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The main characters, Clementine (fantastic name) and Margery were... just okay. Deep characterisation is hindered by incorrectly utilised humour, and they didn't really seem like a couple to me. I know they've been together thirty years and I'm not expecting them to be all lovey-dovey like they're in the honeymoon period, but I expect some chemistry.
I wasn’t going to comment on this one, but my reason for not wanting to is a subject for a future essay. Anyway, it seems that the author has already written my review within the novel itself: Had me hooked from the start right until the end. It was just a lovely cosy read that felt like coming home on a cold and dark night. I loved it.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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As for A Terrible Village Poisoning, I noticed a few more editorial misses and a number of typos—all of which should be dealt with. But for the rest: same ole, same ole. As Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “Enough, Enough!” I feel that comedy is one of the hardest genres to write, because absolutely everyone likes to think they have a good sense of humour, and this is... rather rarely the case, at least when it comes to actually writing comedy. It's a particularly thorny issue when it comes to cozy mysteries, because you have to balance the quaint light-hearted comedy with the fact that, y'know... 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.
I felt the name of the village, St Martin’s-on-the-Water was quite idyllic sounding, although I have no idea where it’s meant to be - are they still in Wales? For some strange reason, I thought they’d arrived in Cornwall, but I don’t think that’s right. Regardless, after travelling on a motorway, they’ve arrived somewhere that might be Wales or England. The descriptions of the area were quite well done, as was the way the village holds onto secrets, sometimes for generations. Mrs Hughes?' Margery said, struggling to find her voice. 'You can't mean Caroline Caroline Hughes?' What a fun mystery. I would definitely call this a cozy mystery on the line of Murder, She Wrote! I love the dinner ladies and their interactions. I love the relationship between Clem and Margery.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Margery and Clementine are enjoying a peaceful middle-age together in the small, idyllic town of Dewstow, and eagerly awaiting retirement from their work on the front line serving meals to the students at Summerview secondary school.
The writing and tone is simple and light, much like many cozy murder mysteries. It gets more interesting in the second half, but is pretty long-winded over many mundane things (snooze). I learned the ladies are actually a committed couple although they are pretty grumpy and seem to argue quite a lot. Lots of clues seem to appear (no bread crumbs here) and just be "thrown" at them until the big reveal (womp,womp). I loved revisiting these characters, they are so much fun. I really like the relationship that Margery and Clementine have, they understand each other well and care very much. A DNF for several reasons and I gave this about 20% more than I usually would. First, the use of terms other than "said", e.g., she wailed, she hissed, she cried, etc., was distracting to the point of mania. Second, who are these main characters? What am I supposed to feel or think about them? Clementine is a collection of tics and quirks with no anchor, as if the author decided that "take an asshole but make them an old woman" was enough. She is, in my opinion, an emotionally abusive partner and a deeply unpleasant person to spend your reading time with. Margery is a flat cipher - is she an active thinker? I get the feeling that I'm supposed to interact with her like Rose from the Golden Girls but she's such a wet sponge with an inconsistent intellectual presence that I found it impossible to engage with her. Am I supposed to glean information from the fact that her favorite breakfast is tea and plain toast? If yes, what is it?? Why is it?? Finally, the mystery isn't even worth getting into at this point because, truly, at halfway through the book I'm not sure the author or their creations care. Not a recommend. 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.
Overall, I enjoyed this book as much because of Clementine and Rose. Then, the author give The Dinner Lady’s member to took part on solving the crime is quite amazing! We need more of them. However, the mystery writing of this book about the connection, the murderer, the poison and other stuff quite confusing not in a good way for me. It would be much better ifs: I love Margery and Clem. They are perfect for one another. They are hilarious…the banter, wit, sarcasm, and one-liners are laugh out loud and beyond sassy. There is a perfect balance between heartfelt sentiment and dark humor. DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Canelo via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. So when should a reader say whoa? And when should the writer realize that they have said the same things in previous books and start something else? That’s for you to decide. Best Friends with a different personality, Clementine and Margaery as two cute best friends who have different personalities give me all the feelings. Clementine is more talkative with a hint of rudeness, an unorganized person, and a person who has ”You only live once” motto on her forehead. Then, Margaery is a more composed person compared with Celementine’s personality. But those two have my heart. Especially this Clementine’s, I Adore Her.
Multibuys
All my life I lived with my grandmother until her passing a year ago, and I was raised on a steady diet of Miss Marple, Murder She Wrote, and Rosemary and Thyme. These two facts combined mean that I have an extremely soft spot for the elderly, especially senior citizens getting in trouble and solving crimes, and that's probably the only reason I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2. On the whole, then, reading this was a lot of fun. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the absurdities and the chaos that Clementine and Margaret wrought. If they somehow chose to stop being dinner ladies and start up a detective agency instead, I think it would be great. Margery, please don't swear!' Clementine said, turning her head to Seren who was nodding her head vigorously as though she was a person of great importance. As though no one had ever caught her eating profiteroles in the school kitchens walk-in freezer. 'What do you mean, Seren? Who's died?'
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