This is part of the series, but it can be read as a standalone novel. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but the pace picked up as the story unfolded. The characters were enjoyable, and it was fun to sleuth along with them in this charming cozy mystery.

This took me a while to get back into it but once I did I did I found it very enjoyable. I like d the many layers of the storeys, loved the protagonists being older ladies and found it a lot of fun.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I rate it 4.25. This is the 2nd book by J.M. Hall that I’ve read. I find it adventurous, mysterious, I like that I was almost like Thelma felt the answer was so close yet so far and suddenly it clicked, it was very immersive. I found the recalls of a certain character from Liz confused me until I told myself “stop trying to remember whether this happened in the previous book!”

This book is a cosy-English villiage-mystery. Three retired schoolteachers, find out that various acquaintances and former colleagues in their villiage are receiving nasty poisioned pen letters. They work together to try and figure out who is sending these letters.

I could just not get into this book, and was unable to finish it. To be honest, I found it quite dry and slow moving. The main characters didn’t intrigue me either.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

The author is the deputy head of a primary school and his experience lends adds a real sense of authenticity to this book.

There is a tricky little mystery to solve at the centre of this book, revolving around poison pen letters.

A great return for Thelma, Liz and Pat in this second book in the series.

Loved this book so much , I loved the characters , the storyline made we not want to put the book down , looking to read more by this author just a great an easy read .

Enjoyable Second Outing..,
This second in series finds Liz, Pat and Thelma with another mystery on their hands when poison pen letters begin circulating. Secrets are being outed left, right and centre. Is it possible that a killer is behind such venom? If so, who on earth is it and can they be stopped? A nicely penned whodunnit where characters have developed well, along with relationships, and with much drama behind the scenes. An enjoyable second outing for this group of unlikely sleuths.

A return to Thirsk and the retired schoolteachers who somehow manage to get involved in another mystery. This time it revolves around mystery poison pen letters being sent to school staff.
Another thoroughly enjoyable mystery with well developed engaging characters and a plot that moves quickly keeping the reader engrossed and entertained.

Liz, Pat and Thelma have not seen much of each other as their lives have moved in different circles but as a reader of their first adventures it did not take long to get to know them again.

This story is about poison pen letters and slowly the goings on at their old workplace draw them together again.
Slowly and carefully and using their considerable network - my personal favourite is the nail bar they uncover many different nefarious activities and bring everything back to how it should be.

Great characters, great story.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

This second book featuring three nosy retired Yorkshire schoolteachers doesn’t focus on solving a murder, but other insidious drama—someone is sending nasty messages to the staff at their old school. The sorts of vile words that inspire tears, starvation, and other acts from guilt.

I didn’t find this as strong of a book as the first. The start felt rather slow, and the sheer number of characters kept me addled. I kept reading, though, because I wanted to find out whodunnit. It turned out that I guessed the guilty party early on, but I’m still pleased with how the mystery plot played out, as it included numerous surprises.

Thelma, Liz and Pat have a new mystery to solve. Poison pen letters are being sent to teachers and staff of St.Barnabus, the school where our heroines used to teach. The new headteacher seems to be targeted in particular.
This is a second book in a series and, while I very much enjoyed the first, this one I loved. The family relationships of the characters were developed so much more. The writing was significantly better here, the pacing too. I liked the plot, did not guess who the culprit was. And the whole book had this atmosphere of an immense love for schools and teaching. It had a lot to say about educational system, where nowadays it is way more about the business side of things and money and not about children. I especially loved the epilogue. The author has found his writing style and I hope we will have more books with these wonderful characters.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this second outing with retired teachers, Thelma, Pat and Liz. I felt the characters seemed more rounded and the story less frenetic.

This time the trio were investigating a rash of poison pen letters at the primary school where they had taught as well as potential financial irregularities. Now part of an Academy trust with a new headteacher, the three set out to find out who is behind these letters which are causing such upset and harm to the staff. Fuelled by coffee and cake and aided by their husbands they solve the mysteries.

A cosy crime story full of memorable characters and considerable charm. One I would recommend.

** four and a half shiny stars

A cozy, crazy tapestry of lives and loves, heartfelt friends, caring onlookers and the others, the-not-so-kind, who are willing to cross the line to make their lives that little bit of better.

