Rating: 2.0/5
Unfortunately, this cosy mystery failed to hold my attention. According to its billing, it should appeal to fans of Richard Osman's, "The Thursday Murder Club" and there are certainly some obvious parallels - not least the group of pensioners who get together for their regular "coffee o'clock sessions" in the café at the local garden centre on a Thursday! However, I think it is unlikely that "A Spoonful of Murder" will go on to enjoy anything like the success that Richard Osman's creation has achieved.
It isn't that this book doesn't have its merits. The writing is generally of a more considered quality than is often found in cosy mysteries. It avoids the overtly cheesy style that is often utilised in the genre. There are pleasant moments of well-observed human behaviour and some warm, gentle humour is also in evidence. But against that, it is also quite protracted and excessively pedestrian.
It doesn't help matters that there are a lot of characters to for readers to contend with. It is easier to get away with having a large cast in a television drama, where the audience has more cues available to help remember who everyone is, but in a novel it is much more difficult. It can be done, but it takes skilled handling on the part of the author to pull it off successfully. Failing that, the writer relies on the reader being prepared to make copious notes along the way, which isn't everyone's idea of an enjoyable way to read a book.
Sadly, in spite of having some plus points, I found this becoming heavy going - and that is one thing a cosy mystery can never afford to be if it is to work well.
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From the Publisher
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| A Spoonful of Murder | A Pen Dipped in Poison | |
| Kindle | ✓ | Out 16th March 2023 |
| Paperback | ✓ | Out 16th March 2023 |
| Audiobook | ✓ | Out 16th March 2023 |
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Customer reviews
Ordinary lives, extraordinary writing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 March 2022
I would rate it 4.75. This is one of the best crime/mystery book that I have read so far. I’m trying not to leave any spoilers in this review (forgive me if it does). The main thread was dementia, as a doctor it was refreshing to see it from anyone else’s point of view on this. This author takes the ordinary things happening to ordinary people and put them altogether to create such a thrilling book. The emotions, the rollercoaster, is it him? Is it her? When you think this is it, something else doesn’t quite match up revealing more to it.The only bit that I struggled with is the nuance of the slang used to create the scene where the story is based in and the generation as I’m in my 30s and these characters are at least a generation if not 2 above me.Thank you Avon Books UK for this Advance Review Copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 March 2022
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