I didn't love the first book, but I was given this by NetGalley and the publisher so I decided to give it a try.
There is just something not quite engaging enough about the writing style and the story, and so it ends up dragging. I have read other reviews that say the same, although it seems the audio narrator does a great job at giving the book a bit of 'oomph', so perhaps if I had read it in that format I would have enjoyed it more.
This is not a series I will continue, and would only recommend if you happen to see it at the library and want a book for a long plane ride or holiday where you can be much more forgiving ;)

This was an enjoyable read.
3 stars.
Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

I started reading this book with high hopes and they fell short as right from the start I just couldn't get into it. It seemed disjointed to me and this made it hard to read and stay interested in it. Far too many characters that I got lost working out who was who and where they fit in.

My other grip is the length and repetitiveness of the story. It just seemed to go on and on yet was a very slow read. In the end I just gave up as I had lost my way.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series but I will be reading book 1.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, the setting and the characters.

It took me a while to get into A Pen Dipped In Poison and while I was curious enough to keep reading, I didn’t really get hooked until I was about a third of the way through. The story is told through the eyes of three friends, all retired teachers. Thelma is a no-nonsense sort who looks at things logucally. Pam tends to jump to conclusions while Liz is empathetic and supportive of her former colleagues. As the story progresses, the three of them become involved in trying to find out who is sending nasty letters to staff at St Barney’s, where they all taught. There are plenty of red herrings along the way, a grumpy husband or two and some bizarre happenings that kept me guessing. This is a slow burn mystery, but the more I read the fasterI read and the more intrigued I became. I enjoyed this story.