I've long been a fan of Maz Evans' writing for children and this, her second book for adults, is a really clever and innovative cosy crime thriller.

As a headteacher myself, I was immediately fascinated by the premised of this book - a headteacher dies suddenly at a school event and the parent chat groups are full of suspicion, speculation and investigation. Miss Stitchwell was a very unlikeable character and there are four immediate suspects all with different roles within the school and all with different motives for killing her.

The story itself is told through different media - copies of group chats, newspaper articles, emails from the school and chapters told from the perspective of different characters. It was cleverly done with lots of different threads going through the different chapters and eventually all coming together at the end (it reminded me of The Affair by Janice Hallett which I thought was brilliant). The characters were all immensely unreliable and throughout the story you change your mind about each of them several times; it was never obvious who the culprit was and I was kept guessing throughout. It was also incredibly funny with a very wry sense of humour - Evans captured the nuances of a school and a PTA really well! Overall, great read that is definitely worth pre-ordering before it is released on 27th February 2025!

I’m afraid I gave up on this book. I liked the idea of it but got bogged down in the style. It’s a mixture of text messages and posts as well as official statements made to the police. The structure of the plot is lost amongst the fractured prose.
It would seem that every character has a secret known only to a select few others. I got confused with the numerous sub plots. Maybe I am not the right demographic ( 69 year old female) . Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC ebook.

What an entertaining five-star read. I think this author has a fascinating way with words, they write funny in an engaging yet real manner. What a wonderful cast of characters, between the carers/families/guardians/childhood representatives and the teachers, as well as everyone else it just keeps the fun jumping off the page. Alas there isn’t just fun in this story, there is death and mystery as well, and twists that will keep you wondering. There is a great story and fantastic characters in this story and a read that you won’t want to miss. I must admit that the WhatsApp made me chuckle so much, it was so realistic.

Any parent who has ever been in a school WhatsApp group will live this dark and hilarious murder mystery from Maz Evans. Full of Maz's trademark wit & brilliant observations of day to day life. This is a perfectly plotted and well constructed mystery, that kept me turning the pages. Highly recommend!

When the thoroughly unpleasanr headteacher drops dead in the school hall, the parents' WhatsApp group finds the "nut allergy" explanation a little suspicious.

They think it was murder.

They have four suspects.

Thge trouble is, they're all Olympic grade liars...

A quirky black comedy - a universally hated head-teacher at an extraordinarily strict Christian school is found dead after she announces that she won't be retiring but will stay in post for another few years. We quickly realise she has died as a result of her nut allergy but everyone knows she's severely allergic - could it be foul play rather than a tragic accident?
The list of potential suspects grows longer and longer as we learn more about the cast of characters who surround the head teacher, the new deputy head who had all but been promised a promotion, the head of finance who knows all about the school's hidden secrets, and parents and pupils that she has bullied over the years.
It was hugely entertaining, I didnt spot the twists and was gobsmacked when they came!

In That’ll Teach Her, Maz Evans brings the crime novel bang up to date solving the suspicious death of primary school Headteacher through a combination of What’sApp messaging, police reports, soft toy diaries and what feels like the unraveling minds and confessions of the entire school community. It is a laugh out loud look at the power of a community and the complex relationships that exist within it. Through Quiz Nights, Parents’ Evenings and a lot of alcohol, the truth will out, but not before a lot of unintended confessions take centre stage. This is a brilliantly innovative look at life in a primary school and one that exposes much more than an Ofsted inspection ever will. Ofsted rating: outstanding!

When disliked headteacher Claudia Stitchwell dies suddenly at a school event due to a nut allergy, the gossip machinery is set alight by staff and parents debating how this could have happened in their nut free school. The mystery of whether this was an accident or murder keeps us guessing right to the end of the book but it’s the humour, chaos and life stories of the cast of characters which makes That’ll Teach Her such a brilliant read.
If you are familiar with the school run and all the parent drama that surrounds it, there are so many laugh out loud moments and relatable characters. Maz has created a rich soup of Ofsted visits, projectile vomiting bugs, ill fated school trips, lost equipment and competitive parents, and then added in a cracking whodunnit. I loved the diary of Tickly Tiger; my children’s school had something similar with a bear.
The format of a mix of prose, police statements, newspaper items, whatsapp messages and school e-mails does take a bit of adjustment but once that’s made, it is a real page turner with characters that you can really get invested in.
I loved her first adult novel, Over My Dead Body, I loved this and I hope to see more adult novels from Maz Evans.

Couldn’t finish this. I didn’t like the style of all the WhatsApp messages, the characters were all unlikeable and there were so many of them it was hard to keep track of who was who.

Another fantastic story from Maz! This is a pretty unusual format, swapping from prose to online messages to newspaper clippings, so was a little hard to read on screen (I was trying to read it on my tiny phone screen - much better on the iPad!) but it is a great, fast-paced and of course exceedingly funny story with a fabulous cast of characters. Clearly written by someone who has experienced the parent chat groups, school fairs, constant messages and all the other delights of raising children. Loved it!

Wow. I LOVED this book. It was the perfect fun and gossipy read. The epistolary format of the book is perfect for indulging your inner nosy parker as you peek behind the scenes and try and work out who killed the headmistress.

If you have ever done the school run, or like me, attended a Christian school, this book will be infinitely familiar and relatable. I lost count of how often I laughed out loud reading it. The murder mystery element kept me guessing until the end. The ending was brilliant and I surprised myself with some rare happy tears too.

