Fleur Hitchcock has a way of creating tension right from the start and as with all her other books I've read, she's mastered the art of storytelling here. As a reader, you want to solve the mystery so youre following the clues but you never really want to actually get it all and this books keeps you guessing with some fun twists along the way. The scene is set beautifully and any young reader is sure to want to know "who dunnit". Thrilling and wonderfully written.

It's always challenging to find murder mystery for primary aged children, so Fleur Hitchcock is one of my 'go to' authors for this. With a plot that keeps the reading guessing mixed in with a dead bodies and very close to home danger, this will have them reading under the covers by torch light (or phone light these days) into the early hours.

When taking a shortcut home one day, Lucas and Ruby find an abandoned trunk covered in snow. Lucas jokingly remarks that it's the perfect size for a dead body and then they discover that the boss form their Mum's workplace has uncharacteristically gone missing. Is it all linked and what if there IS a dead body in that trunk?

Murder mysterys are normally not my thing, however I make an exception for this one! The Christmas theming has really made it more interesting for me. Thank you for my arc.

Nancy Drew eat your heart out! This is a proper murder mystery with genuine peril, an unpredictable ending and enough twists and turns to keep you gripped right until the end. I loved the setting and the characters. This book is perfectly suited for pupils in Year 5 and above. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a really fast-paced, exciting murder mystery story for older children. It is a bit gruesome when they find the body, so this wouldn't be suitable for younger children. But even as an adult, I was left wondering what exactly had happened. The plot unfolds at a good pace, so this book is a real page-turner.

This was totally different to my typical holiday read, but man, I loved it! The pacing was great, and revealed just enough of the plot to keep you needing more. I really loved how the story evolved and went on to reveal the murder mystery - such a cool read and a great intro into murder mysteries for younger readers. I totally need to read more from this author!

A murder mystery set around Christmas time. It’s an easy read that will keep you turning the pages to find out who the killer is. Sorry, not for me.

FLEUR Hitchcock is the master of writing a great murder mystery for children and I loved this
Cleverly done with enough clues to set a great pace
Fantastic

Fleur Hitchcock never disappoints. This latest who-done-it is cleverly paced to match the coming snowstorm and builds beautifully from a slow, steady pace into a fierce storm of edge of the seat drama.

A really enjoyable thriller.

This book is one of the more exciting novels I have read recently. It builds tension throughout and contains many a twist and turn. It is a really well written and the characters are strong. It follows step-siblings Ruby and Lucas as they unravel a mystery which threatens the safety of their family. With the disappearance of the lead doctor at the surgery at which Ruby's mother works, things begin to get strange. There are more disappearances, financial irregularities, uncovered links to previous deaths and a chase through a wildlife park in the snow. All in the quest to find out who is behind the goings-on.

This would be a great entry into the world of thrillers for any young reader.

Loved this book , a brilliant well written book that made you ready for cold snowy winter days curled up with a book , and Christmasy too. A very easy read which kept you guessing to the end..

When her step-brother, Lucas, dares her to open a trunk that’s been abandoned by the side of the road, Ruby doesn’t expect to find a body inside… even though they’d been joking about just that scenario moments earlier. The discovery plunges the two into an investigation which will take them from the packed streets of Bath during the Christmas markets,, to a snowy safari park.

Murder at Snowfall was a fun and well-paced read that would be enjoyed by middle grade readers, especially those who have enjoyed the Murder Most Unladylike series and are after something more contemporary.

I read Mouseheart in the summer thanks to an advance copy from Nosy Crow and it was brilliant so when this came up on here I was quick to request!

It is everything you could possibly want! It has a family that is still blending together, a terrifying discovery and an intriguing story to get to a conclusion with a major twist.
Ruby has lived with her mum in Bath for years by themselves. Until Mum meets Paolo, who Ruby really likes but Paolo comes complete with Lucas, her new older stepbrother, Ruby is not so sure about him! He seems to spend a lot of time playing computer games. But for some reason he puts himself forward for the school performance of Hairspray. He is terrible at dancing, and doesn't know the words to his songs. When they are late after rehearsals one day he dares Ruby to open a large box in a layby. There is the gruesome discovery! But who is the body and what do Mum's friends have to do with it?

I only realised who the murderer is just as the twist of the story happens. Much as happens in Mouseheart the twist and clues throughout keep you guessing who the "bad character" is.
The family is easy to like and to feel part of. The setting in Bath is just lovely, I even know most of the places mentioned (and the Christmas Market) because my daughter went to Uni there.
I would definitely like to get this for school.

