"Seasonal sabotage and murder most unmerry — this Christmas cosy crime caper sees a concert stage transformed into a killing scene."
Part of The Dinner Detective Ladies series, Hannah Hendy’s An Unfortunate Christmas Murder sees Welsh dinner ladies Margery and Clementine (the Mrs Butcher-Bakers) undertake an investigation of the most sinisterly seasonal kind when a teacher is killed by collapsing stage lights during a run-through of the upcoming Christmas concert.
While the weather outside is chilly, Margery’s spirits cannot be dampened as she starts her new role as manager of the school kitchen, bursting with excitement about overseeing the Christmas menu while other members of staff are determined to put on a concert that’ll put paid to them playing second fiddle to a rival school (again). While the loveable couple are very keen to avoid all show-associated shenanigans, they have little choice when Mrs Large the music teacher is fatally felled by a light and it becomes apparent that this was far from a tragic accident.
Enlisted, in the first instance, to clear a friend and colleague’s name, the Mrs Butcher-Bakers throw themselves into a thrilling festive investigation involving suspected sabotage while grappling with questions around whose word they can trust. Brimming with eccentric characters and amusing moments, An Unfortunate Christmas Murder is cosy crime at its most charmingly entertaining — a book to curl up with on a chilly winter’s eve while candles flicker and Christmas lights twinkle.
| Primary Genre | Crime and Mystery |
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'Tis the season for gold, frankincense and murder...
It's winter in the small town of Dewstow, and Margery is preparing for her first Christmas as Summerview school's kitchen manager. She's supported by her wife, Clementine, and is trying to stay focused on the task at hand.
The pair are determined to stay out of the way of the Christmas concert planning that has gripped the rest of the staff. However, they are caught in the crossfire when the stage lights collapse at the first practice, killing Mrs Large, the music teacher.
Mrs Smith, the Head of Drama, is the prime suspect and is desperate for the Dinner Lady Detectives to clear her name. Mrs Smith is convinced that it's sabotage by her rival, Mrs Blossom, the drama teacher at Ittonvale Secondary, but there's evidence that points to her own misdeeds. Can Margery and Clementine trust their friend? And when things start to heat up in the kitchen, will they make it out in time?
A charming and festive British village mystery, perfect for fans of Robert Thorogood and Fiona Leitch.
An Unfortunate Christmas Murder features in the following genres: Audiobooks of the Month, Crime and Mystery, Humorous Fiction, Crime and mystery: cosy mystery, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives, Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Fiction
An Unfortunate Christmas Murder is available in Audiobook, Paperback
An Unfortunate Christmas Murder was written by Hannah Hendy and published by SAGA Egmont
