Peril en Pointe

Swan House Ballet School Mystery #1

by Helen Lipscombe

Ballet Shoes meets Murder Most Unladylike in this fresh and funny spy story! Milly yearns to dance like her ballerina mum - but during the biggest performance of her life, she messes up and her mum disappears. Six months on, Milly receives an unexpected invitation to join the Swan House School of Ballet. Thrilled, Milly accepts, only to find that Swan House is no ordinary ballet school: it's a ballet school for spies. Can her new skills help her discover the truth about her mother's vanishing act?

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Young Adult, Childrens

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2019

About the author

Helen grew up in Wales and has been writing since she was little. Often when she should have been practicing the viola, or more recently, doing the ironing.

Having studied at Exeter College of Art and Design, she went on to work in agencies in London, Singapore and the Caribbean.

Helen recently earned an MA in Creative Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University. She now lives in the Cotswolds with her sometimes creased, but always proud family.

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ballet school... for spies! Be prepared to learn how to dance and how to kick some serious butt!

I just couldn't resist this book when I saw it mentioned on Twitter. Ballet? Sign me up. Boarding school? Sign me up. Spies? YES! All this combined sounded like a dream come true, and I can honestly say that it was. There were a few elements that had me not happy (namely Willow and Madam), but in overall this was a magical and sparkly experience with tons of adventure, kick-ass lessons, and plenty of dancing.

When we meet Milly she is not the happiest. Her mom has disappeared months ago, Milly quit the ballet school due to some mean girl who kept acting like she was constantly being manhandled by Milly and so her experience there sucked. But she is getting a new chance, and I was just delighted when that letter came in. So mysterious, and it reminded me a bit of Hogwarts and how the young wizards/witches get their letters. I loved how Millie, despite being suspicious, took the chance and went for it.

I loved the school, I loved how they combined ballet with spying. Taught the kids all sorts of self-defence, about weapons, about spying and how to do it, but at the same time also taught them ballet and held competitions and rehearsals. It was just the best cover as ballet dancers have to go everywhere for competitions and schools and whatnot. They could easily go do ballet and in the mean time spy and do covert missions. Perfection!

I loved seeing the teachers (well, not Madame), though I do wonder how the cook got a job there, maybe because she is Topsy's mom? Otherwise who in the world would hire her, I am surprised no kids have died yet. A cake with mayonnaise and other stuff that shouldn't be in a cake? Um...

There are also plenty of twists and turns in regards to the school, to the evil villain (and his criminal school which I loved btw), and what happened to Milly's mom. You keep finding out things, and then being hurled to another truth when you get further in the story. Yes, this story will keep you on your toes.

The ending was just super exciting and I loved the power of friendship. I wish I could have seen Milly's performance, from what we read it is a magical experience. I loved the truths we got and seeing the true villain (I hadn't expected that person at all).

Oh, and I would love that phone. Though hopefully my mentor is less grumpy than the one that Milly got. :P But it sounds like such a cool experience to have someone you can ask for anything (well, unless it is classified).

There are also tunnels! I love it when a story has a building with tunnels leading to all sorts of places.

I loved Milly's friends, and then especially Lottie. She is so sweet and kick-ass. Really, you don't want to mess with this girl. I was delighted that Milly was able to make friends so easily and found a group of people she could trust and be happy with.

But, sadly, I am deducing 0.5 stars for two people, Madame who was just the meanest and rudest person ever and she was a teacher. How she let Milly do pointe in shoes that WERE TOO LITTLE FOR HER. That could probably end a career given how your toes just get nommed by the shoes. OK, sure later we find out some things, but still, booooooo.
And then there is Willow. Yep, the attention seeking *insert mean words* from the first part of the book is also at the ballet school, sadly. I was really unhappy with this event and even considered stopping reading. Sorry, I am just not in the mood for sad little girls who are jealous and act mean and hurt people. But I kept reading and hoping it wouldn't get too much. Sadly, there were quite a few points were I just wanted to stop reading. Willow did ruin my experience in this book, and sorry her sad sad sobstory at the end, please Willow, go away. Maybe harsh, but I have been bullied in the past (a lot) and there is one thing I don't want in a story, it is the bully getting some sort of sobstory, because oh no they don't have parents, or their parents don't care. And we should all feel sorry for the little *insert words* I am sorry, I don't care. Bullies are bullies. Done.