This story begins with a gripping prologue and what follows is a superb 5 star read. In Murder at Snowfall we join Ruby and her Step being drawn into a high stakes murder mystery and all because Ruby was dared to open something she shouldn't; almost like a Pandora's box. Within each chapter there is a hint of something unknowing taking place where nothing is revealed too early and this makes this an excellent page turner. Fleur Hitchcock has this wonderful style that draws you in, wrapping you within a cloak of mystery and Murder at Snowfall does not disappoint. This is perfectly paced and keeps you guessing until the final reveal. Huge thank you to the publishers Nosy Crow and NetGalley for this early read.

Lucas and Ruby are gripped by a terrifying mystery from the moment theyfind an abandoned trunk covered in snow and open it to make a macabre discovery. Could it be linked to the fire at the surgery where Ruby's mum works and the disappearance of Dr Price? As Ruby and Lucas become closer and closer to the solution, dangers multiply - someone is trying to silence them...

This is another gripping and masterly crafted murder mystery from Fleur Hitchcock. The story is set on the background of the veryday life of Ruby and her 'Step' Lucas, struggling to form a family as sister and brother, their school life, the Christmas show they are both cast in. The whole book is both chilling as the dreadful murder and warm and fuzzy as Ruby's reconstructed family. Loved, loved, loved!!

You don’t get many murder mysteries for this age group so it was a breath of fresh air to read such a well written one for children. I’d certainly use this with my Year 5’s and Year6’s. It kept my guessing who was the culprit right until the end and the poly had many twists and turns. I liked the development of the relationship between Ruby and Lucas. The first chapter is unbeatable abs will have every child hanging off their seat in anticipation and awe.

t's always great to curl up with a gripping mystery at this time of year and this one has murder at the centre. Set in the present day, this fast-paced novel features two secondary school detectives: Ruby and her new step-brother, Lucas.

When the step-siblings find an abandoned trunk in the snow, Lucas jokes there might be a body in it and dares Ruby to open it. But the pair might soon regret their game as they are drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse...or human and lion.

This is, rather unbelievably, the first Fleur Hitchcock novel I've read and I found it highly enjoyable. Part of a series of standalone murder mysteries, this one, to me, has a stand-out USP due to the awkward family dynamics between Ruby and Lucas and the unusual and highly engaging setting of a safari park.

The plot was ultra-exciting but quite menacing for the age-group with a ruthless villain clearly willing to stop at nothing to cover up their secrets. I liked the way Ruby and Lucas made for sharp, instinctive but rather amateur sleuths, making mistakes that will have the reader shouting at the page but which enhances their relatability and likeability in the process. There are enough clues for the reader to stay one step ahead of the detectives but not necessarily guess the whole story and the ending is an edge-of-your-seat climax. Perfect for middle-grade readers who want a pacy, edge of your seat mystery set amid the familiarity of family and school, just remind them to...trust no one!

A big thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and Nosy Crow for providing me with a review copy of both novels, which are now available to pre-order.

Just as well that it is half term as the grandchildren demanded that we started to read this as soon as it arrived. My youngest granddaughter said that Fleur Hitchcock - is a genius writer. They all enjoyed the book (aged 6- 16) and indeed I did too. A great murder mystery suitable to reading to a large range of ages (but never condescending to the younger children). As good if not better than her previous books. We loved it.

Fleur Hitchcock is the undisputed queen of MG murder mysteries. She slowly builds the plot and introduces the characters, so you fall into a false sense of understanding before the twists, turns and murders begin.
With a sure sense of character, both Lucas and Ruby are awesome! They are still adapting to being step-siblings with married parents and normally ignore each other. When a Dr goes missing, mum’s friends and surgery are under inspection but it takes Lucas and Ruby finding the body to set everything in motion.

I love the coming together of the steps and them learning to trust each other, learn from each other and basically just communicate together. There are plenty of high action and thrilling events throughout this book and it is enough to have me avoiding wildlife parks for the foreseeable.

It also makes you question just what a villain or murderer might look like…as with all of Fleur’s books, there are some impressive twists and character misjudgements.

This is perfect for chilly evenings, huddled under a blanket with a warm drink!

Gripping mystery adventure. Also, a bit more grown up which I really liked. Huge thanks to the publisher for this ARC.