The 6th novel in the Dinner Lady Detectives series see the school the ladies work at in chaos. After a failed audit, perhaps due to the number of bodies found in the school in recent books, a new headmistress and deputy head are installed, and the school governors are at each other’s throats.
When one of the governors, Tim Fitzgerald, is found dead at the foot of the stairs in his antiques/junk shop, it’s put down to natural causes. In his 80s, the police don’t feel the need to question the death or look at it too closely.
But Mr Fitzgerald’s friends, Marjorie and Clementine Butcher-Baker, aren’t convinced, and once again begin to investigate,
The shock of being demoted gets to former Deputy Head Rose, who is at her most dramatic and hilarious in this novel. She’s convinced the new head is up to no good and starts her own investigations, while roping in Marjorie and Clementine.
Hannah Hendy has created such a wonderful community in this series, with all the dinner ladies stepping up to help investigate, each bringing their own strengths and skills to the table.
As cosy as the series is, there’s a note of realism as we’re let into how all the murders are affecting Marjorie. Amateur sleuthing can take its toll, and makes the characters all the more real and lovable, and it’s so much fun following their adventures.
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