A Pen Dipped in Poison

By: J.M. Hall

Narrated by: Julie Hesmondhalgh

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 and Robert Thorogood

Curious white envelopes have been delivered to friends and neighbours. 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. They must take matters into their own hands before more damage is done.

But as they work to uncover the truth, they begin to wonder just how far someone will go to silence this poison pen…

Could a murderer be in their midst once again?

The second totally addictive and page-turning cosy mystery featuring these very unlikely sleuths. Fans of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page.

Readers love this book!:

‘A charming read with a cast of characters you’ll really connect with’ Faith Martin, author of A Fatal End

‘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

‘As delightful as it is deadly, A Pen Dipped in Poison is a feel-good, fun and fabulous cosy mystery that had me utterly gripped from page one. J.M. Hall proves once again he's one of our very best cosy mystery writers. I absolutely loved it’ Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives

‘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

‘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

‘The perfect page turning, guess-who cosy crime.’ Northern Life Magazine

‘This promises to be delightfully cosy crime.’ Daily Mail

‘This fun crime novel will have you hooked from the very first page.’ Woman’s Own

‘So brilliant… I loved this so much! Perfect cosy crime – I am a big fan of this author!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I could not put this book down! What a perfect book…! I loved the three main characters… I highly recommend.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book would make a great movie! The characters are likeable and quirky, the story moves quickly and this talented author leaves us wanting for more…!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Critic reviews

‘A charming read with a cast of characters you’ll really connect with’ Faith Martin, author of A Fatal End

‘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

‘As delightful as it is deadly, A Pen Dipped in Poison is a feel-good, fun and fabulous cosy mystery that had me utterly gripped from page one. J.M. Hall proves once again he's one of our very best cosy mystery writers. I absolutely loved it’ Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives

‘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

‘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

Enjoyable series

I really don't think editors describing this series should compare the women to the Thursday Murder Club. This series is original and can stand on it's own merit. Reviews are all over the place, with the average being three stars. I like character driven stories without a lot of violence and foul language. I found the plots to be clever and the writing above average. A bonus star to J M Hall for respecting his readers and not rehashing the previous book, if you need the backstory you will have to start with book one.

A feel Good Mystery

This is a nice feel good mystery. It hits all the right notes for a mystery without any guilt for listening to something evil. I was a bit through before I realized no one had been murdered! Definitely worth a read and a cup of tea.

What my colleagues are up to today?

I just love that I’ve stumbled across these books. They’re wonderfully crafted characters that remind me so much of all my teaching colleagues. I can almost picture each exact English, Social Studies, & Religious Education colleagues in this book.

Of course a huge thanks to Julie for her wonderful telling of JM’s rich, poignant, & often funny story.

Couldn’t recommend this highly enough.

Narration is Superb

The narrator makes it seem so easy. Without Audible, I’d miss out on the enjoyment of books all together, but there are many books I’ll still never experience because I can’t tolerate the narration. I know it has to be incredibly difficult to give voice to a book, and I’m very thankful for all the hard work you devote to it. Thank you!
I’m really enjoying the characters and stories so far, please keep going!

Brilliant

Devoured in 2 days :) couldn’t help listening.. made my weekend! Great language and no hidden dark twists common in modern detectives. Pure joy and relaxation