Murder at Hotel Marvelo

When a magicide takes place at their parents’ luxury hotel it’s up to the three Marvelo children, Finnian, Juniper and Teddy, to work out who is responsible, especially as the grown up Marvelos have been arrested, charged and threatened with banishment. Slowly they begin piecing together the evidence, working out for themselves, and in a way that will be particularly satisfying to young readers, just how detectives go about their work. The arrival of the increasingly strict Mrs Weatherly as the children’s court-appointed guardian makes things harder as does the fact that their guests/suspects are all magical beings – witches, a griffin, an alchemist, a water sprite, even a banshee (by far the most reclusive). Our junior sleuths solve the mystery through proper detective work with the identity and motive of the guilty party a shock for everyone. As murder mysteries go this is very good, reminiscent of the best locked room puzzles, while the magical setting allows for all sorts of original twists. Equally enjoyable for readers will be spending time in the company of Finnian – earnest, a worrier, surprised at what he can achieve – and his siblings. His stepsister Juniper is pretty much his exact opposite, hot -headed, reckless but equally determined to crack the case, while their half-sister six-year-old Teddy has her own approach to life. It’s never said, but we can work out from her behaviour that Teddy is autistic, and the tender, realistic representation of their family dynamic is another element that sets this book above the average murder mystery. Illustrator Federica Frenna has fun depicting the hotel and its unusual guests and the ending sets the stage perfectly for another Marvelo siblings criminal investigation.