Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are the perfect protagonists for this cozy mystery series. I am not usually one for cozy mysteries, preferring police procedurals and more along that vein. There is something about Margery and Clementine, however, and the cast of Dinner Ladies that leaves you with this feeling of camaraderie and warmth, despite the grim subject matter. Overall, with each new installment of this series the quality of the storytelling has improved. Each new book brings more depth to the characters and their relationships. The plots have evolved to encompass more complex and twisty mysteries without unraveling into being too outlandish.

I will continue to tune in to this series to follow the Dinner Ladies Detectives on their adventures!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Canelo and Hannah Hendy for the e Arc of A Gravely Troubling Discovery. ( Book 5 of the Dinner Lady Detectives )

Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are dinner ladies in the kitchen of a secondary school and with other members of the kitchen love to solve mysteries. This is the 5th book in the series and even though there is enough character development to read this as a standalone. I'd highly recommend reading the other books in order as there is an underlaying storyline.

Having starting my school career as a lunchtime supervisor and do work within a primary school settings, I love these books. My daughter got me the first one and Ive read them all. I love the main characters and the more minor ones. Hannah has a wonderful way of building funny, likeable characters that are astute and forward thinking. Seeing as most of the storyline happens around the school and locally, it's easy to picture. The plot is paced as medium and being constant throughout the book makes the book engaging, funny and "cosy "

I have also listened to the audio version of this book which is narrated by Jenny Funnell which has a wonderful voice for this narrated. Can't wait for book 6

5 stars

The latest Dinner Lady Detectives mystery is another delightful gem! Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are as sharp, witty, and endearing as ever, bringing their trademark blend of humor and heart to a case that’s equal parts thrilling and charming.

What starts as a seemingly straightforward task—helping Mrs. Redburn spy on her unfaithful husband—quickly escalates into a tangled web of secrets surrounding the body buried beneath Summerview School’s playground. The twists are cleverly plotted, and the interactions between the duo and the police are as entertaining as always.

Fans of the series will love the balance of cozy mystery charm and gripping intrigue. Margery and Clementine’s dynamic shines, as does the wonderfully atmospheric small-town setting. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a smart, funny whodunit with lovable amateur sleuths who just can’t stay out of trouble. I can’t wait for their next adventure!

The dinner lady detectives strike again! These are a good series of books, if a little far fetched at times. Sometimes the sleuthing does seem to take over from the day job.

Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker were warned not to interfere in any more police investigations, which they intend to not get involved when a body is found under the school’s playground. However, when Mrs Redburn suspects her husband of having an affair and she asks for their help, it throws them into the middle of the playground mystery, which makes staying out of the investigation impossible.

I feel like this book was predictable in what it happened and who the culprit was. It took a bit too long to start discussing what actually happened, instead of the speculation throughout the book. I do think that the actual reveal at the end was quite lacklustre and I expected more of a punch, as it felt like a mad rush at the end to try and tie everything together before the epilogue. I I did expect some aspects of the book to be longer than what they were, because some bits just felt like they were randomly thrown in. It does somewhat sprinkle in what will come in the next book but it didn’t exactly grab my attention and make me wanna pick up the six book when it releases, so maybe it’s time to call it quits with this series.

I do like the characters, but I wish I knew more about them as I feel like after five books I’m not learning much about them to feel fully invested.

I did like how the plot came together, however it did feel a bit all over the place of times and I often found myself thinking what is going on? I did have unresolved questions at the end, which I would’ve like to see and sad as it would’ve tied the book up nicely. Also, there was incorrect language used about suicide, in order to not add to the stigma/discrimination/prejudice, it is better to use neutral phrasing such as lost their life to suicide, died by suicide or death by suicide.

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo Crime for the opportunity to read this book early, in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ CWs: murder, panic attack, alcohol use, injury detail, suicide, mental health illness (PTSD flashbacks), pregnancy, mentions cheating, death of parent, infertility

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A GRAVELY TROUBLING DISCOVERY - HANNAH
HENDY - ARC
Book 5 in the lovely Dinner Lady Detectives Series. This series is an easy read, you don't have to really think about anything you can just read and enjoy. Perfect for cozy, quick reads. Read as part of a series and not standalones as there is information you will need from the previous books to know who characters are etc.
This whole series is funny and touches on subjects in such a light hearted way you don't realise until afterwards.
The characters are loveable and I throughly enjoyed this book and the rest of the series!
@rachaelmcreads

Another laugh out loud “Dinner Lady Detective’s” book, the 5th in the series.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I love all of the side drama with all the kitchen staff but Margery and Clementine are my favourites always getting caught up in murder investigations. A brilliant cosy mystery with twists that left me guessing right to the end. Can't wait for the next one.

A Gravely Troubling Discovery is the fifth Dinner Lady Detectives cozy by Hannah Hendy. Released 1st Aug 2024 by Canelo, it's 268 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.

