Robin Stevens's Blog, page 63
February 15, 2015
Wells & Wong Events – Spring 2015
I’ve got a busy few months planned! I’m trying to get out and about as much as I can – if you’re in the area, please do stop by to meet me. If nothing’s on near you right now, keep checking back, as I’ll be adding more events in future!
Saturday 21st February, 10:30am – signing in Waterstones Buttermarket, Bury St Edmunds. I’ll be signing copies of Murder Most Unladylike and Arsenic for Tea – please come along and say hi! This is an absolutely free and informal event. (Note that there are two Waterstones in Bury St Edmunds – I’ll be at the Buttermarket one!)
Saturday 28th of February, 2pm – UKYA Extravaganza, Waterstones High Street, Birmingham. Along with 34 other fantastic YA authors, I’ll be chatting about my books and giving readings from them through the afternoon. Sadly this is a ticketed event that I think has sold out – but if you do have tickets, I will be there and looking forward to meeting you!
Thursday 5th March, 3:30pm – signing and bunbreak at Village Books, Dulwich. To celebrate World Book Day, I’ll be at the wonderful Village Books to drink tea and sign copies of Murder Most Unladylike and Arsenic for Tea. Entrance is free, but you will need a ticket, available from the bookshop.
Saturday March 21st, time TBC – event at Waterstones Cheltenham. This is still in the planning stages, but I will be in Cheltenham on that day – put it in your diaries now!
Sunday June 28th, 2:45pm – talk at the Bedford Book Festival. I’ll be talking about writing detective stories, and about how and why I came up with the Wells & Wong Mysteries. Again, details are still being confirmed, but it looks as though I will be speaking in the large conference room, so there will be plenty of tickets available! Watch this space for more details.
Raremediumwelldone review of Murder Most Unladylike and Arsenic for Tea
Blogger Raremediumwelldone has given Murder Most Unladylike and Arsenic for Tea an incredibly thoughtful review - it might be one of my very favourites ever. She says:
‘The first person narrator, Hazel is a quiet, thoughtful girl from Hong Kong whose rich, England-obssessed father has sent her to an English boarding school for her education. Perpetually aware of her precarious status as the only Chinese girl in Deepdean (and indeed, probably in these English people’s lives), Hazel has adapted to survive, gaining the irrepressible Daisy as a friend into the bargain.
High-spirited, whip-smart, exuding the confidence possessed by the upper class she belongs to, Daisy Wells is the stereotypical English heroine, and she, Hazel and the narrative know it. But Stevens is too good a writer to let that stand, and Daisy’s refusal to suspect people she is fond of, hotheadedness, and noted lack of compassion for those she considers wrongdoers emerges as the story goes on. Hazel has occasional moments of timidity, but those are usually the result of her empathy and vivid imagination. Her kindness and emotional intuitiveness are important counterpoints to Daisy’s brilliant quick-thinking, and their lovely friendship evolves through the two books realistically.
Stevens writes about things like the racism Hazel internalises and Daisy’s privilege with insight and sympathy. It’s there in the way that Daisy lies with ease and assumes no one will question her, and in Hazel’s hiding of her favourite mooncakes because Lavinia has laughed at them before; lots of details that add up to fantastic, complex characters.
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. The cherry on top of the cake is the unexpected queerness. It’s not a central issue, but Stevens gives a knowing wink to the inherent subtext that many novels about boarding schools had, and it was a lovely surprise to encounter whilst reading.’
It’s such a great analysis, and I’m so glad that my books inspired it. You can follow Raremediumwelldone on Twitter @weimingkam.
Daily Mail review of Arsenic for Tea
Arsenic for Tea has been given a wonderful review by the Daily Mail. My parents are particularly amused by the final line – as my father pointed out, it’s nice to be told by a national paper that you’ve done something right.
‘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
February 12, 2015
Murder Most Unladylike has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2015
I’m incredibly delighted to be finally able to tell you that Murder Most Unladylike is on the shortlist of this year’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
It’s up against five other phenomenal books in its 5-12 year old category, and seventeen other books overall (the Guardian‘s shortlist round-up is here) – it’s an incredibly strong shortlist and I am proud to be a part of it. The result will be announced on March 26th, and I am terrified and excited in equal measure.