So all in all this was an amazing experience. I flew through the book and I would have finished it if I wasn't too tired and had to sleep. I am very excited about the next book, though I do hope that Willow will be out of it or at least far away. I would definitely recommend this book to all. If you love ballet, exciting events, spies, and friendship, be sure to check out this book.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Markéta Forejtová · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tohle mohlo být fakt dobrý.
Prostředí, nápad i zápletka jsou dobře vymyšlené... Ale přišlo mi to tak příšerně napsané, že jsem knihu skoro nemohla dočíst :D Různé tvary slova "toto" se objevují v každé druhé větě (především v přímé řeči dvanáctiletých dětí). Věty začínající slovem "se" mě vytáčely k nepříčetnosti. Francouzské fráze do vět zjevně zakomponovával někdo, kdo neumí francouzsky. A mohla bych pokračovat.
Fakt škoda, těšila jsem se, že tohle bude dobrý!
2/5*

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her debut novel, Helen Lipscombe kicks off the Swan House Mystery series by introducing us to Milly, a young ballerina struggling following a scandal she was caught up in at a show and the sudden disappearance of her mother the same night, as she recieves an invitation to study at Swan House ballet school and has her life changed forever. When she arrives, she discovers that the school is actually training its pupils to be both spies and ballerinas, and that being a pupil there may help uncover the truth of what happened to her mum. My favourite thing about this was the setting- it definitely delivers on the huge promise of the premise and I loved how it feels very much like a classic boarding school story, just with added ballet slippers and subterfuge. Speaking of ballet slippers, I also really liked the setting of the shoemaker’s that pops up a few times. The mystery element of the book was fabulous too. Though I was very pleased with myself because I thought I’d worked out what was going on and who was to blame for everything, this book threw curveball plot twists that proved me wrong on more than one occasion, and there was one towards the end that I especially loved. The characters were great too- Milly was a heroine I really got behind and wanted to succeed, and I really liked the friendship group she forms and their scenes together. A brilliant boarding school book with a difference that delivers a satisfying standalone mystery and an even more intriguing beginning for the series to come. 4.5/5

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sat down yesterday to read my first book of 2020 and I started with a backlist read. Peril en Pointe was published in 2019. After disaster at the Scarlet Slipper ballet contest Milly finds herself with a mysterious scholarship to Swan House Ballet School, once there she discovers this is no ordinary ballet school but a ballet school for spies. Oh one thing I forgot to mention Milly’s mum has been missing since the night of the Scarlet Slipper contest.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely adored mystery books when I was growing up, as an eight or nine year old I absolutely devoured The Famous Five series. So when I first read about this book set in a ballet school that was also a spy school I wanted to absolutely love it, and I didn’t quite.

I thought the overall plot was interesting, I think it took a little bit of time to really get going, which is perhaps to be expected with it being the first book in what I assume is designed to be a series. The premise, location and a whole cast of characters needed to be introduced. That said I feel like an awful lot happened in the last couple of chapters. I hope if a second book appears the action is a little more spread out throughout the book. However it was a satisfying conclusion, I got answers to most of my questions, and I was even surprised by one aspect of it.

There are a lot of characters to get to grips with in Peril en Pointe from Milly herself, to her family, schoolmates, teachers and some additional characters that cross her path. To begin with Milly I did really like her character, I could understand the pressure she must have felt wanting to fill her mother’s famous ballet slippers! I thought she was a genuinely likable character and I hope she retains that likability in any future books.

I really enjoyed Milly getting to know Spencer and Lottie, I think they make a great trio, a quartet if you include Merv who was quite amusing. I think the Captain and Ms Celia have a lot of potential and I’m interested to see where the characters go in future books. I also have to give a special mention to Babs, although she only really featured at the beginning of the book Milly’s gran was absolutely hilarious, and I hope she’ll reappear in any future books!

