“Lesson Plan for Murder” by Loir Robbins is a decent three-star read that falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. While the premise is intriguing and promises and engaging mystery, the execution left something to be desired. The pacing felt uneven, with certain sections dragging on while others seemed rushed. Additionally, the characters lack depth and development, making it difficult to fully invest in their stories. However, Robbins did manage to create a sense of suspense and kept me guessing until the end, which salvaged some of the reading experience. Overall, “Lesson Plan for Murder” is an average mystery that could benefit from stronger character development and smoother pacing.

This book was a hot mess and a pretty wild ride. My first impression was that the writing style was a bit ridiculous. I was very confused about what the book was trying to be. A cozy mystery starring a quirky English teacher with a decaying marriage? Literary fiction with satirical commentary of American high schools and a murder sprinkled in?

The main character managed to somewhat grow on me, although you couldn't say she was making wise choices. The interactions with her husband (and sometimes with her sister) were quite cringy to read but her relationship with her kids seemed sweet. I didn't like all the diet talk.

Despite my reservations about the book, I was warming up to its weirdness and was almost ready to give it 3 stars but then the ending came and I had to knock off a star. Authors, take notes please: it is not cool to include one (1) queer person in your story and then make them the murderer. And to make their gender identity a shocking reveal (using outdated language, too).

So that was quite unfortunate and I can't really recommend this book, although reading it was certainly an interesting experience.

Relatable moment:

"I still miss the anonymity of city life, which suits me far better than the loneliness of small-town scrutiny."

Example of the over-the-top writing:

"I contemplated Marcia's probable response to this gaffe, and for both our sakes I was grateful burning at the stake was no longer in vogue. I longed to fortify myself with a furtive cigarette and
a fresh cup of coffee before facing the shrew across the hall, but those restoratives were still hours away."

Amei o mistério do livro, da construção da tensão, porém devo admitir que o inglês do livro não é tão básico, então me vi tendo que pesquisar algumas palavras, o que é ótimo porque além de estar me entretendo, aprendi e melhorei o inglês.

While the mystery part of this book was entertaining, I found that I didn’t care for the characters. The literature references were appealing and a unique way to help solve the mystery.

Not quite a cozy mystery but not a regular full blown thriller. It was an okay read but didn’t whet my appetite for more adventures with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barking Rain Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Liz Hopewell starts into her first sleuthing adventure when seldom-liked English teacher Marcia Deaver is found dead in her classroom. Liz jumps into to help solve the case when she believes things just aren't making sense. As the story continues, she gets further involved as she uncovers coded lesson plans and other teachers are poisoned. Nothing is really as it seems in this mystery.

Overall, I thought this was a solid cozy mystery. I often enjoy cozy mysteries, but it takes a lot for a cozy mystery to rank 4+ stars for me. Many are just enjoyable and, well, cozy. The plot was complex, but not overdone and I enjoyed the literary references throughout. My biggest deterrent was likely Liz's husband, George, since I found him more aggravating than anything else. However, if this was the aim of the character, then it was very well done. Some of his comments and actions were irritating in how he treated Liz, and I just wanted more for her. Although, as a non-married person, there is always the chance I am seeing their relationship through a clouded lens.

All-in-all, a great cozy read!

This was a really great read and such a great take on a crime novel, The characters were totally believable, the plot was entertaining and the writing was really good. I was hooked and couldn't wait to discover who was behind they mysterious poisonings. The pedantic habits of overly organised teachers was funny and I loved how Liz jumped immediately to the conclusion that Marcia certainly did not die by her own hand. The references to English literature are also very insightful and enjoyable. This is truly an entertaining read, one that I highly recommend. I give it 4 stars!!!

As a teacher myself I found it more interesting reading this story where a teacher is found dead. This was a great well researched story and I enjoyed Liz Hopewell acting as the amateur detective.

An an English teacher and an avid reader, this book was a delight! Lori Robbins does an excellent job of weaving literature into the plot. The character of Liz was relatable, and the plot definitely kept.me guessing. I look forward to reading more works by Robbins in the future.

When Liz Hopewell finds the body of one of her colleagues dead in her classroom she believes the death is anything but natural. Liz finds some coded lesson plans which she believes holds clues of why her colleague is dead. When another colleague is poisoned Liz realizes she may be next. Overall this is a good book. Most of the characters are likable and realistic. The premise of the book is unique and interesting.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced by anyone.

This book did not hold my interest as I had hoped ot would. I might look at trying this b9ok again later,

Lesson Plan for Murder was a good book, definitely worth a read. I enjoyed the twists in the book and I did enjoy Liz as a character. I do feel it was a little slow in places and then the ending felt a bit rushed when it all came together but overall I did enjoy reading it.

This is the first book in a new series, A Master Class Mystery, that has English teacher Liz Hopewell finding fellow teacher Marcia dead in her classroom on the first day of school. Police thinks it's an accidental overdose or a suicide but Liz is sure it's murder. Finding coded messages in Marcia's lesson plans was pretty brilliant. I liked the story as I'm a retired educator and get all the subtle digs. Set in a large high school in New York it is pretty realistic and a good murder cozy. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

On the first day of term, Liz Hopewell clears clutter, plans lessons, and discovers a corpse. Marcia – polished, professional, and ever-so-superior – is sprawled on her classroom floor. Understandably enough, busy teachers and police leap to the comfortable explanation of “natural causes”.

Mysterious lesson plans and a tainted coffee cup raise Liz’s suspicions, but it’s hard to investigate with a full timetable (including some of Marcia’s classes) and a busy home life. Add to that a devastatingly handsome policeman, pushy parents, and possible further murders: Liz is definitely in danger of something, and only solving the mystery will reveal what.


