By Robin Stevens (author) Part of the A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery series
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One of our Books of the Year 2015 The third in the hugely popular Wells and Wong series our two young heroines on - wait for it - the Orient Express! They're on holiday with Hazel's father Mr Wong whi is determined his daughter will give up detecting. Some hope! The story is set in 1934 just a year after Agatha Christie's classic was published.
Daisy has already read it and when one of their fellow passengers is murdered - in a carriage apparently locked from the inside - the girls are in their element. There's a cast of colourful characters and red herrings galore, and as always Robin Stevens has created a proper mystery for the girls and her readers to solve.
As always too the period detail adds to the appeal - food, clothes, attitudes of the time, all are described vividly. Hitler too casts a shadow over the action. Thrilling stuff that thoroughly respects its readers' intelligence, this is one of the best series around. ~ Andrea Reece
EXCITING NEWS: This boarding school mysteries series Murder Most Unladylike is set for the big screen having been optioned for television and film by independent production company Pilot Media. Pilot Media optioned the rights from Emily Hayward Whitlock, head of book to film at The Artists’ Partnership, who was acting on behalf of Stevens’ literary agent, Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency.
Cooper said she was “thrilled” to be working with Pilot Media and Salt Beef TV; the latter will co-produce any adaptation with Pilot. “With a diverse cast, opulent settings and a gloriously nostalgic feel, I always thought this series was perfect for adaptation,” she said. The Murder Most Unladylike series is set in a 1930s boarding school and features schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. The first three books in the series— Murder Most Unladylike, Arsenic for Tea and First Class Murder. "
Books in The Murder Most Unladylike Series:
1. Murder Most Unladylike
3. First Class Murder
5. Mistletoe and Murder
6. Cream Buns and Crime
7. A Spoonful of Murder
8. Death in the Spotlight
9. Top Marks for Murder
11. Once Upon A Crime
From the author of Murder Most Unladylike. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are taking a holiday on the world-famous Orient Express - and it's clear that each of their fellow first-class passengers has something to hide. Even more intriguing: there is rumour of a spy in their midst.
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Then, during dinner, there is a scream from inside one of the cabins. When the door is broken down, a passenger is found murdered, her stunning ruby necklace gone. But the killer has vanished - as if into thin air.
Daisy and Hazel are faced with their first ever locked-room mystery - and with competition from several other sleuths, who are just as determined to crack the case.
A delight ... Hazel and Daisy are aboard the Orient Express: cue spies, priceless jewels, a murder and seriously upgraded bun breaks The Bookseller
Friendship, boarding school and a murder worthy of Agatha Christie The Bookseller
Detective stories continue to grow in popularity. From the Hardy Boys and Tintin to the Famous Five, detective fiction has captured the imaginations of generations of children ... The book that has given me most pleasure is a first novel by Robin Stevens, Murder Most Unladylike , which combines the pleasures of Enid Blyton's boarding school books with her secret society ones. Best friends Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong find themselves at the heart of a murder investigation when Hazel discovers the body of a teacher in the school gym. 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 -- Lorna Bradbury Telegraph
I loved Stevens's tale of 'pashes', shrimps (the lower years) and the midnight weird food combination of chocolate cake and cow's tongue (a match for Blyton's feast combo of prawns and ginger cake). In fact, her plot is far pacier than a Malory Towers story. Her conclusion is wonderfully far-fetched but satisfyingly unpredictable. I did not guess whodunnit. Ripping good fun The Times A skilful blend of golden era crime novel and boarding school romp, with a winning central relationship between plump, anxious Hazel, a new girl who has arrived from Hong Kong, and the super-confident, blonde English rose Daisy Wells. 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 -- Susi Feay Financial Times
An addictive debut, full of wit, panache and iced-bun breaks Metro
Robin was born in California and grew up in an Oxford college, across the road from the house where Alice in Wonderland lived. 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. 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 at a children's publisher.
Robin is now a full-time author who lives in Oxford with her husband and her pet bearded dragon, Watson. She is the author of the bestselling, awardwinning Murder Most Unladylike series and The Guggenheim Mystery.
Photo credit Chris Close
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From the author of Murder Most Unladylike. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are taking a holiday on the world-famous Orient Express - and it's clear that each of their fellow first-class passengers has something to hide.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed First Class Murder A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
First Class Murder A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery features in the following genres: Crime & Mystery, Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Recommended Children's eBooks, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, School Stories, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
First Class Murder A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery was written by Robin Stevens and published by Puffin an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
First Class Murder A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery has 324 pages
Yes it is part of A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery series
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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