Bubbling up with Helena

• Title: The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club
• Author: Gloria Chao
• Publisher: MIRA
• Release Date: 6/10/25
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Age Range: Adult
• Rating: ★★★★
• Publisher’s Summary: In this laugh-out-loud murder mystery, three women dating the same man band together to get revenge, but when they discover his body, they’ll need to solve his murder before they go down for it. The body in the closet was going to be a problem. Kathryn Hu knew it. Yes, Tucker Jones was a cheating scumbag, and yes, she’d agreed to meet Olivia and Elle—Tucker’s other girlfriends—to exact revenge for all he’d put them through… But then they found him. Dead.  Do they look guilty? Yes. Do they feel guilty for having wished him dead just hours before? Maybe a little. But—solid motive and a crime scene covered in their DNA aside—they’re innocent. They swear. To clear their names, Kat, Olivia, and Elle team up to find the real killer. But as they go undercover and lie to everyone, including the hot detective working the case, they realize that every person in their ex’s life had a reason to want him dead. Will they uncover the truth before they go down for a murder they didn’t commit? Filled with humor and shenanigans, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is a romp of an adventure by award-winning author Gloria Chao, perfect for fans of Dial A for Aunties, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and John Tucker Must Die.

From the first page, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is funny and charming. As a millennial I will say that I immediately was reminded of John Tucker Must Die, and seeing that connection in the publisher’s summary makes so much sense.

First of all, I love the group of Kat, Olivia, and Elle. Each one of them is so different. Kat is a scientist, Olivia is a lawyer, and Elle is a writer. Not only do they have very different jobs, but their personalities are vasty different as well. There definitely is a sense that the three of them would never have become friends without realizing they were all dating the same man. They form a deep bond and pretty quickly are willing to do anything for one another.

I found Kat’s relationship with her mom so interesting as well. Her mom clearly cares about her and worries about her living alone as a single woman. She regularly sends Kat gifts including a life alert button and subscription. I loved that the Life Alert button actually came in handy during the investigation. I understand why Kat struggles with her relationship with her mom, but it is so clear how much her mom cares about her. She just shows it in a different way than Kat would prefer.

Kat’s obsession with the origin of idioms and aphorisms is so fun. Throughout the book, she explains the origins of all kinds of phrases like, “buttering someone up” and “no dice.” I didn’t know where they came from, so I also learned something while reading a fun book. It is also hilarious that Olivia starts intentionally mixing sayings because of Kat’s interest in them.

Without spoiling the ending, I have to say that I think it is brilliant. I didn’t see it coming, which made it all the more fun. Once the killer is revealed, it makes so much sense. I almost want to read the book again knowing the ending, so I can pay attention to all of the clues. If you read this book, please let me know, so we can talk about the ending.

I totally agree with the publisher’s summary that recommends this book for fans of of Dial A for Aunties and Finlay Donovan is Killing It. I’ve read and enjoyed both of those series. They are both series of zany cozy mysteries like this one. They are all easy and fun reads that just happen to involve murder.

It looks like The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is getting a sequel, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.