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. After stumbling (literally) into murder investigations in the previous books, Margery and Clementine have -no- intentions of getting involved in another murder. Their carefully laid plans go awry when a mundane infidelity investigation ties in to another murder investigation, a body discovered during local playground renovations. The main characters are a F/F married couple, but that isn't over-emphasized in the plot. The language is clean, and the violence occurs off-page.

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 won'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 readers who read them out of order will experience some major spoilers for the interrelationships and development of the returning characters. The generally high quality of the series as a whole would make for a good binge/buddy read. Fans of Fiona Leitch, J. M. Hall, and Peter Boland will find this one a fun romp.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Margery and Clementine and the other dinner ladies are back in A Gravely Troubling Discovery by Hannah Hendy. When a body is discovered under the playground they try very hard not to get involved, but when the case they have taken on as private detectives turns out to have a link to the body of course they get mixed up in the case. The trouble the ladies get in to is always fun to read and this book has them really taking things to extremes. As the fifth in the series, these just keep getting better and better.

A New Investigation..
The fifth outing in the Dinner Lady Detectives series of mysteries and being warned to stop meddling in formal police investigations does not appear to have deterred the snooping duo. They soon find themselves embroiled in a new investigation when, whilst looking into a possible domestic dalliance, various dead bodies begin to appear. Well, it would be rude not to..really… Another enjoyable and entertaining outing in this nicely paced mystery with a well imagined setting and well executed characters.

I’ve been lucky to read all the books in this series, so picking this one up was like coming home to the gang. Margery and Clementine had, in this book, quite a few events to deal with, it was great to read about them I felt the danger added more depth to the story. I felt like I knew the other characters from the Nourishment team better so it was good to hear about things going on in their lives. It was wholly entertaining reading about the different crimes going on and how they were solved and tied up together.

When a body is found buried under the playground while being renovated, Margery and Clementine are determined to let the police handle it. But alas while helping a wife who suspects her husband of cheating, they are drawn into the mystery afterall. Cosy village mystery in Britain. Love the setting. Good story plot. A charming light read. Perfect afternoon getaway. Thanks #Netgalley and #Canelo for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

The Dinner Lady Detectives are back, and determined to take a well earned break from solving murders. However, a body is found under the school playground and they soon find themselves back in the thick of it.

I really enjoyed this book in the series, there's a lot going on and multiple paths the outcome could go down. There's also a lot of development of the side characters, which adds depth to the whole series.

A Gravely Troubling Discovery is a really enjoyable read, I can't wait for the next installment!

The dinner ladies are back. They find themselves hired by Evelyn to find out if her husband is cheating on her.
Meanwhile the playground is being dug up to be relaid, but a skeleton is found and the Police are called. The ladies don't want to get involved but they have a happy knack of getting themselves involved.
Also trending is that the swimming trophy has gone missing. Are all these things connected or is it wishful thinking.
Read and find out.

This fifth instalment in the Dinner Lady Detectives series had me smiling from the start. I was back in the company of Margery and Clementine, and it was just what I needed. As expected, this was humorous and charming. There were some laugh out loud moments while I was reading, and this is a comfort series for me. I have so much love for Margery and Clementine, as well as their friends and acquaintances that I've also grown fond of along the way.

As usual, this was very light, easy reading, and I finished it in a couple of hours. If you are a cosy mystery reader, I would recommend the Dinner Ladies series, if you haven't read them already. If you haven't read the previous books, I think each book works as a standalone, so you may enjoy this one by itself. I would recommend the whole series though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I’ve been a fan of the dinner lady detectives series since The Dinner Lady Detectives came out, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on A Gravely Troubling Discovery.

This time around, Margery and Clementine are investigating a possible affair when bodies start popping up.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Margery and Clementine are excellent characters, ordinary people who keep getting caught up in murder investigations thanks to their propensity for suddenly doing unwise things! Their antics do make me laugh sometimes. I love the rest of the dinner ladies and friends too.

The mystery was an interesting one this time, involving events in the past, as well as current ones. I had a great time picking up clues and trying to work out what was going on, alongside Margery and Clementine. And the pace of events definitely made it difficult to put the book down, especially towards the end.

Overall, this was a fun and well paced mystery with characters that have become well loved favourites. I can’t wait to see what the dinner lady detectives get up to next!

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

This book is a prime example of why British Cozies are so enjoyable. A well thought out mystery with developed characters that you can’t help but like. Each entry is like a visit with friends. Friends who keep you on your toes and busy while you visit, but friends never the less.

Another funny and intriguing mystery starring the Mrs Butcher-Bakers!

The plot was well paced and kept me entertained, and I love all of the side drama with the other kitchen staff, which is always funny.

A brilliant cosy mystery with a twist that left me guessing right to the end. Can't wait for the next one!

Even though this book is part of a series, I read it as a standalone and it was just fine. Sure, I was missing things from prior books but it didn't take away from this particular story. Marg and Clem are great characters and overall, the cast makes you laugh because they're just a lot of fun. I enjoyed the mishaps in this story and will be checking out the rest of the series as well.