Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read A Spoonful of Murder.

This is an easy to read, cosy Murder mystery. Thursday Murder club and Marlow Murder club feel to it - characters you warm to straight away with lives everyone can relate to in some way.

Loved the chapter headings. Enjoyable and cosy story, but the ending was obvious and no twists you don’t expect.
Some spelling and grammar errors that are easy to get rid of.

A thoroughly enjoyable read about a group of retired primary school teachers who turn detective when one of their own dies in suspicious circumstances.

A great cozy crime with some very likeable characters and situations which are so easy to liken to our own lives.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next for these ladies and their next adventures.

Thanks to Netgalley. the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an ok read, though it kind of loses its way part way through and just meanders along.

Can understand the comparisons with the popular books featuring mature detectives but this doesn’t quite have the same charm.

2.5, rounded up to 3.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for my review.

Really enjoyed this cozy crime debut. I thought the story was good and found lots of the strands interesting.

Very similar vibe to the Richard Osman books, with retirees solving a murder (even the cover is similar).

Lots of characters introduced very quickly and I could have done with a bit more to differentiate the three main ladies earlier on. They started to solidify later which made things better.

Some of the back story, especially the baby storyline felt a bit random and underexplored.

Some great characterisation especially of the suspects which was fun. I did guess the murderer earlier.

Shame the three worked separately quite so often. It would have been nice to have them together occasionally and made it easier to follow and easier to remember who was who (the jumping was unhelpful at times).

Could use of colour, outfits and locations.

All in all a fun, quick, breezy read.

A Spoonful of Murder is a cosy mystery that involves retired teachers who decide to solve the mysterious death of one of their colleagues who died from "muddling with her medication" - or not. Though it fits the "cosy" genre on the whole, there´s also much discussion of dementia - so beware if you´re sensitive on this theme. The story was rather slow in my opinion and had too many red herrings in it that led to different people involved in the murder.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

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.

This was a fun cosy mystery in which three retired school teachers become involved in a case of possible murder.

Liz, Thelma and Pat meet up every Thursday for their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. One week as they are in the midst of catching up, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy. They are concerned as Topsy appears to be vague and forgetful.

They learn from Topsy’s daughter that recently she had been cruelty defrauded of her life savings by a telephone scammer. By the next Thursday Topsy is dead after apparently muddling up her pills. Yet something doesn’t feel right to her friends prompting them to do some sleuthing of their own. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Recently there has been an upsurge in cosy mysteries featuring more mature amateur detectives, a modern take on Miss Marple. Certainly as an older reader, I appreciate this trend. In between seeking answers we learn more about the friends’ lives.

Also, Hall’s background as a primary school deputy head gave him inspiration in creating his main characters and his love for the works of Agatha Christie informed his approach to writing this intriguing mystery.

Overall, I felt that this was a great debut and very pleased to see that Liz, Thelma and Pat will be returning later this year with ‘A Pen Dipped in Poison’. I definitely will be ordering it.

I found this book very slow to get into. From the blurb it sounded right up my street and was comparable with Richard Osman’s books, with 3 pensioners who met each week investigating the murder of their friend, but that was where the similarity ended for me. I found the way it was written was quite confusing and I sometimes didn’t know which character was talking, it seemed to flit around.
Written as a “cosy mystery” this book was not for me.

Description 🔖

Three retired school teachers; Pat, Liz and Thelma meet every week at the cafe of their local garden centre for a cuppa and a catch up. At one such meeting, they happen to bump into an old colleague of their’s called Topsy. By the following week, Topsy is dead.

These three ladies had no idea they were about to become involved in a murder, but it is important to them to find out what happened to their friend. They are certain that a crime was committed and it is up to them to solve it.

General Thoughts 🤔

Firstly, I wish I could be a real grown up and enjoy a cup of tea. I feel like a cup of tea is necessary in order to complete the cosiness of this book. This was definitely a great book to get lost in and block out the rest of the world. It was full of twists and turns with red herrings at every corner, however the story wasn’t too difficult to follow.

I loved the warming parts of this story. Not only did it keep me on my toes with the mystery, but it gave me all of the feels and warmed my heart. These ladies had their own lives, some of them with more drama than others, yet they all put that on hold to a certain extent in order to find out what had truly happened to their friend.

Characters 👫👭👬

I think that good characters are an absolute must for a successful cosy mystery and this book didn’t disappoint. Pat, Liz and Thelma are a group of brilliant personalities and they all bring something different to the table.

If I was forced to choose, I think I’d have to pick Liz as my favourite. I loved that her inner monologue was one of little confidence, yet she continued to throw herself into uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations. I think I’m probably most like Thelma as I feel like I could see myself doing some of the things that she did and feeling the same way as her about them.

