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Jonathan Hall
Thursday 12th June at 7:30 pm
Free
Join us in conversation with cosy mystery author and playwright, Jonathan Hall. The fourth book in his popular Thirsk based crime series was published earlier this year, and is described by SJ Bennett (author of The Windsor Knot) as “Warm characters and wonderful writing… It’s steeped in Yorkshire like a mug of hot, strong tea… I loved it.” Jonathan’s award winning plays have been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Bush Theatre, and as a long-running series on BBC Radio 4.
We’re delighted to welcome Jonathan Hall to Pickering Book Tree for an evening chatting about his Thirsk Garden Centre Mysteries series. With echoes of Richard Osman and Agatha Christie’s Marple, these novels are a must read for fans of the humorous characters and page-turning plots of the cosy crime genre.
The event will be held in the Book Tree’s atmospheric upstairs event space. We’ll be in conversation with Jonathan about his work, then open the floor to audience questions towards the end of the evening. Jonathan will sign copies of his books, which will be on a series bundle offer in the shop before the event and on the night.
Complementary wine and cordial will be available after the door opens at 7pm and during the interval. The event will start at 7.30 pm.
About the Books
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 Thirsk Garden Centre Mysteries is a series of cosy crime novels full of charm and intrigue. Each book focuses on a different case solved by the charming retired teacher trio of Liz, Thelma and Pat. There are four books in the series, all of which are published by Harper Collins:
A Spoonful of Murder (2022)
A Pen Dipped in Poison (2023)
A Clock Stopped Dead (2024)
A Brush with Death (2025)
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
Cover blurb for first in the series, A Spoonful of Murder:
Introducing the three unlikeliest sleuths you’ll ever meet… Every Thursday, three retired schoolteachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. But one fateful week, as they are catching up with a slice of cake, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy. By the next Thursday, Topsy’s dead.
The last thing Liz, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become involved in a murder. But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it…
Sit down with a cup of tea and this perfectly witty, page-turning cosy crime novel. Fans of Agatha Christie, Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page.
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
About the Author
Jonathan’s first novel, A Spoonful of Murder, introduced the world to the unlikely crime-solving trio of retired teachers, Pat, Liz and Thelma. The fourth novel in the series, A Brush with Death, was published in March this year. Currently he is working on a gothic thriller/whodunit set in Cornwall.