3.5 stars.

The Affliction by Beth Gutcheon is a puzzling murder mystery which takes place at a girls' private school in a Hudson River town.

Retired girls' school head Maggie Detweiler is part of a three person team evaluating whether or not Rye Manor School should remain open. Having already delivered the report to the head of school, Christina Liggett, Maggie is planning to leave when favorite teacher Florence Meagher goes missing. Deciding to stay a few extra days, Maggie is on campus when Florence's lifeless body is discovered in the swimming pool by student and promising diver Lily Hollister whose father Hugo is also a board member. When Maggie fills in her friend, Hope Babbin, on the situation, she drops everything to help Maggie look for clues.

Maggie and Hope are great friends and they each have different skill sets to bring the investigation. Maggie knows the ins and outs of the private schools so she is the logical choice to poke around the private school campus. Hope has a wealthy background so she has easy access to insider information about certain individuals they encounter during the course of their investigation. Maggie is quite insightful whereas Hope is a little scattered due to some unexpected family news.

The secondary cast of characters is HUGE and it is not at all easy to keep up with who is who and which of the guest appearances will prove to be meaningful. There are also numerous story arcs that might or might not figure into the murder investigation. This confusing jumble of cast members and storylines are also difficult to keep straight since the main plot just kind of meanders along. Although most of the characters and story arcs are interesting, copious notes are needed to keep everyone and everything straight.

While The Affliction is an entertaining cozy mystery, the overwhelming number of characters ad multiple story arcs are confusing. Hope and Maggie are a fantastic amateur sleuth duo and they are quite likable. Despite the affable lead characters, readers will most likely be a little disappointed by the lack of resolution for many of the storylines, including a clear-cut solving of Florence's murder. This second installment in Beth Gutcheon's Maggie Detweiler and Hope Babbin series can easily be read as a standalone. ( )

While the cover and title may make this seem like a trendy, psychological thriller, this has more the pace of an old fashioned murder mystery. Friends Maggie and Hope have finally returned--although the first book didn't wow me like I thought it would, I kept checking the library to see when this new one would be out. Maggie says it best near the beginning. "At any stage in life it was important to have at least one person who was always delighted to hear from you.". That person is her friend Hope, who gives up book club to meet with Maggie after a murder at the Rye Manor School for Girls. Maggie is on campus for an annual evaluation and stays to help the very new and young headmistress navigate the investigation. ( )

Rating 4.5. Maggie Detweiler and her friend, Hope, are investigating what begins as a missing persons case and becomes a murder. Maggie and Hope are wonderful characters. Maggie is your expert in all things school related, and Hope is a bit of a wild child, who thinks outside the box and thus uncovers things that otherwise might not come into play. She's also a hoot! The little asides between Maggie and Hope are lots of fun. Everyone should have a friendship in their lives like Maggie and Hope. As for the mystery here, there were lots of possibilities, including the students themselves. A little excitement here and there. A lovely beach read. ( )

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

This is what passes for a murder mystery in the 1% crowd where even the police are happy to have their jobs done for them by wealthy women who have nothing better to do. Although we're meant to assume who the murderer is and what the motive is, we're never actually given any closure on that point.

Mindless, uninspiring read. ( )

Thank you to Goodreads for this win and my honest review.

I don't know if I should have read the first in this series to find out how Maggie got involved in sleuthing but I thought it was a bit far-fetched that she got so involved in it after just being on the school's committee to see if it should be funded or closed. Then she gets her friend involved too who turns out to have a better head on her shoulders to me.

A lot of involvement with students and their parents and murders too which was a nice diversion from who I call "Nosy Maggie." The murderer was not announced and not sure if it's because there is a sequel or what.

The title was a little silly since they called the woman who was initially murdered "The Affliction" because of her non-stop talking.

Would I recommend this book? Not sure. ( )