Money is missing from a woman’s account, quite a lot of money. Does that have anything to do with her death? After all, she was in the early stages of dementia, her daughter, who normally took care of her, was away for the weekend, and many senior citizens in the area had been targeted by a scam to get their money.The difference, none of them have died in the process.

When her former colleagues, three retired teachers, learn of her death and the other problems she has been having, they become concerned. However, they are regularly reassured by her daughter that she was constantly muddling her pills and her death is really just an unfortunate accident, one she brought about by taking the wrong pills. The police seem to be content with the explanation that all was just a mistake, and after doing some investigating, the death is declared an accident.

Still, her friends are uneasy. There are too many other things that aren’t quite right. Who is the man in the older van who keeps hanging around her house? Why is the young man, a friend of the dead woman’s daughter and her friend, constantly hanging around her house? What part in all this did the bank clerk, a former student, play, if any?

In addition to these questions, each of the friends has her own issues that range from needing to lose weight to remembering an old incident that could have resulted in terrible consequences, to dealing with a son who is withdrawn and moody and a grandson who is having trouble in school to name a few. All of this rolls together to create multiple questions that need to be answered, some of which are related to the main plot and some of which are not.

The friends decide to investigate, but this investigation isn’t exactly a joint effort. Often, one of the friends goes off on her own, makes inquiries, and then comes back to the group to share her latest discovery. Some of these investigations are regarding the main issue of how their friend died, others are related to personal issues or issues that seem to pop up as they become more involved with individuals they meet in the course of their investigation.

There is an over-arching plot of whether or not the friend was murdered and if so, by whom? There are multiple subplots that seem to take away from this question and serve to create a less than direct investigation. For this reason the plot seems somewhat uneven, as the story jumps from one issue, or one character to another. The overall plot is a good one, and provides a good mystery, although it may be too easily solved by the reader to be the only storyline in the book. The book might benefit from sticking with the main plot and the few sub-plots that are directly related to it rather than following the larger number of tangents included.

In summary, Hall has done a credible job of presenting a mystery that has several interesting components. It would be a smoother read if the book were limited to these plot lines in the book. It’s possible these additional plot lines are Hall’s method of developing her characters, but there might be ways to do that without muddying the main plot and investigation.

My thanks to Avon Books UK for an advance copy of this book for review. The opinions here are entirely my own.

One for fans of Richard Osman, A Spoonful of Murder is a cosy mystery following three retired school teachers who believe their friend and former colleague Topsy was murdered.

Although it took me a little while to get into, this is a clever story with heart, depth and a touch of drama.

Each character has their own personality, their own back story and their own thoughts on what happened to their friend, but all come together over tea to share their latest updates in their investigations.

Similarities between this and The Thursday Murder Club cannot be ignored but if you enjoyed that you will probably enjoy this. This is slightly less humorous, with the characters not always being of the same opinion. Still, its an enjoyable read, and I did not predict the outcome.

Charming and entertaining, how a cosy mystery should be.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Avon Books UK, in return for an honest review. This is a cozy Yorkshire mystery that delves into the challenges of dementia and aging so be aware if those are trigger issues for readers. Three retired UK teachers meet weekly for tea and cake. At their latest meeting, they’re surprised when Topsy, a former colleague, and her daughter join them. Well, Topsy’s daughter leaves her with them while she goes shopping. When Topsy informs the three women that ‘they’re trying to kill me’, neither Thelma, Pat or Liz know quite what to make of her pronouncement. When Topsy dies, the three women start cautiously looking into the circumstances and soon are immersed in discovering the ‘ordinary evil’ in their hometown. This debut novel is well-written with some clever aspects, like the chapter titles. It does take a bit to get into the story but preserve as the ending is worth the effort.

I loved this book so much
Three old work colleagues meet at a garden centre to catch up.
One day they catch up with another old friend, Topsy but she is not the same
When Topsy dies in slightly suspicious circumstances our three heroes begin to investigate.
This book is about growing older but it’s about finding confidence again
Great chapter titles and a clever plot

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and the Publisher with providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was the perfect cosy read, and its style reminded me of both the Miss Marple books and Richard Osman's latest murder mysteries. The characters were really well-fleshed out, and the plot was well-paced without revealing too many twists prematurely. I loved how the plot unfolded, and really enjoyed following the main characters as they investigated the murder at the centre of the novel!

