Murder on Charity Lane

This second book in the Marigold Cottages Murders series features a cast of quirky cottage owners who are back with another murder to solve. 

This is the type of series where you'll need to read the books in order since the author doesn't recap characters or plot points from the previous book. It took me, who read the first book months ago, some time to remember who was who and how they were related from the first book. 

This story picks up six months after the first book in the same quaint SoCal tightknit, ragtag cottage community. Several POVs tell the story and I loved the short chapters, but its laggy pace made the story feel like it had a much higher page count and the reveal at the end was a bit lackluster. 

It has a nice cozy mystery vibe with a charming setting and I loved its focus on this small, oddball community headed up by Mrs B, the quirkiest of the bunch who has a big heart, but often acts before she thinks which makes for some interesting pivots in the story. 

This was a good read that will appeal to readers who enjoy slower paced, character-driven murder mysteries and while it wasn't my favourite in the series, I look forward to reading more from this author.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Minotaur Books for the gifted digital advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Jo Nichols

Genre: Mystery, Cozy

Series: Marigold Cottages Murders 2

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Minotaur Books (SMP)

First Published: August 18, 2026

Read: july 13-20, 2026

Book Description from GoodReads: The charming and heartfelt follow-up to The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, written in the vein of The Thursday Murder Club and "Only Murders in the Building," with a Southern California twist.

Months after the shocking murders at Marigold Cottages, eccentric landlady Mrs. B finds the peace and quiet a little too peaceful. That's why she invites her young friend Elsa Moore to move into a now-vacant Elsa is a suspect in the death of her employer, a wealthy Santa Barbara philanthropist who tumbled down the stairs of his mansion during a dinner party.

The dead man’s much-younger widow claims she saw Elsa push him, but Mrs. B is certain that she's innocent. Why? Oh, just a feeling.

That’s enough for her to summon the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective. Lily-Ann will marshal the facts, Hamilton will dig around online, Sophie and Nicholas will offer eyewitness testimony, and everyone will hope that Ocean keeps Mrs. B out of trouble.

Just as the tenants begin to suspect that Elsa is in fact guilty, there’s a second murder. A bloodier one. Then they discover that Mrs. B risked the Marigold Cottages for Elsa. With their tight-knit community on the line, they must ignore their doubts and prove her innocence.