Liz, Pat and Thelma

Retirement can be murder... Once a week, three retired school teachers have their 'coffee o'clock' sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. But one fateful Thursday morning, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy, during their weekly coffee and catch-up. By the next Thursday, Topsy's dead. The last thing Liz, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become embroiled in a murder. But they know there's more to Topsy's death than meets the eye — and it's down to them to prove it... Sit down with a cup of tea, a slice of cake and this perfectly witty, page-turning cosy crime novel. Fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Death in Paradise and Misomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page. • This is a lead title for Avon and our ambition is reflected in the major, creative marketing and PR campaign we are launching, with early proofs and a dynamic social media campaign, we will make sure everyone is talking about J.M. Hall! • The author is also a professional playwright and writes radio plays for the BBC under the name Jonathan Hall. A new series is currently in production. • Highly evocative regional, Yorkshire setting. • This is a fresh, original voice in the cosy crime space and will give fans of Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood everything they love — and much more! • We know readers are increasingly responding to older protagonists in fiction and that they will fall in love with Liz, Pat and Thelma, and truly respond to the beautiful way each one of them has been drawn.

Retired schoolteachers Liz, Pat and Thelma are back at their usual table at the Thirsk Garden Centre café with a brand-new mystery to solve... 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.

Retired teachers Pat, Liz and Thelma are happiest whiling away their hours over coffee, cake and chat at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. But when their good friend Marguerite claims to have uncovered a mysterious charity shop that has since vanished, they simply can't resist investigating. Before long, our trio of unlikely sleuths find themselves embroiled in a race against the clock to get to the bottom of this mystery – but who has a secret to hide and how far will they go to keep it concealed? NetGalley review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ' I really enjoyed the characters and the sweet story line!! I highly recommend!!' NetGalley review⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ '… The plot is , interesting and quirky characters, secrets, unexpected nuance, colourful cardigans, and of course, heaps of tea and warm companionship.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ '' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ' I must have read it in about two servings as… Had great comical moments throughout. A really good murder mystery book' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ '… It's steeped in Yorkshire like a mug of hot, strong tea… ' SJ Bennett, author of '… ' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ', I really, really loved it… ' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ '' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Retired schoolteachers Pat, Liz and Thelma don't know what to think. The death of Neville Hilton is not a crime. Just your standard, if tragic, heart attack. At least that's what the autopsy shows. But his ex-wife isn't convinced. She's sure his current wife was involved—maybe she at some horse event, as she told police. And so the three friends step away from the Melmbury slice to investigate. As the trio delve into the village's secrets, they uncover more than they bargained for—angry residents with old grudges and the echoes of a damning report that ruined lives all those years ago... In the sweltering summer heat, can our unlikely trio untangle the web of lies and uncover the truth before the killer strikes again?