Motherland meets Midsomer Murders in this fresh and funny mystery about a group of soon-to-be mums who turn detective when there's a murder at their antenatal class.

'Cosy crime at its finest!' JANICE HALLETT
'A sharply witty debut' SIMON BRETT
'The epitome of fun and witty cosy crime' iPAPER

**DON'T MISS THE NEXT MOTHERS' MURDER CLUB MYSTERY: DEAD TIRED. AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!**

For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy Cotswold village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their unexpected first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she'll learn to make jam. But the rural idyll they'd hoped for doesn't quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local antenatal class and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.

With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice sets out to solve the mystery and clear her name, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head.

CAN YOU SOLVE THE MOTHER OF ALL MURDERS?

FEATURED IN THE EVENING STANDARD'S BOOKS TO WATCH IN 2023 AND THE NEW YORK TIMES' 'NEW MYSTERIES FOR A NEW YEAR'

Praise for The Expectant Detectives
'A gloriously smart and witty telling of the darker side of NCT groups - this is really funny with edge' HELEN LEDERER

'A complete triumph. Perfectly plotted, brilliantly observed and just so much fun' LAUREN BRAVO

'A twisty, turny murder mystery guaranteed to satisfy any amateur detective's cravings, with belly laughs big enough to give you stretch marks' FIONA LEITCH, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder

'Kat Ailes nails small town cosy crime in her debut novel. From the first page, I was hooked. I laughed an awful lot; the writing is so clever and funny' CHRIS MCDONALD, author of the Stonebridge Mysteries

'A humorous, remarkably touching debut. Pacy, funny, with just the right undertones of dark' EVA VERDE, author of Lives Like Mine

Motherland meets Midsomer Murders in this fresh and funny mystery about a group of soon-to-be mums who turn detective when there's a murder at their antenatal class.

About the Author
Kat Ailes' debut novel was runner-up for the Comedy Women in Print Unpublished Prize 2021. She works as an editor and freelanced for several years to allow her to take a couple of belated gap years, including hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. She now lives in the Cotswolds with her lovely husband and son and her beautiful but foolish dog.

Reviews
A wildly impressive debut. Pacy, energetic and best of all hilariously funny - without detracting from the shadowy mystery and genuine humanity at its core. Its characters and twisty plot feel absolutely real - you'll be on the edge of your seat, totally immersed in trying to work out who did it, but rest assured you're never far from a smile. Cosy crime at its finest! * Janice Hallett *
Kat Ailes is a welcome newcomer to the ranks of cosy crime novelists. The Expectant Detectives is a sharply witty debut * Simon Brett *
A gloriously smart and witty telling of the darker side of NCT groups - this is really funny with edge * Helen Lederer *
The epitome of fun and witty cosy crime * iPaper *
Murdering every mummy cliche with hilarity and heart, this book is a complete triumph. Perfectly plotted, brilliantly observed and just so much fun * Lauren Bravo *
A twisty, turny murder mystery guaranteed to satisfy any amateur detective's cravings, with belly laughs big enough to give you stretch marks * Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder *
Kat Ailes nails small town cosy crime in her debut novel. From the first page, I was hooked. I laughed an awful lot; the writing is so clever and funny. I really loved this book * Chris McDonald, author of the Stonebridge Mysteries *
It had such a lovely tone of voice, funny and warm, like chatting to a best mate. I really missed Alice when it was over * Sarah Naughton, author of The Mothers *
A humorous, remarkably touching debut. Pacy, funny, with just the right undertones of dark * Eva Verde, author of Lives Like Mine *
I LOVED this book! Alice is hilarious, the mystery is compelling and fun, and this group of about-to-be-moms deserves a sequel, and some cake, obvi! Kat Ailes has written a winner of a book and you'll want to read it immediately! * Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of Have You Seen Her *
The Expectant Detectives is wildly funny, clever, twisty, charming, and unexpectedly relatable. It is exactly the surprisingly heartwarming and uproariously hilarious mystery we all need in our lives. This book is one of a kind and I can't wait for the next instalment * Nora Murphy, author of The New Mother *



Book Information
ISBN 9781804180914
Author Kat Ailes
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint Zaffre
Publisher Bonnier Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 303g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 23mm