This is hands down one of my favourite books of the year for several reasons - a great twisty mystery, a brilliant cast of characters, especially Isobel, and the way this book reckons with the colonialism of classic children's literature.⁠ ⁠ When Isobel Petty is orphaned, she finds herself aboard the S.S. Mariana travelling from India to England, where she will go to live with her uncle. But one evening when she sneaks out of bed, she witnesses a murder - someone is thrown overboard. But no one seems to be missing, and the captain doesn't seem alarmed. Together with her new friends Sam (who keeps insisting he is the Holmes to her Watson) and Lettie (who she definitely does not like, not at all), the Petty, Lettie and Khan detective agency agree to solve the murder before they reach England.⁠ ⁠ The murder mystery is well executed and kept me guessing right up until the end. I completely fell for Petty, Lettie and Khan, especially Isobel. She's a noticer, she's blunt, she doesn't really get people, and she's a wonderful addition to the autistic canon.⁠ ⁠ If you are reading the premise and think it sounds a little like the opening of The Secret Garden, you'd be correct. Instead of Mary Lennox, we have Isobel. The Secret Detectives is a sort of prequel, sort of retelling, that successfully interrogates the colonialist past of beloved children's classics. Isobel's experiences of questioning just how things are done are thought provoking, and I really think that alongside being a really enjoyable brilliant book, this is a book that will make readers think. And that's no mean feat.⁠ ⁠ I loved Petty, Lettie & Khan and even though I know, because of the whole plot of it, that there will not likely be a sequel I really wish there would be a sequel. A whole series. I want more time with Isobel Petty.⁠

A sentiment that I wholly understand. I am not one for people or animals ‘passing’. They die. From page 11 I realised that I was beginning to like Isobel. She and I are of like mind…I also appreciate Horace. Direct and to the point. Perhaps not tactful, but then ‘they’ will tell you that I’m regularly not. This is a story of Isobel, returning to England after her parents have died, under the care of Mrs Colonel Hartington-Davis. She is not like Mrs Colonel H-D’s daughter – as unalike as the traditional chalk and cheese. So it seems. 'Isobel disliked Letitia form the very start. This was not because Letitia disliked Isobel, although she probably did. Everybody disliked Isobel, perhaps because she herself disliked almost everybody.' This is a murder mystery set on a ship – where not only is the identity of the murderer unknown, but so is that of the lost body. It seems there can’t have been a murder…but the murder was seen – so who was the unknown body – and why isn’t anyone else searching for the missing passenger? Great fun – as I said I liked Isobel – she has a wonderful imagination…though that is surprising for someone who doesn’t read… '…a thousand poison ants crawling into Letitia’s long hair and the collar of her sailor dress, stripping the flesh from her bones, even –' So – one for those who enjoy the Murder Most Unladylike series (Robin Stevens) & Violet Veil Mysteries (Sophie Cleverly) – and hopefully the start of a new series about Isobel…

This is magnificent. I raced through this is twenty-four hours and can't stop giddily recommending it to everyone I come into contact with. The year is 1892, Isobel Petty is recently orphaned and being taken from her home in India to live with her uncle in Yorkshire. On board the S.S. Mariana she witnesses someone being thrown overboard. No one believes children when they say a murder has taken place so, along with her new friends, Isobel decides to solve the mystery herself. Will Petty, Lettie and Khan manage to get to the bottom of this? The characters are all superbly written and feel real from the get go. This is a sharp book that is gloriously, properly funny and I absolutely adored it. The book is partly inspired by The Secret Garden and it was really interesting reading this having reread the Hodgeson-Burnett classic earlier in the year. Risbridger fleshes out a Mary Lennox-esque character and confronts that period of history and the influence of colonialism. It is a thoroughly brillaint book.

This is hands down one of my favourite books of the year for several reasons - a great twisty mystery, a brilliant cast of characters, especially Isobel, and the way this book reckons with the colonialism of classic children's literature.⁠ ⁠ When Isobel Petty is orphaned, she finds herself aboard the S.S. Mariana travelling from India to England, where she will go to live with her uncle. But one evening when she sneaks out of bed, she witnesses a murder - someone is thrown overboard. But no one seems to be missing, and the captain doesn't seem alarmed. Together with her new friends Sam (who keeps insisting he is the Holmes to her Watson) and Lettie (who she definitely does not like, not at all), the Petty, Lettie and Khan detective agency agree to solve the murder before they reach England.⁠ ⁠ The murder mystery is well executed and kept me guessing right up until the end. I completely fell for Petty, Lettie and Khan, especially Isobel. She's a noticer, she's blunt, she doesn't really get people, and she's a wonderful addition to the autistic canon.⁠ ⁠ If you are reading the premise and think it sounds a little like the opening of The Secret Garden, you'd be correct. Instead of Mary Lennox, we have Isobel. The Secret Detectives is a sort of prequel, sort of retelling, that successfully interrogates the colonialist past of beloved children's classics. Isobel's experiences of questioning just how things are done are thought provoking, and I really think that alongside being a really enjoyable brilliant book, this is a book that will make readers think. And that's no mean feat.⁠ ⁠ I loved Petty, Lettie & Khan and even though I know, because of the whole plot of it, that there will not likely be a sequel I really wish there would be a sequel. A whole series. I want more time with Isobel Petty.⁠

I continue with my inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett reads with this beauty! This made my historical fiction, detective mystery loving heart so happy as well. I’d also say this is more loosely based on The Secret Garden. When Isobel Petty is orphaned, she finds herself being taken away from her home in India & sent to live with a distant uncle in England. On board the S.S. Mariana, she witnesses a shocking act – somebody being thrown overboard in the middle in the night. But when the ship’s captain insists that nobody is missing, Isobel & her two new reluctant friends must solve two mysteries – the identities of both the murderer & the victim – before they reach England & the culprit has the chance to escape. I did find myself wondering why they didn’t go right away & say someone went overboard, so maybe they could be saved lol They didn’t even think of doing that. But they’re kids & were scared. Sam has my heart. What a great little detective. I loved Isobel & all of her unique ways. Lettie got on my nerves, but also grew on me as well. The 3 of them made quite the detective trio! Absolutely loved their HQ too! Horace kind of disgusted me lol, & irritated me with his snooty behavior. He is very young though, & a side character. Everyone was written so well though. There were many suspects to keep track of, & I didn’t entirely know/remember who everyone was until about halfway through, but it was all very exciting! I had no idea who did it & why, or who the victim was. It’s not very often you also don’t even know who the victim is. Very intriguing! I loved that some of the things written in the original that were a product of the time(but wrong regardless)were addressed in a way, by the author writing in how it wasn’t right how people treated people from India. Great messages/themes in here like that, & another is how important a good friendship can be. I loved watching Isobel making her first friend, & open herself up to more than her anger & everything she carried with her. Don’t know if this will become a series, but I’d love to see where they go from here! Stunning cover by Ray Tierney too!