Murder at the Ivy Hotel

Murder at the Ivy Hotel by Emily Hourican is one of The Irish Times' best new children's books of the summer. According to The Telegraph, it is "a thoroughly engaging read," and Hana Tooke, author of The Unadoptables, describes it as "a deliciously cosy and clever mystery with buckets of charm, and a cast of characters you can't help but adore."

This charming, classic-feeling cosy-crime children's debut invites readers into a world where two girls who live in a hotel are drawn into a murder mystery. A perfect fit 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 Ivy Hotel in Dublin is old, beautiful, and beloved, with a tight-knit staff that feels like family, and they get to call it home.

Meredith and Macy's mum is the General Manager, and their modest apartment is tucked away in a corner, but it has lots of perks. The girls make friends with long-term residents, like Colin, the quiet little boy who plays piano, and Agatha, the eccentric older lady who stays in a plush suite with her dog, Milo. The girls love spying on fancy events, sneaky treats from the restaurant, and knowing all the secret stairs and corridors that guests never see, where the staff move around invisibly, making sure everything runs like clockwork...

This is going to come in handy. Because within the cosy walls of the Ivy Hotel, there is also danger, intrigue, and threat. Just as the hotel's new owners arrive, ready to sniff out any excuse to make cuts and fire staff, the girls are faced with their biggest task yet: a murder to solve.

Murder at the Ivy Hotel offers a welcoming and super-cosy hotel setting with a loveable cast of characters and a dash of danger, perfect for mystery fans aged 9-12. Alternating perspectives from two brilliant sisters - responsible and emotional Meredith and fierce, logical Macy - add depth to the story. It is full of suspense, sleuthing, and twisting discoveries, as the kids take the lead, cleverly uncovering the identity of a mysterious guest and his even more mysterious death.

Praise for Murder at the Ivy Hotel:

"A beautifully plotted, perfectly old-fashioned, gorgeously written, heartwarming story - cosy, compelling, impossible to put down." - Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, author of The Apple Tart of Hope

"A very enjoyable story." - Books for Keeps

"A satisfying, suspenseful read for those who like a gore-free murder mystery." - BookTrust

"A very well written, well-paced and immensely satisfying read." - LoveReading4Kids, Star Pick

"Well paced and with plenty of twists and turns, Murder at the Ivy Hotel is a very engaging whodunnit." - ReadingZone