Reading: Jolly Foul Play

[white_hart]

The fourth of Robin Stevens' Wells and Wong mysteries returns to the school setting of the first, and sees our heroines Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong seeking the person responsible for the death of Deepdean School's bullying and unpopular Head Girl during the school's Bonfire Night fireworks display. As with the earlier books, despite being a fusion of two of the cosiest genres around - period murder mystery and school story - this isn't a cosy book at all and tackles serious issues including bullying, blackmail, Nazism and same-sex relationships in the 1930s along with the mystery. I also really loved seeing how Hazel has grown as a character since the first novel, when she was very much in Daisy's shadow; by this book, she's able to look at Daisy and their relationship much more objectively and stand up for herself and what she thinks is right. I really do think this series is getting better with each book.

Comments

[slemslempike]

Yes! I liked seeing Hazel be more and more her own person as the books progress. And the fact finding about the bonfire and who was where when was very entertainilg.

[white_hart]

It was. I was just ahead of them on quite a few things, but didn't guess who the actual murderer was until they were revealed.

[sartorias]

Wow that sounds good. Never heard of this one.

[white_hart]

The first in the series is Murder Most Unladylike, which I think may have been published as Murder is Bad Manners in the US. They're great books - absolutely on point with the genre conventions of detective novels, and with interesting characters who grow and develop through the series.

[sartorias]

I actually have that here in the Great Tower of TBRs. Will have to move it up.