"Top notch cosy crime for youngsters."
May 2026 Debut of the Month
Looking for a cosy crime novel for young readers? Murder at the Ivy Hotel is top notch, with an irresistible setting (a very special hotel), a cast of smart, adventurous youngsters, and a properly knotty murder for them to solve.
Meredith and her sister Macy live at the Ivy Hotel where their mum is the manager. The hotel’s staff – mostly long-serving – and even some of the guests are like family, and readers will envy the sisters’ lifestyle, surrounded by friends, always something interesting going on, and delicious snacks supplied by their favourite trainee chef, Jake.
But the happy world of the hotel is threatened by new owners who want to cut costs and raise profits, even if that means completely changing its culture. Their future becomes even more precarious when a newly arrived guest is discovered dead, poisoned we later learn.
Meredith and Macy are already engaged in sleuthing, with the help of the hotel’s other young resident, Colin, and making fast headway on working out the identity of the guest when Jake is blamed for the man’s death. As things get desperate, they need all their intelligence and bravery to establish the truth.
Emily Hourican is a successful writer for adults and this a very well written, well-paced and immensely satisfying read. Watch out for Agatha too: one of the hotel’s oldest residents and a friend to the girls, there’s something of Miss Marple about her and she’s delightfully ready to believe the children when most adults would be telling them to stay out of the action. Highly recommended.
Two girls who live in a hotel are drawn into a murder mystery in this charming, classic-feeling cosy-crime children's debut from bestselling Irish author Emily Hourican - perfect for fans of Murder Most Unladylike, The Swifts and Enid Blyton.
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the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
Two girls who live in a hotel are drawn into a murder mystery in this charming, classic-feeling cosy-crime children's debut from bestselling Irish author Emily Hourican - perfect for fans of Murder Most Unladylike, The Swifts and Enid Blyton. Twelve-year-old Meredith and ten-year-old Macy feel like the luckiest girls around.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Murder at the Ivy Hotel and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Murder at the Ivy Hotel features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Crime & Mystery, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Murder at the Ivy Hotel was written by Emily Hourican and published by Scholastic
Murder at the Ivy Hotel has 291 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
