The plot is a bit different now that the ladies are helping the police for real. I also love that it’s set during Halloween. It’s gives the book a bit of more mystery.

An Unfortunate Christmas Murder: A charming and festive

Margery and Clementine are enjoying a peaceful life together in the small, idyllic town of Dewstow, and eagerly awaiting retirement (and the next episode of Antiques Roadshow ). But their calm life is shattered when their kitchen manager is found dead. The police are adamant that it’s an open-and-shut case of accidental death. But Margery and Clementine are convinced there’s something far more nefarious going on, and they take it upon themselves to investigate. As they inch closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep the pair quiet. When the pair embark on an evening walk, they discover Mr Weaver's body in the woods, with a mysterious symbol painted on the tree beside him. Something suspicious is clearly afoot. This sounded like a promising cozy mystery involving two older schools dinner ladies solving the murder of their manager but it didn't turn out to be quite as much fun as I thought it would be. The kitchen manager was talked about as if she was a really fun person who liked to play funny pranks on people but most of the 'pranks' were mean and horrible and not at all funny. You'd think that might have been the reason she was found dead in the kitchen's walk in freezer but no, the police mark it off as an accidental death, despite there being copious amounts of blood spread all over the freezer and scratch marks on the door.I don't want to spoil it too much for people who haven't read the book yet but I would definitely recommend. It was a lovely lighthearted read (even though there was a murder!) and I could easily have devoured the book in one sitting. This one is a cozy set in Wales, and the featured sleuths are a lesbian couple in their sixties. Margery and Clementine work as dinner ladies in the cafeteria at a local comprehensive school. As the book opens, we learn that their kitchen manager has been found dead in the freezer. It's written off as an accidental death, despite the large amount of blood in the freezer. The deceased sounded like a mean-spirited prankster, so it was clear that there could be any number of possible suspects even if the leads were the only ones who seemed to think there had been any wrongdoing. I mean, just look at this striking cover! Matching the other 3 books in style, but a new bold colour - these are going to look amazing on my shelf! I love it! Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are dinner ladies at Summerview Secondary School; as the half-term break approaches, the school grapevine is full of all the usual gossip as well as where Mr Weaver, Matns, has got to as he hasn't turned up for days. That mystery is soon solved when, out for an evening walk, the two women discover his body beside a tree with some kind of symbol painted on it. As things with the strange markings continue to appear and strange goings-on occur, the Dinner Lady Detectives find themselves once again on the front line of solving crime - but are they putting themselves in danger?

An Unfortunate Christmas Murder: A charming and festive

I liked the school setting and particularly the dinner hall. It makes a refreshing change and allowed readers to relive a few memories of our own schooldays - hopefully without the murder! Margery and Clementine are dinner ladies, or to give them their official title 'Education Centre Nourishment Consultants' (really? is that what they're called now?!?!?!), and they are an absolute blast. Their relationship absolutely shines through from start to finish, it's beautiful and very authentic feeling. I enjoyed the setting and found myself instantly absorbed into the old of Summerview Secondary School. I always knew schools were sinister places!It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the hedgerow at the darkened, quiet house.” Dewstow, small town that represents the safest place to live and how the neighborhood represents. Well, for a starter it showed that whenever gossip around and something can be held to be gossip, that certain person could spread the words all over. What is happening and can be seen clearly not only in the small town but what that character does, represent it all. Next, about the pond that Margaery and Clementine broke when they had a car crash was quite hilarious. That would be a problem in a small town with a talkative neighborhood which they had at that time. The hilarious pond which everybody hates but never bothers too much to talk about it represents what it would be like in a small town as Dewstow represents in this book. Also, this speedometer stuff on this small town is well-known that no driving fast in this town, you old lad. This is a super cute, easy read. Some readers guessed the murderer pretty early on but I didn't! I enjoyed the fact that the characters where multidimensional and there was an open discussion of mental health and the impact of being close to crimes, it was very thoughtfully done! Margery and Clementine smell a rat when one of their colleagues is found dead in the walk-in freezer of the school kitchen and so begins their unorthodox investigation into her death which results in all manner of escapades. There are some very funny moments (the suspended school ceiling being a particular highlight for me 🤣🤣) amongst a great and engaging plot with excellent characters throughout. As they do, the feel they have a prime suspect in the form of the other teacher, but are they correct?

The Dinner Lady Detectives By Hannah Hendy |The Works The Dinner Lady Detectives By Hannah Hendy |The Works

As they inch closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep the pair quiet. Will the perpetrator get their just-desserts before their time runs out? This is my first dinner lady detectives book and although reference was made to previous books in the series, the book explained in enough detail the premise of what happened so you were able to get the jist of what had happened. Best Friends with a different personality, Clementine and Margaery as two cute best friends who have different personalities give me all the feelings. Clementine is more talkative with a hint of rudeness, an unorganized person, and a person who has ”You only live once” motto on her forehead. Then, Margaery is a more composed person compared with Celementine’s personality. But those two have my heart. Especially this Clementine’s, I Adore Her.I did like Clementine and Margery, a couple of some thirty years living quietly in the tiny village of Dewstow, South Wales, but I sometimes had difficulty distinguishing between them. The rest of the cast was problematic in that few held much appeal, including the victim who had a fondness for mean-spirited pranks. This was my first time reading books by Hannah Hendy and I can’t wait to read the other books in the dinner lady detectives series. It just got more improbable as the book progressed, and I rapidly lost interest. I seriously considered abandoning the read several times, but having invested a week of reading time, I forced myself to finish. Dinner ladies Margery and Clementine have lived together for more than 30 years in Dewstow and both work in the kitchen of a local school, Summerview Secondary. When their manager, Caroline Hughes dies in a mysterious accident, unperturbed by the danger they could find themselves in, the pair decide to investigate.

The Dinner Lady Detectives: A charming British village cosy

As mysterious symbols and hooded strangers begin to scare the folk of Dewstow, are the Dinner Lady Detectives able to solve this small town mystery? Margery and Clementine are a hoot. They live in a small village in the English countryside and are Educational Centre Nourishment Consultants (aka Lunch Ladies) at the local school. They are partners, and sleuthing partners end up being their second “day job” as they attempt to get to the bottom of, what they feel, is a mysterious death of their less than perfect coworker, Caroline. As they stumble their way into an investigation, we can see a few twists, turns, and a true mystery unfold. I was surprised a few times, and really enjoyed how the story unfolds. Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are coming to the end of another busy half term as dinner ladies at Summerview Secondary school. The school is abuzz with chatter about the upcoming break, the local harvest festival, and the fact that maths teacher, Mr Weaver, hasn't turned up to work in days. Highly recommended for those of you who want a break from all the doom, gloom and violence in many crime fiction books and who don't mind a bit of dark humour.Both dark and hilarious which makes it the perfect read. Loved the diverse characters, unique storyline, gossips, drama and the suspense & mystery element. Also, loved the writing style - the setting and fast paced writing had me hooked throughout. The perfect crime fiction. Clementine and Margery are attending the school harvest festival when they see two of the male teachers having a disagreement and both disappear from the event.