Title: She Doesn't Have a ClueAuthor: Jenny Elder Moke
Pages: 336
Publication Date: Jan. 21, 2025
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary / Romantic Suspense
Synopsis:
With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen―from murder to a second chance at love―in Jenny Elder Moke’s half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding.
A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare.
Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift. But when the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.
As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have a clue.
This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!
This is such a fun murder mystery rom-com! It starts when Kate, a mystery writer, is invited to a wedding on a remote private island, and almost immediately strange things start happening. Her ex is also there and is eager to reconnect, and when the bride is poisoned and a guest is murdered, Kate and Jake work together to solve the mystery.
I enjoyed this read. It was entertaining and fun, and the characters were great. Kate is hilarious. Clumsy and funny, she tries to embody the main character in her mystery books to solve the mysteries and uncover the secrets of the island’s guests. I loved following her as she investigated and unraveled more than one secret on the island and feel like she gained so much confidence and a sense of self over the course of the story.
Jake is Kate’s ex and partner in the investigation. He’s also the one who got away, and there are definitely major unresolved feelings between these two. They have a great second-chance romance filled with sizzling chemistry and wonderful banter. Other characters are interesting, too, and there are so many possible suspects! It was fun trying to figure out who was behind the poisoning and murder. I also really liked the setting and thought it added to the mysterious and secretive feel of the story.
Overall, I thought this was a fun read. Though it’s a mystery, it’s not too dark, and there are enough hijinks and comedic parts to keep it light. It kind of reminded me of the Murder Mystery movies with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston just with more swoon-worthy, romantic moments. So fun!
Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
“You’re so warm,” Kate said, snuggling into all of his soft corners. “I want to cut you open like a tauntaun and crawl inside you like Han Solo.”
- fake dating
- forced proximity
- only one bed
Jenny Elder Moke is the award-winning author of children’s and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. Her adult mystery rom-com mashup debut, SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE, comes out January 21, 2025.
Jenny lives in Denver, CO.
