A Clock Stopped Dead - (Retired Teacher Mysteries) by J M Hall (Paperback)

About the Book

'Satisfyingly intriguing' Faith Martin

'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' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Book Synopsis

'Satisfyingly intriguing' Faith Martin

'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' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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...

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

'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

'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

'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

'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

'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

'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 devilish 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' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'WOW. This book is compelling from the first sentence to the last... full of twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end' Reader 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!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I absolutely loved this cosy mystery... Keeps you turning the pages' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I was up all night reading and couldn't put the book down! I highly recommend!!' Reader 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' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Gripping and addictive' Reader 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' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'J.M Hall's best yet. It's a pleasure to catch up with Liz, Pat and Thelma! An entertaining unique read... It may be the third book, but can still be read as a standalone' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review Quotes

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

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.