eBook Review - The Case of the Drowned Pearl

• Title And Author: The Case of the Drowned Pearl by Robin Stevens
• Publisher: Puffin 
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 96 Pages

HAPPY BELATED WORLD BOOK DAY!!! How are we all doing? Recovering from our book hangovers? 

I’m still, at the time of writing this, reading my current BEAST of a book (don’t ask, it’s LONG so am audiobooking like heck at the moment), but I wanted to do a tiny write-up of The Case of the Drowned Pearl, a mini-mystery written especially for World Book Day 2020 (plus, this will tie fans over till the final book in the series is finally published later this year)!

While on a seaside holiday, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong (aka the Detective Society) among with friends (and rival detectives) George and Alexander discover the body of famous swimmer Antonia Braithwaite - aka The Pearl - on the beach. Everyone presumes she drowned by accident as she was training for the Olympics, but the Detective Society aren’t so sure. If she had drowned in the sea, why does she smell of soap and not seawater? 

It’s such a nice, little story. I could have easily devoured this in one sitting but forced myself to slow down and savour it. I really should read the series from the start and not drop in and out of it as I always enjoy myself when I read Daisy and Hazel. I might have to backtrack and read a few before the ninth (and final) novel in the series is released.

As it is a short story/novella, I did figure out who done it quite quickly (it’s rare that I do and I get it right!) and I do think this could have had an extra few pages, but I like the way this feels. It had all the trademarks of the novels I have read in the series, but there were one or two lines that characters said to each other that made me go “We are in the endgame now. Robin is setting things up for their last hooray!” and it was refreshing and slightly weird as I was expecting Daisy to tell this mystery (she normally narrates the short stories whereas Hazel narrates the novels) but both Hazel and Daisy told this story and it was interesting to see the two characters side by side and see how different and similar they are. 

I really should stop dipping in and out of this series and just go in with both feet. Which ones do you guys think I should try first? 

Book Review - Mistletoe and Murder

• Title And Author: Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens
• Publisher: Puffin
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 383 Pages

T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, because a murder was announced… 

I’ve been meaning to return to the Murder Most Unladylike series for ages! So, when a few months back, I saw the short story of The Mystery of the Missing Treasure at my local Waterstones, I bought that, read it and went “Ok, I have to return now.” and, rather than start at the first mystery and work my way through, I know I wanted to return into this world with either Mistletoe and Murder or Spoonful of Murder, the fifth and the sixth instalments in the series. And with Christmas a few weeks away, I knew it was going to be this one that would win… 

In case you haven’t followed the Pewter Wolf for a while, I tend to do this a lot with series. I’m not 100% sure why I do this but ha-ho! 

Arriving in Cambridge to celebrate Christmas 1935 in style, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are hoping for snowy Christmas with Daisy’s brother and, to everyone expect Daisy’s hopes, this will be a quiet Christmas. 

Expect it’s not. Danger lurks within the halls of Maudlin College for an tragic accident happens. But it’s an accident, a prank gone horribly wrong… right? Daisy and Hazel aren’t so sure so they call on all their Detective Society skills to find the truth. But with a rival agency looking into the accident as well, they have to solve the case quickly. Was it an accident? Was it murder? And can they solve the case before Christmas Day? 

So, what do I think of this? 

Book Review - The Case Of The Missing Treasure

• Title And Author: The Case of the Missing Treasure by Robin Stevens
• Publisher: Puffin
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 148 Pages

For the past few months, I’ve been itching to get back into the Murder Most Unladylike series. I have no real reason why - I read Arsenic For Tea - the second book in the series - back in 2015 and I read a Mini-Mystery, The Case of the Blue Violet, in 2016. And I always said that these were fun and I wanted to go back. 

But for one excuse or another, I never did return and, when I tried, I couldn’t find my “in”. I tried with the fourth book in the series - Jolly Foul Play - and struggled and I didn’t want to read the starter in the series. Plus, for some reason, the later novels appealed to me, with the fifth - Mistletoe and Murder - catching my eye. I’m sorry, but murder at Christmas. Doesn’t that gripping?

