A Pen Dipped in Poison: A witty and cozy mystery story, perfect for fans of Richard Osman

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Malice and mayhem spur a school reunion of three modern Marples – and some of their Thirsk community learn a lesson they’ll never forget!’ Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, author of A Murder of Crows MY THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed A Spoonful of Murder, the first in this series. I'm disappointed to say that I didn't enjoy this second book quite as much. The facets I enjoyed in the first were largely missing from this. THE AUTHOR: J.M. Hall is a 20-something PR executive based in New York City. A Philadelphia native, he began writing fiction during his time at the University of Miami before embarking on a career in corporate communications. During the day, he can be found getting top-tier press for his clients in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fortune and USA Today.

I loved this so much! Perfect cosy crime - I am a big fan of this author!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Three Miss Marples for the price of one! The start of the autumn term, the new school year was to clearly demonstrate that it wasn’t as they start appearing with increasing regularity. The letters are being sent across the school, teachers and administrators; nobody is immune. The content is more vexatious than vicious but clearly unpleasant for the recipient, but they are also souring the atmosphere as people become suspicious and defensive. Not ladies to just stand by our three heroines decide to dig deeper.

So brilliant... I loved this so much! Perfect cosy crime - I am a big fan of this author!' NetGalley review A charming read with a cast of characters you'll really connect with' Faith Martin, author of A Fatal End So brilliant… I loved this so much! Perfect cosy crime – I am a big fan of this author!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The culprit wasn't really that hard to fathom, particularly with some of the clues dropped midway through the book. The reveal was satisfying, nonetheless. A Pen Dipped in Poison is an uncomplicated but highly entertaining dramatic mystery with likeable, and dare I say at a pinch, loveable protagonists. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have no qualms whatsoever in recommending it.

The ingredients for the perfect modern cosy crime: intrigue, characters you care about and a good dollop of humour' Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants Their school, St Barnabus Primary, is not what it once was, as it is now part of Lodestone Academy Trust. As it is still close to their hearts, it does not stop Liz, Pat and Thelma from caring about what goes on there. St Barnabus is now run by the enigmatic, confident and influential headmistress Kayleigh Brittain. A forward-thinking individual with lofty plans for St Barnabus. Retired schoolteachers Liz, Pat and Thelma never expected they would be caught up in a crime even once in their lives, let alone twice.

Just like with their last outing, there is much more going on than merely solving this mystery. Each one of these friends is dealing with issues at home, and while they may be friends, it seems they are reluctant to share any of it with each other. There is lots of talk about retirement (of the husbands), there are children who can't seem to settle in life, there are health issues, and as they grow older there is that feeling that time is running out. Not exactly something you just throw out over cake and coffee on a Thursday. All in all though if you do like you’re cozy crime and don’t mind putting the work in to sit down and read in more than one sitting then I think you would enjoy this. Extremely well-drawn characters... the plot is carefully assembled... the writing is so good... I loved this story!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I could not put this book down! I missed the easy banter of their Thursday morning coffee mornings at the Thirsk Garden Centre. I missed Pat's inner thoughts - here she is rather subdued, except for her nail polish.After reading and listening to the brilliant A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall, I just had to request A Pen Dipped in Poison. Thankfully the publishers, Avon Books UK, have allowed me to read the next in the series, so I thank them for that. If you are a fan of the Richard Osman books, this should be the ideal book for you. It has all the ingredients necessary for an excellent little cosy mystery. Suspense, drama and skulduggery are woven into a great storyline which features retired schoolteachers Liz, Pat and Thelma as they embark on another adventure. A gently quirky cosy mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and an intriguing cast of characters – some endearing, some not so much!’ Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder A gently quirky cosy mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and an intriguing cast of characters - some endearing, some not so much!' Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder There are two aspects to the storyline. There is the search for the writer of the poison pen letters, but this search also raises questions about modern teaching and academy schools. The dynamic, highly efficient and seemingly Teflon-coated new headmistress is making an impact and upsetting people. Then the discovery of a poison pen letter at a school summer fair was something of a surprise, but hopefully an isolated incident.

I could not put this book down! What a perfect book…! I loved the three main characters… I highly recommend.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ After reading and listening to the brilliant A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall, I just had to request A Pen Dipped In Poison. Thankfully the publishers, Avon Books UK, have allowed me to read the next in the series, so I thank them for that. If you are a fan of the Richard Osman books, this should be the ideal book for you. It has all the ingredients necessary for an excellent little cosy mystery. Suspense, drama and skulduggery are woven into a great storyline which features retired schoolteachers Liz, Pat and Thelma as they embark on another adventure. The language is realistic up to a point, mainly because you do not see that many profanities littered throughout the narrative, which I am pleased about. So, kudos to the author for that and for the various twists and misdirection’s scattered throughout the story. I liked that this lead on well from the first book in the series, A Spoonful of Murder, but has a very different feel with a focus on education instead of aging parents and responsibilities while retaining the lovely warm characters. I am unsure if this subject would have worked as well in the first book though and at times it felt a little too forced through, overriding the plot a little.

A Pen Dipped in Poison was a very slow burner cosy mystery and I loved the primary school setting of Lodestone Academy and the case the trio were trying to solve more than the first book. This can be read as a stand alone, however, I personally liked having read the first one beforehand as I already knew the protagonists personalities and relationships.