The two characters I struggled with the most were Willow and Madame. I just wanted a little more from both of them, at the very end of the story we get a little explanation about why they are the way they are but to be completely honest they felt a little two dimensional, the characters that were easy to really dislike. I wish they’d shown a redeeming feature or two earlier in the story just a little something to make me think twice about them.

This has really left me wondering, am I, as an adult, expecting too much from a middle grade read, or does me even thinking that maybe I’m wanting too much from my characters doing younger readers a disservice… I think the latter is probably true and that younger readers would be happy for the characters to be varying shades of grey rather than black or white.


Final Thoughts
I found this to be such a hard book to review. It’s probably the first middle grade I’ve read that I’ve had to really remind myself I’m not the target audience and maybe I’m looking for too much in it. It wasn’t everything I was hoping it to be but it wasn’t bad. It certainly picked up for me towards the end of the book, so if I second Swan House Ballet School Mystery appears I’ll certainly give it a go.

Find more reviews at Sarah Withers Blogs

[Domenica Puglisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attirata dalla copertina principalmente mi sono ritrovata a leggere un mystery per ragazzi che non mi è dispiaciuto per niente!
Sicuramente una scrittura semplice, poco complessa ma con una storia accattivante, ambientata nel mondo della danza e delle spie. Milly, la giovane protagonista, figlia d'arte ma meno brillante della madre, partecipa ad una nota competizione per scuole di danza quando la madre, presente sugli spalti, scompare e sul palco si consuma un dramma, un incidente tra lei e Willow, amica e nemica allo stesso tempo, che manda in aria il programma della serata. Ma il pensiero di Milly è rivolto alla madre e non alla perdita del Trofeo. Parecchi mesi dopo, lontana dalla danza, si ritrova iscritta ad una scuola di ballo, la Casa dei cigni. Quando decide di accettare, tra mille dubbi, pensando che sia stata la madre, trova un ambiente particolare e soprattutto la sua nemica, Willow che sin dal primo giorno le metterà i bastoni tra le ruote, rendendole la vita difficile. Ma, come dicevo, la Casa dei cigni, in verità, è una scuola per spie. Così tra un passo di danza e una lezione di spionaggio, Milly si ritrova a combatterei dispetti di Willow e a risolvere il caso della sparizione della madre, spia anch'essa.
Una storia abbastanza particolareggiata, con diversi personaggi, simpatici e non, abbastanza articolata, con misteri che poco alla volta verranno svelati dalla giovane e simpatica ballerina.
Ho scoperto che è il primo libro di una serie ma non credo che leggerò mai glia altri, è passato qualche tempo da questa pubblicazione e anche della successiva ma non mi sembra di averla vista tradotta. Peccato, un'altra storia leggera nel mondo della danza l'avrei letta volentieri, anche se sono piuttosto grande per il target di queste letture.

[Sonia Donelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.esmeraldaviaggielibri.it/p...

Pericolo sulle punte di Helen Lipscombe, romanzo per ragazzi, primo volume della serie Swan House Mystery, pubblicato da Mondadori libri per ragazzi il 7 luglio.

Non potete capire la gioia che ho provato venerdì quando mi sono vista recapitare a casa ben tre uscite di libri per ragazzi targate Mondadori, avevo proprio bisogno di letture di questo genere e il fatto che la CE mi abbia accontentato mi ha regalato molta felicità. Per prima cosa ho dovuto decidere in quale ordine leggerli e la mia prima scelta è stata Pericolo sulle punte perché mi ero innamorata follemente della cover e l’edizione è splendida, senza sovracopertina, proprio quelle che preferisco.

Sono appassionata di gialli per ragazzi, appena scorgo una trama che parla di spie, furti e sparizioni inspiegabili mi viene una voglia matta di correre a leggere quel libro e qui ho trovato pane per i miei denti perché l’autrice ha unito a tutto questo un cast spettacolare.