Plot: During their weekly cafe visit, three retired school teachers bump into a former colleague, Topsy, who is now suffering from dementia. The following week when this former colleague passes away, the nosy retired women feel something's not quite right. They each explore a piece of the mystery as amateur sleuths and come together at the cafe with their findings. A mix of heavy topics such as dementia, death, and money troubles paired with the comical stubbornness that only old, retired school teachers have, this mystery takes you on a journey to uncover the truth of Topsy’s demise.

Characters: I adored reading a story with older, strong female characters. Pat, Liz, and Thelma are incredibly relatable, nosy, motherly figures who each bring something to the proverbial table. A few times, however, I found myself confused between characters or whose perspective was being shared.

Setting: This story takes place in Thirsk, a small town in the UK. The gossipy feel with the descriptive text of weather and land place you right in this little town. Everyone most certainly thinks they know everyone’s business in this cozy mystery. I have never been outside of London, but I feel like I could have been one of the tourists in their favorite Thirsk coffee shop. I would have loved more description around the coffee shop itself given how often it appears in the story.

Conflict/Resolution: Lots of red herrings, which were fun once a theory was crossed off the list. But some red herrings and character storylines at times seemed a little distracting to the main story. The final resolution was well explained, realistic, and tied loose ends in a bow.

Writing: This has a fun writing style, I found myself reading it aloud at times as it has a nice sing-songy cadence. Lots of parentheticals, especially in the beginning, made this an extraordinarily difficult and slow read for me.

Overall/Other notes: I almost felt like “ordinary evil” would have fit better as a title with “a spoonful of murder” being the series (yes, I want another!). Thank you Avon Books UK for the ARC.

Gripping and addictive.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read a digital arc in exchange for my feedback.

For a debut, this is great. Loved the whole addition of laidback tea time. The writing is interesting and engaging.
For a mystery, it sure had way too much going on. I like a mystery that focuses on the case rather than the characters and their lives. If you like Agatha Christie, you are bound to like this.

thank you to NetGalley, for an ARC of the book.

A cozy wonderful mystery that feels like a nice hot cup of coffee and a blanket. As a lover of Miss Marple mysteries I felt very at home reading this wonderful book. The perfect blend of tricky and cozy, the plot was thoroughly enjoyable to read! I say grab a copy, fill up your mug and sit by the fire and nestle into this for a few hours, you wont be disappointed!
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Thank you to Netgalley & AvonBooks for the ARC

When reading this book I thought, “if I die unexpectedly, I sure hope some retired women folk can’t keep their nose out of my business”.

Providing a 4 star rating because several of the characters blended together.

A woman with dementia/Alzheimer's passes away. She had told a friend that they were trying to kill her. A bunch of coworkers put their brains together to figure things out.

Thank you to NetGalley, J.M. Hall the author and Avon Books UK the publisher for the opportunity to review A Spoonful of Murder in exchange for an honest review.

As the daughter of a retired primary school teacher, this cozy mystery about three retired teachers stumbling into - and solving - the murder of an old friend was both convincing and entertaining.

A Spoonful of Murder is a gentle mystery, full of wry observations on the lives of the locals but also deeper thoughts on family and ageing - and on dementia in particular. Liz, Pat and Thelma are twenty-first century Miss Marples with smartphones, investigating with the same sort of subtle questioning, and using of their knowledge of children and parents gained over years of teaching to see beyond what they're being told by their suspects.

In the end, for me, the mystery actually came in second to the personal dilemmas the sleuths were dealing with - real world problems for women who, by the end of the book, felt like real friends rather than fictional characters.

A brilliant debut and highly recommended.

Keep slugging through, it really does pickup once you past the 50% mark! Overall this was fun and it enjoyed reading it, but it was definitely an effort. The start was slow and a bit boring, but I don’t like giving up, so I kept on reading and it eventually paid off. Once I passed the halfway mark, the story picked up quickly and it was a pretty fun ending. I was pleased to learn my deductions were correct regarding who the murder was, but the tying up of all the other little stories were quite fun.

Oh how brilliant was this book?! I must have read it in about to servings as I just couldn't put it down. The old women where absolute dears and the book had great comical moments throughout. A really good murder mystery book, which I'm hoping there will be lots more to come.

