Recommendations based on "The Playground Murders"

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy's business now. Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts.

When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't.) Then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She assumes it was a terrible accident - but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove one happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally), Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test? 'Ripping good fun' The Times 'A skilful blend of golden era crime novel and boarding school romp . . . The novel works both as an affectionate satire and an effective murder mystery, and Stevens can go places Enid Blyton never dreamt of . . . Top class' Financial Times 'Plotting is what sets this book apart; this is about who was where at the time of the murder, and it's about finding the chink in the alibi' Telegraph

Shortlisted in the Children's Category in the National Book Awards 2018!It's the sixth murder mystery for The Detective Society! This time though, one of them is the suspect...Carries the Murder Most Unladylike mysteries into new heights . . . meticulously plotted and consistently delightful, and I can't recommend it enough (New Statesman)Superb (Telegraph)-----When Hazel Wong's beloved grandfather passes away, Daisy Wells is all too happy to accompany her friend (and Detective Society Vice President) to Hazel's family estate in beautiful, bustling Hong Kong.But when they arrive they discover something they didn't expect: there's a new member of the Wong family.Daisy and Hazel think baby Teddy is enough to deal with, but as always the girls are never far from a mystery.Tragedy strikes very close to home, and this time Hazel isn't just the detective. She's been framed for murder!The girls must work together like never before, confronting dangerous gangs, mysterious suspects and sinister private detectives to solve the murder and clear Hazel's name - before it's too late . . .

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines- the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over- adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy's business now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn't stay still long enough for habits or routines. She's currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D'Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job . . . Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?

A strange houseA ghost from the pastAs soon as she moves into Hillside, Gwenda knows there’s something strange about this house.A sealed room. A hidden door. The apparition of a young woman being strangled.But strangest of all – this all seems quite familiar.As her friend Jane Marple investigates, the answer seems to lie in a crime committed nearly twenty years ago.The killer may have gotten away with murder. But Miss Marple is never far behind.Never underestimate Miss Marple‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’Tana French‘Miss Marple is spry, shrewd and compassionate.’Sunday Telegraph

"Every Flavia de Luce novel is a reason to celebrate."--USA Today   ALAN BRADLEY, AUTHOR OF THE MOST AWARD-WINNING SERIES DEBUT OF ANY YEAR, RETURNS WITH ANOTHER IRRESISTIBLE FLAVIA DE LUCE NOVEL.   "[Alan] Bradley has created one of the most original, charming, devilishly creative and hilarious detectives of any age or any time."--Bookreporter   It's Christmastime, and Flavia de Luce--an eleven-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry--is tucked away in her laboratory, whipping up a concoction to ensnare Saint Nick. But she is soon distracted when a film crew arrives at Buckshaw, the de Luces' decaying English estate, to shoot a movie starring the famed Phyllis Wyvern. Amid a raging blizzard, the entire village of Bishop's Lacey gathers at Buckshaw to watch Wyvern perform, yet nobody is prepared for the evening's shocking conclusion: a body found strangled to death with a length of film. But who among the assembled guests would stage such a chilling scene? As the storm worsens and the list of suspects grows, Flavia must ferret out a killer hidden in plain sight. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Alan Bradley's Speaking from Among the Bones.   "[Flavia is] the most intrepid and charming adolescent chemist/detective/busybody in all of rural, post-World War II England."--The Seattle Times   "Quirky and delightful . . . Flavia is a classic literary character who manages to appeal to both young and old readers equally."--Wichita Falls Times Record News   "Bradley's plot twists and turns delightfully."--Fort Worth Star-Telegram   NAMED ONE OF THE BEST MYSTERIES OF THE YEAR BY THE SEATTLE TIMES

Scotland Yard's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James face their most haunting case yet when the past devastatingly intersects with the present....The call from Scotland Yard couldn't have come at a worse time for Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid. He has promised the weekend to Kit, the eleven-year-old son of his ex-wife. The son he never knew he fathered -- who doesn't yet know Kincaid's true identity. But Duncan's best intentions are shattered by an investigation that draws him in and swiftly consumes him. It seems to begin with the discovery of the body of a beautiful young woman in an East London park. But Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James will discover that this case has long roots that reach far back into the past, and that resentments which should have been decades buried still have the power to hurt -- and maybe even the capacity to kill.

Family reunions are killer—literally—in the newest mystery in Lorna Barrett's New York Times bestselling Booktown series.Everything was going great for Tricia Miles, right up until her estranged mother, Sheila, arrives on her front step with an urn she says contains the remains of Tricia's father.Shocked and saddened, Tricia and her sister, Angelica, attempt to get to the bottom of what happened. But their efforts for clarity are dashed when Shelia disappears the very next day, leaving without a word.Naturally, the sisters are upset—especially after they take the remains to the local funeral parlor and discover that not only is the urn filled with kitty litter, but hidden inside is a valuable (and stolen) Rolex watch. Digging deeper, the sisters find their parents are in dire financial trouble and seem to be lurking around Booktown.Tricia and Angelica can’t help but wonder how many more secrets their mother was keeping...and whether that includes murder.

Dot, her best pal Beans and TOP DOG McClusky are back on the case in a brand-new story! Dotty and Beans are SUPER excited about their summer holiday together. It's going to be SO much fun. Beaches, BBQs and best of all NO SCHOOL! But there's no rest for the Join the Dots Detectives who soon have a campsite case to solve...

Kick Keswick, once a jewel thief living an exciting double life, has now retired in simple luxury to the south of France. But when an old enemy resurfaces, threatening to expose the countless fake jewels Kick had carefully substituted during her years of secret theft, she is ready to act. Back in London, Kick finds herself with more employment than she bargained for at a company whose status is much more precarious than she'd thought. Her enemy, in disguise, circles ever closer. And a young nun comes to Kick with a mysterious jewel-encrusted figurine, and a story of greed and murder. To balance on this high wire, Kick must sneak into an upper-crust wedding in the Italian Alps, break into an ancient castle owned by a very modern murderer, and do it all with her customary panache, style, and grace. Can she keep one step ahead of the most seductively ruthless foe she's ever encountered?