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Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens
May. 2nd, 2016 11:01 pmThe Blurb On The Back:
Things had changed at Deepdean. All of the rules had bent, and the power had moved. Elizabeth Hurst’s reign was over, and none of us knew what would happen next.
Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have returned to Deepdean for a new term, but nothing is the same. There’s a new Head Girl, Elizabeth Hurst, and a team of prefects – and these bullying Big Girls are certainly not good eggs.
Tensions are running high. Then, after a fireworks display on Bonfire Night, Elizabeth is found – murdered.
Who might have committed such foul play? And with Deepdean running riot, and their own friendship falling apart, can the Detective Society solve the case?
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
The fourth in Robin Stevens’ MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE SERIES puts bullying and the need to protect secrets at its front and centre while also putting stress on the Wells and Wong friendship. The novel deals with bullying in a historically believable way (specifically the way in which it’s institutionalised and ignored by the staff) but in a way that also feels very contemporary. I also enjoyed the stress put on Wells and Wong, in part because Hazel is hiding her correspondence with Alexander but in part because Daisy is – for all her strengths – remarkably pig-headed and unthinking in the way she treats her friend. There’s more development of the other girls at Deepdean – particularly Beanie (who I love) and Lavinia who brings some much needed snark to proceedings and Stevens does well at showing how the revelation of secrets pits the school years against each other as each vies to fill the power vacuum. The plot hinges on working out the timings of the murder, which is intricately done and I had to read it through a couple of times to work it out for myself and I also enjoyed how the events in this book harken back to those in the first, providing some welcome series continuity. The book ends with a set-up promising to move the action to Cambridge and offering the return of Alexander (doubtless creating more tension between Hazel and Daisy), which I am definitely looking forward to reading.
Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have returned to Deepdean for a new term, but nothing is the same. There’s a new Head Girl, Elizabeth Hurst, and a team of prefects – and these bullying Big Girls are certainly not good eggs.
Tensions are running high. Then, after a fireworks display on Bonfire Night, Elizabeth is found – murdered.
Who might have committed such foul play? And with Deepdean running riot, and their own friendship falling apart, can the Detective Society solve the case?
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
The fourth in Robin Stevens’ MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE SERIES puts bullying and the need to protect secrets at its front and centre while also putting stress on the Wells and Wong friendship. The novel deals with bullying in a historically believable way (specifically the way in which it’s institutionalised and ignored by the staff) but in a way that also feels very contemporary. I also enjoyed the stress put on Wells and Wong, in part because Hazel is hiding her correspondence with Alexander but in part because Daisy is – for all her strengths – remarkably pig-headed and unthinking in the way she treats her friend. There’s more development of the other girls at Deepdean – particularly Beanie (who I love) and Lavinia who brings some much needed snark to proceedings and Stevens does well at showing how the revelation of secrets pits the school years against each other as each vies to fill the power vacuum. The plot hinges on working out the timings of the murder, which is intricately done and I had to read it through a couple of times to work it out for myself and I also enjoyed how the events in this book harken back to those in the first, providing some welcome series continuity. The book ends with a set-up promising to move the action to Cambridge and offering the return of Alexander (doubtless creating more tension between Hazel and Daisy), which I am definitely looking forward to reading.