So, when I went into my local Waterstones to have a look, I saw The Case of the Missing Treasure and jumped straight on it. At last, a fast “in” for me. Plus, it’s a Waterstones exclusive (for now - most booksellers will be able to sell this in match 2019) so, at the present moment in time, you have to go to your local bookshop and buy it! HAHA! 

After the events of A Spoonful of Murder, Daisy and Hazel are back in London, staying at Daisy’s Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy. One morning, they hear a news article, saying that a thief is robbing museums all over London. On Daisy’s birthday, Uncle Felix sets up a treasure hunt for her, Hazel and friends/rivals, the Junior Pinkertons, the four find themselves in the British Museum, trying to solve clues that Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy have left. Expect… one of the clues they find isn’t from Uncle Felix or Aunt Lucy. One clue is from the thief and they are going to rob the British Museum that night! 

Murder Month - The Blue Violet

And now for something a little lighter in this month of murder, we jump into the world of Wells and Wong in this short eNovella, The Case of the Blue Violet. Instead of being a case of murder, this short is a story about a letter...

Daisy Wells, President of the Detective Society, writes this tale where one of the Big Girls in their school - Deepdean School for Girls - asked Daisy and Vice-President of the Detective Society, Hazel Wong, to help over a very puzzling romantic mystery. Which should be easy - Daisy and Hazel have solved three murders, after all...

I have to admit that this is quite short and is a filler for the series (this takes place between the third and fourth books in the series, First Class Murder and Jolly Foul Play). So fans of the series will like this a lot as it's a quick teaser to fill the time between books.

What fans will like about this short is that, while the mystery is gentle and perfect for younger readers (and after all the very adult-heavy crime I have been reading - this was hugely refreshing!), but this tale is told from Daisy's point of view, and her voice is hugely different from Hazel, who writes the novels. She's much lighter compared to Hazel, less serious and is more impulsive. I can see what Robin Stevens wrote this short over mysterious love letters from Daisy's point of view, rather than Hazel's, who is more suited for the seriousness of murder. Daisy's voice would be far too jarring.

This is probably a good taster for new fans who want to try and see if they like this series. And this is very much a fan story.

However, if you are an older reader, you might find this far too light and fluffy. But you might want to check out the series as this does tackle murder and the plots are fiendishly clever. I have two to read and I can't wait to get start.

GoodRead - Arsenic For Tea

I haven't read the first book in the Wells and Wong series, Murder Most Unladylike. Before you say anything, I know... I know. I am a bad UKYA blogger. This is one of those books that everyone in the blogsphere LOVES and I do have a signed copy (thank you, Foyles!) on my TBR shelf, but when I saw Arsenic for Tea, I wanted to read it. Plus, I wanted to know if I could read Arsenic for Tea without reading Murder Most Unladylike...

Best friends Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong solved one murder. But can they solve other? When they go to Daisy's home, Fallingford, for the Easter break, they should be celebrating Daisy's birthday. Expect that's not the case - so Daisy is naturally annoyed. A mystery man has appeared and his arrival upsets the balance of the household.

And when he suddenly becomes ill and then dies, everyone close to Daisy is a suspect. And when the clues point to one person in particular, the Detective Society have to discover who the killer is - no matter the consequence...

As you guys know, I do like a good murder mystery and this was delicious reading. It was as if someone had dared Agatha Christie to write an Enid Blyton story and this was the end result. A story that was fun and addictive read, strong leads (I like Hazel a lot, but Daisy is a tad spoilt for my taste but I think she's meant to be!) and a mystery that leaves you guessing till the very end.

What is interesting about this book is, because of the time this series is set - the 1930s - we see things that I think people who like to brush over. There is hints of casual racism aimed at Hazel - racism from people who are "nice" - and we see that this upsets Hazel, but it's still unnerving to see this and go "People used to think this was accepted". Am very happy that Robin Stevens tackles this and doesn't shy away from Hazel's reaction and her feeling alone.

It was a fun read, though I do think you should read Murder Most Unladylike before as the events of book 1 were mentioned.

I do think some of you guys will think this is a bit young - it could be classed as a middle grade book rather than a YA read - but it was fun! A fun read and a good crime read (which is bad as I want to attack all the Kathy Reichs I own!), but I can't wait to read Murder Most Unladylike as soon as I find time so I am up to date when book 3 in this series, First Class Murder, comes out at the end of July of this year...