This is a story about a fictional female that many readers of the genre will empathise with: Penny is a divorcee in her fifties and trying to balance the demands of a teenage son, elderly parents, a demanding job and a still-too-high mortgage on a family home that is now too big. To create some financial breathing space, Penny decides to rent out the self-contained basement space, but she comes to regret this decision when the initially charming tenant she acquires, Cooper, turns out to be increasingly menacing. But will he get his come-uppance? And who in this twisty, well-written novel, literally gets away with murder? A fantastic, fast-paced read that is best read on a light-filled, sunny summer afternoon, if only to offset the many instances of tension and dark humour. Highly recommended! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC that I was gifted and that allowed me to produce this unbiased review.

A Good Place To Hide A Body by Laura Marshall is a wonderfully entertaining read, with excellent characters and a deceptively funny storyline.
Penny is the daughter of two elderly parents.
One night Penny gets a call from her father, asking Penny to come over straight away and not to phone the police. Penny drives over straight away and is puzzled to see both of her parents looking as they normally do. It isn’t them that they want Penny to see, it is their tenant Cooper that they need help with.
That’s because he is dead, and one of her parents have killed him. They decide to move the body to the allotment that her parents have. There is an Anderson shelter there and they can hide his body in there for now.
They soon have to move the body again and take the body back to the parents garden, planning to bury Cooper in the garden and have the area paved.
It carries on like this for some more frantic episodes, when Penny’s son is kidnapped, Cooper’s mother gets invoked and eventually someone else is charged with the murder
Penny’s parents live quite happily without their disruptive tenant and prefer their grandson as the new tenant.
Entertaining, silly, funny and likeable characters.
Highly recommended

The theme of selective ageism is popping up in numerous books currently: the ‘invisibility’ of women of a certain age. Laura Marshall’s new book, A Good Place to Hide a Body takes it to a whole new level though. Here, the reader’s eyes are opened to how the world casts aside older people who it no longer has any use for because these once fit and able-bodied individuals are no longer able to contribute to society in the way they were once used to. We also see how their children now have to parent their own parents – and let me tell you from experience, that’s no easy task!

Penny is a full-fledged, bonafide, card-carrying member of the sandwich generation!

She’s finding that she needs to spend more and more time tending to the needs of her elderly parents Sissy (who’s rather sassy) and Heath. It becomes increasingly clear to her that they’re in dire need of a financial boost, one that she’s not able to give. She’s got her 19-year-old son Zach to worry about, and hasn’t quite recovered from her divorce from his father Martin. She feels rather depleted in all ways!

When her parents stubbornly refuse to downsize, it’s decided that the best idea will be for them to take in a tenant to live in the self-contained basement annex of their dilapidated house. Connor seems charming at first, but of course turns out to be the tenant from hell. Far from being the solution to all of their problems, Penny quickly realizes that she’s welcomed the devil himself into their midst.

And that’s not all she has to worry about. As all the balls she’s been struggling to juggle – her job, navigating her relationship with her son and his growingly apparent issues and trying to deal with an ex who appears to be having his own mid-life crisis – start to crash around her, Penny knows exactly where it all started going wrong. But what can she do about it? Everywhere she turns feels like a dead end, and everyone who she turns to is unable (or unwilling to help).

Have you ever been in a situation that feel so absolutely desperate, with no solution, other than one that is just unthinkable?!

This is a harrowing story, but Laura Marshall injects her own unique brand of (dark) humour throughout, making it unputdownable! I have no doubt that situations similar to these happen more often than we know. I got so angry when Penny approached a lawyer for advice, sure that there would be some reasonable, legal way to resolve their dilemma, only to be told that the law favoured the tenant! What??!! It’s so hard to believe that there are deceitful, evil miscreants out there, who deliberately set out to take advantage of others … but there are! I had to keep reminding myself that this was fiction.