Milly non è la miglior ballerina di danza classica del pianeta, a ben vedere nemmeno della sua scuola di danza Lamont, nonostante una mamma étoile. La sera della competizione più importante, quella per il Trofeo Scarpette rosse, ne combina una delle sue, talmente grossa da portarla all’allontanamento, ma il problema maggiore di quella serata disastrosa non è questo: sua mamma, Eva Kydd, è svanita nel nulla senza lasciare traccia. Sono ormai otto mesi che non si hanno sue notizie e da allora Milly ha smesso di ballare, quindi immaginerete la sorpresa nel ricevere una lettera di ammissione nella Scuola di danza Casa dei Cigni con tanto di borsa di studio. Lei è certa di non aver fatto domanda e anche sua nonna non ne sa nulla, ma crede sia una bellissima notizia e così la accompagna di persona in questa scuola così particolare. Già perché non è una semplice scuola di danza, ma una scuola di danza per spie, certo i battement tendu e i battement jeté sono molto importanti, ma ciò che conta è imparare l’arte dello spionaggio. Fin dal suo arrivo capisce che non tutti sono ballerini provetti e stringe alcune amicizie che si riveleranno fondamentali, certo non avrebbe mai immaginato di trovare nella scuola la sua acerrima nemica: Willow Perkins. L’unica bambina con cui ha avuto problemi nella sua giovane vita. Willow è il villain perfetto, crudele, antipatica, cattiva, forse ci sarà redenzione anche per lei, chissà, ma intanto la detesterete con tutte voi stesse perché è davvero perfida. Dalla sua ha una chioma foltissima, una bellezza innegabile, una bravura impareggiabile e un livore inspiegabile. Per lei Milly è il nemico da annientare in ogni modo e non le risparmierà nessun colpo basso, soprattutto quando scoprirà che Milly sarà la star del balletto e non lei che è molto più dotata.

Milly non dovrà vedersela solo con Willow, anche un’arcigna insegnate le remerà contro, Madame farà di tutto per trovare pretesti per metterla in punizione con l’aiuto di Willow. Per fortuna però potrà anche contare su chi l’appoggerà e crederà in lei fin dal primo momento: Merv, un super nerd, Spencer, un combina guai piuttosto affascinante e Lottie, la migliore amica che si potrebbe desiderare, sempre pronta ad accorrere in tua difesa anche con metodi poco ortodossi. E se i ragazzi non bastano dalla sua avrà anche alcuni adulti niente male, ma di questo non voglio svelarvi nulla.

La scuola di danza per giovani spie vi conquisterà e vi farà venir voglia di entrarne immediatamente a far parte nonostante siate consapevoli di non avere l’età e nessuna caratteristica fisica per essere nemmeno lontanamente idonei. Pericolo sulle punte è ben scritto e molto coinvolgente, una lettura perfetta per tutti i ragazzi dalla quarta elementare in su, perché se è vero che l’indicazione è dagli 8 anni lo è altrettanto che io a 35 suonati l’ho adorato e questo significa che è perfetto a qualsiasi età.

A novembre uscirà in lingua originale il secondo volume della serie, Trouble in a tutu, e spero che anche in Italia non si farà attendere troppo perché io queste giovani spie le adoro e non vedo l’ora di scoprire quale altro piano diabolico dovranno sventare.

[Blackjessamine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ci sono cose a cui non so resistere: i libri sul balletto sono fra queste, quindi quando questo libro mi è capitato davanti, mi sono fermata alla copertina, l'ho preso a scatola chiusa e l'ho iniziato a leggere all'incirca la sera stessa.
Non sono una grande lettrice di gialli, ma i gialli per ragazzi sono anche loro fra le cose a cui fatico a resistere, quindi sì, confesso che quando mi sono decisa a leggere la quarta di copertina le mie aspettative sono schizzate alle stelle.
Una scuola di danza che addestra giovani ballerini che però sono anche spie? Sì, grazie. Una competizione prestigiosa che si conclude in un misterioso rapimento? Sono già a bordo. Le classiche dinamiche di una boardin school piena di particolarità? Sono più che conquistata.
Insomma, credevo davvero che questo sarebbe stato il libro-rivelazione del 2025.
E invece.
E invece, ahimé, mi sono trovata davanti a un libro potenzialmente carino, ma talmente confuso da risultare fastidioso e farraginoso. E non certo perché la trama sia troppo complicata: la parte gialla è anche abbastanza godibile e funziona (al netto delle esasperazioni che si possono considerare parte del genere e del target), ma è proprio la scrittura a risultare confusa. I personaggi sono tantissimi e ti vengono scaraventati addosso in una girandola infinita, spesso gli stacchi temporali e di unità narrative non sono chiari, ci si ritrova più volte a chiedersi chi stia parlando, in che luogo ci si trovi e quanto tempo sia trascorso dalla scena precedente, rendendo difficile tenere alta l'attenzione e la concentrazione.
E questo per me, che sono ben rodata su letture anche più lunghe e complesse: credo che per un ragazzino l'effetto sarebbe ancora più straniante e poco efficace.
Peccato, davvero.

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peril en Pointe is book one in the new Swan House Mystery series and does a fine job of throwing you head first into adventure, characters and high-tech ballet inspired gadgetry. No seriously, some of the "ballet-tech" that Helen Lipscombe has imagined for this story would make Bond jealous.

Milly is the protagonist. She is a nice girl, despite the history intrigue of the first chapter. All the characters within Peril en Pointe tented to fit the initial first impression the reader has upon meeting them. This works to the books advantage given the story. The only downside is that except for Milly you really don’t get to know the other characters very much and at times the story feels a tad predictive.

As an introduction to a new serious I think there are a lot of good things about Helen Lipscombe debut. I definitely love that is has so much ballet influence and I’d be interested to see how the other characters grow. I would put this story as the younger to middle age of MG readership. I think that while the story has thrills and danger it isn't too complex.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good middle fiction read which I would recommend to 9-13 year olds. The way some of the adult characters behaved was unrealistic and I guessed one of the antagonists, and suspected the other, before I was a third of the way through, but as an adult I am not the intended audience of the book.

Representation/diversity: None

Content warning (cw):

Violence: Someone is kidnapped and kept for several months. She is tied with rope and her mouth is taped. The main antagonist intends to blow up the main auditorium with the audience present. There are brief descriptions of short fights, but almost no blood/gore is present. One of the minor characters is pushed down a flight of stairs. It is unclear whether the intention was to injure or kill him.

Other: There are rumours that the pointe shoe shop is being haunted by a poltergeist. This is untrue; someone has been kidnapped and is being kept there.

[Austux Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man labai labai patiko ši 1 - oji dalis, kurią skaičiau lietuviškai❤️🥹. Labai sujaudino ir sugraudino. Kaip sakoma - mane ši knygą pati surado, o ne aš ją. Kaip kokia trauka aš ją pamačiusi iškart pasiimiau ir ŽINOMA nepasigailėjau!!!❤️🥹❤️. Labai nekantrauju 2 dalies lietuvių vertimo❤️❤️❤️. Tai pasakojimas apie baleto mokyklą, į kurią netikėtai pateko Evos dukra - Milė, o vėliau sužino, kad čia ne šiaip paprasta baleto mokykla, o kartu ir menų, šnipų. Ji dabar tik pradėjo 1 - ąjį semestrą, o jų yra begalė. Viena baleto šokėja - Vilė ir jos draugė Kamanė, labai nekenčia Milės, tačiau vėliau sužinosite kodėl taip yra. Ši knyga ir man pačiai turėjo labai labai daug paslapčių, netikėtumu, detektyvo (oooo man labai patinka❤️🥹❤️). Labai įdomi ir paslaptinga istorija, draugystė, nekentimas, pavydas, meilė, žmogiškumas, VISIŠKAS NENORMALUMAS ir daugiau... Nieko. BŪTINAI perskaitykite patys. Nenusivilsite!!❤️❤️

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this boarding school for ballet dancers and spies, especially with how the story is set up following Milly's mother's disappearance. Bab (the granny) was brilliant, even if she didn't play a huge role in the story once Milly reached Swan House. I liked the various characters that Milly met and the inclusion of the shoemakers and their craft. The twists and turns kept me guessing, although there were a few characters who I became confused about because they are only mentioned in passing and it wasn't always clear if they would be important to the storyline or not.
A great adventure story for any ballet fans or any fans of boarding school stories.

