Who knew that teaching could be so dangerous?
Marcia Deaver, a gifted English teacher, is accusing fellow teacher Liz Hopewell of stealing her $700 Aeron chair. Liz finally manages to distract Marcia and convince her to leave. Later she visits Marcia’s classroom to return a folder of hers that she accidentally grabbed and finds her dead.
Everyone respected Marcia Deaver for her teaching abilities, but no one really liked her. She wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around.
Her death was unexpected, but no one was really grieving. She must have died from natural causes, maybe a heart attack because there wasn’t a suicide note, and no proper English teacher would kill herself without leaving one behind.
But there’s one teacher who doesn’t think she died from natural causes and is sure she didn’t commit suicide. Liz has found Marcia’s lesson plans and is convinced they hold a clue to who her killer is. They are written in some kind of literary code, and Liz is determined to figure out the clues as well as catch the killer.
When others in the school turn up dead, Liz realizes that she is putting her own life and the lives of her husband and daughter in danger. But she can’t stop now. Wil Liz manage to unmask the killer before it’s too late?
The author wrote an exceptional book. It is very entertaining and humorous. I love a book that is really well-written, and although not a comedy, uses humor in many of its sentences and/or situations (check out my favorite sentences). Clues—and literary references—abound, yet I wasn’t able to figure out who the killer was until it was revealed, and that is something i’m usually really good at.
I received an advance copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. If you would like your own copy of this book to read and enjoy, I’ve provided an Amazon link for you below.
Amazon Link: Lesson Plan for Murder
Favorite Sentences:
If you want advice on how to inflict the kind of pain that festers forever, consult an English teacher.
Although she stomped her foot with enough force to smash an atom, the delicate shoe survived.
Neither often-read novels nor reruns of the top ten most boring Nature programs were sufficient to overcome my insomnia.
He looked at me as though I were a veggie burger and he’d ordered a rib roast.
I read somewhere that people pay less attention when the person speaking has a high-pitched voice, and I deepened my tone, trying to sound like James Earl Jones and less like Tweety Bird.
New Words Learned:
Aeron chair – an office chair manufactured and sold by American furniture company Herman Miller. Introduced in 1994, it was designed by Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf and has received numerous accolades for its industrial design. It is featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. It has been cited as the best-selling individual office chair in the United States with over 8 million sold.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeron_chair
amygdala – the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the anterior extremity of the temporal lobe
atavistic – of or relating to reversion to a former or more primitive type
carpe diem – Latin. seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future.
denuded – made naked or bare
ensconced – settled securely or snugly
expurgated – having matter removed that is thought to be objectionable or unsuitable (from a book or account)
incurious – not curious; not inquisitive or observant; inattentive; indifferent
insular – isolated
sag paneer – a classic Indian curry spinach recipe with paneer cubes which are stewed together until thick and creamy with coconut milk in under an hour.
https://dinnerthendessert.com/saag-paneer/
sartorial – of or relating to clothing or style or manner of dress
soporific – causing or tending to cause sleep
vacillated – wavered in mind or opinion; indecisive or irresolute
vitriolic – bitterly harsh or caustic
About the Author
Lori Robbins is the author of the On Pointe and Master Class mystery series. She won the Indie Award for Best Mystery and the Silver Falchion for Best Cozy Mystery. Short stories include “Leading Ladies” in Justice for All, which was cited as one of the year’s best in the 2022 Best American Mystery and Suspense anthology. She also is a contributor to The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers Cookbook. A former dancer, Lori performed with a number of modern dance and classical ballet companies, including Ballet Hispanico and the St. Louis Ballet. Her commercial work included featured spots for Pavlova Perfume and Macy’s. After ten very lean years onstage she became an English teacher and now writes full time. Lori’s experiences as a professional dancer, English teacher, writer, and mother of six have made her an expert in the homicidal impulses everyday life inspires.
