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A Spoonful of Murder: A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery 06 (A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery, 6)

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Liz, a seasoned gardener, anxious grandmother to Jacob, life-long worrier with a sweet and sensitive conscience, is the heart-and-soul of the group, most likely to be on hand when someone is needed “to dispense tissues, wipes, and make gentle conversation”. Oh how brilliant was this book?! I must have read it in about two servings as I just couldn't put it down... Had great comical moments throughout. A really good murder mystery book’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The girls must work together like never before, confronting dangerous gangs and sinister private detectives to solve the crimes and discover the villain - before it's too late.

Hazel and Daisy’s new adventure take the intrepid duo to Hong Kong to attend Hazel’s beloved grandfather’s funeral and spend some time with Hazel’s family. But upon their arrival, they discover everything changed in Hazel’s absence: there is a new member of their family, a new sibling who turns out to be a boy. A boy that has caused a complete upheaval within the Wong household: all of a sudden, baby Teddy seems more important than Hazel and her sisters and the power dynamics between her mother (her father’s first wife) and Teddy’s mother (the second wife) feels more fraught than ever. To add insult to the injury, Hazel’s maid has been passed on to Teddy and all of Hazel’s memory of being loved by her have been somewhat tainted. Hazel hates everything about those changes and she dislikes her little brother too. Fabulous, cosy, mystery... Wonderful... Absolutely perfect for fans of Richard Osman!’ NetGalley Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in creating the characters, the setting and suspense. I really enjoyed reading about the town and the small town setting. It was a typical small town, where everyone knows everyone else’s business and gossip runs wild. It was a place that I would enjoy visiting. I thought the mystery was very well plotted and was carried on well throughout the book. I didn’t figure out the killer until is was revealed at the end. Pat, bright and attractive, the wife of Rod, (a builder), worries about her youngest, teenage son, Liam, the bodily trials of aging, and a generation raised in a world where the internet in all its trappings can clearly be seen to “sap the soul”.

Featured Reviews

And if it hadn't been a Thursday . . . if it hadn't been the garden centre cafe . . . they wouldn't have met Topsy and KellyAnne and, crucially, Thelma wouldn't have come across Topsy crying in the toilets, which they all agreed was really the start of things. What a fantastic read! It gave me all the cosy… Really enjoyable characters that you feel like you've known for years once you finish the book. It was the perfect pace, and easy to follow. Love, love, loved this book’ NetGalley review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Oh how brilliant was this book?! I must have read it in about two servings as I just couldn't put it down… Had great comical moments throughout. A really good murder mystery book’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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. A Spoonful of Murder, the first book in Connie Archer’s Soup Lover’s Mystery series, envelops you like a warm hug on a winter day. It is a charming cozy mystery with an emotional heart. The title says it all! Along with the opening line “to be involved in anything like murder quite simple it was something they would never set out to do!! I knew then it was going to be a really good read.Three Miss Marples for the price of one... The plot is carefully assembled, rather like a patchwork quilt, with each element placed just so’ NetGalley review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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.

That being said, true cozy mystery fans will really enjoy this book. The setting, the people, and the storyline are just the reasons why we read cozies in the first place. These three ladies will capture your heart from the very beginning. All three are very different but they also compliment each other, and their friendship just works. Often as I was reading, I was thinking about how much fun it would be to pull up a chair and join them at their table for a wee cup and a natter. Not that retirement sounds like a bed of roses. Pat knows there’s something troubling her youngest son Liam but can’t figure out what it is, for Liz it is her grandson who’s causing worry, and Thelma may be childless but she has things going on in her head that aren’t easy to deal with.

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J.M. Hall has woven a very clever and authentic feeling story. This is not really just about Topsy’s story, sad as it is. It is a study of the impact that age and declining health have on family, the way in which the deterioration of a previously sharp mind is one of the many fears that we all face as we advance in years. There is also a real sense of the way in which people may seek to take advantage of those who may naturally be more trusting, or perhaps just less aware, of the risks of modern life. Topsy is a victim in more ways than one, and each of those elements of her story serve to muddy the waters, and keep the truth of the whole story hidden until the very last moment. The list of potential suspects, assuming there is anything to suspect them of, is long, the motives equally so. The reveal, when it comes, is surprising, and yet fitting. Perhaps not satisfying, kind of sad actually, but in keeping with the nature of the book. This book follows ex colleagues Liz, Pat and Thelma as they meet up every Thursday to catch up on each other’s lives. One Thursday they bump into another one of the old colleagues, Topsy, and her daughter. It turns out that Topsy has been diagnosed with dementia that has been getting progressively worse since the death of her husband, and the only person in her life she has caring for her is her daughter. During this surprise encounter the girls are concerned for Topsy after she shares some insights into her life that aren’t quite right.

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