A Brush with Death

‘An immersive and really satisfying mystery’ Faith Martin

‘As an iced drink in a heatwave … These characters and their families feel like old friends. A fantastic addition to the series.’ Fiona Leitch

Retired schoolteachers and amateur sleuths Liz, Pat and Thelma have a brand-new mystery to solve in this wonderfully witty cosy mystery.

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 the current Mrs Hilton is involved – maybe she wasn’t at some horse event, as she told police.

And so the three friends step away from their slices of cake 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…

Can these unlikely sleuths untangle the web of lies and uncover the truth before anybody else dies?

The brand-new 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.

Praise for J.M. Hall

‘J.M. Hall has mastered the warmth of a perfect modern cosy crime with all the twists and turns that go with it.' Hannah Hendy, author of The Dinner Lady Detectives

‘Three strong women, lots of hot tea, and a devilish clever plot. You’ll love it.’ Suk Pannu, author of Mrs Sidhu's Dead and Scone

‘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

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

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

Reviews

‘Warm characters and wonderful writing… It’s steeped in Yorkshire like a mug of hot, strong tea… I loved it.’ SJ Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot

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

‘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

‘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

‘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