Rating: 3.5/5

Hannah Hendy’s An Extremely Unlikely Death delivers exactly what fans of cozy mysteries look for—eccentric small-town characters, light detective work, and just enough suspense to keep the pages turning. This sixth installment in the Dinner Lady Detectives series features Margery and Clementine investigating the sudden, suspicious death of Mr. Fitzgerald, a local antique dealer.

The setup is quirky and inviting—a locked-away dog, broken glass, and a mysterious letter addressed to our favorite sleuthing duo. The charm of the story lies in its tone: whimsical, warm, and very British. Margery and Clementine continue to be the heart of the series, with their endearing bickering and unlikely but lovable detective energy.

That said, the mystery itself felt a little slower in places. The pacing isn’t as snappy as earlier books, and the stakes—while hinted at—don’t fully escalate. Still, the gentle humor and familiar rhythm of village gossip give the book its charm.

It’s not a page-turner in the traditional sense, but if you’re looking for something low-stakes, character-driven, and comforting, it hits the spot. Think Midsomer Murders with less blood and more banter.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun mystery novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Enjoyable cozy mystery with the dinner lady detectives, plenty to keep you going in this book. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

I really enjoyed this mystery with Margery and Clementine! I love the cozy mystery and the humour in this series, and this one hits the mark again. The mystery was compelling and interesting while still allowing the characters to shine, which is the charm of this series. The whole Dinner Ladies crew is charming and full of heart, and I really enjoy the whole community of Dewstow. This one is readable as a stand-alone, but if you enjoy it, you should go back and read the whole series to really understand all of the community dynamics - these people have history, and it's hilarious!

The 6th novel in the Dinner Lady Detectives series see the school the ladies work at in chaos. After a failed audit, perhaps due to the number of bodies found in the school in recent books, a new headmistress and deputy head are installed, and the school governors are at each other's throats.

When one of the governors, Tim Fitzgerald, is found dead at the foot of the stairs in his antiques/junk shop, it's put down to natural causes. In his 80s, the police don't feel the need to question the death or look at it too closely.

But Mr Fitzgerald's friends, Marjorie and Clementine Butcher-Baker, aren't convinced, and once again begin to investigate,

The shock of being demoted gets to former Deputy Head Rose, who is at her most dramatic and hilarious in this novel. She's convinced the new head is up to no good and starts her own investigations, while roping in Marjorie and Clementine.

Hannah Hendy has created such a wonderful community in this series, with all the dinner ladies stepping up to help investigate, each bringing their own strengths and skills to the table.

As cosy as the series is, there's a note of realism as we're let into how all the murders are affecting Marjorie. Amateur sleuthing can take its toll, and makes the characters all the more real and lovable, and it's so much fun following their adventures.

The dinner lady detective series is one of my favourite series and this book did not disappoint. I love Marjorie and Clementine 😀

During a routine welfare check, Mr Fitzgerald is found dead by the police. As the town mourns his death as an accident, Margery and Clementine cannot shake the sense that there is something suspicious about the scene. They are convinced this was no accident and begin to investigate. It's another great cozy mystery that kept me hooked the whole way through

It was so comforting to be back with the Education Nourishment gang. I have really come to enjoy their quirks and the supportive family dynamic they’ve forged over the years. I think this could be the best one yet written in the series, I couldn’t put the book down. I found I enjoyed going along with the story without needed to guess who committed the murder, it made it so enjoyable to read the reveal.

Welcome back the Dinner Lady Detectives!! It was lovely to catch up with Margery, Clementine and the rest of the Education Centre Nourishment Consultants, although they prefer to be called dinner ladies. Officer Symon, during a welfare check on a property, discovers the body of Mr Fitzgerald of the bottom of his stairs with his Jack Russell, Jason, locked up in a cupboard. The ladies are soon caught up with their amateur sleuthing in trying to investigate clues on who is the culprit or if anyone did the deed at all. The subplots are full of twists and turns, with a few red herrings thrown for good measure leading to an unmissable climax!! More please!

What's not to love about the Dinner Lady Detective series? Like the first five in the series, An Extremely Unlikely Death ticks every box on the cozy mystery list.

Firstly, you have two lovely protagonists in Margery and Clementin Butcher-Baker, a mystery that the police can't be bothered to investigate properly, a wonderful school setting with great side characters, and overall, a thoroughly engaging puzzle just waiting to be solved.

In this installment, our two amateur sleuths find themselves investigating the death of their friend, Mr Fitzgerald, after his body is discovered at the bottom of the stairs in his bric a brac store.

The police chalk it up to an accident, but Margery and Clementine believe that there's more to it and duly set about unraveling the mystery of just how and why Mr Fitzgerald met his untimely end.

It's another great cozy mystery that kept me hooked the whole way through!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read An Extremely Unlikely Death, by Hannah Hendy, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Just before the beginning of the new school year, every member of staff is called in for a meeting with the School Governors. It's announced that James the headmaster has been replaced by Mrs Cooper and her sidekick Miss Martin will be deputy. Obviously Rose's nose is out of joint, both for James and herself being ousted as deputy. There is a disagreement between two of the Governors and a punch thrown. One of them is found dead later than night.
When Margery and Clementine are left a legacy, they are drawn into investigating the man's death not only by curiosity, but also by Officer Symon, who feels something is wrong but has been told not to investigate by his superiors.
Over time they find out some disturbing things about people in the village and at the school whilst coping with new suppliers at the school and eyes everywhere.
A fun read.

When I started reading, I almost immediately realized that I was coming in in the middle of a series, what with the mention of previous murders at Summerview Secondary School in the English town of Dewstow. Indeed, this is the sixth in Hannah Hendy’s Dinner Lady Detective series. Even so, I never felt lost and enjoyed the novel.

Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker (a rather unlikely surname) are married and work today as the dinner ladies at the school (cafeteria ladies, in American parlance). They’ve previously solved mysteries that have eluded the police, and they’re poised to do the same again. Timothy Fitzgerald, owner of an antiques store that’s more of a junk shop, may be in his late 80s, but he’s healthy as a horse and spry as a mountain goat. Did he really tumble down to his death on the stairs he’s nimbly climbed his entire life? A friend starts to doubt that Fitzgerald’s death was really an accident, and soon so do Margery and Clementine.

Meanwhile, thanks to all the murder and mayhem, Summerview’s headmaster gets demoted, while Ms. Cooper, a shifty martinet, replaces him. Readers will know that Margery and Clementine will suss out the truth about the new headmistress, who claims to be trying to save money while switching to more expensive contracts. Lighthearted and breezy, I will likely be checking out previous books in the series.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing story of an unusual death. Filled with lots of twists and turns. Well developed characters. Love the quaint English setting. Thanks #Netgalley and #Canelo for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

'An Extremely Unlikely Death' by Hannah Hendy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would say I'm biased because I love this author and this series but this is an amazing book. It's got mystery, adventure, sarcastic remarks, Crochet Monthly and a new furry little friend too (with excellent detective skills). I've said it before but I would definitely have Margery, Clementine and the rest of their team in my corner if ever I was in trouble. And the ending, I was not expecting that. Can't wait for the next one. A remarkable series for fans of cozy crime, please read it you won't be disappointed.

Murder is the only paw-sible explanation...

During a routine welfare check, the police find local shop owner Mr Fitzgerald at the foot of his stairs, dead. There is broken glass over the floor of his shop, his dog has been locked in the kitchenette cupboard, and on the counter is an envelope addressed to Mrs and Mrs Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker – The Dinner Lady Detectives.

As the town mourns Mr Fitzgerald’s death as an unfortunate accident, Margery and Clementine cannot shake the sense that there is something suspicious about the scene. They are convinced this was no accident. But why would anybody want to harm an elderly shopkeeper? And with the culprit still at large, and determined to cover their tracks, can they get to the bottom of the case before there is another victim?

Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.

There's a whole lot of change on the horizon for the Dinner Lady Detectives in this book, and they're not all that happy about it. With a change of head teacher at the school, plus a raft of catering decisions taken out of their hands, they're somewhat unsettled. Then when Mr Fitzgerald, one of the school governors, is found dead at the foot of his stairs, things take a turn for the worse. Margery and Clementine are convinced that he didn't slip and fall, but who would want to kill a school governor? With the help of their crew of dinner ladies, the unseated deputy head and a crochety neighbour, they set out to solve the case.

I really enjoyed this installment in the series, with the tweaks to the school circumstances adding some light relief and intrigue. It's rapidly become one of my favourite cosy crime series. Although you could easily read each book as a stand-alone novel, it's a real comfort blanket moment to catch up with the Mrs Butcher-Bakers!

I did not know that this was part of a series before reading this, however, I don’t think it made it hard to follow. I will definitely be going back and reading the previous books because I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was cute and I loved the characters. It’s definitely a cozy mystery series and I love reading a cozy mystery every so often. I normally read horror or thriller books so this gave me a nice palette cleanser to read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. An Extremely Unlikely Death by Hannah Hendy is a captivating and darkly intriguing mystery. The story follows the investigation of an unusual death that leads to unexpected twists and a deeper uncovering of secrets. Hendy’s writing is engaging and atmospheric, keeping readers hooked with suspense and well-paced action. The characters are well-developed, and the plot offers plenty of surprises along the way. Overall, An Extremely Unlikely Death is a compelling read for fans of thrilling, mysterious stories with a touch of suspense.

5/5 stars: This sixth entry in Hendy's Dinner Lady Detectives series, which is a 2SLGBTQIA+ British Senior Sleuth Cozy Mystery that's set in a quaint Welsh village and follows a sixty-something married couple, who work as secondary school dinner ladies (AKA high school cafeteria workers), as they turn sleuths after the suspicious death of a school governor and the discovery of an envelope addressed to them in the victim's apartment. The two will have to work fast to unravel this mystery before the killer strikes again. With plenty of twists and turns, Hendy has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Hendy's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's great to catch up with Margery and Clementine, their school colleagues and kitchen crew and the folks of Dewstow. I love the quirky, diverse and just plain lovely cast of characters. With tact and sensitivity, Hendy touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, The Dinner Lady Detectives.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Following reports of a disturbance at his shop police find local shop owner dead at the bottom of the stairs, because of his age his death is put down to an accident, but of course the Dinner Lady Detectives don't believe that. They set out to find out if it was accident or if he was murdered, and if he was murdered who is responsible, does it have anything to do with the new head teacher at the high school?
This is definitely the weakest of the series, there are too many things that just don't make sense - if your boss told you that you couldn't speak to or visit any of your colleagues outside of work you wouldn't just meekly go along with it.

I love a light hearted mystery read. As a teacher, I of course loved the setting of this story. The characters were enjoyable, and the details were just right. I’m adding Hannah to my authors favorites list!

I love the dinner lady gang so much. They are witty, sweet, kind and bring fun and hope to bleak situations. Clementine and Marjorie are a sweet couple, they whittle out of people the information that’s the way need all whilst keeping the students well fed and the staff too. I love the friendships, the fun and the warmth of these ladies to others.
Haphazard and motivated is my favourite genre and catching up is always a joy. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.