Once again, I have to give huge thanks to all of the Waterstones booksellers who have championed the book and got it to this point – I am absolutely honoured.
Here’s the Guardian‘s round-up of the shortlist.
I’m also delighted that people are talking about the rise in detective fiction for children – as you know, I’m a massive fan of the genre, and I couldn’t be more pleased that it’s so well represented on this year’s list (six out of the eighteen books are detective stories!).
Here’s a BBC News article about how young detectives are killing off vampires (this does make me feel a bit sorry for vampires, poor things, they just want to live like the rest of us)
And a Daily Mail article about how children are falling for nostalgic fiction.
And finally, an article in the Independent about the rise of the detective novel – and Murder Most Unladylike in particular. It also appears in today’s i paper – of course I rushed out to buy two copies. The man at the till commented on this odd behaviour, and when I explained that it was my book on the front page he got very excited and made me sign my receipt for him. I felt very briefly almost famous.
So a huge thank you to everyone who has congratulated me today. You are all wonderful, and it means a huge amount to me. Hooray for Wells & Wong!
February 8, 2015
A tea-time treat: Arsenic for Tea’s launch!
Yesterday I was lucky enough to launch Arsenic for Tea at Waterstones Cambridge. There was cake, there was tea and there were lots of wonderful people. I was amazed at how many of you came along – some from incredibly far away.
Thank you to everyone – friends, family, authors, bloggers, publishers, agents and readers – who spent the afternoon with me, and thank you to the brilliant Waterstones team who organised everything. I hope you all enjoyed your tea!
And now . . . the pictures!
The tea table! Tiffin, biscuits (five kinds), crisps, sausages, sausage rolls, mochi balls (in honour of Hazel), a chocolate birthday cake (in honour of Daisy), Victoria sponge cupcakes and lemon drizzle cupcakes.
With my tea table!
With reader Phoebe
With reader Dominic
With reader Bethan
Cutting the cake!
I managed to snag a slice before it was all gone.
Tea-time scrum!
With fellow Cambridge mystery authors Helen Moss and Clementine Beauvais.
Moustache cakes – in honour of my favourite Belgian detective!
The moustaches in action!
Me reading from the book – by @chelleytoy
With reader Charlotte
Me with my agent, Gemma Cooper, my publicist, Harriet Venn and my editor, Natalie Doherty: Team Bunbreak!
I had a wonderful day – and I hope everyone else did too!
February 6, 2015
School visit – Moreton Hall Prep School
First, thank you so much to everyone who’s been sending me pictures of the beautiful Arsenic for Tea displays from all around the country. I can’t believe how inventive booksellers are being. Have a look at the Pinterest board here – and if you’ve got anything to add, please get in contact!
Today I was also lucky enough to visit a school that could double for Deepdean in any TV adaptation – Moreton Hall Prep School in Suffolk.
Moreton Hall and/or Deepdean
A decidedly suspicious front hallway…
Three ace young detectives, Tashy, Tilly and Pippa, who had met me at an event in Cambridge a few months ago, got their teacher on the case, and I was invited to talk to the pupils about my books, and explain a bit about how I concoct my mysteries.
We talked about how important setting is to writing mystery stories, how to craft your pool of suspects, and what makes a good detective, and at the end I set them the challenge to write a mystery of their own. I’m going to be helping to judge the competition, and the winning story will be featured on this site next month, so watch this space!
I had a lovely time meeting them and answering their questions (I hope I managed to persuade them that I would never actually murder anyone in real life). Here I am with some of them and the books!
Moreton Hall detective writers!
Moreton Hall were so welcoming and friendly, and Waterstones in Bury St Edmund helped out by selling books – I had a lovely time, and I even got a cupcake for bunbreak! Thank you all for a great day.
Delicious!
February 3, 2015
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. . .