Classic heart rate quickening thriller just waiting for the perpetrator to get caught! I enjoyed this, and thought that the characters were generally well written and likeable - a little bit silly at times but that sort of added to it. A bit glass onion/murder mystery film vibes.

I loved this , it was a quick, funny, easy to read beach read ( I was on the beach).
I liked thee characters, even the ex husband and that relationship, and I wanted to see what happened next!!
It's my first from this author and won't be the last.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#AGoodPlaceToHideABody #NetGalley
Avoid it.
For women of Penny's generation, being on hand for elderly parents is just part of life. But for Penny, things have become a little more serious...
When she receives a frantic phone call from her parents one night, with express instructions NOT to call the police, Penny rushes over at once. But they haven't had a fall. They haven't forgotten their computer passwords. They've killed someone. And his body is lying in the garden, right next to the rose bushes. Everyone is capable of murder. They just need to meet the right person.
Sorry it wasn't my cup of tea.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Straughten for giving me an advance copy.

A Good Place to Hide a Body by Laura Marshall starts off with a prologue and it's a clever move by Marshall. Not the use of a prologue of course as it's quite common, but the way she leaves us hanging at the end of it... allowing us to make certain assumptions, before moving three months into the past when a family's lives were turned upside down.

Penny's a devoted (if somewhat impatient and judgemental) daughter, supporting her ageing parents and trying to do the same for her son, Zach, who's away at University. Zach's father dumped Penny for a woman 20 years his junior though the pair get on for the sake of their son. Penny's struggling though, just making ends meet on her mortgage so when her parents get into financial stress and she can't help them she suggests they take in a tenant.

Cooper Brownlow has been screened by the real estate agency and Penny assumes he's had a similar experience to her, needing temporary accommodation as a result of a break-up. He's charismatic and well-spoken though her parents quickly regret their decision as he has visitors at night and they suspect him of drug dealing. Penny finds Cooper attractive and believes her parents are confused and over-reacting.

And before too long Penny realises her parents were justified in their concerns and she's misjudged Cooper who's now showing his rather ugly true colours. And it's obvious he's played this game before as he's far better at it than Penny and her family who run out of options in their attempts to evict him.

This is the third book I've read by Marshall and I enjoyed this though it's obvious early where it's going... we did see several similar movies a decade or two ago about horror tenants who are unable to be evicted. We know from the prologue that this reaches some sort of crisis (resulting in a body) and I liked the way Marshall lures us in, then throws in a few surprises as well as a few OTT moments. This is an entertaining read and slightly nerve-wracking as readers will wonder if the guilty will be punished and how exactly one defines guilt and innocence. It would probably make a good book club read for that reason... it'd incite some robust ethical or moral discussions.

3.5 stars

Penny Whitlock is a mother and a daughter trying to keep all the balls in the air whilst balancing a job with the needs of her 19 year old son and also elderly parents who rely on her more and more. When her parents are struggling to pay the bills she suggests they rent out their basement annexe for extra cash, however none of them could have had any idea of what the consequences would be. What follows is a story with dark humour but ultimately a disturbing one of awful behaviour from people that you take on trust.

The book begins with a body in the garden – the reader doesn’t know who it is and I won’t spoil the moment. Suffice to say that Penny is not a natural criminal mastermind and struggles with the aftermath and responsibility. As well as supporting her parents, her husband has left her for a younger woman but still tries to use her as an agony aunt, she is struggling financially, her son appears to be suffering from the effects of addiction and, when someone pays her a little attention, to have something nice happen and to not be invisible for just a moment is too tempting to pass by.

There are characters here who will raise red flags and for much of the book I had this feeling of unease wondering what would come next. Besides Penny, her parents Sissy and Heath were probably my favourite characters, particularly Sissy with her Greenham Common background and no nonsense attitude. Penny’s dilemmas and struggles were clear to see, some of her decisions were not the wisest but made on the spur of the moment leading to a comedic element.

