100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Auckland Bookstore open Saturday & Sunday 🎉 Don't forget Father's Day is next weekend 📅

A Terrible Village Poisoning

A funny and feel-good British cosy mystery
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
On holiday in the quaint village of St-Martins-on-the-Water, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are looking forward to a restful summer break. But their plans are shattered when the local mayor is found poisoned at a hotel dinner. As suspicion falls on the pair, the question arises: is the notorious Poisoner back, or is a new menace at work? Amidst cold shoulders and increasing illness in the village, Margery and Clementine must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.

A witty and charming cosy mystery, this novel blends humour with intrigue, ideal for fans of Julia Chapman and Fiona Leitch.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2599
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is well suited to readers who enjoy cosy mysteries filled with humour and clever puzzles. Fans of traditional village whodunnits with engaging female protagonists and a gently humorous tone will find much to enjoy here.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
The local mayor has a dinner date with death…

With school out for the summer, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are taking advantage of the break to go on holiday. They plan to explore the village of St-Martins-on-the-Water and rest before the chaos of Mrs Smith's impending hen do. By the end of their first night, the local mayor lies dead on the floor of the hotel restaurant, having been poisoned by his meal. The villagers are convinced: The Poisoner is back.

As the residents turn to the duo with suspicion and begin to freeze them out, Margery and Clementine are left with more questions than answers. Everyone is convinced that the pair – and Clementine in particular – are bad news, but why? And as more people in the village start to become unwell, the question remains, is The Poisoner back, or is this the work of a new killer? And will they strike again?

A charming cosy mystery that will make you laugh out loud, perfect for fans of Julia Chapman and Fiona Leitch.

Praise for A Terrible Village Poisoning

A Terrible Village Poisoning is a really great cosy whodunnit. The plot had me guessing right to the end and the cast of characters, so warm and vivid, were an absolute joy. I'm really looking forward to the next one.’ Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants

A favourite series of mine. Hendy has written a great mystery with the perfect blend of suspects, clues and red herrings that you’ll be scratching your head till the end. Highly recommend!’ ????? Reader review

An enjoyable, light hearted read. I love Clementine and her dry wit and humour, and Margery is the perfect partner for her... The characters are so well written that they are really easy to picture in the mind's eye.’ ????? Reader review

I am absolutely in love with the series… it made me laugh out loud! Margery and Clem are a delight. Can’t wait for book four!’ ????? Reader review

‘This cozy crime was a perfect read on a cold day snuggled under a blanket and drinking hot tea. I really enjoy this. I loved Margery and Clementine.’ ????? Reader review

Another excellent adventure.’ ????? Reader review

I'm a massive fan of Clementine and Margery, if ever I needed a crime solved I would definitely call on these two. This book had so many twists and turns and it definitely did keep me guessing till the end. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of cosy crime and classic murder mysteries.’ ????? Reader review

‘It was lovely to be with Margery, Clementine and the gang… a quick read with an easy going storyline that comes to a satisfying conclusion.’ ????? Reader review

‘Loving the dinner lady detectives, they are fantastic! This instalment won’t leave fans disappointed because the ladies are back to mischief… a great fun-filled read, highly recommended.’ ????? Reader review

Margery and Clementine are so loveable, and they always make me smile and warm my heart. This was another fun, entertaining, cosy mystery.’ ????? Reader review

Series: Dinner Lady Detectives

View all
  • An Extremely Unlikely Death
    Murder is the only paw-sible explanation…During a routine welfare check, the police find local shop owner Mr Fitzgerald at the foot of his stairs, dead. There is broken glass over the floor of his shop, his dog has been locked in the kitchenette cupboard, and on the counter is an envelope addressed to Mrs and Mrs Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker...
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Terrible Village Poisoning
    The local mayor has a dinner date with death…With school out for the summer, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are taking advantage of the break to go on holiday. They plan to explore the village of St-Martins-on-the-Water and rest before the chaos of Mrs Smith's impending hen do. By the end of their first night, the local mayor lies dead on...
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its warm and vivid characters, A Terrible Village Poisoning has been described as a captivating whodunnit full of surprising twists. Readers love Clementine’s dry wit and Margery’s perfect partnership, finding the characters easy to imagine and delightfully entertaining. The book is recommended as a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud read, perfect for cosy moments with a hot drink.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781800326538

Publisher: Canelo

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 February 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Canelo Crime

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Hannah Hendy lives in a small town in South Wales with her wife, their daughter, and two spoilt cats. A professional chef by trade, she started writing to fill the time between shifts. She now writes cosy crime fulltime, a dream job! She is the author of the bestselling cosy crime series, The Dinner Lady Detectives, published by Canelo Crime and Canelo US. Hannah is represented by Francesca Riccardi at Kate Nash Literary Agency.

