Customer Reviews

Motherhood is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 it 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.

Mixed with humor and the mystery of mothering. Diana Orgain has created a comfy and cosy mystery series.

I love returning to this series it is just a comfortable mystery book that is not to violent , has humor and just some wonderful puzzling mysteries.

I have to say I also love the cover designs. It brings so much brightness of what you are going to read. Just a nice touch!

I can't wait to read the next one Formula For Murder!

I have read both her books in this series and loving every minute of it! She has a great sense of humor and its a smart plot too. I can`t wait for the third one!

Motherhood is Murder jumps right into the action with the mystery beginning from the very first page. There is no long build up here, it rockets right out of the gate.

I really liked how the parenting aspects of the story were portrayed in this book. Kate's doubts as a first time mom were written very true to life. I'm personally not a fan of mommy group superior cliquishness, so I enjoyed Kate being on the fringe of that world. She's open to it without purely accepting or condemning it.

Motherhood is Murder is a fun, well written mystery, but I figured out who the killer was a few chapters too soon. Some more obvious clues could have been left out of the story entirely to prolong the suspense without taking away from the mystery. Overall, Motherhood is Murder is cute and very relatable to any mom.

I gave this book four stars instead of five because I saw early on who the murder was and what he/she had done, although I didn't understand the motive until the end of the book. I did catch another clue that led to the denouement when I heard it, but I don't have a newborn making me lose sleep! I also was getting sick & tired of all Kate's cutesy pet names for her daughter. Peanutty Pie was the worst. Most parents I know have one, two, or three nicknames and use the child's name MUCH more often than Kate did. Once Jim referred to little Laurie as Sasquatch. I found that annoying.

That being said, I love Kate, her husband Jim, her mother Vera (she is a hoot and a fantastic grandma), Kate's PI mentor, and her friend Paula. I love the lists at the beginning of each chapter. Even the cop is growing on me! I do wonder what happened to one of Vera's two suitors. . .Did she make a choice? This was definitely a fun read and a fast read and a very realistic look into the world of a first-time mother. I can't wait for the next one.

When Kate joins a new moms group, Roo and You, she and Jim go on a dinner cruise with the women and their husbands in the San Francisco Bay. During the evening, Helene, a co-founder of the group, takes a header down a stairway. Kate realizes more is going on than the police will admit when she runs into the medical examiner on the boat.

Coming off the success of her last case, Kate talks PI Albert Gagliani into supervising her as she tracks down the killer before he or she can harm anyone else. The rest of the story is an intriguing hunt for the killer while Kate learns the ups and downs of being a PI and a new mom. Thankfully, Jim is able to work at home and is a great help giving Kate the opportunity to learn her craft.

Diana Orgain writes a fast-paced romp from start to finish. Especially enjoyable are the to-do lists that start each chapter. I even look forward to seeing what Kate (and Diana) comes up with for the next chapter - the lists are a hoot!

Baby Laurie is now seven weeks old, and the series plan is to parallel the growth progress of Laurie with Kate's growth as a PI. The next book will occur when Laurie is approximately three months, and so on during the run of the series.

Motherhood is Murder is a welcome cozy that anyone who is or has been a mother should enjoy. Even grandmothers will get a kick out of Kate and her relationship with her mother.

The first book in the Maternal Instincts series was Bundle of Trouble, and I, for one, am looking forward to the third installment.

Motherhood is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery)

I love this series. The characters are so funny and the mystery will keep you guessing. If you want to laugh and takes some unexpected turns than definitely try it!

Right from the beginning we have action going. I loved seeing Kate jump in subtly and get things going when at times she didn't know what she had. Jim is funny the way he takes care of Laurie, but also supportive. Kate's friend Paula is a hoot. Kate is so much by the book so to speak and a little naive which makes her a great character. Paula is totally the opposite, does what she has to do if that means keeping things to herself or stretching a story a bit to make it work. There is a lot of humor that makes this mystery worth while. This was a fun read of me and glad I won this book. I look forward to more book by Diana.

"Motherhood is Murder" is the second in the series by Diana Orgain. Kate decided that being a private investigator was the perfect part-time job for a new mom in the first book Bundle of Trouble (A Maternal Instincts Mystery). Kate continues down that career path in this book.

Kate investigates the death of a fellow member of a new-mommy club. Kate solves the mystery, somehow keeping her baby Laurie safe even though she drags her along on stakeouts and interviews. There are times you have suspend disbelief, but this is a fun, cozy mystery and Kate is a likeable character. Her to-do lists included throughout the book are funny and add a nice touch to the book.

Newcomers to the series could easily pick up "Motherhood is Murder" and enjoy it as much as someone who has read the first book. This second book in the series is even better than the first. If I could, I would have given this installment 4 1/2 stars. I look forward to reading about Kate's next adventures as she continues to learn more about the PI business (under the wings of a veteran cop on medical leave) and being a mom.

When I saw there was another motherhood murder mystery available I was really exited. Bundle of Trouble (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) was such a fun read. Motherhood Is Murder didn't disappoint. It was fun, readable, and a really good mystery. I didn't figure it out until the very end.

These books really resonate with me as a mother. I love how she is so honest about the things new mothers go through and think, and how being a Mother colors all the actions you take.

Whether you're a mom or not, this is a great mystery and a great read.