I very much enjoyed this well paced story where the unexpected was always around the corner. It was entertaining but also had its dark and disturbing side. It just goes to show that you never really know what people are capable of and what secrets they are keeping.

A Good Place to Hide a Body is a darkly comedic murder mystery style thriller.

When Penny receives an alarming phonecall from her elderly parents with exclamations of "the garden" and "a body" she rushes over, hoping against all hopes to find it's something far less serious than it sounds.

But there, splayed out on her parents' lawn, is Cooper Brownlow, the tenant who recently moved into their basement annexe and has turned all of their lives into a living nightmare.

At the start of the book, we meet charismatic Cooper, who charms everyone—Penny perhaps a little too much!
But once he has his foot in the door, a tenants agreement in place with decidedly shady letting agent Woodford Peters, and he has shared all the sordid details of his date with Penny with seemingly everyone, we begin to glimpse the real man behind the façade.

But now Cooper is dead, what are they going to do? Do they approach the police, aware that they have been persistently pressuring them to detain Cooper for his illegal activities, which they have struggled to substantiate? That would only serve to expose them as murderers with premeditation! Their only option is to hide the body! However, where is a decent place to conceal a corpse?

As Penny and her parents attempt to hide their actions, the book's latter half adopts a somewhat darkly humorous tone.
I particularly enjoyed Penny's mum, Sissy's, little old lady moments.

Penny, a fifty year old divorcee, will do anything for her older parents. One night Penny receives a frantic phone call from her father, who Penny thought was staying with a friend in Norfolk, asking her to come round now. The reader is then taken back three months to the start of a nightmare. Enter the tenant from hell! I am sure tenants like Cooper do exist although how many would take such revenge on a loved and well cared for rose garden!

I found Penny's character a bit frustrating and irritating at times. The stars for me were Penny's parents especially her mum Sissy, who used her age (and people's perceptions of older people) to her advantage. Whilst I was able to predict most of the twists I didn't see the final one coming and loved the ending. As well as the main plot there are some interesting family dynamics that added to my enjoyment of the book.

On the whole I found this book entertaining and read it over one weekend. It is an ideal Summer book if you are looking for an easy read with some humour and a few twists and turns to keep you entertained.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for my advanced reader copy received in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

"A Good Place to Hide a Body" by Laura Marshall is a thrilling and entertaining read that doesn’t disappoint.
The story follows Penny, who receives a frantic phone call from her parents, informing her that they have killed someone and the body is lying in their garden. From the outset, I was invested in the story and found myself racing through the pages to discover what had happened.
One of the strengths of this book is its pacing. The tension builds steadily throughout, making it difficult to put down. The writing style is also engaging, making it easy to become immersed in the world of the characters.
However, I did find Penny to be a frustrating character at times. Her naivety and impulsiveness made it difficult for me to connect with her on a deeper level. In contrast, her parents, Sissy and Heath, were more well-developed and complex characters that I found myself caring about.
I also felt that the book could have benefited from including chapters from Cooper's perspective. His motivations and backstory were not fully fleshed out, which made it difficult for me to understand his actions.
The plot itself was predictable, with few surprises along the way. However, this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. The story is well-structured and engaging, making it easy to follow along.
One of the themes that resonated with me is that people often forget that their parents have their own lives and secrets outside of their relationships with their children. This is particularly poignant in this story, where Penny's parents' actions are driven by a desire to hold onto their independence and sense of self.
Overall, "A Good Place to Hide a Body" is for fans of domestic thrillers. While it may not be a particularly original or groundbreaking story, it is well-written and entertaining. Just be sure to go in without any preconceptions and enjoy the ride!

Opening with Penny's elderly parents battling with a dead body in their garden, Laura Marshall's latest black comedy centres around Penny a 50 something year old woman who is being pulled in a hundred different directions at any point.

