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.