One Death at a Time

I still adore Abbi Waxman, even if I didn’t totally adore this book!

I loved The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and liked Adult Assembly Required, both of which were romance/women’s fiction, which she’s SO good at! I was excited to see her try her hand at a cozy mystery. It was decent - it just didn’t work as well for me as her efforts in her usual genres.

I won’t rehash the entire plot - there are plenty of reviews or the blurb for that. I’ll only say that aging alcoholic actress Julia Mann has been accused of murdering an old professional nemesis - the second time she’s been arrested for a murder, and she joins forces with her twenty-something AA sponsor/personal assistant (Natasha) Mason to solve the mystery.

For me, this was too long with too many characters to keep track of, the story was chaotic at times, and I struggled to find a single character I liked or cared about - especially the two aforementioned leads. Julia is bossy and has a mouth like a sailor and Mason is just downright obnoxious most of the time.  While some might find them funny - the humor wasn’t landing for me. 

On the good side, the mystery was solid and despite the dreaded villain monologue, I did find the explanation believable and surprisingly thought-provoking. The insights into Hollywood and the machinations of the film industry were fascinating! I also respect the insights Waxman provided into alcoholism and addiction, which was a major issue for both leads. If you have a family member with the disease, you may find all the talk about it triggering. I did. 🙋🏻

It’s a decent mystery which seems to hint at a possible sequel or series. The many four and five star reviews on this one shows there’s an audience for it. I just hope Waxman doesn’t completely leave her romance roots behind!

★★★ 

Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Abbi Waxman for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out on April 15, 2025.