A Fresh, Funny, and Delightfully Millennial Cozy Mystery
Goodreads | Grace & Jo Have Never Solved a Murder
Release date: October 13, 2026
Publisher: Datura
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Synopsis:
They’re not detectives. They’re just two millennials with a murder to solve. A funny and wholesome mystery, perfect for fans of the Finlay Donovan series.
Grace’s life is turned upside down when she finds her boss’s dead body at his desk. After being questioned by the police, Grace takes it as a sign to declare her recent move to Philadelphia a bust and move back to Florida, until her boss’s widow, Jo, shows up and offers Grace a job as her assistant.
The catch? Jo only wants assistance with one thing: solving her husband’s murder. Jo believes that the police can’t be trusted, and that two amateur millennial women will have much better luck cracking the case.
Armed with Jo’s creative “crime board”, various disguises – including a retired stripper and a pro bono housecleaner – they just might pull it off …
Hilarious, wholesome, and relatable, Grace & Jo Have Never Solved a Murder speaks to everyone who’s ever believed that they could solve a mystery.
Review:
I am always excited to find a modern, millennial cozy mystery, and Grace & Jo Have Never Solved a Murder was such a fun debut! Jess Mey delivers an engaging mystery with two unlikely amateur sleuths, plenty of humor, and a friendship that quickly became my favorite part of the story. This was exactly the kind of fresh, contemporary cozy mystery I love discovering.
Grace and Jo were fantastic lead characters, and I especially loved their sense of humor. As a millennial myself, I felt like these two just got me. Their personalities, banter, and the way they approached their very unexpected detective duties were so entertaining. They’re an unlikely duo, but their friendship worked incredibly well, and I loved watching their relationship develop as they attempted to solve a murder neither of them was remotely qualified to investigate.
Beyond the humor, I appreciated the emotional depth woven into Jo’s storyline. She’s grieving the loss of her husband while desperately wanting answers and justice for him, and that gave the mystery a meaningful layer beneath all the amateur sleuthing shenanigans. I thought Mey balanced those elements really well. The mystery itself was engaging and kept me guessing until shortly before everything was revealed, which is always a win in my book.
Overall, this was a strong debut and such an enjoyable read! I really connected with Mey’s writing style and appreciated how fresh, funny, and relatable the story felt. I would absolutely read another adventure featuring Grace and Jo if this becomes a series. I’m already hoping we haven’t seen the last of these two, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Jess Mey writes next!
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
- 🔎 Modern, millennial cozy mysteries
- 👯 Unlikely friendships and hilarious amateur sleuths
- 😂 Relatable humor, witty banter, and quirky investigations
- 💛 Mysteries with heart and emotional depth
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the author for my review copy.
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