Murder Is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens - OPTIONAL

Stevens, Robin Murder Is Bad Manners, 307 pgs. Simon & Schuster, 2014. $16.99. Language:  G (1 swear); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG.  

Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells attend Deepdean Boarding School and have started a secret detective society -- the Wells and Wong Detective Society.  Daisy is the president and Hazel is the secretary.  Hazel takes her role seriously and is always trying to keep notes of what goes on in school.  Late one afternoon on her way to dinner, she realizes she left her notebook in the gym and returns to get it when she finds the body of one of her teachers, Miss Bell, dead in the gym.  She runs to find help but finds Daisy instead.  When they return to the gym,  the body is not only gone but there is no evidence a body was there.   The next day the students are told Miss Bell handed in her resignation and left the school, but Hazel knows she saw Miss Bell's body.  Fortunately Daisy not only believes Hazel but informs her that the Wells and Wong Detective Society have their first real mystery to solve.  

For students that like mysteries, this one works.  The mystery unfolds at a good pace without being obvious who the guilty party is.  I didn't, however, love Daisy.  She was mean and condescending, mostly to Hazel, completely disregarding any input she gives.  Fortunately Daisy does come around at the end and sees the value that Hazel not only brings to their friendship but to the mystery they solved as well.  

MS - OPTIONAL Reviewer: RB