Review: The Smart Woman's Guide to Murder by Victoria Dowd

Synopsis: A faded country house in the middle of nowhere. The guests are snowed in. The murders begin.

Ursula Smart (not her real name) gate-crashes her mother’s book club at an isolated country house for a long weekend retreat. Joining them are Mother’s best friend, Mirabelle, Aunts Charlotte and (Joy)Less, and Bridget with her dog Mr Bojangles. It doesn’t matter that they’ve read Gone Girl three times this year already. But someone has other ideas.

A body is found in the grounds. Is a lone killer hunting them? Or has one of their own group embarked on a killing spree? What they need is a guide to survive.

I enjoyed this for what it was - a modern version of the "locked room" mystery. The clues in this cosy-mystery are there from the beginning - its just that they have yet to be put into perspective - and there are also a few red herrings.

I enjoyed the style of writing (quirky and witty) - though the narrator - Ursula - did grate on me a little (bit of an attention seeking neurotic with a daddy fixation). The pace was steady (real time if you will) as we kick off with a bang and then wind back to the beginning and proceed from thereon. Snappy chapter headings offer some much needed advice if you want to survive a murderous weekend away. 

Would be interested in reading something else from this author. Nice little isolation read!