Publication: June 4th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars