Arsenic for Tea facts for kids
British edition cover
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| Author | Robin Stevens |
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| Cover artist | Nina Tara |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Mystery, Children's |
| Publisher | Corgi, Random House Children's Publishers |
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Publication date
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29 January 2015 |
| Pages | 352 |
| Preceded by | Murder Most Unladylike |
| Followed by | First Class Murder |
Arsenic for Tea is an exciting mystery novel for young readers. It was written by Robin Stevens. This book is like a detective's casebook. It follows two schoolgirl detectives, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. They are part of the Detective Society. In this story, they must solve a murder. A guest named Mr. Curtis dies at Daisy's birthday party.
The book is the second in the Murder Most Unladylike series. It takes place at Fallingford, Daisy's family home. This happens during the Easter holidays. Mr. Curtis is poisoned with arsenic. The detectives later discover the killer is Stephen Bampton. He is Bertie's (Daisy's brother) best friend. Mr. Curtis was secretly a thief. Stephen wanted to stop him from harming Daisy's family. Daisy's Uncle Felix was also trying to catch Mr. Curtis.
Contents
The Mystery Begins
Daisy and Hazel arrive at Fallingford House. This is Daisy's home for the Easter holidays. They hear Daisy's parents, Lord and Lady Hastings, arguing. Other people staying there include Bertie, Daisy's brother. Stephen Bampton, Bertie's best friend, is also there. Miss Alston, Daisy and Hazel's governess, is present too. She also works for Lord Hastings.
Daisy is turning 14 during the holidays. A big party is planned for her. Many guests arrive for the celebration. These include Denis Curtis, an antiques dealer. He is a guest of Lady Hastings. Felix Mountfitchet, Daisy's uncle, is also there. Saskia Wells, Daisy's great-aunt, joins them. Daisy and Hazel's friends from school, Kitty Freebody and Beanie Martineau, also come.
Suspicious Happenings
Daisy overhears Mr. Curtis talking to himself. He mentions the word 'Ming' near a pot. Later at dinner, he says it's not Ming. He also claims many items in the house are worthless. This makes Daisy suspicious.
Daisy and Hazel play hide-and-seek. Daisy tells Hazel they should spy on Mr. Curtis. They sneak downstairs for their mission. They find Uncle Felix talking to Mr. Curtis. They also see Uncle Felix greet Miss Alston. It seems they know each other and don't get along. Later, Mr. Curtis kisses Lady Hastings. This upsets Daisy. Bertie and Uncle Felix then rush in. They yell at Mr. Curtis.
More Clues Emerge
The next morning, Lord Hastings demands Mr. Curtis leave. He must go by that evening. Daisy and Hazel also see Miss Alston spying on Mr. Curtis. Later, Uncle Felix and Mr. Curtis have an argument. Lady Hastings then goes to speak with Mr. Curtis.
Later that day, they play Sardines. Stephen finds Hazel hiding. He tells her he is not rich. Together, they accidentally overhear Mr. Curtis. He is talking about bringing certain items to Lady Hastings. These items include jewels and paintings.
The Crime Occurs
At tea time, Lady Hastings asks someone to give Mr. Curtis some tea. Lord Hastings does this. Mr. Curtis then starts coughing badly. He is sent to his room because he feels unwell. Later that evening, Miss Alston tells everyone Mr. Curtis has died. A doctor is called right away.
Investigating the Scene
Uncle Felix takes the main dining room key. Daisy and Hazel use a spare key. They enter the dining room early in the morning. They want to find the cup with arsenic. They find the door unlocked, which surprises them. Hazel picks up a piece of paper. The cup and Mr. Curtis's watch are missing. They hear a rustling sound. It might be the murderer. They quickly run away.
The Police Are Called
Later that morning, Lady Hastings decides to call the police. Inspector Priestly is the policeman from Deepdean. He solved the murder of Miss Bell earlier in the series. Aunt Saskia and Bertie try to stop Lady Hastings. Bertie says Mr. Curtis died from food poisoning. Lady Hastings then reveals Uncle Felix doesn't think it was food poisoning. Lord Hastings says the road is flooded. They cannot leave the house. Uncle Felix says it was dysentery. That is why he didn't think it was food poisoning. But Lady Hastings still believes it was murder. She cannot call the police because of the flooded roads. The phone connection is also not working.
The Detective Society Grows
Upstairs, Kitty tells Daisy and Beanie that they know about the Detective Society. Daisy lets them join, even though she is a bit hesitant.
The four girls make their first list of suspects. Miss Alston, Bertie, Lord and Lady Hastings are on the list. Uncle Felix, Aunt Saskia, and Stephen are also suspects.
Uncovering Secrets
They search Miss Alston's room. Daisy realizes Miss Alston is using a fake identity. She is not who she says she is.
They go downstairs to find Miss Alston's job references. Beanie finds a notebook. It shows that Mr. Curtis was a thief. He was planning to steal from Fallingford. Heading downstairs, they see Uncle Felix, Aunt Saskia, and Bertie. They are trying to stop Lady Hastings from calling the police. Hazel finds the papers Miss Alston used to apply for the governess job in Lord Hastings' study.
The four girls find and read the papers. The application letter says she came from the 'Reputable Agency'. It says she is newly registered. But she worked in important places before. The girls realize the references are fake. They know this because of the signatures. Chapman, the butler, then starts acting very strangely.