Based in the Yorkshire town of Thirsk, and told in the the voices of three retired primary-school teachers, this second volume in the lovely mystery series, (written by an author who is himself a school head teacher), is just the sort of read to carry you through a grey and wintry afternoon. Chock full of good sense, earnest and charitable works, gossip and yearnings, the author deftly captures the mood and mayhem of village life, centering on the academia and challenges associated with present-day schooling.

As schools around the country are swallowed up by “big-business” trusts, privatization comes at a cost, churning lives in its wake as new opportunities are presented - albeit those stemming from both necessary changes, and the inevitable self-driven corruption.

As Thelma, Liz and Pat, our sturdy but vulnerable heroines, work their way through the muddle of madness sparked by St Barnabus’s progression (unraveling?), we are introduced to a cast of characters as robust and colorful as any you are likely to meet between the pages.

From the Spice-Girls loving Office Assistant, to the “Zombie-boy” innocence of former-student turned teacher, we are introduced to the flashy, the troubled, the “pains-in-the-neck” and the secret lovers - all of it combining into a strangely-cohesive jumble as intoxicating as any reader’s favorite BBC soap.

A twisty, comfy, warm and lovely read, I thoroughly enjoyed this charming book, looking forward to the next installment in this well-crafted series.

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

• This book will be released on March 20, 2023

I didn’t know it was a sequel how we enjoyed reading this one! Loved the characters and the mayhem it all causes.

I was lucky enough to read the first book featuring Thelma, Pat, and Liz, so was more than pleased to have been approved to read the second.

Lodestone Academy has acquired St Barnabus school, and they have installed an extremely glossy headmistress in the form of Kayleigh Brittain.

There now seems to be a poison pen writer around who is targeting everyone from the headmistress down.......

A great cozy afternoon read, highly recommended.

A Pen Dipped in Poison is the second cozy mystery featuring a trio of retired primary school teachers by J.M. Hall. Due out 30th March 2023 from HarperCollins on their Avon, UK imprint, it's 378 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. 

There's an anonymous poison pen loose at St. Barnabus primary school and they've targeted everyone from the headmistress on down. Soon (despite the protestations of their spouses), retired teacher trio Pat, Liz, and Thelma are drawn into the case to get to the bottom of the nasty anonymous letters as well as potential skullduggery on the part of Lodestone, which has acquired St. Barnabus amongst other holdings.

I reviewed the first book in the series, and this one is a well written and solidly entertaining follow-up. The protagonists are believable and appealing. The writing is smoother than the debut book, and I found the mystery well wrought and satisfying. The author has found his stride and I look forward to more featuring these protagonists. 

Four stars. This would be a good choice for fans of Osman's excellent Thursday Murder club books, as well as Laurien Berenson's new Peg & Rose series. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I enjoy cosy mysteries and thought this sounded like my sort of book, which was why I was interested in it.

I hadn't read the previous book featuring these characters, and I wouldn't say that it really impacted my enjoyment of this book. Having said that, I would be interested in reading the first book.

I found both the characters and the story entertaining and amusing, and it was a very light, comforting read. I was actually reminded slightly of Hannah Hendy's Dinner Lady Detectives, which I loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

So brilliant! I went and bought the previous book to read as I loved this so much. Perfect cosy crime. I am a big fan now if this author and truly recommend the series.

This is a fantastic read that I just could not put down. The writing is engaging and kept me hooked, the storyline is gripping and the charcters are well developed. I loved it,

This is the second book by JM Hall to feature Thelma, Liz and Pat, friends who have all retired from working at their local primary school. Possibly because I have also just retired from teaching, I feel tremendous empathy towards these 3 women and the situation they encounter in a recently academised school. It is very obvious that the author is writing from personal experience when she describes the stresses that go along with teaching in schools where results are paramount and league tables surpass the need to make learning fun. This mystery surrounds a series of poison pen letters that arrive at the school, causing great distress to innocent staff and those with guilty consciences. Thelma, Pat and Liz all have their own family worries to deal with but can't help becoming involved with helping to right the wrongs at a school they know and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and its prequel both from the pleasure of solving the mystery but also from the many times I found myself nodding in agreement with the narrator. No less so than the last few lines which seemed to sum up the whole issue that schools face without being preachy or political. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with strong, likeable protagonists and especially anyone who has ever worked in a school. It would make great Xmas reading or Xmas present.