Her proud parents Sissy and Heath are struggling to maintain their house and are short of money, continually calling on Penny for assistance; her teenage son is finding university life hard and is sullen and withdrawn; her ex-husband has left her for a woman 20 years younger and is about to start a new family; and her hgh-stress job is piling on the pressure at a rate of knots. She's coping with it all but is rapidly approaching burn out. Something has to give, but what is it going to be?

When Penny suggests her parents rent out their shabby but passable basement flat to bring in some much needed income, little do they know that they are about to make everything infinitely more complicated.

Enter Cooper, a divorcee looking for a flat as a stopgap. He seems charming and effusive, and is happy to take the flat as it is. He's also looking at Penny in a way that she hasn't been looked at for a while, and she's enjoying the feeling of being noticed and appreciated.

Unfortunately this happy state doesn't last for long - Cooper quickly becomes a nightmare tenant, blaring out music, causing noise, lots of dodgy looking visitors coming and going. Sissy and Heath's complaints are brushed aside by the authorities, ignored due to their age and assumed ill health, whilst Cooper is afforded the right to do anything. Tensions escalate between the two households, with Cooper standing his ground and promising retaliation for any complaints made, whilst Sissy and Heath are driven round the bend by his underhand ways.

This brings us on to the body - no surprises for guessing who it is, but the way that Laura Marshall handles the aftermath of the incident and the wider repercussions, is inspired. Cooper had connections far and wide, and I could feel the pressure escalating as the story developed.

Sissy is the standout character for me, her ability to go undercover and undetected is second to none, and she turns out the frail old lady act like nobody else. Her forward planning is exemplary too if not a little too chilling!

I always look forward to new books from Laura Marshall; her bleak black comedy suits my tastes perfectly. This is a great edge of seat page turner where you're totally rooting for Cooper to get his comeuppance, and order to be restored.

When you read a lot of one type of genre it sometimes feels formulaic. My choice is crime fiction and whilst this book falls into that genre it is completely different to anything I’ve read before.
The crime itself is pretty much similar, a character is murdered because of the way they were to others but the perpetrators, the way in which the crime was concealed and the added humour was something I haven’t read before. Two elderly parents, Cissy and Heath, their harassed and totally out of her depth daughter, Penny, her son who is an addict and the lodger straight from hell. And these are just the main characters, there are all those who feature less but add to the storyline perfectly.
There are aspects of this novel that many will identify with. Financial concerns, house repairs, declining health, anxiety in the younger generation, loneliness. Penny had a lot to deal with, all of these problems were affecting her and her family. But there wouldn’t be many who had to deal with disposing of a body in their parent’s garden.
Cissy and Heath were brilliant characters, especially Cissy. One minute a frail, confused elderly lady, the next a determined ex Greenham Common agitator who wouldn’t give into bullies and was prepared to do anything to protect her own. I’m not sure which I adored most.
Penny was another I liked a lot. Her way of coping with her parent’ predicament, her acceptance of her broken marriage, awful boss and her son who was struggling more than anybody realised. It could have been difficult reading but the wry humour made it totally different.
I read this book in two sittings, I know from other reviews that this is common. It’s perfect holiday reading.

"A Good Place to Hide a Body" is a gripping and darkly humorous exploration of family dynamics and the unexpected consequences of secrets kept buried. Penny, a woman navigating the challenges of middle age and parental care, finds herself thrust into a chilling predicament when she receives a frantic call from her father one night.
The novel opens with a jolt as Penny rushes to her parent's home, expecting a medical emergency or some mundane mishap. Instead, she discovers a far more sinister truth: her parents have killed someone, and the body lies hidden in their garden. Marshall deftly sets the stage for a twisted tale where the line between loyalty and self-preservation blurs.
Penny, initially a relatable and sympathetic protagonist struggling with the demands of caregiving, is thrust into an unimaginable dilemma. Marshall's characterization shines as Penny wrestles with her conscience, torn between protecting her parents and confronting the heinous act they've committed. The dynamics within the family are intricately woven, revealing layers of dysfunction and buried resentments that add depth to the narrative.
The pacing is brisk and suspenseful, propelled by Marshall's plotting and sharp dialogue. As Penny navigates the aftermath of the murder, tensions escalate and secrets unravel, leading to unexpected twists that keep you guessing until the final pages. The exploration of moral ambiguity and the lengths people will go to protect themselves and their loved ones is both compelling and thought-provoking.
Marshall's writing is atmospheric, evoking a sense of unease that fills the story. The quaint setting of a suburban garden compared with the horror of a hidden crime scene creates a chilling backdrop for the unfolding drama. The novel's dark humour adds a layer of complexity, offering moments of levity amidst the tension.
"A Good Place to Hide a Body" is a brilliant thriller that showcases Laura Marshall's talent for creating suspenseful narratives with compelling characters and intricate plot twists. It's a book that delves into the darkest corners of human nature while keeping you absorbed from start to finish. For fans of psychological thrillers and domestic suspense, this novel is a must-read that delivers on every front.