The first thing to note about this book is the prose – it’s ornate and referential, even mannered. I like that kind of thing, but your mileage may vary; it’s definitely a good first-person portrayal of how an English teacher’s mind works.

Liz is an easy character to empathise with, if not always to agree with. She feels real, as though you could walk into a school and pull her out. Her motivations are complex and muddled, as are her relationships to other characters.

I don’t know as much as I’d like about the US education system, but I’m familiar with the day-to-day life of a UK teacher, and this book rings true; teachers/parents/students interact in realistic ways, and the whole school environment is very well-constructed.

The novel is a little more complex than it has time & space to be – the actual mystery takes a backseat to the character stuff, and I would have liked more detail on exactly how the investigation progresses and the clues are solved. It’s also clear that this is a setup for a series – key plotlines are introduced that aren’t resolved at all, because they are going to be longer-term arcs in later books.

Ultimately, the book ends up feeling rushed and somewhat unsatisfying. I liked the characters, I liked the narration, but this book is shorted than it should be, and more of a lead-in to book two than one that stands solidly on its own.

I’m interested to read a sequel – to see how the mystery gets developed now that the characters are fully established. Considered on its own though, this book all setup and unresolved mystery; interesting character and appealing narration isn’t quite a strong enough substitute for a plot that fizzles out a bit.

. . . . .

I saw this book on my auto approved list on NetGalley a little before it got archived and I am glad I jumped at the chance to read it. The cover does not lend itself to an accurate assessment of the quality of the story narration was and I finished the entire book in almost one complete sitting while enjoying every minute of it.

The only reason (I need to mention this upfront in case you look at the rating in the tag and wonder at the difference between the gushing and the post) that this book was not a five-star read was that I was not satisfied with the relationship between the leading lady and her husband. There was no affirmative reasons provided about what we are supposed to think of him and I dislike feeling that lost, this would not be a problem for most people I am sure.

Moving on to the story itself, Liz Hopewell is an English teacher, a loner for the most part. She is one of those absolutely normal people with a slightly above average amount of curiosity. When the least liked (which is saying something since no one in this small high school seems to like one another) teacher in the English staff is found mysteriously dead, there is an investigation. Liz feels personally vested since she feels like the deceased has left a set of clues that only she can decipher. Her husband dissuades her but her (self-centered) sister eggs her on. She is in more danger than she can imagine and as she bumbles her way through an amateur investigation, things fall into place with more than a little help from chance an interesting detective.There are a few literary references, just the right amount to give the feel  for it and not sound too highbrow.

To those who are fans of this genre, this is a must read, to others it will still be a treat(Did I mention it was quite subtly humorous as well?). I think it's the start to a series and if that is the case, I am looking forward to the next one.

Good characters. Unique story line. I enjoyed this book very much. Although at times it did seem to go on and on. I would recommend and would read this author again.

Liz is a mother to two kids, a wife, runs a household, an English teacher and now, a sleuth. On the first day of the new term, her colleague Martha returns to school slim, chique and vicious as ever. Shortly thereafter she is found dead in her room by none other than Liz, who wanted to sneak a peek at her coveted lesson plans.

Soon, Liz takes on Martha’s old classes, drama course and many other responsibilities. But in this suburban school nothing is as it seems, and the usually shy Liz decides to mingle with the other teachers for once in order to find out who killed Martha. Everyone is a suspect, including the police men who come to investigate the murder. Soon, the killer attempts to murder someone else close to Liz, and Liz realizes that her pursuit of the killer has put not only herself, but also her family in danger. Hilarious, but also dangerous situations ensue and I loved that Liz was a bit messy. I very much enjoyed this whodunnit. I also enjoyed that the setting of the novel was mostly the school and that the little rivalries between staff members and annoying parents and petulant students were described with hilarious honesty.

Lesson Plan for Murder by Lori Robbins is an extremely well written mystery.

When little liked English teacher is found dead on the floor of her classroom and is discovered by the lead protagonist and fellow teacher, Liz Hopewell, things get tricky in Valerian Hills High School. Not because she is grieving but because it turns out the teacher was poisoned. It also means that one of Liz's colleagues is a murderer.

Very captivating story that tells so much about life of educators, shows them for what they are.

I have never met a more reluctant and realistic amateur sleuth, with all her good and bad characteristics. An ingenious plot that revolves around lesson plan, which I though was very clever.

The author paints a life-like picture of a long marriage stuck in a rut, and everything that goes on behind the closed door.
Captivating and intelligent mystery.

This is book one in the debut series "Master Class Mystery Series". I enjoyed this book and found the sleuth well crafted and had a wonderful sense of whodoneit throughout. I loved how the author captured the world of teaching for the reader and infused humor throughout. The writing is very smart and absorbing to the reader. I found this a well crafted mystery with enjoyable charcters and a realistic outlook on teaching.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC for review. My opinions are my personal review.

We are introduced to our protagonist teacher Liz Hopewell who is married and works as a teacher . When a fellow teacher is murdered in the classroom everyone can agree on staff she was indeed the most disliked. Liz decides to investigate and as clues abound she digs deeply into the mystery of her death. Another death occurs and Liz is asked by her husband to step aside but finds herself in to deep to stop her investigation.

I enjoyed the very clever literary references throughout this book. The humor element is enjoyable as is learning more about the world of a English teacher . .I look forward to the next in series. Well Done to the author.

I received Lesson Plan for Murder as an ARC from NetGalley. This book was an enjoyable cozy mystery featuring English teacher, Liz Hopewell. This book is the first book in the Master Class series. Liz's finds her coworker dead in her classroom & takes it upon herself to help the police solve the murder. This book combined humor and mystery in a fun way and there is a great cast of characters. I look forward to reading other books in this series.