Dead Tired - (Expectant Detectives Mystery) by Kat Ailes

About the Book

"Alice didn't think her maternity leave would involve so much, well, murder. Before becoming proud new moms, she and her friends bonded more than members of a prenatal group usually would, as they became accidental amateur sleuths and solved a crime together. Now, with all this behind them and Alice's son Jack somehow already a year old, Alice is keen to finally catch up on some sleep. So when an opportunity presents itself in the unlikely form of an eco-protest, Alice and her friends willingly chain themselves to trees and settle in as an excuse to get some overdue rest. ... The next morning one of their fellow protesters is found strangled, and any hope of a peaceful interlude is suddenly swept away"--

Book Synopsis

The second in a charming and hilarious mystery series by Kat Ailes, Dead Tired follows a group of new moms who didn't think their maternity leave would involve so much murder.

"Full of charming characters, including Alice's goofy dog, this fast-paced, original cozy is great fun."--Publishers Weekly

Being a new mom is murder.

Alice didn't think her maternity leave would involve so much, well, murder. Before becoming proud new moms, she and her friends bonded more than members of a prenatal group usually would, as they became accidental amateur sleuths and solved a crime together. Now, with all this behind them and Alice's son Jack somehow already a year old, Alice is keen to finally catch up on some sleep. So when an opportunity presents itself in the unlikely form of an eco-protest, Alice and her friends willingly chain themselves to trees and settle in as an excuse to get some overdue rest. Not the most comfortable arrangement ever, but at this point, they'll take what they can get.

However, the next morning one of their fellow protesters is found strangled, and any hope of a peaceful interlude is suddenly swept away. Soon Alice and her friends become entangled in a plot involving rogue artists, an enigmatic local entrepreneur, and nude (optional) protesting, offering an unexpected--but not necessarily unwelcome--break from changing diapers and wrestling baby toys away from Helen the dog.

Alice, whose success rate in solving countryside murder is at an all-time high (one out of one), cannot resist the chance to demonstrate her detective skills once more, and assembles her gang of new moms to investigate this latest mystery in their not-so-sleepy English countryside village.

Review Quotes

"Spirited . . . Ailes once again marries quick wit, surprising reveals, and charming antics from Alice's dog, Helen. This series has all the ingredients for a long and satisfying run."--Publishers Weekly

"Ailes deftly injects an old-school British cozy mystery with a modern twist in the appealing voice of Alice, who is deceptively competent despite perpetual feelings of inadequacy. Give Ailes' funny and charming Expectant Detective series to fans of Elle Cosimano and Catherine Mack."--Booklist

"Funny and engaging . . . The novel's rich cast of characters, including environmental activists, urban artists, and members of the wealthy elite, provide for an entertaining array of suspects."--Library Journal

About the Author

KAT AILES (she/her) works in publishing as an editor and freelanced for several years to take a couple of belated gap years, including hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. She now lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, their young son and her beautiful but foolish dog. The Expectant Detectives was her debut novel, the first draft of which was written largely in three weeks after she submitted the first few chapters to the Comedy Women in Print Prize and was unexpectedly shortlisted.