My book review of 'The Ministry of Unladylike Activity' by Robin Stevens

by Robin Stevens
Recommended age: 8+

In 'The Ministry of Unladylike Activity' we continue the story which started in the 'Murder Most Unladylike' series, following schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong.

Now it's 1940 and we meet May Wong, at Deepdean School for Girls, who is determined to help the war effort so that she might be able to go home to Hong Kong. 

May is convinced she would make a perfect spy but she and her friend Eric are turned away by the training arm of the British government, the Ministry of Unladylike Activity. So they decide to take matters into their own hands and, masquerading as evacuees, they travel to Elysium Hall. This is home to the wealthy Verey family and May and Eric suspect that one of the Vereys is passing information to Germany. If they can prove it, the Ministry will have to take them on.

The author, Robin Stevens went to boarding school at Cheltenham Ladies' College and loved reading murder mysteries. Her father introduced her to Agatha Christie novels when she was twelve and she went on to study crime fiction at university. She has perfect qualifications for writing nostalgic murder mysteries and I'm thrilled that I have all of the 'Murder Most Unladylike' series still to enjoy. Robin also wrote The Guggenheim Mystery, which was great too!

Date of this review: October 2022
Book publication date: 6th October 2022