'Are you sure we shouldn't just go to the police?' I asked. 'Don't be stupid,' said Daisy severely. 'We don't have any evidence yet. We don't even have a body. They'd simply laugh at us. And anyway, this is our murder case.'
Robin Stevens was born in California and grew up in an Oxford college, across the road from the house where Alice in Wonderland lived. She has been making up stories all her life. When she was twelve, her father handed her a copy of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and she realised that she wanted to be either Hercule Poirot or Agatha Christie when she grew up. When it occurred to her that she was never going to be able to grow her own spectacular walrus moustache, she decided that Agatha Christie was the more achievable option. 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 went to university, where she studied crime fiction, and then worked in children's publishing. She is now a full-time writer. Robin now lives in London with her pet bearded dragon, Watson.
Ripping good fun * The Times *
A skilful blend of golden era crime novel and boarding school romp
. . . The novel works both as an affectionate satire and an
effective murder mystery, and Stevens can go places Enid Blyton
never dreamt of . . . Top class * Financial Times *
Friendship, boarding school and a murder worthy of Agatha Christie
* The Bookseller *
Plotting is what sets this book apart; this is about who was where
at the time of the murder, and it's about finding the chink in the
alibi * Telegraph *
An addictive debut, full of wit, panache and iced-bun breaks *
Metro *
Enormous fun * Irish Times *
Part murder mystery, part diary, and a pitch-perfect snapshot of
adolescent friendship . . . A sharp-witted debut for Stevens, one
that will leave readers eagerly awaiting subsequent instalments *
Publishers Weekly *
I envy any young reader discovering this enchanting new series and
writer. It's such a clever idea to marry the Malory Towers girls'
boarding school novel with the Golden Age of detective fiction, and
doing it through the eyes of Hong Kong Chinese heroine Hazel Wong
is an especially good touch . . . A real treat -- Amanda Craig
Angela Brazil meets Agatha Christie all mixed up with some
Sherlockian tips and winks that made me snuggle down and read with
a contented smile. It is a jacket potato on a winter's day book;
warm, satisfying, filling . . . This is such a glorious book and it
is one which has reinterpreted the school story for the
contemporary reader and opened it up with a swift moving and
accessible plot line. In Star Trek terms, it is the next
generation as compared to the original series. It is very, very
gorgeous. Daisy is glorious. Hazel is awesome. I want more, please.
It's as simple as that * Did You Ever Stop to Think *
Irresistible . . . It feels both delightfully old-fashioned
and current - a difficult balance to pull off, but it's been
done with style here. Imagine Agatha Christie visiting Malory
Towers and add in some modern sensibilities and you are about
there. The plot twists and turns like nobody's business and I
didn't guess the real culprit for a very long time, but the real
draw is the relationship between the two main characters. Daisy and
Hazel are like chalk and cheese but they are perfect foils for one
another and together, they make a brilliant detective duo * The
Bookbag *
I absolutely loved it - it's charming and witty and there's so much
in terms of in-jokes and she really grabs hold of all the
traditions of this type of story and runs with them. You've got
bunbreak, squashed fly biscuits and dormitories . . . but at the
same time as this thrilling murder mystery -- Susie Day
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