By: Jo Nichols
ISBN: 9781250356543
Publisher: Minotaur Books
St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 09/19/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: TBR (ARC)
The perfect summer read, full of charm and heart, written in the vein of The Thursday Murder Club or Only Murders in the Building but with a southern California twist.
Mrs. B, the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is a stubborn idealist who only rents to people she cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright with a dark past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe who likes to overshare; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the perfectionist Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro who’s hiding secrets.
The tenants live contentedly in their doll-house bungalows in Santa Barbara, just minutes from the beach, until their peace is shattered when Anthony, a quiet, hulking, but potentially violent ex-con moves in. Three weeks later, a dead body is discovered on the streets of the peaceful neighborhood. Anthony is arrested, and the tenants heave sighs of relief. Until Mrs. B, convinced that he's innocent, marches down to the police station and confesses to the crime herself. The tenants band together and form “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” to save their beloved landlady. As clues are unearthed and secrets are revealed, the community of misfits only grows more tight-knit...until a second body is found. Full of eccentricity, humor, community, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective will keep you hooked until the last page.
Praise
"The residents of Marigold Court have one, small problem—a dead body was found in a hedge and one of the residents is accused of killing him. Nothing brings a disparate group of people together like a murder! They decide to unite to solve the case and hopefully save the property from the shady land developer who wants to tear down their community. Not in their backyard! By turns funny, smart, and cozy, fans of Agatha Christie and Kat Ailes will whip through this one."
— Catherine Mack, USA Today bestselling author of Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies
"Superlatives can’t do this delightful novel justice. Simply put, it’s the most charming, heartfelt, and funniest mystery I’ve ever read. Readers of Richard Osman rejoice—your new obsession has arrived! If I could live in the witty, just, and sundrenched world Jo Nichols has created, I wouldn’t hesitate to call the movers tomorrow."
- Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
"Wonderfully eccentric with deep dives into many of the characters’ lives, this quickly paced read provides the perfect summer mystery."
— Brian Kenney, FirstClue
About the Authors
JOEL ROSS is the author of an award-winning fogpunk adventure series that includes THE FOG DIVER and THE LOST COMPASS, the BEAST & CROWN series, and ALLEY & REX series. As Joel Naftali, he wrote a skunkpunk children’s series and co-wrote THE ARMY OF FROGS trilogy which became a Netflix animated series—for which he and Lee wrote the screenplays. He is also the author of two adult WWII thrillers. And as Joel Dane, he wrote the CRY PILOT science fiction series, along with the science fiction podcast, MARIGOLD BREACH that starred Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto.
LEE NICHOLS is the author of five chick lit novels including the bestselling TALES OF A DRAMA QUEEN and HAND-ME-DOWN. She’s written the HAUNTING EMMA series for young adults, which is currently optioned for TV and co-wrote the animated Netflix series, THE ARMY OF FROGS.
Lee and Joel met in college and have lived together more years than they have not. They currently reside in Santa Barbara with two cats named Earl and Betty and have one son who pretends to be learning something while away at college. After collaborating on roughly thirty books together for both children and adults, they finally sat down to write The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, their first mystery.
