This was such a lovely book to listen to, the story was believable and the narration suited it. Just loved the ending telephone call - can just imagine my mother in law doing that. This was a really pleasant listen and I thoroughly recommend it especially in these times.

I can't wait to see what the author and narrator come up with next.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

I had been looking for a cosy mystery and was super excited with my approved request.
Thank you @netgalley & @harpercollinsuk for the audio Book arc. The book published today!
Happy pub day to @jm_hall_writer

🍰🫖
🅜🅨 🅣🅗🅞🅤🅖🅗🅣🅢:
Pat, Liz and Thelma, three retired school teachers, meet weekly for their coffee sessions at the local garden centre. Things take a turn when their former colleague, Topsy is found dead and they end up getting involved with solving a murder, the mysterious theft of £425K and a shady builder.
The trio, upset with the death, find certain things don't add up, especially after Topsy once mentioned someone wanted her dead and turn into amateur sleuths.

The story has some really good moments and insight into the main character's lives supported by back stories with a chapter dedicated to each. The best part of this book are the mature protagonists, who keep going on with their lives, doing mundane chores like grocery shopping or planning a dinner, all the while solving a murder on the side. Life does go on, even when a murder is involved. I totally want these ladies to be my friends! The overlapping of their everyday lives and routines were intelligently interconnected.

Initially I found it hard to keep up because there were a lot of new characters, names and things introduced but was deeply invested once I wrote them down.

This is a warm, sir by the fire with coffee and binge read book. I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy Agatha Christie and a Windsor Knot!

#aspoonfulofmurder #netgalley #murdermystery

First things first - I loved the cover art! (I hope it gets updated on Goodreads soon). Combined with the title, it immediately got my attention.

In "A Spoonful of Murder" we meet three retired primary school teachers, Liz, Thelma and Pat. They usually meet every Thursday for coffee at their favourite tea garden, catching up and sharing whatever's new and happening in their lives. Then suddenly, an ex-colleague, Topsy passes away - quite unexpectedly. That is when our three friends decide to put their investigating skills to the test. Are they just being nosey or is there something suspicious about Topsy's passing? Was it... murder?

We get to know our three sleuths quite well as we navigate through their personal lives - very likeable and different characters, each bringing their own unique point of view and charm to this story. Of course it will not take long to draw parallel's with Agatha Christie style novels and Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club" - and yes "retirement can be murder".

I found the story a little bit slow, but then again, the author does take time to establish each character and their immediate family situation and surroundings, which is also needed. It is a cozy mystery in the true sense of the word, effortless to read, comfortable and to be enjoyed under a duvet with large cups of tea. And a twist you may not see coming?

This is author J.M. Hall's debut, and I hope we hear more about the "Thursday Coffee Club"!

Having listened to the audiobook version, a few notes on that. It is narrated by Julie Hesmondhalgh. Julie did a great job of bring the story together and the various charming characters to life. Her voice suited the entire story so well. Great job Julie!

Thank you to #NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audio book, in exchange for an honest review #ASpoonfulofMurder
Pub Date 17 Mar 2022

A delightful cosy mystery with great narration! Our three amateur sleuths are smart, inquisitive, and determined to solve the mystery of their former colleague Topsy’s death. Though it takes a bit for the story to “warm up”, once you hit the halfway point the pace picks up until the end.

The narrator, Julie Hesmondhalgh, does a wonderful job switching between the three POVs and bringing Liz, Thelma and Pat to life.

As an American living in the UK, who is married to someone from Yorkshire, and enjoys all things Agatha Christie & Midsomer Murders, I am probably the exact reader this book is made for.

3.5/5

An enjoyable cosy mystery following three different character POVs. I enjoyed these switches but listening to this I probably could have done with the chapters being titled who I was following, rather than the mini "what happens in this chapter", but that's just my preference.

Pat is absolutely my favourite character, enjoyed her chapters the most!

