Hi! Today I'm reviewing one of my fave series! It's Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens! I'm going to give the blurb and then a short review on each of the books in the series. Hope you enjoy (and you MUST read ALL the books - they're brilliant!).
1. Murder Most Unladylike
"When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up A SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY at Deepdean School for Girls, they struggle to find any real crimes to investigate. Then Hazel discovers the body of Miss Bell. And when she and Daisy return five minutes later, THE BODY HAS DISAPPEARED. Not only do they have a murder to solve –they must PROVE ONE HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE."
I really liked this one. It's set at an all-girls boarding school which I really liked because I go to one (without the boarding!). I'd read plenty of mystery stories before this but no detective ones or murder! It was extremely gripping all the way through because first I wanted to get to the murder (when exciting things start to happen) and then I really wanted them to solve the case! As soon as I'd finished we had to go out and get the second one! The other reason I really liked it was because it is about friendship as well as detecting and murder.
2. Arsenic for Tea
"SCHOOL GIRL DETECTIVES Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy's home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy's glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy's birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. Then one of their party is MURDERED – and everything points to POISON. With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving home, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels very dangerous. Not a single person present is what they seem – and EVERYONE HAS A SECRET OR TWO..."
This one starts off quite slow, but as soon as they start investigating it becomes, again very gripping. When I started the first book I thought they'd all be set at Deepdean. But when I started reading this one I realised they were all gonna be a lot more interesting then I'd imagined! I wanted to know who people really were and of course, who committed the crime! This book was very old-fashioned, probably because it's set in the 1930s! It was all very confusing at first but in the end it all made sense. I especially loved the brilliant twist!
3. First Class Murder
"Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are taking a holiday on the famous Orient Express. From the moment they step aboard, it's clear that every one in the first-class carriage has SOMETHING TO HIDE. Then a scream is heard and a wealthy heiress is found - MURDERED. But the killer has vanished, as if into thin air... Daisy and Hazel must solve their first LOCKED ROOM MYSTERY – and face competition from several other detectives, who are every bit as determined."
This is the most gory so far. Still, it's very confusing, being a locked room mystery. In this one, you can really see Daisy and Hazel growing up. They're becoming more glamorous. It was very tense at some points as Hazel's father does not approve of detecting at all, though this book shows more about Hazel's family. It's a clever plot because of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express ( Daisy actually reads this at one point 😂) although I'd never heard of this book until reading this!
4. Jolly Foul Play
"Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have returned to Deepdean for a new term, but nothing is the same. There's a new Head Girl, Elizabeth Hurst, and a team of prefects – and these bullying big girls are certainly not good eggs. Tensions are running high. Then, after the fireworks display on Bonfire Night, Elizabeth is found - murdered. Who might have committed such foul play? And with Deepdean running riot, and their own friendship falling apart, can the Detective Society solve the case?"
I was excited to read another book set at Deepdean! This one in particular was very gripping because of all the mysteries and secrets. It isn't nice at all when Daisy & Hazel fall out (one of the worst arguments they have, I think...😉) but all the same it's a very good book. I liked this book in particular because there are twists and turns in the plot and at some points it was quite hard to keep up (If you find this hard too, I would suggest putting the book down, then doing something else and shoving it out of your mind. Then read the rest the next day)!
5. Mistletoe and Murder
"Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the Christmas hols in snowy Cambridge. Hazel has high hopes of its beautiful spires, cosy libraries and inviting tea-rooms – but there is danger lurking in the dark stairwells of ancient Maudlin College. Two nights before Christmas, there is a terrible accident. At least, it appears to be an accident – until the Detective Society look a little closer, and realise a murder has taken place.Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage to find the killer (in time for Christmas Day, of course)."
My mum grew up in Cambridge so I liked this one! It's very magical and Christmassy (I read this one in the lead up to Christmas!) but also exciting. This one (like First Class Murder) also has boys in it which gives more of a variety. Of course, in this one they have to face competition which is lots more tense. The ending of this one is a lot to get your head around but again, using my little trick, you can understand it perfectly. Reading Cream Buns and Crime, Robin Stevens based the magical, present-opening scene at the very end of the book on The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett which I also highly recommend.
6. A Spoonful of Murder
"When Hazel Wong’s beloved grandfather passes away, Daisy Wells is all too happy to accompany her friend (and Detective Society Vice President) to Hazel’s family estate in beautiful, bustling Hong Kong. But when they arrive they discover something they didn’t expect: there’s a new member of the Wong family. Daisy and Hazel think baby Teddy is enough to deal with, but as always the girls are never far from a mystery. Tragedy strikes very close to home, and this time Hazel isn’t just the detective. She’s been framed for murder! The girls must work together like never before, confronting dangerous gangs, mysterious suspects and sinister private detectives to solve the murder and clear Hazel’s name – before it’s too late . . ."
I like all the books in this series, and this is the first! It's fun to learn how other countries are different, i.e. foods, buildings and culture. I think I read the first section in one sitting! You do have to read a bit before getting to the investigation but it's so interesting you hardly notice! I don't like the murders that are connected to Daisy and Hazel's family, just as in Arsenic for Tea but all the same, I guess if murder seems to follow them everywhere then some has to be close to home too! This one had lots of very interesting suspects, who could have all committed the crime!
7. Death in the Spotlight
"Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are off to the beautiful Rue Theatre in London, where they will face an entirely new challenge: acting. But behind the theatre's glittering facade, the girls soon realise that there is trouble at the Rue. Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control - and then one of the cast is found dead. As opening night looms closer, Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime - before the killer strikes again."
This one starts off really slow. My advice is just to get to the murder in one sitting. I didn't do this and left it for ages until I finally plunged in. Then I couldn't put it down. It was full of interviews, and this time the Detective Society really had permission to work on the case! I like the bits where Aunt Lucy is teaching them skills. It feels like they aren't schoolgirls anymore, but real, proper detectives (and actresses!).
☀Have a very Sunny Day!☀
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