It used to be a solid trope in fiction that two women who were interested in the same man would fight to the death for his love. Luckily, that trope seems passe, and fictional women are more likely to dump that guy than to fight over him. In Gloria Chao’s latest, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, three women team up to exact revenge on the cad who was cheating on them with each other. But when they find his body instead, they must work together to find the true killer and keep each other out of prison.
Fans of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Aunties series will root for Chao’s protagonist, Kathryn Hu, as they rooted for Sutanto’s Meddy Chan. Both second-generation Asian only children, they both find themselves awkwardly navigating situations that others pull them into.
Kathryn, a biologist who loves researching the origins of cliches, has trouble making friends at work and in real life. But everyone loves her boyfriend Tucker, who brings donuts to make up for Kathryn’s work mishap. Grateful for his support, Kathryn decides to surprise him at home—and she’s the one who gets surprised, when she interrupts his proposal to another woman! When Olivia and Kathryn get together to compare notes, Kathryn impulsively invites Olivia to the weekend away she had planned with Tucker. There they find another surprise: Tucker’s Tinder hook-up, Elle.
Although all three women play important roles in the book, it’s told from Kathryn’s first-person POV. Her awkwardness and naivete are charming, and she’s a hilariously bad detective. When she starts to fall for the policeman in charge of investigating Tucker’s murder, she seems destined for a happy ending.
Although the book starts strong, the pacing begins to lag in the middle. A podcaster dedicated to revenge stories has it out for the women when they go on her show, and the book is frequently interrupted by transcripts from the podcasts. The tone sometimes goes from funny to silly, and the police detective character is unrealistic even for comic mystery standards.
Still, Club is a quick read, and it ends on a clever twist that many readers will not see coming. And there’s a sweet subplot with Kathryn’s parents that tugs the heartstrings.
Amazon calls this “A Hu Done It Mystery Book 1,” so more books with Kathryn should be forthcoming. If you prefer your murder with side dishes of sisterhood and slapstick, add Hu to your TBR pile.
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