It was great to be back with the dinner lady detectives! And this one is a bit different compared to the others. They are away from the school which gives the book a different atmosphere. There’s a lot of new characters and I feel the crimes were more sinister somehow.
I love the familiar characters and I do like that we got a tiny peek into Clementine’s possible roots.
The mystery itself is thrilling and had I not read the next book in the series before this, I would not have guessed who the killer was. Truly intriguing.
All in all, a great not so cozy mystery and I can’t see what happens in the series in the future.

"A Terrible Village Poisoning" by Hannah Hendy is the third installment in a cozy mystery series. While I hadn't initially realized it was part of a series, this book effortlessly stands on its own, making it an ancceptable entry point for newcomers like me.

Set in the quaint village of Willowbrook, the story revolves around a mysterious poisoning that shakes the community to its core. Hendy's writing style is engaging and lighthearted, with great banter between characters.

With its engaging characters, intriguing plot, and charming setting, it's a perfect read for those looking for a cozy escape into the world of amateur sleuthing and small-town charm.

Margery and Clementine are the couple that shows up anywhere and someone dies. Ah, the Miss Marple curse! A cozy mystery that worked at a good pace and made for an enjoyable read.


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A cute and funny cozy mystery that I couldn't put down. I lived the writing, I lo ed the characters and I loved the setting

3.5*/5.

3.5*/5

This is the first in the series that I’ve read about these dinner lady detectives, and for the most part it was an enjoyable read. There were a lot of already-established characters, which will be familiar to those who have read the series from the beginning, and that left me a bit wrong-footed in that they were just names on a page to me. Not the fault of the author, but a bit more back-story might have been useful to help round them out a little. Having said that, it works perfectly well as a standalone, and was an enjoyable read if a touch on the leisurely side (bearing in mind the ages of the characters).

I felt the name of the village, St Martin’s-on-the-Water felt a bit more Home Counties, or Kent-ish, than Cornwall with its plethora of Ports and ‘T’ towns, but the descriptions of the area were quite well done, as was the way the village holds onto secrets, sometimes for generations.

I did put two and two together before Margery & Clementine, however, and felt they missed a particularly obvious clue, but enjoyed the rest of the story enough to follow it through with them. Overall, it was a light and fun read and I’d recommend it for an enjoyable rainy day afternoon read, with tea and biscuits to hand.

Hannah’s Dinner Lady Detective series is one of my favourite go-tos for a cosy, funny book. And this latest offering was just as gorgeous as all the previous titles in the series. If you enjoy comic, relatable cosy crime, this is a must-read.

A Terrible Village Poisoning is the third Dinner Lady Detectives cozy by Hannah Hendy. Released 23rd Feb 2023 by Canelo, it's 223 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is such a fun continuation to a humorous and quick-to-read cozy series. The characters are warm and funny (they're cafeteria ladies!), intelligent and (mostly) practical, and the author has a deft touch with plotting and execution. I never once found my interest wandering and the action moves along at a good clip. This installment sees Clementine and Margery helping Rose with her upcoming nuptials to Mr. Barrow, the headmaster of the school at which the ladies work.

It's a village cozy and replete with the warm and slightly wonky eccentricities of village life and the inhabitants to be found there. The spelling and vernacular are UK English (flat, tyre, torch) but shouldn't pose any problems in context for readers from North America.

Four stars. The mystery is self contained in this volume so it works well enough as a standalone read, but the generally high quality of the series as a whole would also make for a good binge/buddy read. Fans of Fiona Leitch, J. M. Hall, and Peter Boland will find this one a delight.

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

3.5⭐

Margery and Clementine decide to go on holiday before Rose’s wedding, where in the hotel they’re staying in, the mayor drops dead and it’s up to the dinner lady detectives to catch the killer…

I felt like it was very predictable but it was an enjoyable read. I feel like compared to the second book, Clementine was back to her usual self that we saw in the first book instead of being annoying. Although, I still found myself rolling my eyes at some of the things she’d come out with, especially about the whole swearing thing - I feel like it’s old now.

There were certain plot lines that I felt like they were pointless because they would be focussed on so much, just for them to be killed in the end. They didn’t really add anything to the story so I didn’t see the point to them being there. Instead of focussing of them, it could be used to let us know about the characters as I feel like even after three books, I don’t truly know any of the characters which makes me not care or feel connected about any of them. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending - I just didn’t buy the cliff scene at all.