Glorious, really, a book where the stakes are high and the mystery wraps around them a little tighter with each step taken. Daisy and Hazel remain a delight (Hazel’s little revealing one-liners are a joy), and the supporting cast remains ineffably perfect (Lord Hastings – Daisy’s father, Felix and Miss Alston all provide particular highs).
Sometimes, with a second book in a series, there’s always that risk of ‘second book syndrome’. Will it be as good? Will you still like it as much as you did the first time round? Will the characters have grown or will it be a pale rehash of the first?
Arsenic For Tea feels stronger, somehow, and deeper too. It’s glorious and worth cancelling everything for. Stevens feels like she’s settled more into her groove and that groove is producing stylish, charming, witty and delightful stories. I am a fan of this series and a fan of her work and I think this is again a title that feels a little bit like Christmas.’
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 . . .
What really makes this book stand out is the picture of life in the 1930s it presents. Hazel, Vice-President and Secretary of the Detective Society and our narrator, is from Hong Kong and frequently has to put up with thoughtless racism from adults. She finds some aspects of life in an English country house quite incomprehensible, but she is an observant girl and does her best to record events as they occur. Despite her obvious gratitude at being befriended by a proper English girl she is not blind to Daisy’s faults: her friend is headstrong and passionate, inclined to twist the evidence to fit her theories and overwhelmingly protective of her family.
Daisy’s desperately-felt anger and hurt as adults let her down and she learns uncomfortable truths about people she loves are vividly portrayed, and even Hazel soon finds she is less of an outsider in this family drama than she expected to be. It is a lively and thrilling tale, full of fascinating details, and the good news is that the third volume in the series is well on its way to publication.’ (4.5 stars)
February 1, 2015
Arsenic for Tea – Out and About in Cambridge
Today is the first day of Arsenic for Tea’s month as Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month. For all of February, the front page of Waterstones.com looks like this:
Which is pretty knock-out amazing, if you ask me.
I’ve written a blog for Waterstones about why I write mystery novels for children, and another for Girls Heart Books thanking Waterstones booksellers for getting behind the books – I seriously am so grateful to them for how enthusiastic they’ve been.
Today I went out in Cambridge to get my first proper sightings of the book in the wild, and see if I could see any displays – and I certainly did. I was expecting some tables, maybe a wall display . . . and then what I saw was THIS:
I mean. Really. That is the most BEAUTIFUL THING I have ever seen.
Inside was pretty amazing too – several tables, lots of advertisements for my launch next weekend (3pm, Cambridge Waterstones Children’s department!) and even a lovely wall display next to some Harry Potter books(!).
Then (once I had recovered from all that) I went over to Heffers, where the book is also beautifully featured on LOTS of tables. And on a 3 for 2 offer, no less!
The lovely Heffers booksellers even let me sign some copies – so, Cambridge people, get over there for your signed books NOW!
All in all, an incredibly exciting and successful book-hunting afternoon. I (and my boyfriend, helpful documenter of all of the above) definitely deserved a Fitzbillies bunbreak at the end of it.
January 28, 2015
Happy book birthday, Arsenic for Tea!
It’s the big day at last! Arsenic for Tea is officially out in the UK and Ireland, and I can’t quite believe it.
Actually, I don’t really believe anything right now. I certainly don’t believe the displays of Arsenic for Tea I’ve already been seeing.
Windows!
Waterstones Deansgate’s window display (photo by Fiona Hadfield)
Walls!
Waterstones Darlington’s display
Tables!
Waterstones Hampstead’s table
Lots of tables!
Waterstones Oxford’s table (photo by Phil Earle)
It’s amazing, and bewildering, and it makes me incredibly happy. And it’s all because, from the 1st of February, Arsenic for Tea will be Children’s Book of the Month in every Waterstones in the country.
I mean – wow.
So, happy publication day, Arsenic for Tea! I’m having my celebration for the book on the 7th February, at Waterstones Cambridge – I hope you’ll be able to join me for it!
With the help of all of the amazing booksellers out there, I think February is going to be a month to remember…
