annieb123's Review of A Terrible Village Poisoning (The Dinner Lady Detectives, #3)

by Hannah Hendy

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.

As the residents turn to the duo with suspicion and begin to freeze them out, Margery and Clementine are left with more questions than answers. Everyone is convinced that the pair – and Clementine in particular – are bad news, but why? And as more people in the village start to become unwell, the question remains, is The Poisoner back, or is this the work of a new killer? And will they strike again?

A charming cosy mystery that will make you laugh out loud, perfect for fans of Julia Chapman and Fiona Leitch.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

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.

Reading updates

10 April, 2023: Started reading

10 April, 2023: Finished reading

10 April, 2023: Reviewed