Thank you for the opportunity of reviewing this book. I enjoyed this, and it definitely gave me Thursday Murder Club vibes (a book I absolutely love). It was interesting to get to know the characters of Thelma, Pat, and Liz, as they figure out the circumstances surrounding the death of an old colleague and friend, Topsy.

We get to know all about the quirks of the little village of Thirsk, and the intricacies of those that live there as we slowly uncover the truth surrounding Topsy’s death.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this one, with a lot of characters hanging around to keep it interesting. However, I did find it slightly slow at times and occasionally found it hard to differentiate between Thelma, Pat, and Liz.

Overall an enjoyable read!

I struggled to get into this one,
Forced myself to continue to find out what happened but needed up DNFing around 50%

I had expected this to be very similar to the Thursday Murder Club series, which I really enjoy. However, it fell flat for me. I would have preferred a more in depth look at each character.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this free digital book in exchange for an honest review! This book will be out 3/17/22.

This is a charming and enjoyable cozy mystery! It gave me the "Thursday Murder Club" vibes with the England setting, main characters of a certain age, and of course, murder. It took me a bit to really get into the story but I was invested by the end. If you have paid attention so far, I've become a huge fan of novels with main characters over 50.

The "sleuths" in this story all felt very real--they had insecurities, reservations about "investigating" and relatable pasts--Pat, Thelma, and Liz are all retired teachers which was fun. I can't say that I definitely felt attached to any particular character but I was interested in them throughout the story.

Also, the chapter titles were entertaining!

I would read another book by this author, particularly if there is another book with these characters!

The beginning of this one certainly had me intrigued. However, it didn’t half go on!! As well as it being wordy, I struggled to keep track of which retired teacher was which. I couldn’t quite picture them. I also couldn’t see why the one in her 50s with the teenage son was even retired?! Surely she was too young. And leotards! I last saw a leotard in perhaps the early 90s?! Those leotard wearing gym members would have put their bags of shampoo bottles in the changing room locker, not taken them into zumba!! Perhaps I spent too long pondering the wrong details and David Essex (first ‘proper’ concert I went to) …….!

Ignoring the issues with length and leotards, the story did raise many serious social issues. Dementia, care costs, debt, childlessness, sexuality, police cuts, bank fraud, dodgy builders and more! In that way, it was actually a much more serious story than it first appeared. Quite an undertaking for a first-time author.

Thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the introduction to J M Hall.

(goodreads link doesn’t work)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Set in the charming village of Thirsk, Yorkshire , when three retired primary school teachers, (Thelma, Pat and Liz), are faced with the suspicious death of a friend, Topsy, they reluctantly take up the task of uncovering the “ordinary evil” lurking beneath the unassuming facade of their quiet and comfortable neighborhood.

Written by a first-time (and ex-teacher) author, the friendship of the three main protagonists, built upon a shared history of tea, support and companionship nurtured on the worn chairs of their former staff room, is steeped with authenticity. How the male author manages to also nail the middle-aged female psyche is truly a marvel, with each of the three characters so well-crafted you would swear you have met them.

Thelma, the unofficial leader, outwardly strong and practical, can always “find the exact words the other two are fumbling for”. Childless, and married to a college professor, Teddy, Thelma fills her days with charity work - hiding a heartbreaking secret and a inner core as vulnerable and uncertain as her more emotive friends.

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”.

Liz, a seasoned gardener, anxious grandmother to Jacob, life-long worrier with a sweet and sensitive conscience, is the heart-and-soul of the group, most likely to be on hand when someone is needed “to dispense tissues, wipes, and make gentle conversation”.

The plot is cozy and tricky, with just the right blend of “Miss Marple”, interesting and quirky characters, secrets, unexpected nuance, colorful cardigans, and of course, heaps of tea and warm companionship.

I loved this book and look forward to reading more from this wonderful (and talented) new author.

A great big thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

A Spoonful of Murder is a cozy mystery centered around a group of retired teachers who meet weekly to visit. When a former coworker is found dead, confusion and suspicions arise within the circle of friends.
Although I enjoyed the book, it starts off slow and remains a tad slow throughout. Alzheimer's is discussed in the book so readers sensitive to this topic should be aware. I recommend this book if you like cozy reads in general.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.