I only wish the book was out before Christmas so I could pop it in everyone’s stockings….but I will be asking Santa for the rest of Maz Evans’s books!

Thanks for the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Absolutely Brilliant! I don't think my kindle could keep up with the speed I was turning the pages! It's marvellously put together and with such skill that you can certainly imagine the characters as being in your own contact lists or group chats, (and have probably assigned their traits to some people you already know).

Delightfully deceptive, wickedly witty, it's the perfect antidote to a dreary day.

Claudia Stitchwell is the headteacher of St Nonnatus CE Primary School and it's fair to say she is not liked, so when she dies suddenly from a severe nut allergy at a school event, the parents are quick to suspect that all is not what it seems. With four people emerging as suspects, clues need to be pieced together amongst the gossip to discover who the murderer is.



OH. MY. GOD. THIS. BOOK. IS. BLOOMIN'. BRILLIANT.

I feel that the eight words above sum up everything that needs to be said about this book but I feel the brilliance that is Maz Evans deserves more.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I adore Maz and her writing; she's a genius when it comes to writing comedy that combines deeper messages and That'll Teach Her is another perfect example of this. After her first novel for adults, Over My Dead Body, was released last year (you can read my review here ), I was giddy with excitement when I discovered I could read an early copy of That'll Teach Her. The start of half-term proved to be the perfect opportunity, especially as I needed a new book for my flight to a bit of sunshine.

From the very beginning, this book is a work of genius: the combination of letters to parents from the school, parents WhatsApp group messages, police reports, newspaper articles and narrative all help to weave the plot perfectly. The WhatsApp group chats, in particular, made me laugh out loud with the perfect mix of characters and gossip. When my son was at school, I was one of his teachers and avoided the parents' WhatsApp groups like the plague, so being able to get an insight into them here gave me so many laugh out loud moments I was just pleased it was my husband sitting next to me on the plane! Maz's observations and attention to details are spot on and, whether you're a parent or a teacher, I guarantee you will find yourself giggling and nodding away!

In amongst the laughs, there is a murder to solve and it's the parents in the WhatsApp group who are determined to get to the bottom of things. The drama and the plot are unpredictable, with twists that create intrigue and will keep you guessing until the end, but in true Maz style, she also weaves more serious themes through the book that will draw on readers' empathy.

That'll Teach Her publishes 27th February and is a book you absolutely need to buy. It's clever blend of humour and murder makes the book an utterly compelling read. I have just one question: does anybody know this week's spellings?!

Murder and mayhem in the classroom. When a thoroughly disliked headteacher dies suddenly due to her nut allergy, everyone falls under suspicion- how did nuts get into her food and why could nobody find her epipens? And when the business manager is also murdered the parents WhatsApp group goes wild.

A very funny, well observed mystery - the characters in the parent group were spot on.

Maz Evans' latest novel, set in the chaotic world of a primary school, is a delightful blend of humour, suspense, and mystery. While the initial format of group messages and newsletters may take some getting used to, it quickly becomes a captivating way to unravel the story.

The cast of colourful characters, from the well-meaning but chaotic parents to the eccentric staff members, adds depth and humour to the narrative. The Parent Chat group is particularly entertaining, with its mix of gossip, complaints, and well-intentioned advice.

The central mystery, involving the suspicious death of the headteacher, keeps readers guessing until the end. The gradual unveiling of clues and the unexpected twists and turns make for a truly engaging read.

While the pacing may feel a bit slow at times, the overall storyline is compelling and the humour is consistently sharp. If you're looking for a light-hearted yet thought-provoking mystery, this book is definitely worth checking out.

i love books, especially crime books, that are told in the format of emails and texts. i think that's part of the reason this didn't fully work for me, i didn't love getting actual prose from the perspectives of the 4 suspects. i also found it hard to get on board with the various motivations and characters, as well as the romance that came out of nowhere. this was very quick and easy to read! but i didn't love it

I was really looking forward to this book, having loved Over My Dead Body, and I was not disappointed. The way in which the each character's perspective was written was so perfect - the voices of the characters gave a great insight into their personality and characteristics, I felt I could see the person talking in front of me!

The format of this book is unlike anything I've read before, and it did take a bit of getting used to at first, but actually I think it worked really well and made the story really interesting.

As with OMBD, whilst this is a murder mystery book, that doesn't become the whole book. There are so many interesting characters and sub-story lines that you almost forget that you're trying to solve a murder within it!

This book is funny, witty, and cleverly written. It encompasses all the different types of parents, staff and children you come across at school which makes for a really relatable read.

My only criticism of Maz Evans is that she hasn't written enough adult books - I want more!!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was an entertaining and unpredictable read, although I felt it moved too slowly at times and there were too many characters which made it a little confusing in places. However, I enjoyed the storyline and did not expect the twists and turns.

Loved this book! Will make you laugh if you have ever been part of a school group message thread, with lots of humour but also a great murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns and intrigue. Highly recommend.

Wow wow wow wow wow! This was amazing! A murder mystery set in a school with so many suspects. This kept me guessing right to the end. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn't guess who was guilty. I loved the characters, they could all work in schools/ be parents in real life group chats. The way it was told through narrative, police statements, school messages and WhatsApp messages was brilliant and so original. It was laugh out loud funny in places and had me gasping in shock in other places.