A really quirky and fun Murder mystery for middle grade aged kids. Fun and lively with relatable characters that readers will warm to and enjoy going on adventures with

I originally clicked “Will Not Review” for this title last summer because the style of writing, which addresses children as it primary audience didn’t engage me. BUT, my godchildren are running out of books and I remembered that I had this so I read it and it was just so perfect for them: 11, 10, and 8 years old. It’s thrilling and engaging. It caught the attention of all genders and they are already desperate for more. I think this ideal for adventures with a bit of passive history very happily added together. We started to look up people and talk about other Black people in Britain. A delight.

Fun and mysterious this new middle grade novel has the feeling of the ever classic ‘the famous five’ series mixed in with historical characters you might recognise and a vibe of our favourite game Cluedo. The writing although a bit Jolty at first slowly got into the rhythm of the mystery and bounced along the page following our intriguing and richly developed main characters through the maze that is the theatre and London. The contrast between the two characters draws you in making you want to know that little bit more about them with their history and background as well as their own characteristics and little quirks.
Not only does this little book have such a vibe in connection with one of my childhood classics ‘the famous five’ , but it also brings across to young readers the important message about friendship, and highlights the struggles committed against people of colour at that time in a way in which the child reader can understand in a safe environment.

Although I did find the book a little disjointed at the beginning and the flow was not quite there from beginning to end, it was a fun little mystery to read and with an ending like that I am intrigued to read the next one in the series.

A massive thank you to far sure and Net gallery for sending me an e-book and physical early proof of this beautiful little mystery.

What a charming book. As I was given it just before the archive date (thank you Netgalley), I read it myself without the children. It was a delight, two strong but very different female lead characters, interesting supporting cast and great settings. I will have to read it again at the weekend as the children will love this.

Thank you so much to Farshore and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Lizzie’s dad is to be the first African to lead Othello but a shadowy figure is spotted by only two girls as the chandelier falls down attempting to crush Lizzie’s father. Together the girls Lizzie and Belle want to figure out who he was, why he did what he did and ensure it is safe for her dad to resume his role. Their investigation takes them down a darker path than they expected.

What an amazing historical mystery, it is so thrilling and really entertaining. I’m learning so much but also finding it such an unusual and fascinating mystery. It keeps unravelling but no answers are solved throughout most of the story, it takes a long time to be able to start piecing it together and solving it all. I was unable to piece it all together myself for most of it, you’d think one thing and then another thing is brought to light.

The characters are all really interesting, I love the contrast of lives between Belle and Lizzie, it makes them work in such an interesting way. Belle being brought up by an incredibly rich family who gets everyone’s attention, but is incredibly lonely. Then we have Lizzie a girl from a bigger family that are deep into education and helping one an other, she’s a girl with an Inquisitive mind and doesn’t rest until she gets her answers.

It’s a really interesting mystery and I loved the way it was written, I loved the adventure it took Lizzie on, though at times I was scared for her. It wasn’t a safe world and she did a lot of things without considering the consequences or dangers to it all. This story had my heart racing and it got quite scary and tense, I didn’t see any of it coming and it was scary. These girls were powerful though an incredibly brave, they solved everything even after knowing all the dangers that lurked around them.

It’s a mystery you quickly and easily get sunk into it but aren’t really able to solve everything quickly. I really enjoyed the friendship within the story too, they formed such a strong connection and they learnt to trust each other more and more as time went on. You’ll go through so many emotions reading it but it was thrilling and enjoyable and such a fun story to unfold. I’m looking forward to the second one in the series.

A quick, easy and thrilling read that I think middle grade readers will love. It was gripping and engaging the whole way through. I loved it.

I really enjoyed this story. I love mystery stories and I always think it's great when there are ones written for children. The story kept me guessing all the way through and even at the end when I thought that I'd worked out who the guilty parties were, turns out I was wrong. I found it fascinating that the two main characters were based on people who actually existed. I loved the glimpses of Victorian life.; the way Lizzie and Belle could only communicate through letters, horses and carriages as a way to get about and the importance of coffee houses as meeting placed. Also, the way J.T.Williams has woven the impact of enslavement into the book and the threat that it continued to pose even after someone who had been enslaved was free was so thoughtfully done. I think the children in my school would find this book a gripping read and it would spark some very thought provoking conversations. I can't wait for the next in the series.

J. T. Williams is new to me, but I love children’s crime stories, and the cover looked like a lot of fun, so I leapt right in.

I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. I loved the two main characters, Lizzie and Belle, and the friendship that springs up between them. They are resilient, persistent, and kind. I love that they are based on real people. I also loved the Sancho family dynamics, it was so much fun to read about all Lizzie’s siblings.

The plot was excellent too, the girls gradually unravel the mystery, as they find out more and more about what is going on in the world around them. I was kept interested on every page.

The setting of London in 1777 comes across very clearly, and made me feel like I was really there. The illustrations by Simone Douglas are lovely, and really bring the story (even more) to life.

Overall, this was a wonderful adventure, in a world that feels very real. I highly recommend it, to children and adults alike. I’m so looking forward to the new Lizzie & Belle mystery (Portraits and Poisoning)!

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

I felt this book had a lot of potential but it just wasn't for me. I was intrigued enough to finish the book, but by the end I was glad to be finished. The mystery of who dropped the chandelier on Lizzie's father was ok, but not very compelling. It was twisted in with other interesting stories, and I enjoyed the historical aspect, especially given how they discussed African history and slavery, that despite slavery being abolished, black people were still being captured and shipped overseas as slaves, and very few people seemed to care or be doing anything about it. I found this aspect of the story much more interesting. And the fact that it told of 2 black girls in different parts of society where most would assume they wouldn't be or perhaps wouldn't be allowed to be (shopkeeper/actor & adopted daughter of a rich family) when they absolutely were, i found this really interesting and liked that it brought attention to this.
but overall, I just didn't much enjoy the story, the characters were ok, but didn't really grab me.