Murder Most Unladylike
Robin Stevens kicks off her much-loved, million-copy series with a mystery that's equal parts boarding school comedy and genuinely clever whodunit. At the heart of it are Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, two schoolgirls at Deepdean School for Girls who've set up their own detective agency, though cases have been thin on the ground. (A missing tie barely counts, as they'll tell you themselves.) Things change sharply when Hazel stumbles upon the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, dead on the gymnasium floor. Alarming enough on its own. But when the two girls return just minutes later, the body has vanished without a trace. Suddenly they're not just trying to identify a killer. They're fighting to convince anyone that a murder took place at all. It's a pleasingly knotty premise, and Stevens handles it with real confidence. The plotting is tight, the school setting is richly drawn, and the friendship between Daisy and Hazel gives the story a warm, convincing core. The Times called it 'ripping good fun', the Financial Times praised its 'skilful blend of golden-era crime and boarding school romp', and it's hard to argue with either verdict. If you enjoy classic detective fiction with a fresh, witty voice, this is a very satisfying place to start.
- Author: stevens robin
- Publisher: Puffin
- Genre: True Crime
- ISBN: 978-0141369761
- Pages: 352 pages