A review by thebooktrail88
Date with Poison by Julia Chapman

5.0

Visit the locations in the novel

How lovely it is to be back in the village of Bruncliffe. It might be a fictional place but it’s firmly set in the heart of the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.

Julia Chapman wraps her characters, humour and setting in wonderfully warm and witty prose. This fourth outing announces the start of spring and it all feels so welcoming that you can see the lambs jumping over the hedges and feel the warmth of the hay in the sun as you turn the pages.

Life in general is going well in Bruncliffe although there is a lot going on since spring is such a busy time. The poor vet is rushed off his feet! The dating agency is struggling but Delilah and Samson have ideas of how to improve things. That’s the furthest thing from his mind however as he finds himself arrested!!

And just as you think village life is quiet! That’s just the start of things as the problems keep on coming. There’s a disappearance, a good for nothing property developer. And a bad situation which keeps on escalating. Oh and there’s animals getting sick…is someone doing this on purpose?

There’s a lot to this novel and despite its cosy title and cover, there’s lots of layers to enjoy. The characters of Delilah and Samson are two of the funiest and heartwarming I’ve come across in a long while and I love spending time with them. When they have such problems as they do here, I really felt for them! That’s the sign of a good writer, right there.

Please could this be on the telly? A warm hearted and hearty drama set in the Yorkshire Dales is just what we need!