Arsenic for Tea - Robin Stevens

I deliberately waited a couple of months to read the second instalment in the Wells and Wong series, so that I didn't have long to wait for the third. I'm trying not to think about how long I'll have to wait for the fourth once I've read the third, though!

Daisy and Hazel are back, and I've missed them so much! It doesn't continue straight from where Murder Most Unladylike left off, but it brings you up to speed, which I liked. It is the Easter holidays, so instead of being at Deepdean school, they are at Fallingford house, where Daisy's family lives.

Daisy's birthday falls in the holidays, so Kitty and Beanie have also come to stay. So when someone is murdered at Daisy's birthday tea, Daisy and Hazel once again have a case to solve! But this time, Kitty and Beanie want to join the Detective society. Daisy struggles to solve the case, knowing that the murderer is most likely a member of her family. 

I thought I knew who did it this time! But I was wrong, yet again. I think I loved this book even more than Murder Most Unladylike, if that's even possible. It was nice to have a different setting for the book, with new characters. And the big reveal once again shocked me. A brilliant read!

Verdict: 5/5 

Murder Most Unladylike - Robin Stevens

Murder Most Unladylike is one of the best books I have ever read! It's going down in my all-time favourites list.

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are in a secret Detective Society at Deepdean School for Girls. So far, the biggest case they've ever had to solve is the mystery of Lavinia's missing tie. So when Hazel discovers Miss Bell, their science mistress, dead in the Gym, it comes as quite a shock to her. Daisy, however, is rather excited that they have their first serious case.

But between Hazel discovering Miss Bell's body, and her coming back with Daisy five minutes later, the body has gone. This makes the girls certain that this was no accident - Miss Bell had been murdered. And the school are trying to cover it up - saying Miss Bell resigned.

So while Hazel and Daisy are desperately trying to solve the case, they know that when they have, they will need to convince everyone that Miss Bell's sudden 'disappearance' was actually a murder. 

I really enjoyed this book! It has so much scandal, and all the characters were funny and incredibly likeable. Also, reading a book set in 1934 was such a nice change from always reading contemporary books. 

I loved trying to guess who did it, which I didn't. It really helped me that they would review suspects along the way, so you could keep track on the ideas floating around. It had such a good ending as well! I can't wait to read Arsenic For Tea.

My copy is really precious to me, now that I've had it signed by Robin at UKYA Extravaganza. She was so lovely - reminded me a lot of one of my best friends, actually - and I'm so glad I've met her, because I have a feeling that if Arsenic for Tea is as good as this, she'll become one of my favourite authors.

On a seperate note, I'm totally gonna try and make 'bunbreak' catch on with my colleagues at work. I much prefer it to 'tea break' :)

Seriously though, it's a brilliant book and you should all read it if you haven't already!

Verdict: 5/5