Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Motherhood is Murder by Diana Orgain


Motherhood is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) by Diana Orgain

Nights out are hard to come by for new mommy Kate Connelly. So when Kate and her husband are invited to a dinner cruise hosted by her new mommy club, Roo & You, they jump at it. But when the president of the club takes a deadly spill, everyone becomes suspect-and Kate's on deck to solve the mystery.

Kate Connelly is settling in to her role as a new mom to seven week old Laurie while at the same time trying to get her private investigator business going - despite the fact she doesn't have her PI license.

While out shopping one day, Kate runs into Margaret & Helene - co-leaders of a mommy group. They invite Kate to join them and the rest of the group on a dinner cruise around the Bay the following evening. What Kate doesn't realize is this cruise will quickly turn into her next case as Helene is found dead.

It seems as if everyone in the mommy group (and even some dads) had a reason to want Helene dead. Sara fought with Helene right before she died over the cancellation of a home extension project Sarah and her husband were supposed to do. Evelyn had been kicked out of the mommy group because her two year old bit one of the babies. Margaret is Helen's co-leader of the mommy group and suspects her husband Alan of having an affair. Bruce, Helene's husband is seen having an "intimate" conversation with Celia, the local midwife after the funeral, leading Kate to think that maybe there is something hinky going on between them.

Kate is ecstatic when Margaret hires her to find out if Alan is in fact cheating on her. Now she can really start working as a PI. There is just one problem ~ she doesn't have her license, and her mentor Galigani is recovering from heart surgery so he can't supervise her. Kate doesn't see this as a problem and sets out not only to find out what Alan is up to, but to solve Helene's murder. Despite the warnings to stay out of the murder investigation by Inspector McNeary ~ who still has issues with Kate and her meddling in police business.

I adore Kate. She's funny, charming, goofy, determined, and lovable. She has a husband who adores her and supports her 100%. Her "to do" lists are hysterical - right down to making sure she stops at the library to pick up her copy of The Dummies Guide to Private Investigating. She is head over heels in love with her 7 week old daughter Laurie, but at times feels like she's not a good enough mother - she doesn't know if Laurie can hold her head up at a 45 degree angle while having tummy time, she didn't sign her up for swim classes while she was still pregnant with her and she doesn't make home made baby food! But what Kate knows is that while all of that is great, what really matters is that she loves her daughter and after that everything else will fall into place. This is a great read for any mother or soon to be mom who is looking for something light and fun to read while the baby is napping or while awaiting its arrival. The discovery of the murderer and their reasons behind are a shocking twist that many won't see coming. Motherhood Is Murder is a fun, fast, cozy read that will keep its readers entertained and anxiously awaiting the next installment. A must read.

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