Writing Style ✍️

J.M. Hall has found himself on my authors that I’ll continue to read list. There was so much packed into this book without it feeling overwhelming and complicated. I listened to an interview with him about his inspiration for the book and it makes complete sense in hindsight. He captured the emotion and impacts of fraud on the elderly so well and it certainly made me think about how it would make me feel if it happened to a friend or relative of mine.

The book was paced really well and certainly kept me glued to the pages so I could find out what happened next. It was told from multiple POVs (my favourite) but there were some moments I got confused about which character I was reading. One thing I particularly loved though was the fantastically named chapters. Every one made me giggle because it was kind of like hearing my Nan’s answer if I asked her what happened in her day.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

As I mentioned above, I was really looking forward to reading A Spoonful of Murder and it definitely lived up to the hype I had created for it in my mind. It was thrilling and full of mystery whilst at the same time, funny and very heart warming. The characters were brilliant to journey with and I would love to see more of them from this great author. You should definitely get this book, a cup of tea and some biscuits and get lost in this cosy mystery.

I would rate it 4.75. This is one of the best crime/mystery book that I have read so far. I’m trying not to leave any spoilers in this review (forgive me if it does). The main thread was dementia, as a doctor it was refreshing to see it from anyone else’s point of view on this. This author takes the ordinary things happening to ordinary people and put them altogether to create such a thrilling book. The emotions, the rollercoaster, is it him? Is it her? When you think this is it, something else doesn’t quite match up revealing more to it.

The only bit that I struggled with is the nuance of the slang used to create the scene where the story is based in and the generation as I’m in my 30s and these characters are at least a generation if not 2 above me.

Thank you Avon Books UK for this Advance Review Copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Something I really enjoy is discovering new authors, A Spoonful of Murder is a cosy mystery debut novel by J.M. Hall.

The characters were well written and relatable, and I found that the story flowed well making it a quick and very enjoyable read.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for J.M. Hall in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

A Spoonful of Murder is an enjoyable cosy crime mystery, centred around a group of retirees that meet on Thursdays for coffee... the similarities with a certain other older crime solving group who meet on Thursdays can't be avoided! On the whole this was good fun but at times the cast of characters was a little confusing and for me the book could have been a little shorter. Great fun though!

Set around the East Yorkshire towns of Thirsk and Northallerton, A Spoonful of Murder offers a trio of female retirees using their varied skills to solve a murder mystery. Liz, Pat and Thelma, three retired teachers meet on a Thursday for 'coffee o'clock' sessions when they run into a former colleague, Topsy from St Barnabus's Primary school and her daughter, KellyAnne. Topsy dies a few days later and the women are soon wondering whether Topsy's death is as anodyne as they have understood and so they begin their own investigation.

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.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books UK via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

There’s a bit of a resurrgence of the Miss Marple-esque elderly lady sleuth going on at the moment. I blame Richard Osman. A Spoonful of Sugar promised so much, but I’m not too convinced that it entirely delivers.

A Spoonful of Sugar is set around the East Yorkshire towns of Thirsk and Northallerton, and promises a cast of female retirees using their many skills to solve a murder mystery. They have cups of tea at a garden centre, and visit friends with dementia, a funeral and a strip club. It’s a nice story but, unfortunately, it was just a little ‘twee’ for my liking.

There are some male characters (notable for their youth, hardiness around the home or dastardly dealing with elderly ladies) but the main roles are all female and rather insipid. It may just be me, but I found that this group of retired primary school teachers really didn’t really have enough individualism going on for me to be able to completely tell them apart. Their lives are rather mundane at the start, they have some excitement then go back to normal again afterwards.

I don’t want to be insulting about this novel: it’s got a decent premise, a satisfying ending, and the dialogue is well-written. However, for me, it just lacked a little pace. If you’re looking for an ultra-cosy murder, and let’s face it plenty of readers are, then give this a go.

Thank you to NetGalley, J. M. Hall and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

In the last two or three years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the 'cosy mystery' genre, leading to an increase in titles and new authors. And I for one, am always excited to see a new cosy mystery appear in Netgalley - especially when the title brings Mary Poppins to mind.
Now, A Spoonful of Murder introduces the reader to an unusual and unlikely trio of sleuths in the form of Liz, Pat and Thelma, three retired teachers. The trio meet on a weekly basis for 'coffee o'clock' sessions when they run into a former colleague who sadly dies a few days later. Reflecting on their conversation at the time, the ladies start to wonder if Topsy's death is as benine as they have been told and so they begin their own investigation.
Each woman finds herself working with her former colleagues to solve the murder, but also challenged to drive onwards solely to prove her own worth - leading to a variety of amusing circumstances.
I would advise readers that the topics of dementia and Alzheimers do feature prominently as these are not the easiest topics to read about.
I did not immediately warm to our trio but found them increasingly interesting as the story progressed.
A fun, quick read.

