I initially thought that I might begin to like them better as the book progressed, but that was not to be either. The Characeters, oh boy I am speechless at the content of anything Clementine do always burst me into tears until I’m out of breath because my lungs cannot take her hilarious way of speaking. My main problem in this one was that there were so many unlikeable characters-- one of whom was Clementine, who is the partner of Margery. Our team is made up of book lovers who are dedicated to sourcing and providing the best books for kids. I get the feeling that I'm supposed to interact with her like Rose from the Golden Girls but she's such a wet sponge with an inconsistent intellectual presence that I found it impossible to engage with her.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Canelo via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy for review. While it's a bit of a cozy "feature" that the victim be unpleasant, I found most of the other characters to be either inept, silly, surly, or stupid. Applicability of cancellation rights: Legal rights of cancellation under the Distance Selling Regulations available for UK or EU consumers do not apply to certain products and services. For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare--poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights.The plot is great, the character cast is spot on, and the dialogue and humor is so quick, smart, and addictive . This is the first time I've read something described as funny by reviewers - and it actually IS funny. New and familiar characters abound, voiced by a bright mix of performers, including Kat Dennings, Regé-Jean Page, Emma Corrin, Michael Sheen, Kristen Schaal, Brian Cox, John Lithgow, Jeffrey Wright, and so many more, including fan-favorite narrators Simon Vance and Ray Porter.

The mystery itself was good and for me, the author, Hannah Hendy struck a balance between sentiment and dark humour. Especially if you’re on the lookout for cosy mysteries, a subgenre that doesn’t seem to be that represented in LGBT lit.I'm a strong believer that stories about LGBTQ people should not need some sort of disclaimer or "coming out" section because they shouldn't be needed in real life.

I found myself laughing out loud at some of the absurdities and the chaos that surrounded Clementine and Margery.

It was very surface-level humour rather than anything particularly clever, but it did get the odd chuckle out of me, and I have encountered far worse attempts at humour, and for the most part it was. Do you feel weighed down by stress and pressure, held back by judgement and lack of opportunity, and critcised by everyone – including yourself?