Motherhood is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery)

by Diana Orgain

Book Overview

The author of "Bundle of Trouble" delivers a new Maternal Instincts mystery. Nights out are hard to come by for new mommy Kate Connelly. So when Kate and her husband are invited to a dinner cruise... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425233731
• ISBN13: 9780425233733
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Berkley
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.0" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Second Book Even Better

Kate Connolly is back in a new mystery. Those who liked the first one will love this one too: Not only is it a clever puzzler, but we see additional richness of character that make this an even more rewarding read. Kate's personal (and now professional!) relationships with her mother and best friend create effective and amusing situations as they're drafted as her "assistants." We also see more of her relationship with her mentor, which promises to deepen as the series progresses. Kate shows it takes a village to raise a child and, apparently, to run a detective agency!

Reading with Tequila

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.

A Fun Book with a Likeable Heroine

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.

Kate is Back and in Fine Form

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)

A must read cozy for moms everywhere.

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.