This book is a promising addition to the field of children's mystery novels.

Set in Victorian times in a fictionalised York(e), there is some lovely writing about its narrow streets and cat statues. The main character is 12 year old Rose Raventhorpe, daughter of Lord Frederick, the Baron of Yorkesborough. Rose is a tenacious investigator who is neglected by her vain mother; hopefully we will learn a lot more about Rose in future books in the series.

My quibble with this book comes down to Rose's life: she is a Lord's daughter and has an ultra-conventional mother yet she somehow is governessed by a butler and often runs free without a chaperone; more than this, she attends a funeral; and even more than this she reads a poem at the funeral. None of this would have happened in Victorian York. Yes the setting is fictional but so many Victorian class and gender conventions are kept in the book that these aberrations jarred with me. Hopefully this will be sorted out in Rose's future adventures. Personally, I will also be glad if there are no more supernatural elements in the series.

Despite these minor points, Black Cats and Butlers has real charm and Rose's friend Emily Proops is fabulous: she 'always wore mourning from top to toe. This was in memory of her late Pomeranian dog'. The Guardians and the Crows are well drawn too. I will definitely read the second book in the series when it is available.

This was a really cute story that I devoured in one night. Full of history, mystery and a hint of magic, Black Cats and Butlers is a lovey book with fun characters and a clever storyline. A perfect murder mystery for a Middle Grade audience!

Rose Ravensthorpe is a lady of class and pedigree, but when her beloved butler, Argyle is murdered, she sets out on an unladylike mission to find Argyle’s killer. Along the way she discovers grave robbers, magicians, a whole bunch of missing feline statues… and a secret society of sword-wielding butlers. Now Rose must find out how they are connected if she is to have any hope of bringing Argyle’s killer to justice…

There were so many things I adored about this book. First, all the butlers came with really creative names that I enjoyed reading aloud. You know, those kind of words that just roll off your tongue, particularly if you are putting on a posh accent... and this book made me want to do a lot of posh accents :)

Secondly, I liked that this book was set in York (one of my favourite places) and I could easily imagine and relate to many of the buildings. Considering most English books are set in London, or sometimes Edinburgh - York was a refreshing change.

Rose was quick witted and brave, overall a pretty awesome heroine. However, I would have liked to have seen the secondary characters filled out a little more. I’m hoping both the butlers and grave robbers get a little more page time and backstory in the next book since they certainly caught my interest in this one. However, I think Rose’s gothic best-friend, Emily was one of the most amusing characters of the book. I really hope she will be making an appearance in the sequels!

Otherwise as far as the story goes, the plot was fast paced with plenty of action. Each problem intrigued me - although some were easily resolved - while others were less obvious and harder to work out. The killer’s identity was particularly well hidden with plenty of red herrings - and while I did guess who it was before the big reveal, the story certainly kept me on my toes right up until the end.

I also enjoyed the hint of magic at the end of the book. I thought it fitted well with the story since there was always an underlining promise of it, and it makes me curious to read more books in this series.

Overall a most enjoyable story that I think fans of Stephanie Burgis and Katherine Woodfine will enjoy. A deliciously sharp edged tale, I give Black Cats and Butlers 4 stars!

Black Cats and Butlers was so much fun to read. It’s a middle-grade murder-mystery romp through Victorian London, complete with a secret service of Butlers and ancient prophecies regarding cat statues. How could that not be a winning combination?

The story focuses on Rose Raventhorpe, a young girl with a big imagination that doesn’t quite mesh with her mother’s ideas of propriety. She adores her Butler, Argyle, and is obviously distraught when he is murdered – stabbed on the doorstep of Rose’s home and clutching a black glove – more so as Argyle’s murder is the third murder of its kind. Rose’s investigation into Argyle’s murder leads, as the blurb suggests, on a ‘journey into a hidden world of grave robbers and duelling butlers, flamboyant magicians and the city's ancient feline guardians’ and it is just as much of a fun journey as it sounds.

I absolutely adored Rose. She’s smart, imaginative, caring, and brave – a generally lovely and refreshing character to read. She makes mistakes but she always has the best intentions and wants nothing more than to find Argyle’s murderer and make sure that justice is served. The other butlers were hilarious – an elite group who are Guardians of Yorke, protecting the city and its inhabitants, and Heddsworth, Bronson, and Malone were excellent supporting characters to Rose’s investigation. Rose’s friend Emily was another hilarious addition, a hilariously dramatic young lady in mourning for her beloved Pomeranian.

The story as a whole is brilliant – the writing is simple and easy to read, and I had such a good time reading it. It is a prime example of a fun, light read, and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things that were happening. One of the most impressive things about this story was the atmosphere. Beacham has created an incredibly vivid world; Yorke is based on Yorkshire’s gorgeous city of York (a place I love) and it felt so real, all cobbled streets, great architecture, and hidden treasures.

It is very much a middle-grade story but I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting something light and heart-warming, I certainly found it a welcome break from the more intense novels I’ve been reading lately.

Rose Raventhorpe makes her debut outing while exploring the Skittleways of her beloved Yorke, with her butler, Argyle, who teaches her about the feline guardians of the city. On a morning walk on her 12th birthday, with her best friend, Emily, Rose notices that some of the cat statues are missing, and is desperate to discuss their disappearance with Argyle, but there is no time, as she must prepare for her party. Before it begins, Argyle is murdered on the doorstep in front of her and she vows to bring his killer to justice.

With the help of Silvercrest Hall, and the Guardians of Yorke, Rose plunges headfirst into a murder-mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. With plenty of plot twists, an interesting ensemble of supporting characters, and a hint at the supernatural, this was a lovely read, in a genre that already has some big hitters.

Great for fans of The Sinclair Mysteries, Murder Most Unladylike, Nancy Drew and good-old fashioned murder-mysteries.