Arsenic For Tea by Robin Stevens

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 339

Publisher: Corgi Childrens

Released: 29th of January 2015

Other Books In The Series: Murder Most Unladylike

Schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy's home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy's glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy's birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. But it soon becomes clear that this party isn't really about Daisy at all. Naturally, Daisy is furious.

Then one of their party falls seriously, mysteriously ill - and everything points to poison.

With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels like a very dangerous place to be. Not a single person present is what they seem - and everyone has a secret or two. And when someone very close to Daisy looks suspicious, the Detective Society must do everything they can to reveal the truth . . . no matter the consequences.

What I Have To Say

I often find that the second book in the series is less good than the first, but Arsenic for Tea was just as good as Murder Most Unladylike. It instantly threw me back into Hazel and Daisy's world and reminded me everything I loved about the first book. The only thing that I missed was the school. I'm looking forward to them going back in the next book. 

That said, I really loved exploring Daisy's family. Her parents and aunts were delightfully quirky and I really want to learn more about her uncle. The descriptions of the house and the way things like the maze and the tree were utilised were all really well done. I only wish that they could have used the walled garden. 

I loved this book just as much as the first. They are both a delight to read, filled with suspense, secrets, twists and tea parties. You'd do well to pick a Wells and Wong book as your next read. 

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 324

Publisher: Corgi

Released: 5th of June 2014

Deepdean School for Girls, 1934. 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. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't, really.)

But then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident - but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls know a murder must have taken place . . . and there's more than one person at Deepdean with a motive.

Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove a murder happened in the first place. 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. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?

What I Have To Say

This is my latest book crush. One of those books where you fall in love with the title, then the cover and then finally you get the book and everything is just perfect.

The characters are what makes this book special. Daisy is very easy to imagine. She's that pushy girl. The one who has to get her nose into everything. And Hazel is the saner, less pushy Watson. Which is another thing that worked really well. The Watson and  Holmes references. They fitted very well with the characters and provided an excellent reason for Hazel's narrative. I like that idea of the "sidekick" character writing the documentation down. It's a real shame that more authors don't use it. Although, Hazel is far from a sidekick. 

The boarding school setting was fantastic as well. There's something wonderful about those old all girls schools that has some kind of magic to them them that I can't quite book my finger on. But ever since I was young and reading the Worst Witch I've loved stories of that kind. 

While this is defined as a "middle grade" book by goodreads, I really think that this is a prime example of how books cannot be categorised by age. Reading as an adult, I looked at Daisy and Hazel as wonderful young girls and didn't feel that I needed to relate to them at all to enjoy their adventures. 

I'm really looking forward to the next book. I need more Daisy and Hazel in my life.