She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: January 21, 2025

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Pages: 336

Genre: Mystery/ Rom Com

Rating: 4/5

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a fun closed circle murder mystery that had me laughing out loud, swooning hard, and completely engrossed in the whodunnit of it all. Kate is a popular mystery author who is stuck writing the next installment of her series when she travels to a private island off the coast of Seattle to attend the wedding of two people who work for her publishing house. However, the groom also happens to be her ex-finance and her old crush, Jake, also crashes the wedding which leads to further complications for Kate. But when Kate stumbles on a dead body killed in a manner similar to a death in one of her books, Jake is the only one who can help her clear her name.

Adding to the wonderful zany atmosphere of Kate and Jake trying to find clues to narrow down who is behind everything, there is also a storm that has trapped the guests on the island. The storm was a great addition to the story because it wasn’t just used as a plot device to keep the characters stuck. The storm also plays a part in the wedding and further deterioration of the historic house they are staying in.

Moke also did an incredible job creating a truly fascinating group of characters. They all felt flushed out and the banter between everyone led to some very funny scenes and moments. Everyone had their own motivations to possibly wanting the dead person gone and it made for some amusing times watching Jake and Kate knock them off their suspect list.

Speaking of Jake and Kate, their chemistry jumped off the page. I adored the almost second chance romance aspect of the story and seeing them work together. They also got themselves into some very interesting predicaments that are still vivid in my mind.

It also has the pleasing element of Kate daydreaming of different scenes that she could include in her book. Her protagonist felt like another character and I loved how her writing world reflected her reality. It was such a fun way to tell a story and highlighted Moke’s firm grip on her characters and storytelling.

Overall, this was a very fun and easy read that would be the perfect book to curl up with a warm drink and cozy blanket. I believe this is Moke’s first adult novel and I’m eagerly looking forward to what she comes up with next.