A good fun, enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and J.M. Hall for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

A poignant, amusing sad murder mystery. Although the book tells the story of the dilemmas of the elderly - dementia and vulnerability to scams - it is told with a light touch and humour. Friendship also plays an important part. This book would probably not be appreciated by anyone under 50 or even 60. The narrator was very good.

A group of friends who all used to work together at a school meet up for a coffee and cake at their local garden centre for a catch up every week on a Thursday. One day they run into another lady they used to work with and her daughter. It seems the mother has dementia and is no longer the strong lady they used to know. A short while later she dies and everyone assumes that she got her tablets muddled up and took too many tablets and died.

Then doubts surface as money has gone missing, dodgy builders, so did she really die at her own hands or did someone give her a helping hand.

I listened to the audio version of this book, my first audio book and it was a good one to start with as the narrator was excellent.

.

EXCERPT: Since they'd all been retired (Pat two years, Thelma and Liz four) it had to be said the weekends had somewhat lost that special quality - that snatched, hallowed glow. Truth be told, the days even held a certain . . . sameness - Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays - a sameness to be fought against with book groups and keep fit classes and stints in the charity shop. Fought against, but not admitted to.

Hence coffee o'clock every Thursday in the café at Thirsk Garden Centre (good parking, well away from tourists).

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.

ABOUT 'A SPOONFUL OF MURDER': Retirement can be murder…

Every Thursday, three retired school teachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café.

But one fateful week, as they are catching up with a slice of cake, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy.

By the next Thursday, Topsy’s dead.

The last thing Liz, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become involved in a murder.

But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it…

MY THOUGHTS: A Spoonful of Murder is an entertaining cosy murder mystery starring three very down to earth retired teachers, any one of whom could be your neighbour.

My favourite character was definitely Pat. Self-deprecating, inquisitive and very wise in her own way, Pat is definitely easy to relate to and often had me laughing at her inner thoughts. Thelma and Liz are the ideal sidekicks.

The plot flows at an even pace, with numerous humorous moments. There are a veritable plethora of red herrings and multiple suspects who could be responsible for Topsy's death, but WHY? Why would anyone want to murder a harmless, if slightly befuddled, old lady?

Narrator Julie Hesmondhalgh has a wonderful range of voices and intonation in her repertoire and I would instantly be attracted to anything she narrates.

A Spoonful of Murder, as well as being a delightfully entertaining read, deals with dementia, loan sharks, and cleverly outlines many of the ways the vulnerable elderly can be defrauded of their life savings.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#ASpoonfulofMurder #NetGalley

I: @jm_hall_writer @harpercollinsuk @avonbooksuk

T: @ HarperCollinsUK @AvonBooksUK

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #murdermystery

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.

At night, he can be found at his computer, crafting his next story.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK, and HarperCollins Audio for providing both a digital and an audio ARC of A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall is available in Kindle and audiobook formats.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

The story was OK but I really couldn’t get on with the narrator unfortunately. Reading it might be better hopefully.

A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall
Narrated by Julie Hesmondhalgh

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Retirement can be murder…

Every Thursday, three retired school teachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café.

But one fateful week, as they are catching up with a slice of cake, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy.

By the next Thursday, Topsy’s dead.

This is set in my local area so it was very easy to follow the locations described in the story. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book but I thought that it was well-written and humorous. A Spoonful of Murder is an easy book to read and follow and it will easily grab your attention. A delightful and interesting book that I can see being enjoyed by many book clubs.

Rating 4/5

A Spoonful of Murder is a simply delightful cosy mystery where our ameteur sleuths are a group of retired teachers who seem to know everyone living in their close knit community.

Mrs Joy, 'one of their own' suddenly passes away but, their grief is over shadowed by some incongruities that spurs the ladies on to ask some uncomfortable questions.

This book has all the additions you would expect from this particular genre. There were glimpses of the traits shared with other well loved sleuths from Miss Marple to Jessica Fletcher with some Rosemary & Thyme added to the mix.

As the ladies go about their daily business AND attempt to silence the questions in their heads , we are taken on a grand tour of North Yorkshire.

Some serious issues faced by small town residents and the very real dilution of community services faced by so many, is highlighted and artfully weaved into the storyline, making it relatable to readers and their experiences.

