Hong Kong Young Post review of Arsenic For Tea
‘Stevens’ Wells & Wong Mysteries offer a great deal of retro reading pleasure … as irresistible and entertaining as the first. Just the thing to devour with a pot of tea and a plate of scones.’ – John Millen, Hong Kong Young Post
Arsenic for Tea reviewed in the Literary Review Summer Round-Up
‘Stevens brings psychological depth to the classic Christie crime; she does not shirk the unpalatable consequences.’ – Philip Womack, the Literary Review
Arsenic for Tea included in the New Statesman’s Easter round-up 2015
‘Stevens satirises the upper classes and the English amusingly but it’s her Hong Kong-Chinese narrator Hazel Wong who makes this a feast for readers between nine and 12.’ – Amanda Craig, the New Statesman
Arsenic for Tea included in the Telegraph’s Easter 2015 round-up
‘a feelgood blend of Malory Towers and Cluedo . . . the story this time has been transposed to Daisy’s country pile during the Easter holidays, and it is not a teacher but the flirtatious poseur Mr Curtis who is at the centre of the plot. Stevens has upped her game in this new volume: her cast of suspects is more distinct and fleshed out, and the girl detectives have properly come into their own as living, breathing characters.’ – Lorna Bradbury, the Telegraph
Arsenic for Tea is The Times Children’s Book of the Week
‘Emotional conflict, logical deduction and the period setting make for an entertaining, nostalgic brainteaser.’ – Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times
Arsenic for Tea reviewed in Guardian Family
‘think St Trinians mixed with Miss Marple . . . thrilling books for tween detectives who adore solving dastardly murders, jolly hockey sticks and iced buns for tea.’ – Guardian Family
Raremediumwelldone review of Murder Most Unladylike and Arsenic for Tea
‘The mysteries themselves are beautiful concoctions that owe obvious debts to the golden age of British crime fiction, and are unravelled beautifully. The atmosphere of the settings – boarding school, old English heirloom property – are captured exceptionally well, with the boarding school vocab giving me flashbacks to reading about Malory Towers with envy.’ (raremediumwelldone)
Daily Mail review of Arsenic for Tea
‘this sequel stands alone and is a delight . . . The Agatha Christie-like clues are unravelled with sustained tension and the whole thing is a hoot from start to finish.’ (The Daily Mail, Friday 13th February)
Didyoueverstoptothink review of Arsenic for Tea
‘Arsenic For Tea is a joy. A multi-layered sandwich cake of joy. There’s really very little else to be said other than this book is gorgeous and it’s something rather special’ – LH Johnson, didyoueverstoptothink.wordpress.com
The Bookbag review of Arsenic for Tea
‘There’s a clever mystery here, with lots of suspects and a denouement that will take many readers by surprise. Clues abound, although they can be deceiving, and lots of twists and turns in the plot keep the story moving along at a spanking pace . . . It is a lively and thrilling tale, full of fascinating details’ – The Bookbag