Murder on a School Night by Kate Weston is a menstrual themed murder mystery. Yes, you heard me. Teenagers Kerry and Annie are both interested in solving mysteries and soon one arrives right on their doorstep.
Their mystery solving abilities seem limited when the book starts. Annie has read 10 Agatha Christie books over the holidays and Kerry wants to be an investigative journalist. Currently the only investigation they’ve taken part in is to find out why one set of pigeons have glossier feathers than another. But when the most popular girl from school, Heather, accuses them of trolling her they decide to help her find out who is really behind the messages.
The messages are pretty dark. Someone is pretending to be Heather’s father who died the previous year in a jet ski accident. He was the owner of a period products company and when Heather’s best friend Selena is found dead in his office with a menstrual cup in her mouth it certainly looks like there might be a connection.
Annie and Kerry are a delight to read about. They are fun, they are feminist and they are bold. Annie desperately wants to become popular but is effortlessly cool in her own way. Who else could rock up for the first day of sixth form on their six year old sibling’s paw patrol bicycle? She knows what she wants and will go about it in an energetic and enthusiastic way.
Kerry is a little bit different to her friend. She’s a worrier and more easily embarrassed than her friend. Many an entertaining situation comes from Kerry’s view of the situation. Together they make a great crime fighting duo. Kerry mentions her anxiety meds and needs to be on her own sometimes but it’s part of her character rather than the focus of the story.
There is also Kerry’s love interest Scott to complicate matters with his sexy band T-shirt and leather jacket. He’s new to the area, in a band and turning Kerry into a clumsier version of herself distracted by his sheer attractiveness. He’s certainly getting a novel tour of the town when someone is killed at the first party he goes to. Can Kerry focus on finding a killer with a boy on her mind? (Totally!)
Feminist, fun and fabulous. This book will have you laughing out loud. There are some great one liners, fantastic characters and loads of amusing situations for the girls to get themselves into.
I found the blurb grabbed me immediately by being so outlandishly entertaining and I enjoyed the start of the book as we get to know the characters. For me it slowed a little in the middle section but the pace ramps up for the second half. I read the last 180 pages in pretty much one go. There are some bits of the plot you can guess at but I wouldn’t call it predictable. I enjoyed reading it and felt it really grabbed me as a young woman though it could be enjoyed by anyone.
Kerry and Annie will also be back in Murder on Summer Break in September 2024 with the murder of an influencer at a social media festival. Get ready for the girls to catch another killer.
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