Pacific Heights meets Weekend At Bernie's, in this dark crime drama, of tortuous tenants, troubled, teens, and worried parents galore.

3.5 stars

Thanks to netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC of #AGoodPlaceToHideABody.

An interesting book, I wasn't sure during the first half how I was going to rate it as I found the story dragging and the main character annoying. Once I hit 50% I couldn't put the book down. A good fun murder with a little bit of humour and mystery.

How far would you go to help your parents? A Good Place To Hide A Body is a cracker of a book! I have read several of Marshall's previous books and this one is somewhat different, but absolutely brilliant. Tense, gripping and darkly comedic, I raced through it.

Penny is in her 50s, divorced and has a teenage son, Zach. After a dramatic opening when she rushes round to her elderly parents in their hour of need, the story goes back to how, struggling to make ends meet, her parents Sissy and Heath rent out their basement - but their new tenant Cooper proves to be the tenant from hell. Things go rapidly downhill from there ….

This is a book full of tension as Sissy and Heath’s lives are made a misery by a truly nasty piece of work - and your heart goes out to them as the situation escalates. What makes this book so clever is that in amongst the real tension there is some absolute comedy gold, thanks in large part to the wonderfully drawn Sissy. And in amongst it is also a book about family and about parenting as we see Penny not only deal with her parents but also face challenges with her son Zach.

Pick this one up - I promise you won’t be disappointed and for me this is Marshall’s best book yet.

I love this author and was excited to get an opportunity to read this book before it was published, and the book did not disappoint. It is a story that could be true on so many levels  The great thing about Laura Marshall is she describes her characters so vividly and it makes you get more involved with the book.  The characters in this book were well rounded and made you want to read it quickly to see what happened.  This is a great read and at times made me feel a little uncomfortable in relation to how true to life this can be!  Some people think renting out a property can be easy money, but not if you have a manipulative violent and aggressive tenant! You really feel for the elderly couple in this book who have to put up with a less than ideal lodger. And you can relate to the heading ‘Everyone is capable of murder. They just need to meet the right person.’ This book also made me laugh out loud at times. It was funny, dark and tense in places.  A real page turner, a great read that keeps you guessing till the end!

Penny’s elderly parents Sissy and Heath are looking for a lodger to move in to their basement flat to help with rising living costs. Penny helps them to arrange it and is instantly attracted to the new lodger Cooper. He is handsome and mysterious but soon becomes dangerous. Penny tries to get Cooper to leave but when he won’t we find out how far she will go in order to protect her family.

I thought I knew exactly where this story was headed and then was completely surprised when it didn’t. I love when a twist is completely unexpected. The book has lots of dark humour especially with the main characters elderly parents who are my favourite characters overall.

Really well plotted and a great read.

Overall Good Read 🤓

After reading the premise, Dad’s phone call to Penny was the line that drew me to this book and made me chuckle. Whilst overall this was a good read, it didn’t have as many laugh out loud moments I thought it would, based on this. Not an author I’ve read before, but would do again.