Alice didn’t think her maternity leave would involve so much, well, murder. Before becoming proud new moms, she and her friends bonded more than members of a prenatal group usually would, as they became accidental amateur sleuths and solved a crime together. Now, with all this behind them and Alice’s son Jack somehow already a year old, Alice is keen to finally catch up on some sleep. So when an opportunity presents itself in the unlikely form of an eco-protest, Alice and her friends willingly chain themselves to trees and settle in as an excuse to get some overdue rest. Not the most comfortable arrangement ever, but at this point, they’ll take what they can get.
However, the next morning one of their fellow protesters is found strangled, and any hope of a peaceful interlude is suddenly swept away. Soon Alice and her friends become entangled in a plot involving rogue artists, an enigmatic local entrepreneur, and nude (optional) protesting, offering an unexpected—but not necessarily unwelcome—break from changing diapers and wrestling baby toys away from Helen the dog.
Alice, whose success rate in solving countryside murder is at an all-time high (one out of one), cannot resist the chance to demonstrate her detective skills once more, and assembles her gang of new moms to investigate this latest mystery in their not-so-sleepy English countryside village.
"Spirited . . . Ailes once again marries quick wit, surprising reveals, and charming antics from Alice's dog, Helen. This series has all the ingredients for a long and satisfying run."
Publishers Weekly
"Ailes deftly injects an old-school British cozy mystery with a modern twist in the appealing voice of Alice, who is deceptively competent despite perpetual feelings of inadequacy. Give Ailes' funny and charming Expectant Detective series to fans of Elle Cosimano and Catherine Mack."
Booklist
"Funny and engaging . . . The novel's rich cast of characters, including environmental activists, urban artists, and members of the wealthy elite, provide for an entertaining array of suspects."
