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Without a hint of condescension, J.M. Hall imbues his senior citizen characters with warmth, humour and humanity. Certainly Liz, Thelma and Pat have their foibles and flaws, but there’s no writing off people just because they might be retired. Their collective experience of previously working in a school is pitch perfect, so that all three women are warm, quirky and just like anyone you might know in real life. This makes them so endearing and believable. My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Spoonful of Murder’ by J.M. Hall in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked most was the juxtaposition of the absolute mundane routines of these ladies lives such as watching garden rescue, planning for the families dinner, making lists for a shopping trip with the extraordinary - trying to solve the murder.. life goes on even when murder is involved
There must be a thing now with older amateur sleuth stories, as I’ve read more than I had expected to recently. This trio muddled their way to the solution, and a resolution for their other personal cares, in a way that held my attention to the end, and has me looking forward to their next sleuthing adventure.
When Hazel Wong's beloved grandfather passes away, Daisy Wells is all too happy to accompany her friend (and Detective Society Vice-President) to Hazel's family estate in beautiful, bustling Hong Kong. She's also a criminal. She failed to report a breaking and entering in the victim's house that was directly related to the murder and even cleaned up the scene (so the police wouldn't know it happened). She broke into police evidence and looked through it. This is a lot more serious than just snooping around to help the police out, like in most cozy mysteries.
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Pat, bright and attractive, the wife of Rod, (a builder), worries about her youngest, teenage son, Liam, the bodily trials of aging, and a generation raised in a world where the internet in all its trappings can clearly be seen to “sap the soul”. Cooper said she was “thrilled” to be working with Pilot Media and Salt Beef TV; the latter will co-produce any adaptation with Pilot. “With a diverse cast, opulent settings and a gloriously nostalgic feel, I always thought this series was perfect for adaptation,” she said. The Murder Most Unladylike series is set in a 1930s boarding school and features schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. The first three books in the series— Murder Most Unladylike, Arsenic for Tea and First Class Murder." About This Edition ISBN: The title says it all! Along with the opening line “to be involved in anything like murder quite simple it was something they would never set out to do!! I knew then it was going to be a really good read.
But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it… Well done J.M. Hall for an excellent read, I shall definitely be recommending this delightful and interesting book to my family and friends. That being said, true cozy mystery fans will really enjoy this book. The setting, the people, and the storyline are just the reasons why we read cozies in the first place.
Robin Stevens Press Reviews
MY THOUGHTS: A Spoonful of Murder is an entertaining cosy murder mystery starring three very down to earth retired teachers, any one of whom could be your neighbour. Oh how brilliant was this book?! I must have read it in about two servings as I just couldn't put it down… Had great comical moments throughout. A really good murder mystery book’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ WIN! We have a full set of book from the Murder Most Unladylike series up for grabs! Enter the competition HERE! In the latest book in the series, the two super-sleuths head to beautiful, bustling Hong Kong to stay with Hazel’s family. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes…very close to home. And this time, Hazel isn’t just the detective – she’s been framed for murder, too! And if it hadn't been a Thursday . . . if it hadn't been the garden centre cafe . . . they wouldn't have met Topsy and KellyAnne and, crucially, Thelma wouldn't have come across Topsy crying in the toilets, which they all agreed was really the start of things.
The entire story held my attention and the search for the killer kept me guessing. There were plenty of suspects to go around and so little to know about the victim, that anything was possible. It's always great for me to begin a new cosy mystery series, and this is especially true when the setting is relatively local. The characters were well done and the ending was satisfying. The plot flowed at an even pace, and there were numerous moments of hilarity. Red herrings were plentiful and there was a multitude of suspects who might have been responsible for Topsy's death. Well worth a look if you're partial to cosy mysteries. Then tragedy hits: during a visit to the doctor, baby Teddy is kidnapped and his nanny is horribly murdered. With a crime so close to home and to Hazel’s own heart, the Detective Society has their work cut out for them. We’re delighted J M Hall has written an exclusive short story for us featuring the characters from his book. Enjoy Smelling Of Roses in this week’s issue of My Weekly, on sale now! The story takes a while to get going, with the author giving us time to get to know Thelma, Pat and Liz and their personalities, insecurities and family concerns. Thelma becomes concerned about one of her former pupils experiencing money problems, Pat is worried about her weight and her son and some unknown “internet problems”, while Liz is worried about her grandson’s tantrums in a highly regarded school. Also, Topsy’s death exposes a series of schemes targeting seniors, which has all three of the friends understandably upset.
About Robin Stevens
I really enjoyed reading along as the three friends and retired school teachers work their way through an unintentional post-retirement position: amateur sleuths solving a murder/mystery plot involving an ex coworker. Not what they had planned…but stumbled into nevertheless.
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