It’s a blend of historical novel – set in the early 30s in a boarding school for girls – and old-school detective novels a la Sherlock Holmes.

With that in mind, the success of such books will ultimately depend on the execution and the voice.Ĭue Murder Most Unladylike which turned out to be so delightful, it was easy to suspend disbelief. I often find myself utterly unable to believe that children are better at this than actual detectives and also: what-are-these- children-doing-investigating-murders-don’t-they-know-how-dangerous-that-is? And YET: I equally seem to always find myself navigating toward these books and reading them anyway because Girls! Solving crimes! is too attractive a premise for me to pass. I have a confession to make: I have the hardest time suspending disbelief when it comes to books featuring children investigating murders cases.

Why did I read this book: Girls! Detectives! and also Aisha’s review Stand alone or series: The first in the Wells and Wong series But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test? Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally), Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning, scheming and intuition they can muster. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove a murder happened in the first place. and there’s more than one person at Deepdean with a motive. Now the girls know a murder must have taken place. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident – but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared.

Which they don’t, really.)īut then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia’s missing tie. When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own deadly secret detective agency, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate.

Title: Murder Most Unladylike (UK) / Murder is Bad Manners (US)ĭeepdean School for Girls, 1934.

A murder most unladylike