A Clock Stopped Dead

by J.M. Hall

Overview

'Satisfyingly intriguing' Faith Martin

'J.M. Hall has mastered the warmth of a perfect modern cosy crime with all the twists and turns that go with it. I really enjoyed it!' Hannah Hendy

Retired schoolteachers and amateur sleuths Liz, Pat and Thelma are giving up their coffee morning for a brand-new mystery.

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 tells them about an unsettling experience she had in a sinister-feeling charity shop, they simply can’t resist investigating…

Because the entire shop has vanished into thin air.

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?

Only time will tell…

A Clock Stopped Dead:

'Satisfyingly intriguing' Faith Martin, author of the Travelling Cook Mysteries series

‘This book feels just like a visit to old friends! The relationship between Liz, Pat and Thelma is so warm, funny and relatable that you could be forgiven for thinking that the plot is almost a secondary concern, but no – there’s proper twists and turns, and a very satisfying conclusion. This series just goes from strength to strength’ Fiona Leitch, author of the Nosey Parker cosy mystery series

‘Hall writes with winning charm, wit and humour. This novel had me gripped and chuckling from the start, especially the warmth and tensions between the crime solving trio of former teachers. Three strong women, lots of hot tea, and a devlish clever plot. You’ll love it.’ Suk Pannu, author of Mrs Sidhu's Dead and Scone

‘Just what the doctor ordered, a perfect cosy mystery to snuggle up with. Highly entertaining and will have you laughing out loud, an absolute joy’ NetGalley review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Liz, Pat and Thelma are my new favourite detective trio. I feel like I know all their quirky personalities. Get me in their gang!' NetGalley review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I absolutely loved this cosy mystery… Keeps you turning the pages’ NetGalley review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'So glad I picked this up! I really enjoyed reading about older protagonists' NetGalley review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Absolutely loved this book!! I really enjoyed the characters! I was up all night reading and couldn't put the book down! I highly recommend!!’ NetGalley review⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Charming… The plot is cozy and tricky, with just the right blend of Miss Marple, interesting and quirky characters, secrets, unexpected nuance, colourful cardigans, and of course, heaps of tea and warm companionship. I loved this book’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gripping and addictive’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh how brilliant was this book?! I just couldn't put it down…Had great comical moments throughout. A really good murder mystery book’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A great cozy mystery… Wonderful’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book is a joy, I really, really loved it…A five star read’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780008606954
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/11/2024
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishers
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	5,739
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Jonathan Hall lives in Yorkshire, where, after more years than he’d care to remember, he has just retired from being Deputy Head of a Primary School.

His plays have been produced in theatres across the UK as well as for radio, the most recent being the BBC Radio 4 series Trust starring Julie Hesmondhalgh, the fourth series of which has just aired with a fifth currently in production.

His first novel, the international bestseller A Spoonful of Murder, introduced us to the unlikely crime-solving trio of retired teachers, Pat, Liz and Thelma. Their sleuthing adventures continue in A Pen Dipped in Poison and A Clock Stopped Dead.

J.M. Hall is an author, playwright and deputy head of a primary school. His plays have been produced in theatres across the UK as well as for radio, the most recent being Trust, starring Julie Hesmondhalgh on BBC Radio 4.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for J.M. Hall:

‘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

‘An absorbing read about everyday life falling foul of murder’ Faith Martin, author of Murder by Candlelight

'Fun, fresh and fatal. Hall is on simply sparkling form, a stone-cold cosy classic. A riot from front to back.' Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Village Hall Vendetta

'Starring a trio of engaging heroines, reading A Clock Stopped Dead was an excellent use of time! J.M. Hall has mastered the warmth of a perfect modern cosy crime with all the twists and turns that go with it. I really enjoyed it!' Hannah Hendy

‘So warm, funny and relatable – there’s proper twists and turns, and a very satisfying conclusion. Goes from strength to strength.’ Fiona Leitch

'I love the way J.M. Hall writes. This book has style and attention to detail but above all it shines through with compassion for everyday lives and concerns, and that makes it much more than a mystery.' Oskar Jensen

‘‘I loved this book. Hall writes with winning charm, wit, humour about Yorkshire. This novel had me gripped and chuckling from the start, especially the warmth and tensions between the crime solving trio of former teachers. Three strong women, lots of hot tea, and a devilishly clever plot. You’ll love it.’ Suk Pannu

From the Publisher

04/01/2024

Three retired schoolteachers, Pat, Liz, and Thelma, meet weekly at the local cafe in Yorkshire to catch up with each other. Following the adventures of one of Pat's former coworkers, Marguerite, they decide to investigate what Marguerite insists was an otherworldly experience. Walking down an empty lane in the fog, she stumbled across a charity shop featuring men's clothes and a clock with hands stopped at 10 minutes to three; there she claims to have heard a disembodied voice. When she went back the next day, the shop was gone. The trio of friends don't find the shop either. Instead, they find a young mother mourning the loss of her sister, who died in a car crash the same evening as Marguerite's experience. In a convoluted mystery that involves an empty house, rumors of murders at that house, and misunderstandings with adult sons, Pat, Liz, and Thelma argue but find a way back to friendship and the solution to murders and disappearing shops. VERDICT The sequel to A Pen Dipped in Poison is an unhappy story of family disagreements. Readers looking for British cozy mysteries might prefer Jessica Ellicott's Beryl and Edwina series or the novels of M.C. Beaton.—Lesa Holstine

Library Journal