SO LOVELY! A really sweet read, that is clearly well-researched and conscious of the time-period. Avoids the pitfalls of classic children's book in both this genre and time period, whilst excelling as a charming children's story.

This was a great detective story set aboard a ship sailing from India to the UK, bring a whole cast of characters along the way. The main character is Isabel who has grown up isolated from her parents and raised by servants in India but when her parents die, she is sent to live with a distant Uncle in England.

One night aboard the ship, she sees one of the passengers throw another overboard but for the whole book, we do not know who the victim is let along the murderer and so have a double mystery to solve. Initially, Isabel is quite unlikeable and very prickly with the other children on board but she slowly grows to trust her two new friends Lettie and Sameer. They are very different to her, and the whole book is a great exploration of class and colonialism, but they all work together, drawing on their own personal strengths and character to eventually solve a really complex mystery.

The writing was beautiful and it was a really intriguing mystery. There were clues along the way to hint at who the victim is but it takes until the final pages to finally work it all out. I'm looking forward to reading whatever Ella Risbridger writes next!

Loved the style of the book and some of the important issues it raised, all within an entertaining story. Great characters, wonderful mystery to solve and a lovely style of writing. Throughly enjoyed.

This book is what you would get if you crossed The Secret Garden with Harriet the Spy, and then added a dollop of Agatha Christie. However, despite similar background and mannerisms, Isobel is instantly more likable than Mary Lennox! For one thing, she shows more capacity for considering the thoughts and feelings of others.

Actually, I love ALL of the characters in this story – Isobel, Sam, Letitia, Horace. The plot is a whodunnit and why mystery, and Isobel’s clear neurodiversity (which is consistent and authentic, without ever being spoken aloud or diagnosed) proves to be an asset in investigating, even if it makes social interactions very difficult for her.

In addition to neuro-differences, the story deals with racism, sexism, ageism and judging by appearances, with some very useful – but non-didactic – exploration of accepting individuals as they are and accommodating their strengths and weaknesses.

There were points where the main storyline stalled a little, but my interest in the characters kept me reading through the slower points and definitely hooked me into wanting more once the book had finished. I would love to see more from Petty & Khan, and associates!

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

This was a cute, historical middle-grade mystery. I think the relevant age will enjoy a lot. And I enjoyed reading it as an adult as well. Cute characters, good Agatha Christie-esque plot with a decent mystery. It was very entertaining.

This is a super cute middle grade historical mystery which complements the classic novel The Secret Garden. The writing style is clear and engaging and this is the sort of MG book which adults and older teenagers will enjoy as well. The mystery was extremely clever and fans of Agatha Christie will really enjoy this. Despite the historical setting the author has also ensured that the characters are diverse. I would also recommend this for teens who have read and loved the murder most unladylike series.

A great historical fiction novel.
I loved how the plot unfolded and came together.
The characters were well thought out. I can not wait for the development of this series and the characters to grow.

What if Mary from the Secret Garden witnessed a crime on the ship home from India? That's the premise of this book, although the lead character is re-imagined as Isobel Petty, who spends her time observing and making notes about others whilst not fitting in herself. Untidy and uncommunicative, she's compared badly to the very pretty Letty - daughter of the woman escorting her home - and doesn't really know how to be friends with people. Then they witness a crime alongside Sameer Khan, and Isobel finds herself with two new friends and a mystery to solve.

This was an absorbing read, It also touches on race, class, the expectations of girls to be pretty, imperialism and more, in ways which fits the characters perfectly. I ended up wanting to read more about the three of them and how they all adapt to living in the UK and their future!

Wow - what an assured debut MG novel. I love the echoes of The Secret Garden and Death on the Nile. Daisy manages to cast a web of intrigue, including a few red herrings, to keep her young readers guessing but nonetheless hooked.

Great MG historical detective book set on a ship sailing from India to England. Lots of suspects to work through, complicated by the fact the children don’t even know who the victim was. Lovely friendship theme too.

Loved this book from start to finish, so much so that I couldn’t put it down and completed it in 1 sitting. A must for any upper primary aged children.

The novel is a pastiche of The Secret Garden, and we almost get a reimagining of what happened on the journey from India to England. I absolutely loved the three main characters: Isobel, Sameer and Lettie - they were funny, witty and full of lots of character. It is a fun, middle grade mystery - and I loved how secluded the mail ship setting made the story feel. I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for a middle grade mystery that if full of wit, humour and friendship!

This is an interesting book. It is a mixture of "The Secret Garden" and the "Murder Most Unladylike" series. I know a number of 11 - 12 year olds who would enjoy it immensely.

There are three children who in the best traditions of this genre of book are largely unsupervised by the adults around them. One is an orphan, another has a hardworking father and the third has a mother on board the ship but her father is still in India. The children are a mis-matched group who do not all understand each other or get on with each other. The characters are well drawn and the plot moves along at pace.

The mystery is two-fold. Who did they see being murdered? Why is no one on board missing? Through various adventures and mishaps the mysteries are slowly solved.

