Mistletoe and Murder

Name: William Joseph
Price range: $

by Robin Stevens

Interest age: 10+
Reading age: 10+

Published by Corgi Children's, 2016

About this book

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are back for the fifth instalment of the A Murder Most Unladylike series. The girls are spending Christmas in Cambridge, but there isn't time to enjoy the snow as a gruesome accident occurs just two days before.

The young detectives suspect foul play and set about solving the case in time for Christmas Day. Yet they have more than just the killer to contend with, as a local detective duo are also investigating the crime...

Robin Stevens continues to impress with this series, with a tight plot consisting of plenty of twists and turns. The combination of 1930s style and language with much more contemporary values creates an engaging story, reminiscent of many children's classics but with a modern feel.

Stevens' inclusion of maps, an ever-shrinking list of suspects, and 'Daisy's Guide to Cambridge', are lovely and authentic touches.

About the author

Robin Stevens was born in California and grew up in an Oxford college. She spent her teenage years at Cheltenham Ladies' College, reading a lot of murder mysteries and hoping that she'd get the chance to do some detecting herself (she didn't).

She studied crime fiction at university, and then worked in children's publishing. She is now a full-time writer and the creater of the bestselling, award-winning Murder Most Unladylike series. Murder Most Unladylike was the bestselling middle-grade debut of 2014, winning the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Younger Fiction and sparking a trend for middle-grade mysteries. Robin lives in London with her pet bearded dragon, Watson.

What to read next

We know that children can get hooked on a favourite book series or author and struggle to find something they love as much, but we’re here to help.

Murder Most Unladylike: what to read next

Robin Stevens’ compelling series has proven a huge hit for mystery fans. The adventures of aspiring detectives Daisy and Hazel combine nostalgic, boarding school sentiment with contemporary dialogue and humour – achieving child centred stories with all the plot twists and clue hunting you would expect from an Agatha Christie-style whodunnit.