The first marvellous murder mystery in the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series!'Ripping good fun'The Times 'Plotting is what sets this book apart'TelegraphAt Deepdean School for Girls,Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have set up their own detective agency. But they are struggling to find any real crimes to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't.) Then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress,Miss Bell,lying dead in the Gym. To add to the mystery,when she and Daisy return five minutes later,the body has disappeared. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove one happened in the first place.Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence,spy on their suspects and use all the cunning and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed And can their friendship stand the test'Enormous fun'Irish Times'A skilful blend of golden era crime novel and boarding school romp...Top class'Financial Times'I absolutely loved it'Susie Day
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UKISBN: 9780141369761Number of pages: 352Weight: 236 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 21 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Ripping good funA skilful blend of golden era crime novel and boarding school romp...The novel works both as an affectionate satire and an effective murder mystery,and Stevens can go places Enid Blyton never dreamt of...Top classFriendship,boarding school and a murder worthy of Agatha ChristiePlotting is what sets this book apart; this is about who was where at the time of the murder,and it's about finding the chink in the alibiAn addictive debut,full of wit,panache and iced-bun breaksEnormous funPart murder mystery,part diary,and a pitch-perfect snapshot of adolescent friendship...A sharp-witted debut for Stevens,one that will leave readers eagerly awaiting subsequent instalmentsI envy any young reader discovering this enchanting new series and writer. It's such a clever idea to marry the Malory Towers girls'boarding school novel with the Golden Age of detective fiction,and doing it through the eyes of Hong Kong Chinese heroine Hazel Wong is an especially good touch...A real treatAngela Brazil meets Agatha Christie all mixed up with some Sherlockian tips and winks that made me snuggle down and read with a contented smile. It is a jacket potato on a winter's day book; warm,satisfying,filling...This is such a glorious book and it is one which has reinterpreted the school story for the contemporary reader and opened it up with a swift moving and accessible plot line. In Star Trek terms,it is the next generation as compared to the original series. It is very,very gorgeous. Daisy is glorious. Hazel is awesome. I want more,please. It's as simple as thatIrresistible...It feels both delightfully old-fashioned and current - a difficult balance to pull off,but it's been done with style here. Imagine Agatha Christie visiting Malory Towers and add in some modern sensibilities and you are about there. The plot twists and turns like nobody's business and I didn't guess the real culprit for a very long time,but the real draw is the relationship between the two main characters. Daisy and Hazel are like chalk and cheese but they are perfect foils for one another and together,they make a brilliant detective duoI absolutely loved it - it's charming and witty and there's so much in terms of in-jokes and she really grabs hold of all the traditions of this type of story and runs with them. You've got bunbreak,squashed fly biscuits and dormitories...but at the same time as this thrilling murder mystery
Robin Stevens
One of Waterstones booksellers'favourite children's writers,Robin Stevens is best known as the author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries,starring dynamic duo Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong as well as The Guggenheim Mystery and the Deepdean Mini-Mysteries.
Visit the Robin Stevens author page
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