Instagram - @hannahhendywrites
Facebook - @hannahhendywrites
Twitter - @hendyhannah
Website – hannahhendywrites.com

Also by Hannah Hendy

View all
  • A Gravely Troubling Discovery
    The truth isn't the only thing that's dead and buried... Following recent changes to Dewstow's local police force, The Dinner Lady Detectives, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker, have been warned off interfering in investigations. When a body is found under the school playground during building renovations, they have absolutely no intention of getting involved. The pair are in need of money...
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • An Extremely Unlikely Death
    Murder is the only paw-sible explanation…During a routine welfare check, the police find local shop owner Mr Fitzgerald at the foot of his stairs, dead. There is broken glass over the floor of his shop, his dog has been locked in the kitchenette cupboard, and on the counter is an envelope addressed to Mrs and Mrs Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker...
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Crime & Thriller

View all
  • New Release
    Dying Days
    Award-winning writer delivers a pulse-pounding espionage thriller. Missing soldiers, MI6 secrets and European partisans collide in a deadly game where the lines between lies and reality are fast disintegrating. In the dying days of the Second World War, a new conflict is about to ignite. May, 1945: After fighting to liberate Europe from the Nazis, Tito's Yugoslav Army and Allied...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Country Road Murders
    Buy to Win
    New Release
    The Country Road Murders
    From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a pulse-pounding thriller about justice, vengeance and the roads that lead us home. No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades — LEE CHILD Cross Rivers is the kind of small town where everyone knows your name – and your secrets. Silas Tucker...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Every Lake
    Scary stories are fun... until your life becomes one. When Alice was fifteen, her father killed Mia Heywood in their lakefront cottage before vanishing into the trees. At least that's what the locals think happened. Over a decade later, Alice has lost her job as a journalist, she's going through an expensive divorce and she desperately needs to sell the...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Nautilus
    New Release
    Nautilus
    The follow-up to the bestselling novel The Turing Protocol. Nautilus is a machine with the astonishing power to send messages eight weeks back in time. Its users must follow a set of protocols established by its inventor, Alan Turing, including that it can only be used by a descendant of his family, and only to avert global disasters. But what...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cold River
    New Release
    Cold River
    The sensational new novel from the author of the bestselling thriller, The Creeper, winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction 2025. Deep in the mountains, secrets grow deadly... Detective Constable Sally White knows how easily hikers can go missing in Victoria's high country. But there's something about the disappearance of Louis Taylor, a young man lost up...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    New Release
    It Could Have Been Her
    PREPARE TO BE HOOKED: The no. 1 Sunday Times and MULTI-million-copy bestselling author is back with a brand-new spine tingling thriller. It was the night she almost died. Jane Trevally, newly divorced and feeling a little lost, agrees to accompany a man she doesn't know to his house in the darkest corner of Hampstead Heath. She's offered a drink, goes in, and...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    26 Beauties
    The twenty-sixth thrilling novel in the globally bestselling Women's Murder Club series. Beautiful young women are disappearing by the dozen. A celebration is cut short when a concerned father crashes Detective Inspector Lindsay Boxer's party. His daughter is missing - and she's not the only one. DI Lindsay Boxer has been tracking a chilling pattern: a Jane Doe washed ashore,...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Secrets We Hide
    The stunning new North Falls thriller by the bestselling author of We Are All Guilty Here 'Quite simply, Karin Slaughter is the best of us' Dervla McTiernan Welcome back to North Falls -- a small town with big secrets. The house at 1601 Iris Drive looks like any other in the quiet, residential street. But rumours are rife about the Vickery...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    The Parkwood Murders
    They came for an escape, but can they escape a killer? Detective Nicola Bridge returns in another gripping and immersive mystery For its loyal guests, Parkwood Holiday Village in west Dorset is a haven- woodland walks, a tranquil lake, service around the clock. Until, just after midsummer, a body is found floating in the swimming pool. Detective Nicola Bridge, exhausted...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    Backorder
    Ships mid September
  • On Sale
    13% off
    Hope Rises
    'BALDACCI IS STILL PEERLESS' - THE SUNDAY TIMES REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED COLD . . . Walter Nash, working under the alias of Dillon Hope, is on the road to revenge after becoming an informant for the FBI against a global criminal operation headed up by Victoria Steers. Steers has ripped everything Nash held dear away from him....
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Slash
    A year after a brutal shootout left her lover dead, ex-police sergeant Honey Chalmers is a hot mess, drinking too much and eating too little, working casual gigs for a shady firm of private investigators — while holding conversations with a ghost. A desperate father asks her to investigate his missing son — a double-murder suspect last seen during the...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A River Red With Blood
    The players call it the Game, and its aim is simple: to abduct and kill a stranger without getting caught. They're very good at it. They've been playing it for a long time. And they can keep playing as long as everyone sticks to the rules: No Killing Close to Home and No Killing Outside the Game. But those rules...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.