Review: Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens

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.

My reviewArsenic for tea was one of the books that I was most looking forward to in 2015. I loved the first book in the series and I'm so pleased to report it did not disappoint at all.

There are several things I love about this book and the series it is part of. I love that the series evokes the same feelings I had when I was 10 years old and reading my Enid Blyton boarding school and mystery stories. The setting and the language is spot on with the style and my inner child adores it. I almost squealed with joy at the use of the word Brick to describe someone. The characterisation is spot on. I love Daisy and Hazel and seeing their friendship in these books. It is so nice to see a positive girl relationships. I loved all the secondary characters. The dashing Uncle Felix and larger than life Aunt Saskia all made for brilliant reading. All the characters make the story, set almost 100 years ago, relevant to a modern age and modern readers. I loved the mystery element to this series. I love getting into the detective role myself and trying to work out whodunnit over the course of the book along with the girls of the detective society. It does make me think that maybe I ought to pick up some Agatha Christie stories at some point.

All in all a brilliant book and fabulous middle grade series that I adore. I cannot wait for book three.