I liked the first book in this series and loved this one, very funny and entertaining.
I was glad to catch up with Margery and Clementine, they're great characters and and I liked how they were developed.
The pace is even and quite fast, the mystery solid and kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read another story featuring these ladies.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved the first in the series and this latest offering has made me fall in love with the dinner ladies even more! The perfect book to get cosy with. If you enjoy a feel-good, funny and comforting book this ones for you.

You don't automatically link Christmas with murder but in this case it was a fabulously festive story that had me hooked from start to finish.

Not only did we get the cosy Christmas aspect but also a mystery that kept me guessing right until the end!

Can't wait to read more from this author!

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. Margery, the new kitchen manager is facing her first Christmas in charge. Not wishing to be roped into the Christmas concert preparations they are persuaded anyway but at the first rehearsal, the lights fall on Mrs Large, the music teacher.

Reading An Unfortunate Christmas Murder was heaps of fun. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the absurdities and the chaos that surrounded the somewhat bumbling Clementine and Margery. The mystery itself was good and for me, the author, Hannah Hendy struck a balance between sentiment and dark humour, just as she did in book one. I'm looking forward to more adventures with Clementine and Margery.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Canelo via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Canelo, in return for an honest review. While the second book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Getting in the mood for the Christmas season, the Dinner Detective Ladies are back. Married couple, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker (great last name for them!) are excited to do all the fixings for a grand holiday meal at the school where Margery is now head of the kitchen staff. When shanghaied into participating in the teacher/staff holiday show, they’re horrified when a member of staff is killed at rehearsal. Who would kill her and why? Somehow, the DDL get involved to solve the crime and get Christmas back on track. A fun cozy, featuring quite the quirky duo of lead characters.

Snooping Shenanigans…
Christmas is upon the village of Dewstow and the dinner ladies are deep in preparations but, at the same time, trying largely unsuccessfully to maintain a low profile. When an unforeseen event causes chaos the dinner ladies are thrust into another mystery. Needless to say, much snooping shenanigans ensue. With a nicely crafted cast and a fun plotline this is an enjoyable and escapist read.

Another great read from Hannah Hendy!
The dinner lady detectives are back Margery and Clementine decide to look in to the death of Mrs Large the music teacher.
The story has humorous strands along with some heartfelt moments .
I like the main characters Margery who is now the kitchen manager and her wife Clementine they are pleasant natured and the rest of the kitchen staff just round off the story.
I enjoy the cosy mystery genre and this is perfect I think this book is even better than the first in the series.
Sit back in your favourite chair and lose yourself in the world of the Mrs Butcher- Baker duo, you’ll not regret it !
A perfect Christmas read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo.

OK, so you wouldn't naturally associate Christmas with murder, and in a primary school, but somehow it works. An Unfortunate Christmas Murder is the second outing for dinner lady detectives Margery and Clementine, and the rest of the school staff.

Mrs Large, the drama teacher, meets a sticky end thanks to a poorly constructed lighting rig during a practice for the staff Christmas show. What follows is a non-stop rollercoaster of school politics, school relationships, school budgets and five partridges thrown in for good measure.

An Unfortunate Christmas Murder is a great cosy crime read, perfect for cosying up on the sofa as the nights draw in.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as I love a cosy Christmas novel, however it fell flat for me.

We have a large cast of characters however they’re all pretty one dimensional . It centres on married couple Margery and Clementine who both work in the kitchens of a school. During the auditions for the staff Christmas concert a fatal accident happens and a member of staff dies. Soon the head of drama is the prime suspect and she looks to the diner lady detectives to help clear her name.

While I didn’t particularly fall in love with the book I can see why others would enjoy it and the potential for it to become a series- crime solving dinner ladies hell yeah.

Thanks you @canelo_co and @netgallery for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for an early review copy of this book!
A small town, cozy, friendship & mystery set at christmas time! (please note i have not read #1 in the series so keep that in mind!) Things turn for the worst when the stage lights kill Mrs Smith, then we follow along with the dinner lady detectives to find out who the killer is. This is a unique plot line ive never read a christmas murder mystery before, the characters were likeable, entertaining. I unfortunately didnt see much connection between Clementine & Margery which is such a shame. This is a very easy read when you need a pick me up if you feel a book slump coming on and its definitely a great cozy, christmas mystery. Theres a few questions i have about this book but i think a few may be answered if i read #1! This book series has a lot of potential but unfortunately this book just didnt stick out to me & was quite slow getting into for me.

Loved this fun, cozy mystery. My first book by this author and I really enjoyed the story! The mystery was twisty and enjoyed the story around Christmas time!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Winter has arrived in Dewstow. Margery is getting ready, as it’s her first Christmas as Kitchen Manager at Summerview school.
Clementine, her wife is by her side and is keeping her eye on the job at hand.

They aren’t wanting to be a part of the Christmas concert which has the whole staff excited about.

But, something else happens, the lights fall on the stage when they are starting to practice for the play and Mrs Large is dead.

The main suspect is Mrs Smith, who’s the Head of Drama, she wants Margery and Clementine to put her in the clear. She thinks that her competitor Mrs Blossom, a drama teacher at Ittonvale Secondary, is behind what’s happened. But, things come to light that bring out her wrongdoings.

