Publication Date: May 27, 2025
They can’t even agree on what to read, so how are they going to solve a murder?
Having recently moved from London to a small Cornish seaside village, Nova Davies started a book club at the local community center, but so far it’s a disaster. The five members disagree on everything, and to make matters worse, a significant sum of money is stolen during one of the meetings, putting the much-loved community center at risk.
Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when he disappears and a dead body turns up at his house. But the book club has their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove Michael’s been framed, while romance reader Arthur believes there’s a mystery woman involved, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark forces are at play.
While trying to locate Michael, solve the murder and recover the stolen money, each of them has their own secrets to protect. But despite the danger closing in, they won’t rest until they’ve cracked the case and gotten everyone safe at home with a book, where they belong.
Author Freya Sampson pens a delightful, cozy mystery set in a small English village in The Busybody Book Club.
The book club is an eclectic group and spans the gamut of ages. It also only has four members, possibly adding a few more recently. Led by Nova, one of the workers there at the community center, she tries to keep the others in check. But things don’t always go as planned.
In discussions, here are references to books, authors, and tropes, especially Miss Marple, one of Agatha Christie’s amateur sleuths. In her seventies, Phyllis fashions herself after Miss Marple and gets the others to follow her lead when gathering clues or visiting several different locales, especially after several crimes have been committed.
The prologue sets the stage, and the epilogue, which takes place six months after the story ends, gives closure. It’s Phyllis, not the police, who makes the big reveal of whodunnit in an unusual place. There is a nice flow, with several storylines playing out among the pages. Nova and Phyllis use their voices to tell the story, but Nova is definitely center stage throughout.
Packed with clues, suspects, and a little bit of romance, The Busybody Book Club is an entertaining read on a lovely Spring day. 
Freya Sampson works in television as a creator and executive producer. Her credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British royal family as well as a number of factual and entertainment series. She studied history at Cambridge University and in 2018 was short-listed for the Exeter Novel Prize. She lives in London with her husband, two young children, and an antisocial cat.