The Secret Detectives is a wonderful book that will sweep you away across the ocean and transport you back in time.
When 11 year old Isobel Petty is orphaned in India, she must travel back via mail ship from the only home she has ever known to live with a distant relative in Yorkshire. She is less than thrilled to be travelling under the guardianship of the uptight and very well-to-do Mrs. Colonel Hartington-Davis, alongside her two spoilt children, Letitia and Horace. Despite being the same age as Letitia, the two girls have very little in common. Isobel is a scruffy, ill-tempered child, whereas Letitia is prim and proper with pretty bows. After sneaking out of their cabin and out onto the ship's deck in the middle of the night, Isobel witnesses a terrible crime - someone has been thrown overboard, but who? Can Isobel learn to work with Letitia and new friend Sam to uncover the identity of both victim and murderer before their ship docks and the murderer flees?
The children's characters are well-written and their contrasting personalities contribute to a great dynamic. I particularly liked Sam and his endearing use of his extensive vocabulary with accompanying explanations. The book also successfully challenges the colonialism of the time and will no doubt promote some important discussions surrounding this.
Overall, I loved this original detective tale, which certainly kept me guessing right up until the end, and I heartily recommend it.

I thought this story had an interesting plot (a murder aboard a ship from India to England, investigated by children) and interesting central characters (Isobel, Letty & Sam), but I found myself struggling to engage with it overall.

The story tracks the life aboard the mail ship - the daily goings on - primarily through the eyes of Isobel. Isobel has been orphaned in India and is moving to the UK under the care of a colonel's wife. Isobel is frustrated by her expectations and her seemingly perfect children. That is, until, she witnesses a murder and discovers that she wasn't the only person to see it. So, begins her friendship with Sam. They decide to set about solving the murder. Letty, also, joins the fray as the third member of their investigation, as they begin to whittle down suspects on the ship. With a few twists and turns along the way, they try to solve the crime before the killer can disembark.

Isobel Petty is a recent orphan who finds herself on a mail ship from India, where she has lived most of her life. This young protagonist, based on the character of Mary Lennox in ‘The Secret Garden’ is going to live with her uncle in a big house in Yorkshire. Being a minor, Isobel is accompanied by Mrs Colonel Harrington-Davis, and her two children. She hates them. In fact, Isobel dislikes quite a lot of people, and is rather baffled by the Harrington-Davis’ way of life, their hobbies and cleanliness. Lettie, the eldest child, is prim, well-groomed and adults love her. Conversely, Isobel is scruffy, blunt and independent. I fear that she’s perhaps going to be a bit of a marmite character - she struggles with empathy and accepting people for who they are, but I liked her quirkiness.

One night, Isobel witnesses a terrible crime - someone is pushed overboard. And she’s not the only one there - another child, Sameer Khan, was also on deck that night to see the fatal plunge. The two team up, and are joined by Lettie, forming the detective agency of ‘Petty, Lettie and Khan’. The relationships between the three are interesting - whilst Lettie and Khan seem to accept Isobel for exactly who she is, she is hypercritical of her female companion, and never quite sees things from Sam’s point of view either. I appreciated that issues of colonial racism were not avoided, although I do believe that maybe they could have been tackled even more firmly. There is a much stronger sense of injustice that the adults in charge ignore the three children, and younger readers will probably enjoy this antiauthoritarian storyline drawing the trio closer together.

I was interested to read that Ella Risbridger had originally planned to set her middle-grade detective novel on board a much bigger liner. In choosing a mail ship, she has effectively created a ‘locked room’ situation that is reminiscent of Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. It gives the reader a good chance at cracking the solution to ‘whodunnit’ before the end of the novel - I’ll admit that I didn’t though, and I think that the average 10-year-old may find the ‘solution’ a little bit complex.

Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read which will sit well with fans of the ‘Murder most Unladylike’ novels and ‘Enola Holmes’.

Thank you to Ella Risbridger, Nosycrow and NetGalley UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest views.

The secret detectives was a great read but had some flaws.

The writing overall was great and I really enjoyed the historical aspect of it! The characters on the ship were memorable and I wasn't confused with who's who so that was a major plus point! I didn't enjoy the character of Isobel however. Even though she had a sort of character arch and she was deliberately meant to be insuferable, I didn't like her as the main character.

The detective work felt unsystematic and jumbled but the plot twist and ending was really satisfying! Other than that this was an enjoyable read! 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc! All opinions are my own.

A fabulous story of sleuthing and friendship set on a mail ship from India to Britain - Murder on the Nile meets Emil and the Detectives. I loved the period setting (the sensitive issues of race and class were expertly handled) and the three main characters complemented each other perfectly. I was really sorry to reach England and say goodbye to them all.

I thought this was a very smart middle grade murder mystery. Using a traditional Victorian setting Ella Risbridger has managed to blend a classic mystery alongside a sharp look at the social attitudes of the time, especially in regard to those who were not English and those from the lower classes. I also really liked the way the characters developed through the story, in particular how each of the children recognised each others strengths and learned to trust each other. The plot itself was clever and the resolution very well done. If it's a new series, it's a very good start.

Really smart and clever, and it completely engrossed my 9 year old daughter. Really recommend it for libraries and schools.