Murder Most Unladylike facts for kids
UK edition
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| Author | Robin Stevens |
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| Cover artist | Nina Tara |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Mystery fiction, Children's fiction |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
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Publication date
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5 June 2014 |
| Pages | 352 |
| Followed by | Arsenic for Tea |
Murder Most Unladylike is a popular mystery book written by British-American author Robin Stevens. The story takes place in the 1930s at an English boarding school. It introduces two young student detectives who work together to solve a puzzling crime. In the United States, the novel was published under the title Murder is Bad Manners. It is the very first book in the exciting Murder Most Unladylike series and earned a nomination for the prestigious Carnegie Medal.
Contents
What is the Story About?
The book is written like a detective's case notebook. The two main characters are schoolgirls named Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells. They attend Deepdean School for Girls and secretly start the Wells and Wong Detective Society.
The Mysterious Discovery
On an autumn afternoon in 1934, Hazel returns to the school gym to pick up her forgotten sweater. While there, she discovers the body of Miss Bell, the school's science mistress. Shocked by what she sees, Hazel runs to find Daisy. When both girls return to the gym, the body is completely gone. Because the scene is empty, no adults believe them. The girls are even punished for making up wild stories. Daisy trusts Hazel completely, and they realise they have found their first major murder mystery.
Searching for Clues
The next morning, the students notice that Miss Bell is missing from morning chapel. The headmistress, Miss Griffin, says nothing at first. Daisy learns from Henrietta Trilling, the Head Girl, that Miss Griffin claims Miss Bell suddenly resigned. A letter was left on the desk, but the girls suspect a forged note.
Wild rumours begin spreading across the school grounds. Some students imagine that the teacher was mixed up with a crime ring or a spy network. Meanwhile, Daisy investigates broken glass around the school and believes it happened when the culprit moved the body. During an evening meeting with other students, schoolroom gossip grows even stronger, and everyone begins talking about foul play.
Solving the Case
The girls take brave steps to uncover secrets. They make themselves sick with ipecac so they can stay in the infirmary overnight. This trick allows them to sneak into hidden underground passages to search for evidence. Down in the tunnels, they discover an earring left behind by the culprit.
Later, they check a car belonging to another teacher, Miss Tennyson, and find suspicious evidence. Soon after, Miss Tennyson is also found harmed, and the danger grows. Daisy and Hazel work closely with the facts to find the real culprit. They connect the clues to Miss Griffin, who had been hiding dark family secrets from the past. Miss Griffin had acted against Miss Bell to protect her own position.
The brave schoolgirls take their evidence to the police. In the end, Inspector Priestley arrives at Deepdean School to explain all the clues, reveal hidden secrets, and catch the true criminal.
Other Books in the Series
A direct sequel titled Arsenic For Tea was published shortly after the first book. The series grew to include nine full novels, special short stories, and fun collections like Cream Buns and Crime.
In 2022, author Robin Stevens launched a new spin-off series called Ministry of Unladylike Activity. Set during World War II, this series follows Hazel Wong's brave younger half-sister, May Wong, on dangerous wartime spy adventures. A television adaptation was also placed into development by the entertainment company StudioCanal.