Will the couple trust their friend? As things get hot in the kitchen, can they come out without feeling the heat!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Canelo and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Hannah Hendy delivers a delicious cozy mystery. Packed with humor, quirky character, delightful twists that keep you on you toes.

situational-humor, verbal-humor, school, friendship, small-town, friction, amateur-sleuth, fun, cosy-mystery, sabotage, England, cooks, law-enforcement, mystery, investigation****

Great fun. Three ladies are the kitchen staff of the local school. They are strong-armed into joining the rehearsal for the Christmas program and then another employee is the victim of sabotage. The local law finds the ladies annoying and seem to spend more time admonishing them than investigating. Hope there is a next installment!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Canelo/Canelo Crime via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was just as fun as the first one. I adore the characters. I think Mrs Smith is my favourite with her crazy antics. The mystery in this was also fun. I did sort of predict it but when it comes to a cosy murder mystery I dont mind. Im excited for the next adventure that Margery and Clementine go on next.

An Unfortunate Christmas Murder is just the thing when sitting down with a fine pot of tea and a cat on your lap. It is the second in a series but the first one I have read.

Margery is a cook and it is her first as the new Kitchen master at the Summerview school. Her wife has moved here with her.
The kitchen staff is enlisted in a Christmas choral production put on by the school's drama teacher and music teacher.
At the first rehearsal the stage lights fall and the music teacher is dead! Margery and her wife (an interesting pair of characters!) have to figure out just who the killer actually is.

The setting is a small town in England and the book offers comedy with a side of murder and lots of holiday spirit. It should be part of everyone's Christmas diet~

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley, Canelo, and Hannah Hendy for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the second book in the Dinner Lady Detectives series. Set during the Christmas holiday, everything turns a little crazy when during the rehearsal for the Christmas concert the stage lights collapse and kill the music teacher. Obviously from here, the book follows along as we search for who the killer is. I love thrillers and mystery novels that leave me guessing and have the suspense building from the moment the book starts, but this story just felt a bit slow for my tastes. I just wasn’t drawn into the story and I didn’t feel the urgency of the mystery. The reveal of the killer and the motivation fell sort of flat at the end of the day. I also wasn’t drawn or captivated by any of the characters. I enjoyed them for the most part, but they didn’t leave a lasting impression to on me. I thought the idea behind the novel and plot line was unique, it just wasn’t the story for me.

Having read and enjoyed Hannah Hendy’s first book (The Dinner Lady Detectives), I was keen to get my hands on An Unfortunate Christmas Murder.

Margery and Clementine are as entertaining as they were in the first book. I do enjoy the way they go blundering into situations, and use their intelligence to solve the mystery. I love their long term relationship too, they work really well together, and are just so comfortable. And very amusing to read about too!

I enjoyed the plot of this book, at first it seems a confusing array of events, but it gradually resolves into a solution. I liked the fact that although I worked out some elements ahead of Margery and Clementine, I didn’t figure the whole thing out.

Overall, this was another excellent mystery solved by the excellent duo of dinner lady detectives. With a very festive ending. I definitely recommend it, and will be looking out for future instalments.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

This is exactly what you think it is. A quirky cozy crime and it’s really good. I haven’t read this author before and will look at what else is available. It’s a little slow but that’s part of the charm and really doesn’t detract from the story. Great.

Hannah Hendy’s An Unfortunate Christmas Murder is an average Christmas cozy. I enjoyed the likable characters and delightful Christmas setting but the mystery plot moves way too slowly and takes some truly nonsensical turns.

Margery is preparing for her first Christmas as kitchen manager at Summerview School. It’s shaping up to be a busy season but she has the support of her dedicated kitchen team and her kooky wife, Clementine. However, things are about to get even more hectic! The kitchen team (including the wives) is soon forced into performing in the annual Christmas concert by the Head of Drama, Mrs. Smith. The first rehearsal quickly turns deadly when the stage lights collapse and kill the music teacher, Mrs Large. Mrs. Smith becomes the prime suspect and she is desperate for the Dinner Lady Detectives to clear her name.

I was really excited to read this cosy because it seemed so fun and original. How often do you read a book starring mystery-solving married middle-aged lesbians? However, there is a lot of wasted potential because the book turned out to be a very average holiday mystery starring a couple who seem more like gal pals than wives.

The book has several funny moments but the lightness and humour doesn’t carry well throughout the story. There is also a sad lack of that distinctive cozy fun and charm and this results in the story having an unfinished feel. However, I did like the wonderfully warm Christmas atmosphere and the quaint small-town setting.

The mystery had the potential to be fun and interesting but it ultimately falls flat. The plot moves quite slowly and doesn’t make much sense. I also would have liked to see the Dinner Lady Detectives do some more sleuthing. There are a few red herrings sprinkled throughout but none of them really deliver. I wish the suspects were more interesting and more viable. The big reveal is also severely underwhelming as the motives are weak and unconvincing. The entire book is also lacking in thrill and suspense and I never bought that anything really bad would happen next.

The large cast of likable and entertaining characters is this book’s saving grace. Main character Margery is dedicated to her job and her team. However, she is too quiet and unassuming. I really wish she had more personality because she often fades into the background. Her eccentric wife Clementine is quite amusing with her Christmas obsession. However, Clementine and Margery absolutely do not seem like a believable married couple. There is no spark or connection and they act like roommates or sisters. I was really disappointed in this aspect of the book. The other kitchen ladies are funny and I wish they had more depth as they are too one-dimensional and forgettable. However, I really enjoyed over-the-top and demanding Mrs. Rose Smith who provides some much needed ridiculousness and laughter.




🎄🎄 out of 5 Christmas trees!