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A Spoonful of Murder

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A Spoonful of Murder

By: J.M. Hall
Narrated by: Julie Hesmondhalgh
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About this listen

Introducing the three unlikeliest sleuths you'll ever meet…

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…

Sit down with a cup of tea and this perfectly witty, cosy crime novel. Fans of Agatha Christie, Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page.

‘Warm characters and wonderful writing… It’s steeped in Yorkshire like a mug of hot, strong tea… I loved it’ SJ Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot

©2022 J.M. Hall (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Amateur Sleuths Cosy Culinary Detective Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction Witty British Women Detectives

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Critic reviews

‘An absorbing read about everyday life falling foul of murder’ Faith Martin, author of A Fatal End
All stars
Most relevant  
I 'enjoyed' the plausibility of the tale and the portrayal of the school teachers.
I struggled with "she was stood" and "she was sat." Please write correctly. If it was for effect, it had an effect - I won't be looking for book 2.
The names Liam and Luke were switched on one occasion, which meant I had to rewind and check I'd heard correctly and not misunderstood the scene.
There was mention of the clocks going back - in March!!!! Again, I rewound to check that the storyline hadn't jumped 6 months, but nope, there were daffodils.
All in all, a shame.

inaccurate performance?

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Firstly I have to say the narrator was excellent and the only reason I continued to listen to the end. I enjoyed the story but feel it could have been wrapped up two hours earlier. I did not enjoy the constant ramblings of the characters and it was obvious (to me) whodunnit right from the beginning. I am glad I listened to it all but if there is a follow up I will not be buying it.

Well narrated but....

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I found myself caught up with both the was it/wasn’t it Murder theme ….and the domestic lives of the women involved .
Well thought out and kept my interest to the finish . Hope there will be more to come . Enjoyed the interview at the end too .

A Very Good Listen !

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A great story, perfect to listen to on a glum January day. I felt both moved and uplifted and enjoyed the murder mystery unravelling as we pottered along. Looking forward to the next book 😊

Just my cup of tea!

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I chose this book because I thought Julie Hesmondhalgh would be a good narrator - I was right, she was excellent. I was very pleasantly surprised by the book, I expected it to be one of those light, quick reads that you instantly forget, but there was much more to it than that.

There was something about the characters, they were much deeper than I expected, there were moments when the main characters brought a smile to my face but there were just as many moments of deep reflection. I think we probably all know people like them, there are aspects in each of the three main characters that I can identify with. Somehow they were real, with real frailties and hidden strengths.

I became hooked quite quickly, it was an interesting plot with lots of sub plots and I really enjoyed listening to it. It’s not my usual type of crime fiction but I will certainly look out for more books by this author, especially if they have the same narrator.

Pleasantly Surprised

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It is quite brilliant the way the author has captured the daily life of the characters. I found myself laughing at the funny way he phrased the thoughts that the characters were having. Everything about this first book that I’ve listened to makes me go on to listen to more.

I loved the phrasing

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Could not get into this at all, too much fluff and filler.
Would have sent it back but unable to for some reason ?
So continued to the end which was totally underwhelming.
Why have a narrator with a strong Lancashire accent read a story set in North Yorkshire.
Masham is not pronounced the same as Mashed Potatoes, it's Mas-Ham.
No more J.M Hall for me.

What was the plot ?

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.... with brilliant characters and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The subject was covered beautifully and really brings the vulnerability of the mind to light - very much hope there's another. The writing and reading of the book was a delight. Thank you!

A wonderfully thought provoking novel ....

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A long winded story and I couldn’t tell one character from another. Not a page turner for me.

A spoonful of murder

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The storyline took a little getting into-confused who everyone was and how it would progress initially, but then it takes pace and I really couldn’t stop listening to it!
Loved the storyline-made me think and take a sense check, loved all of the characters and the twisty-turny plot with red herrings. Just sad as a Pomfretian that the Northern Knights would STILL come to Pontefract!! Can’t wait for the second book!
Julie H read the book wonderfully! 5 stars all round!

Wonderful storytelling at it’s best!

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