Murder Most Unladylike 6 – A Spoonful of Murder

Robin Stevens's A Spoonful of Murder is a detective story for 11 year olds that takes Hazel Wong home to Hong Kong, and this time the case lands right on top of her.

What happens

It's the sixth Murder Most Unladylike mystery. Hazel's beloved grandfather has died, and she's summoned home for the mourning. She won't go without her best friend, so Daisy Wells comes too.

The fun of this one is that the tables are turned. At school Hazel is the one who never quite fits. In Hong Kong it's Daisy who is out of her depth, secretly swotting up on the ship and trying very hard not to look nervous (she absolutely is nervous).

And Hazel's family is not what Daisy expected. They're seriously rich, with a mansion on the Peak, a car for everyone and eight maids. Daisy decides Hazel is practically a princess!

But home has changed while Hazel was away. There's a brand-new baby brother, Teddy, that nobody told her about. He's a boy, so he matters in a way she and her sisters never will. He's even been given her old bedroom and her beloved maid, Su Li. Hazel feels pushed out and, in her own words, childish, and it's very easy to feel for her.

Then a stranger grabs her arm in the street and whispers a warning. Beware, Miss Wong.

From the first page we know something awful is coming. Hazel has seen a body, and she thinks she might be a suspect. Before long someone sets Hazel up to look like the killer, and the Detective Society has gangs, suspects and private detectives to deal with while they try to clear her name.

There's so much Hong Kong in it. The smell of the city from the boat, the hair-raising Peak Tram, cake at the Russian bakery and firecrackers for the new baby. It feels like being shown round by a friend who's proud of where she comes from.

Until the crime arrives it's a gentle, thoughtful read about grief and family. It'd suit a reader who likes their mysteries with plenty of feelings in them.

What to read next

Hazel mentions her past cases quite a bit, so it's best enjoyed after the first book, Murder Most Unladylike. If your reader loves a clever girl with a detective's nose, A Girl Called Justice could be their next case. Justice Jones is starting at a gloomy boarding school on the marshes, and the taxi driver's brother is the local undertaker.