A Pen Dipped in Poison: A witty and cozy mystery story, perfect for fans of Richard Osman

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Malice and mayhem spur a school reunion of three modern Marples – and some of their Thirsk community learn a lesson they’ll never forget!’ Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, author of A Murder of Crows

Retired schoolteachers and amateur sleuths Liz, Pat and Thelma have a brand-new mystery to solve in this witty tale – perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman A cruel letter to the Headmistress is assumed to be a one-off, until a spate of others target random teachers. Who? Why? Those are the obvious questions but, as Pat reminds her friends, Liz and Thelma, the questions in the rhyme they all taught to their pupils also contains, How? Where? and When? Although less obvious, answering the last three will turn up the clues needed to solve the first three. “How” is easy, the letters are computer typed and printed on the school’s stationary; “Where” is also easy, they turn up in various locations within the school, “When” is more complicated, the first one was found during the setting up for the Summer Fayre, the last event of that academic year, all the rest turn up individually during the first term of the next academic year. The school, St Barnabus Primary, is now part of Lodestone Academy Trust, and is run by the new headmistress Kayleigh Brittain, designer clad, perfectly coiffed, powerfully efficient. Are the letters someone’s plan to disrupt the school and get her fired? The three retired friends start to investigate, despite the protestations of their husbands. Ron, Liz’s husband, recently recovered from cancer, is looking to retire having lost a contract linked to Lodestone; Derek, Pat’s husband, is a teacher at the “College for Vicars” which is possibly under threat of closure (by an organisation linked to Lodestone) ; Teddy, Thelma’s husband, is Head of that College. Could a scam of some kind be involved? Inside are letters revealing the deepest secrets they have tried to hide.As one by one, careers are ended, marriages destroyed and no one is beyond suspicion, the three friends decide enough is enough. I could not put this book down what a perfect book to read I loved the three main characters if you loved the author other book you going to love this as did I loved the description of all the characters & I had a version of hycient bouquet for the headteacher when I was reading this and loved them mention of Suffolk town near from where I am from originally I really liked Kayleigh Brittain, the new headmistress. She is wealthy, driven, enigmatic, confident and influential. She has a clear vision for the school and will stop at nothing to ensure it is achieved. She doesn’t care what others think of her, which may make her slightly callous, especially as a head teacher and she doesn’t endear herself to the children or parents, but I admired her determination and strength. A truly strong female lead character.

I could not put this book down! What a perfect book…! I loved the three main characters… I highly recommend.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ But as they work to uncover the truth, they begin to wonder just how far someone will go to silence this poison pen... Malice and mayhem spur a school reunion of three modern Marples - and some of their Thirsk community learn a lesson they'll never forget!' Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, author of A Murder of Crows I liked that this lead on well from the first book in the series, A Spoonful of Murder, but has a very different feel with a focus on education instead of aging parents and responsibilities while retaining the lovely warm characters. I am unsure if this subject would have worked as well in the first book though and at times it felt a little too forced through, overriding the plot a little.

Three Miss Marples for the price of one! Extremely well-drawn characters... the plot is carefully assembled... the writing is so good... I loved this story!' NetGalley review A cozy mystery book that does not disappoint and allows you to escape into the world of intrigue taking place at St Barnabus school, poison pen letters are being received by teachers with the new headmaster being the main target, can our trio of retired teachers discover the author of the hate filled missivesThis story is about poison pen letters and slowly the goings on at their old workplace draw them together again. What makes A Pen Dipped in Poison so enjoyable? To begin with, the characters feel very real and relatable; their family relationships are explored in greater depth compared to the first book in the series, making them all the more likeable. The writing style is also much improved here; it is sharp and witty without being overly long-winded or dull. The plot is well-paced but keeps you guessing throughout – I did guess who the culprit was early on but not the reason why until the big reveal! Curious white envelopes have been delivered to friends and neighbours. Inside are letters revealing the deepest secrets they have tried to hide. After reading and listening to the brilliant A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall, I just had to request A Pen Dipped In Poison. Thankfully the publishers, Avon Books UK, have allowed me to read the next in the series, so I thank them for that. If you are a fan of the Richard Osman books, this should be the ideal book for you. It has all the ingredients necessary for an excellent little cosy mystery. Suspense, drama and skulduggery are woven into a great storyline which features retired schoolteachers Liz, Pat and Thelma as they embark on another adventure. The ingredients for the perfect modern cosy crime: intrigue, characters you care about and a good dollop of humour' Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants -

But when poison pen letters start landing on the doorsteps of friends and neighbours in their Yorkshire village, old secrets come to light. What I found to my liking was the pace of the book. Never pedestrian or rushed, and neither was it overly elaborate. I more or less fathomed out the guilty party early on, but it did not play out precisely as I had imagined it would either, which I was more or less happy about.A gently quirky cosy mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and an intriguing cast of characters – some endearing, some not so much!’ Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder Masterful storytelling and delightfully retro-style detective ladies make A Pen Dipped in Poison an imaginative and eventful read. Think Miss Marple with attitude coupled with a strong sense of togetherness, probably just about sums up Liz, Pat and Thelma. Like Jane Marple, these characters though quirky and slightly twee can think outside the box and around corners. I guess that is what comes of them being retired school teachers. Extremely well-drawn characters... the plot is carefully assembled... the writing is so good... I loved this story!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I could not put this book down! A gently quirky cosy mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and an intriguing cast of characters - some endearing, some not so much!” - Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder The ingredients for the perfect modern cosy crime: intrigue, characters you care about and a good dollop of humour." - Ian Moore