Katherine Woodfine, Julia Golding, Robin Stevens, Frances Hardinge Press Reviews
I can't pick a favourite of the twelve because they were all so different and gripping; all I can say to all you other young sleuths out there is track down a copy of this book and read it. 5 stars out of 5 in my opinion. -- BookieCookie Guardian Children's Books
The variety contained in these pages is breath-taking. There are poisonings, dog-nappings and a good number of crimes that seem, at first glance, simply impossible to commit. You'll be whisked from contemporary Britain to the eighteenth century and to Victorian London. You'll find yourself in theatres, grand country houses and the American suburbs, and you'll discover enigmas and puzzles concerning pearls, pineapples, poisons and poodles (to employ just one letter of the alphabet). All the clues are there on the page, there's no cheating or actually-I-never-told-you-but, so you can set to and get to the solution before Emily, Minnie, Marcel and co, or you can sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. You'll laugh, you'll gasp with shock, you'll admire their cleverness (and your own!) and you'll occasionally grind your teeth as adults step in at the last minute and take all the credit. But most of all you'll have lots and lots of fun. -- Linda Lawlor The Bookbag
About Katherine Woodfine, Julia Golding, Robin Stevens, Frances Hardinge
Katherine Woodfine was born in Lancashire. She studied English at Bristol University and in 2005 she was highly commended in Vogue magazine's annual Talent Competition for young writers. Her contribution to Mystery & Mayhem is the thrilling 'The Mystery of the Purloined Pearls'. Julia Golding is a multi-award winning writer for children and young adults. She also writes under the pen names of Joss Stirling and Eve Edwards. Well over half a million of her books have been sold worldwide in more than twenty different languages. Her contribution to Mystery & Mayhem, 'Mel Foster and the Hound of the Baskervilles' features a guest appearance from Sherlock Holmes.
Frances Hardinge is the author of seven novels for children, including the 2015 Costa Book of the Year, The Lie Tree. Her debut novel, Fly by Night, won the 2006 Branford Boase Award and was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Frances's contribution to Mystery & Mayhem, 'God's Eye', is a wonderfully sinister Victorian thriller featuring hot air balloons and secret poisonings.
Robin Stevens is highly experienced in writing about mystery and mayhem, being the author of the Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries series. Her contribution to Mystery & Mayhem is an Agatha Christie-style puzzler called 'The Mystery of Room 12'. Robin lives in London.
Clementine Beauvais is an academic and writer of children's books. She is currently lecturer at the University of York where she researches childhood and education. Her contribution to Mystery & Mayhem is 'The Mystery of the Green Room', described by Katherine Woodfine as 'a brain-boggling Agatha-Christie style puzzle that even Miss Marple might struggle to solve'.
Elen Caldecott started her literary career when she was very young, writing sequels to some of her favourite books because she couldn't bear to say goodbye to the characters. Before becoming a published author, Elen worked as an archaeologist, a nurse, a theatre usher and a museum security guard. Her first book was How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant. Elen Caldecott's contribution to Mystery & Mayhem, 'Rain on My Parade', is a deliciously complex modern day puzzler.
Born in Wales, Susie Day moved to Oxford to read English Literature at Oxford University and continues to live in Oxford now she's a children's writer. Her novels for children include Big Woo!, Girl Meets Cake, and The Secret of Sam and Sam. Susie's contribution to Mystery & Mayhem, 'Emily and the Detectives', is about the capable Emily who outsmarts her detective dad, Mr Black, and the clueless Lord Copperbole.
Caroline Lawrence was born in London but grew up in the United States before returning to the UK to study at Cambridge. Caroline is a big fan of mystery fiction, having written The Roman Mysteries, series of historical novels for children. Her contribution to Mystery & Mayhem, 'The Mystery of Diablo Canyon Circle', has a hint of the American Wild West.
Helen Moss began writing for children in 2007. Her books include the Adventure Island and Secrets of the Tombs series. Helen was born in Worcestershire. After a degree in Psychology and Philosophy, she went on to study for a PhD in psycholinguistics at Cambridge. Her short story in Mystery & Mayhem, 'The Mystery of the Pineapple Plot', is an exciting Georgian country house mystery.
Acclaimed author Sally Nicholls has written several novels for children, including Ways to Live Forever, Shadow Girl, and Season of Secrets. She has won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Dimplex New Writer of the Year Award. Her short story in Mystery & Mayhem is 'Safe Keeping', a tribute to Boy's Own-style adventures. Harriet Whitehorn lives in London with her husband and her three daughters. She currently works for English Heritage and is the author of the Violet and the Pearl of the Orient series. Harriet's contribution to Mystery & Mayhem, 'The Murder of Monsieur Pierre', is set on the streets of 1870s Soho.
Kate Pankhurst has an MA in Children's Book Illustration. She has illustrated books by Ian Whybrow (author of 'The Bedtime Bear' and 'The Tickle Book') and Marjorie Newman ('Mole and the Baby Bird'). Her contribution to Mystery & Mayhem introduces a brilliant, quick thinking young sleuth, Sid the dog walker.
More About Katherine Woodfine, Julia Golding, Robin Stevens, Frances Hardinge
