Kristin's Bookshelf

The Jam Sandwich Detectives
By Clare Thompson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fun listen.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel when I first started it. The narrator has a very distinct voice, but after a few chapters, I realized it was actually perfect for Rachel – slightly brash, a little frazzled, but still very relatable. A mom in every sense of the word, doing her best and loving her family. That said … there were definitely a handful of moments where I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her 😅

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Rachel and the rest of the trio, Jane and Frankie. Frankie especially stood out to me. I feel like she brought something the group needed. She’s trying so hard to fit in, a little unaware of social norms, and constantly putting her foot in her mouth … which made her both cringey and endearing.

The mom chat moments felt very real. I’ve absolutely been in those situations where a conversation is flowing, you chime in, and suddenly … silence. Then comes the spiral: What did I say? Did I offend someone? Do they just not like me? So that piece hit a little too close to home.

The amateur sleuthing was clever, and while the culprit (no spoilers) felt a bit expected, it also … wasn’t? I liked that the story took us in several different directions before getting there.

Overall, I’d definitely check out more from this author.