Personally, I don’t see Clementine and Margery as wives, to me they go on more like they are best friends who live together because how has it took until the third book of the series for them to finally kiss? They really don’t act as a married couple.

⚠️ CWs: gun use, poisoning, murder of animals, murder, child death, alcohol use, cheating, profanity and mentions cancer ⚠️

I had a hard time getting into this story, yeah it was intriguing but at times it felt forced and couldn't read more of a couple of chapters at the time!

It was interesting how the story came together but again it felt like going in circles.

The Dinner Ladies are back in another very entertaining and funny mystery that made me laugh and kept me guessing.
Margery and Clementina are a great couple of amateur investigators and a formidable couple of women. I love them and they're fleshed out.
The mystery is solid, there's plenty of surprises and I didn't guess the culprit
Can't wait to read the next book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I’m struggling with what to say about this book. I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series which I didn’t find to be too much of a problem, but it would give readers a little more back story. I found certain parts of this book to just go on and on, repeating itself for no reason. I didn’t dislike it, it was a cosy murder mystery which I really enjoy, but I didn’t particularly love it either. I didn’t enjoy the ending (the cliff scene was really thrown in there), but throughout there were some funny moments.
Thanks to NetGalley, Hannah Hendy and Canelo for this ARC.

This wonderful duo are back, always love their adventures! A perfect cosy mystery that you just want to keep reading,

This is the third entry in the Dinner Lady Detective series, and the ladies are back to solve a poisoning death at a faded country hotel. The description of the state of the hotel kitchen is almost enough to give you pause before eating out again!.

A cosy mystery set in a village where everyone knows everyone else in Southern England. The dinner ladies are there to organise a hen party when some one dies at the evening meal in the run down hotel where they are staying. Lots of characters in this book, which added disorder to the confusing plot for me . Once the story really got going, in the second half of the book, it seemed less disorganized. I found some of the side stories a little superfluous, they did not seem relevant, did not add to the book on the whole and did not really go anywhere.
Converstaions at times a bit twee, otherwise an OK read
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m always looking for a new cozy crime series and this is brilliant. I always want a book to reach the a conclusion at the end but didn’t want this book to end. I read to relax and this was just perfect. A great read for readers of the cozy genre.

With school out for the summer, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are taking advantage of the break to go on holiday. They plan to explore the village of St-Martins-on-the-Water and rest before the chaos of Mrs Smith's impending hen do. By the end of their first night, the local mayor lies dead on the floor of the hotel restaurant, having been poisoned by his meal. The villagers are convinced: The Poisoner is back. This was a fun cozy and just wanted I need as a good distraction. I like the characters and the village and hope for more stories with these two. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Fifty-plus dinner ladies Margery and Clementine Baker-Butcher (married to each other, as they insist on telling every single person they meet) have been ‚volunteered‘ to organise their boss Rose Smith‘s impending hen night that will take place in the small village of St. Martins-on-the-Water. During dinner on the first night in their almost derelict filthy hotel, the local mayor drops dead in front of their eyes, obviously poisoned…This cosy mystery is full of red herrings, featuring all characters from the previous two books and can be read as a stand-alone.

A cute, cozy mystery set in a quaint village. I enjoyed the characters and I was kept guessing the murderer until the end. There were a lot of characters and I sometimes got confused on who was who but their support of each other was amazing. Learning about the different plants and poisons was very interesting. I enjoyed that the ending of the story was not a wrapped up in a bow ending.

Thank you NetGallley for the chance to read this great story

The local mayor has a dinner date with death…
With school out for the summer, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are taking advantage of the break to go on holiday. They plan to explore the village of St-Martins-on-the-Water and rest before the chaos of Mrs Smith's impending hen do. By the end of their first night, the local mayor lies dead on the floor of the hotel restaurant, having been poisoned by his meal. The villagers are convinced: The Poisoner is back.
It really is a cute cozy and fun mystery. I loved the characters although I did feel as though we didn't need to be reminded they were a married couple so much.
#ATerribleVillagePoisoning #NetGalley

Hendy has another fantastic read with her latest entry in the Dinner Lady Detectives series, which is a favorite series of mine. Hendy has written a great mystery with the perfect blend of suspects, clues and red herrings that you’ll be scratching your head till the end. And her character work is simply excellent; Margery and Clementine are a middle-aged British gay couple with whom you will fall head over heels. In addition the ladies of the school kitchen crew are incredibly funny and lovable. This is the third book in the series, so be sure to pick up book one, The Dinner Lady Detectives, so that you can catch up with all the hilarious hijinks. Highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.