New unladylike mysteries
Robin Stevens: Jolly Foul Play (Puffin Books 2016) Robin Stevens: The Body in the Blitz (Puffin Books 2023) The main characters of Robin Stevens’ series are Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, who attend DeepDean School for Girls. In addition to their studies, they are the two members of the Wells and Wong Detective Agency, which sheds light on the mysterious cases occurring at the school. After the previous minor cases, they were ‘lucky’ to investigate real murders. The books do not have to be read in order, because although previous investigations are mentioned, they do not reveal anything about their solutions. This story begins in early November 1935. In the new academic year, DeepDean wants to introduce a new tradition: fireworks on Guy Fawkes’ night. However, things don’t go well this time either, because after the fireworks, the student leader, who had been terrorizing everyone until then, is found dead.…
Murder seasons
Agatha Christie: Sinister Spring (HarperCollins Publishers 2023) In addition to her 66 novels, Agatha Christie also published 14 volumes of short stories during her lifetime, which provided plentiful material for her thematic short story collections, which have been published in English by HarperCollins Publishing and in Hungarian by Helikon Kiadó since 2020. Since she wrote a story for each season and holiday, it was easy to group them for the new series. It is interesting, however, that the Christmas Crimes short story collection published by Európa Kiadó in 2019 is unique because it is a domestic grouping and was published in Hungarian only. This was re-published for Christmas 2022 with the same cover style as the new series. This collection contains mysterious stories with a spring atmosphere or set in spring. It was published in England in 2023 and this year we were finally able to read it in Hungarian…
Resurrected fairy tales – Part II
Cerrie Burnell: Swifter than Starlight (Puffin Books 2023) Wild Rose, the girl who was raised by wolves, and Aurelia, the cursed princess, fled Silverthorn with the forest folk and all who feared the Queen. They set up camp in the forest of another kingdom, and since then their camp has welcomed everyone who has been ostracized by society for some perceived or real fault. Seven years have passed like this. Lilac also ran away from her evil stepmother and left her sister Clover behind. Hester is Aurelia’s sister, who finally got her lost sister back and found a new friend in the camp. Their fate is intertwined with the future of the kingdoms, when the relative peace ends with the disappearance of the prince. The story is again a new interpretation of European folk tales and Grimm’s tales, in which the classic fairy tale elements – the forest, the crumbs…
Mystery on the beach
Lauren St. John: Dead Man’s Cove (Orion Children’s Book 2010) I first came across Lauren St. John’s writings in the Winter Magic short story collection, where her story was my favorite and I decided to read more from her. The author grew up on a game reserve farm in Zimbabwe. The experience had a great impact on her, which is reflected in her works, such as the White Giraffe and in her involvement in the work of the Born Free Foundation. Her mystery series were also published, starring detectives Laura Marlin and Kat Wolffe. I read the first part of Laura’s adventures. Laura Marlin has an interesting name and she is also an interesting person. She lives in an orphanage, but she still likes it better than her possible foster parents. However, one day her uncle (her mother’s brother) finds her and takes her in. Laura has always dreamed of…
Deadly Daylight
Ash Harrier: The Deadly Daylight (Pantera Press 2022) Alice England lives with her father, who runs a funeral home. Alice often helps him prepare the bodies for the funerals. She does not find this strange or scary, as it is a tribute to the deceased’s life and part of the final farewell. Death is natural for Alice not only because she lived her whole life among funerals, but also because her own twin was a stillborn. However, one of the deaths has a greater impact on her because she knew the deceased and suspects that the circumstances of his death are not as clear as the police think. Alice has a lot in common with Violet, who is allergic to sunlight: they both are ‘creatures of the night’, pushed to the edge by their classmates, now they find each other and investigate the mystery together. The story may seem scary…