A Spoonful of Murder: The first book in a hilarious and totally unputdownable cosy murder mystery series for fans of The Thursday Murder Club

Product Information

The book touches on some important issues to do with retirement such as fraudulent schemes that target the elderly, women's perception of themselves, and raising children in today's world.

The cover and the premise scream out that this is perfect for people who loved the Thursday Murder Club (but it doesn't have the absurd and glamourous aspects it had). Jan, Liz and Thelma and their supporting cast of friends, family and suspects are all well drawn out. Thelma, Pat and Liz are like I said (but it is worth repeating) barely over sixty, they do not know what emojis are, distrust online banking and act much older. Now, as you can imagine, this is not a fast paced thriller, but it is a book that drew me in and kept me pondering about the who, the what and the why – heck even the if – of the alleged murder. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books, UK for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.All the characters were so believable and certainly were in my experience true to type for their ages. During this surprise encounter the girls are concerned for Topsy after she shares some insights into her life that aren’t quite right.

There are several themes in A Spoonful of Murder that includes elder care, dementia, aging, elder financial fraud, parenting, and childlessness. I must have read it in about two servings as I just couldn't put it down… Had great comical moments throughout.The story takes a while to get going, with the author giving us time to get to know Thelma, Pat and Liz and their personalities, insecurities and family concerns. The actual culprit is quite obvious from the opening chapter but the devil is in the details and getting to the reveal is the most fun as the ladies trip around Yorkshire getting involved with male strippers and teenagers with a thing for older women. They come to know that recently Topsy has been the victim of financial fraud and has lost all her life savings. If you like a good cosy crime, with emotional and thoughtful undercurrent, this may well be the book for you.

Despite my worries about whether this was just another leap onto the bandwagon, I decided to spend an Audible credit on this one.The plot is cosy and tricky, with just the right blend of Miss Marple, interesting and quirky characters, secrets. How the male author manages to also nail the middle-aged female psyche is truly a marvel, with each of the three characters so well-crafted you would swear you have met them. Sadly, in spite of having some plus points, I found this becoming too much like hard work - and that is one thing that a cosy mystery can never afford to be if it is to work well. Every week, Jan, Thelma and Liz, three retired primary school teachers, meet for coffee at the local garden centre (mainly because it has impressive toilets).