Mother-Daughter Murder Night: A Small-Town Murder Mystery Unites Three Generations of Women

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.

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Published Sep 5, 2023

368 pages

Average rating: 6.71

650 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say this cozy mystery offers well-developed characters and strong mother-daughter relationships across three generations, which many find enga...

Sue Dix
Mar 14, 2026
10/10 stars
When I started reading this book, I thought it was going in one direction, but it ended up going in an entirely different direction, and I’m so glad because it became a much better story. Lana Rubicon is a force to be reckoned with. Beth and Jack aren’t far behind. Teresa Ramirez comes into her own through excellent police detective work and by association with Lana. This novel is a delight.
thenextgoodbook
Sep 04, 2025
8/10 stars
thenextgoodbook.com

This is a fun read with a good plot and well-developed characters. Full review on the site.
AVirosome
Feb 21, 2024
7/10 stars
Not at all what I thought it would be! A cozy-ish mystery. Enjoyable.
WineforReading
Oct 13, 2023
7/10 stars
Solid, sweet story. Great read for my vacation.
Cindy M
Mar 23, 2026
4/10 stars
At my age, I just don’t finish a book that can’t keep my interest in the first half. This looked like a good read. It should have been a 3 or 3 1/2 maybe rounded to 4. But it wasn’t. I abandoned the book when I just couldn’t get interested

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