All in all a good debut novel from JM Hall.

I normally listen to audio on about x2 speed but I found this Audio difficult to listen to with the strong accent of the narrator. Also I was trying to combine reading the physical the proof copy of the book with listening to the audio when in the card but I think some of the names are different so I ended up rather confused and ended up giving up. I think I will just continue with this as a physical read instead of audio.

I enjoyed reading and listening to this book alongside each other and am so grateful for this proof copy! I had major thursday murder club vibes whilst reading this and enjoyed the characters and it did make me laugh out loud, but I just felt like there was something missing from it for me to give it more stars.

I did find myself getting confused with the characters (probably rated to the reading via audiobook) so I just didn’t connect with the characters.

I’d still recommend reading it if you liked thursday murder club and definitely don’t let my opinion put you off 😊

Gosh, ever read the blurb of a book that sounds like you?
I'm a retired primary teacher who dines with two ex-teacher friends, too!
We three get together regularly, like the heroines in this tale
So I just had to listen to it, I couldn't see how it could fail!

So glad I decided to give this one a trial
There are anecdotes throughout that made me smile!
From rationing of laminating pouches to hoarding glue sticks,
Inset dramas, pupil capers and lots more in the mix.

It is also a cosy murder mystery and as it all unfolds
Leaves clues and hints as events are told.
With issues like dementia and different points of view
This is an intriguing story I enjoyed listening to.

I really enjoyed the narrator, she brought it to life
Sharing all the memories, investigations and strife.
Her accent was appropriate, clear and easy to listen to
Making this an audiobook I highly recommend to you!

For my complementary copy of this audiobook I say thank you
I thoroughly enjoyed listening and this is my honest review.

A warm mystery that evokes the north very well and tries tj be like the Thursday Murder Club. Unfortunately the characters aren’t quite as well defined as Osman, but it was a diverting Sunday afternoon .

A spoonful of Murder - By J.M Hall - Narrated by Julie Hesmondhalgh

Brilliant audiobook! I loved Julie’s narration she played the characters and suspense well..And yes, she should narrate the second audiobook in my opinion. ☺️

The Q & A at the end with the author, was great to listen to as well. I liked how Julie said she had to be careful when reading it aloud that she had to try not to give anything away or try to be too dramatic knowing what the outcome was going to be because she had read it previously.

Definitely would read the next one. 👍🏻

Much anticipated, this was a brilliant read!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

I really enjoy a cozy murder and this was a very cozy murder.
A group of old friends - ex primary school teachers - regularly meet up for a coffee and a catch up. Meeting up in the garden centre they spot an old friend, Topsy, accompanied by her daughter. Topsy is confused and disorientated and her daughter is finding it increasingly difficult to care for her. Topsy has been scammed out of significant amount of money....a week later she is dead. supposedly having mixed up her medication...The friends aren't so sure that is what really happened.
 I enjoyed so much about this ...there was some lovely gentle humour in it and the jokes kept coming fast and furious whilst at the same time the story is so poignant and tragic - an old woman being scammed out of all her life savings is too often a reality and the tragedy really hit home. The characters are beautifully observed and so down to earth. The narrator is absolutely spot on and her accent and tone of voice really add to the experience of listening to this book. She really brought out the humour and the individual characters and the very local humour....My only criticism is that this is over long -.after a while I could not absorb any more of this style of humour and I felt overwhelmed by the introduction of more characters and sub plots. This is an enjoyable little story - perfect for fans of cozy murders and older citizens taking the law into their own hands.
With a great narrator it's a very pleasant listen, just over extended. 

With many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for a digital copy of this entertaining audiobook.

This cost mystery failed to grip me and hold my attention, I felt the narrators didn’t bring the characters to life for me and I found my
Mind wondering. There are too many characters and the story is difficult to keep us with and the slow pace made it unenjoyable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and thought the narrator was excellent. I loved the plot of the book and did not want to put it down - the characters were so well written and although this is the first book I have listened to by this author it won't be the last.