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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.
The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson
Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson.
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? (5/8/2025)
...the end of the sprawling drama of The Antidote by Karen Russell. Once finished, I plan to begin reading Playground by Richard Power. I'm also reading The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson to review.
-Sunny
"[A] genial and entertaining cozy centered on a ragtag ensemble of bookworm...Sampson hits a parade of familiar but satisfying beats: unexpected friendships blossom, books provide key clues, and well-placed red herrings keep the pace from flagging. It's a bright and breezy treat." —Publishers Weekly
"Lovers of found family tales will enjoy; lovers of puzzles maybe less so." —Kirkus Reviews
"Sampson's latest is another fun British amateur sleuth story. … The intertwining perspectives of the disparate members will tug at readers' armchair sleuthing abilities as they try to puzzle out whodunit and why. A good fit for fans of bookish mysteries featuring reluctant allies who learn to work together." —Library Journal
"Sampson has a knack for pulling together a ragtag, multigenerational crew of charming characters, and this time, she adds crime to the mix. … This cozy mystery has strong caper vibes and lots of bookish references, a real treat for readers." —Booklist
"The small-town book group we all want to join, where the quirky, coloring-outside-the-lines members take their cues from literature and band together to do the right thing for one of their own, even if it means risking their lives to solve a crime. Funny, endearing, and full of snappy, insightful dialogue about the joys and compromises of life – I'll bring the brownies to their next meeting!" —Christina Lynch, author of Pony Confidential
This information about The Busybody Book Club was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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, and a number of factual and entertainment series. She studied History at Cambridge University and in 2018 was shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize. She lives in London with her husband, two young children and an antisocial cat. The Last Chance Library is her debut novel.
Author Interview
Link to Freya Sampson's Website
Name Pronunciation
Freya Sampson: FRAY-uh
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