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This murder mystery is like a wonderful cup of tea with three old friends, settling in for a catch-up and then discovering all kinds of unexpected goings-on. It's charming and the protagonists are well-drawn and very likeable - although I have to say, it did take me a bit to work out who is who, given that the POVs are never clearly designated and there are a lot of sub-plots that distract from the main narrative. I loved the protagonist's determination and their willingness to stick to it, going well beyond their individual comfort zones. The story unravels with humor, but also with empathy, particularly around the issues of elder care and financial exploitation of vulnerable individuals by fraudulent entities. The story is a bit long-winded and I knew fairly early on who the guilty party was, but found the read very entertaining nonetheless.

Purely chance Liz, Thelma and Pat bump into an ex colleague Topsy during their weekly coffee morning one Thursday. One week later and Topsy is dead. At first glance it seems like an accident, a case of a mix up with medication, but the the retired school teachers think there is something more to it. Before they know it they are all wrapped up in a murder investigation.

Cosy mysterys seem to be taking off a bit these days - there's something to be said about amateur sleuthing!

I found this one a little bit hard to get into at first, it didn't seem to flow well in places and there was a lot of quite long sentances to get through. This did ease up as the book progressed and things began to read more easily.

Character wise I wouldn't exactly say I related to any of the leads, but that isn't surprising since they are at a very different point in their lives to me. They were still likeable, although I did find it confusing trying to place their ages and get a measure of them all.

The main plot is great, I had strong suspicions early on as to who would be responsible for the murder (if it did indeed turn out to be murder). There was a lot of extra characters and plot points introduced after this though that made me question myself. The only thing I would say is that there are a lot of extra sub plots going on here, and some don't add much extra to the story. This is a minor issue though, and shouldn't detract from the rest of the story, which is an enjoyable read once you get in to it.

One of the absolute highlights for me with this one is the location and place setting. I grew up in a small village on the outskirts of Ripon so all of the places mentioned in the book are very familiar to me - it's my hood as they say. I've now moved to Australia so am about as far away from home as I could possibly get, and after the last few years it was really nice to read something that had that familiarity and took me home.

All up I enjoyed reading this one, and I think the few things that didn't go so well can definitely be forgiven in a debut novel. I'll be keeping an eye out for a follow up.

Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Spoonful of Murder is a great addition to the cozy mystery genre. The story involves the amateur sleuthing of a trio of retired friends, Liz. Pat and Thelma. All three have domestic dramas of their own, but are horrified when a friend and co-worker, Topsy is found dead a week after they last saw her. Topsy was always the most together of them and when they saw her again she was obviously in the throes of dementia and a week later is dead. This does not sit well with the ladies and they decide to investigate. Was Topsy murdered? Is the murderer the spoiled daughter, or the dodgy builder? Or is it all in the ladies imagination. A Spoonful of Murder was a good mystery to curl up with a cup of tea and while away the afternoon.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

The book opens with three retired colleagues meeting for their regular catch up over coffee at the local garden centre. This particular day, they see another former school colleague, Topsy, with her daughter, KellyAnne. Topsy appears distressed & KellyAnne leaves her mother with her friends while she takes a phone call. It is apparent that Topsy is in the early stages of dementia which seems to have worsened since the death of her husband.

Topsy starts to share some disturbing facts which KellyAnne is swift to curtail upon her return. The three friends feel there is something not quite right going on & when Topsy is found dead a week later, they are convinced.
Liz, Pat & Thelma (the three friends) decide to investigate & discover the bank fraud which Topsy fell victim to & other dubious characters who featured in her life. This is whilst they are contending with their own personal difficulties.

This debut novel is a light, cozy mystery which features three smart main characters. However, I did find it quite slow going in places & repetitive, that being said I was eager to find out how it would end, as the premise itself was very clever. Touching on care for the elderly, financial fraud & dementia, it has some important home truths to impart but my attention did drift on occasion. However, I would certainly read another tale about this intrepid trio.

This is an enjoyable, witty cosy crime novel. The three main characters are all retired teachers who meet once a week at the local garden centre.
There were a lot of characters in this book, and I found it confusing to follow at times. This meant that I struggled to read it at times, although it did become clearer and I did enjoy the crime solving.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

«A spoonful of murder» was a novel that I really enjoyed, it seemed to me a different touch within the cozy mystery. The story unfolds around three older women who are involved in a murder and who decide to investigate it because the victim was one of their colleagues. J.M Hall has a pretty good narration style, I liked how the story unfolds and how no detail is lost throughout the novel. It may seem a bit slow at first, but when it gets hooked on the mystery of what happened to Topsy, it picks up another rhythm, especially with the protagonists, they are so different from each other but they combine their personalities very well when it comes to gathering clues. and solve the case. The novel touches on different topics such as dementia, abuse and how many times older adults can be vulnerable, especially those who are sick. The only but that I would put to this story is how long it may seem at times, but it is a good mystery story, which is very well written.