Book Review: The Forty Year Grudge by Liza Tully

Hello readers! Today I’m very excited to be participating in the blog tour for The Forty Year Grudge by Liza Tully. This is the second book in her Merritt & Blint mystery series and it releases today, June 9, 2026. Although I haven’t read the first book in the series (yet, because I definitely plan to), I found it to be a really funny and interesting mystery that was easy to jump into.

The main characters are Detective Aubrey Merritt and her assistant Olivia Blunt. The two of them are from different generations and have different levels of exerpertise, and they kind of gave me Deborah and Ava vibes from Hacks. Haha. I found them really enjoyable to read about and will discuss more about that in today’s book review of The Forty Year Grudge by Liza Tully.

And if you are looking for more mystery recs, you can find more of my cozy mystery reviews here.

What is The Forty Year Grudge by Liza Tully about?

When the World’s Greatest Detective reunites with her college friends, she discovers that time doesn’t heal all wounds.

It’s been four decades since the women of Sigma Delta Tau were last together. The passing years, growing families, and maturing careers may have strained the bonds of sisterhood, but now a reunion at the Western ranch of one member offers an opportunity to renew acquaintances…and at least one long-standing grudge.

Still, this weekend is supposed to be a pleasant diversion for former sorority member and current private investigator Aubrey Merritt. She’s come to New Mexico to reconnect with old friends and she’s brought along her personal assistant, Olivia Blunt—an aspiring detective who is learning more about packing bags on this trip than about solving crimes.

The shocking murder of a sorority sister changes everything. With the local police overmatched, all eyes turn to Merritt and Blunt to crack the case. With a surprising abundance of suspects, it’s going to take both of them to cut through the knot of old hurts and current grievances to find the killer. (from Amazon.com)

What is the big mystery of The Forty Year Grudge?

There are a couple of different mysteries to be solved, and I think that’s a very interesting part of this story. Aubrey puts a lot of pressure on Olivia to solve things by the end of the book, and Olivia almost snaps because of how tired she is and how much there is going on. Lol. Can’t say I blamed her! But I felt like it all came together for a solid ending.

What is the Relationship like Between Aubrey Merritt and Olivia Blunt?

Aubrey and Olivia have an interesting relationship. A lot of it is probably explained in the first book, which I haven’t had the chance to read yet. Aubrey is tough and sure of herself and a little shrewd. She has a lot of knowledge and skill which is very important in her field of detective work.

Olivia is younger (Gen Z) and doesn’t have as much experience. But I appreciated that she was a good note taker. She’s almost in awe of Aubrey sometimes, which is why I said they kind of remind me of Deborah and Ava from Hacks. In a way, they need each other. And although Aubrey is often short with Olivia, it’s clear that she does think she is smart. That’s why she hired her in the first place.

Whose perspective is the story told from?

The story is told from Olivia’s perspective. I enjoyed that. It was fun to see the innerworkings of her mind as she worked to collect clues. I especially enjoyed the last few chapters when she had to spend so much time thinking and trying to put it all together.

What Did I Like About The Forty Year Grudge?

I love a sorority reunion. Why are sorority sisters always so messy?
I enjoyed Aubrey Merritt a lot. It’s clear to see why Olivia looks up to her.
I liked Olivia too. There were a few times where she made me laugh.
I liked that this was such a multifaceted story. There was a lot going on.

What did I Dislike About The Forth Year Grudge?

I had trouble keeping all of the different names straight. There are a lot of sorority sisters and so keeping track of each of them and their husbands was a challenge.
I felt like the conversations between Olivia and Trevor were very odd. Maybe I just don’t understand their relationship since I haven’t read book 1 yet but it felt like they didn’t really know each other that well. Was it an arranged marriage or something?

Would I Recommend this Book?

Yes! Like I said, it was a really enjoyable mystery. Following the investigation of Merritt and Blunt was very fun. Liza Tully did a great job of creating a mystery with many diferent layers. It wasn’t super obvious who the killer was!

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed today’s book review of The Forty Year Grudge by Liza Tully. I always have fun reading books about sorority sisters and this one did not let me down. There was quite a lot of drama! The setting of the desert was very neat because I’ve never been there. But I agree with Olivia… I would not want to run across a scorpion or a rattlesnake. No sir!