[Matti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peril en Pointe is a fast-paced YA mystery set in the high-pressure world of elite ballet. The setting is immersive and clearly well-researched, effectively capturing the intensity, rivalries, and perfectionism of a competitive dance academy. The mystery is engaging and keeps the story moving, though some character development and emotional beats feel underexplored. Overall, it’s an enjoyable, suspenseful read—especially for fans of ballet-centered stories—even if it doesn’t fully reach the depth it hints at.

[Lucy-May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh, another ballet book going on my 2019 favourites list!! This book was so original & also so amusing; the ballet/spy school idea was & is awesome & there was a witty edge to all of the writing that I just loved. This story kept me hooked throughout & I read it at every chance I got (even on my lunch breaks at work). I’m so excited about the prospect of more books set in this world & will definitely be reading more of Helen’s work!

Extended Review to follow.

[Sumehra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peril en Point by Helen Lipscombe was a good, mysterious book. The idea of trying to find her mum and getting enrolled into a ballet school was interesting. Her mum was a spy, because ballerina's make the best spy's. Overall the book held my attention all the way through, this was my fourth or fifth time reading it, and I love it. Every time I read it it brings me into the action. The author writing really makes you feel an impact with the Lilova's situation.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book this was! I feel in love with Milly and her world. The combination of a ballet school and a spy school is fantastic and I'm sure many young readers will adore this setting. Ultimately, it is the story of a girl who really loves her mum and that is what shines through. Fantastically well-written, pacy and fun - a brilliant read!

[miki · Rating 1 out of 5]

The way the foreign characters are depicted in terms of their speech, I found quite offensive. Especially because this book is aimed for kids, it's disappointing that cliché stereotypes of different nationalities are being lazily reproduced like this.

The premise was very interesting though. As a ballet fan myself, I wished I could enjoy this book.

[Freya Norrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing for the lovers of ballet or just dance in general. Milly learns to dance like her ballerina mum–but during the biggest performance of her life, she messes up and her mum disappears. Six months on, Milly receives an unexpected invitation to join the Swan House School of Ballet...
This book is a must read

[Emilia González · Rating 1 out of 5]

I speak Spanish and I went to the library I saw this book the title was in Spanish the sinopsis was in Spanish but when I went home the whole book was in Portuguese so I couldn’t read it I know that was an factory mistake but I think they should be more careful with that sort of thing I was so sad because I couldn’t read it

[aurelie *ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly such a great book! I enjoyed the plot so much and the structure of the entire story. It’s told with such great language and has so much depth and beautiful descriptions inside. Great for all ages! It’s a mix of mystery, some secret spy investigations! Danger and mystery all in one book

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect! If you love ballet or any type of dance then this is the book for you. It contains mystery and lots of drama 🎭! Borrowed this from my local library and it was definitely a good choice 👍!📚📚📚📚

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peril en Pointe was a good book that combined two of my favourite things: ballet and spies. I found the story interesting, liked the character, and enjoyed being able to predict some parts but not others.

[Vonprice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this mystery series set at a ballet school/spy training school. See my full review here:

[Fleur · Rating 3 out of 5]

It looks and sounds amazing but is actually very slow at the beginning and it only get tense at the very end.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Delightful

[Emma Nichols]

Loved it would recommend for any little dancer (7-13)

[Monoc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, de verdad tiene un gran plot twist

[EdenB15 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to the series and very interesting plot

[Karen Broughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely middle grade spy story set in a boarding ballet school. Really enjoyable read.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storia molto interessante che ti tiene incollata alle pagine.
Libro molto scorrevole e letto in un giorno.
⭐⭐⭐.5/5