Murder on a Midsummer Night

Murder on a Midsummer Night

🕵️‍♀️🌳👗🦋

by Lucy Strange

★★★*

At a glance

Things I loved:

✍🏼 Author: Lucy Strange

🎨 Illustrator: Hannah Peck

📅 Release Date: 2nd July 2026

📚 Book type: Dyslexia-friendly chapter, 120 pages

🌟 Reader level: Growing

🕵️‍♂️ A gentle first murder mystery
📖 Simple, engaging language
👗 Creative costumes and illustrations
🌲 Magical midsummer woodland setting
🧒 Young detectives solving the puzzle
🎭 Not scary - perfectly safe for younger kids
🎉 Fun costume party atmosphere

Dive Deeper

My Thoughts...

I picked this one up because my class loves Barrington Stoke books - they’re so accessible, especially for readers who need a bit more confidence - and of course, if there’s a murder on the cover, we have to get it!

The story is set at Sir Percy's midsummer costume party at Mulberry Hall, where guests arrive dressed as woodland creatures. Halfway through the book, someone is killed, and siblings Eliza Rose, Bram Rose, and their friend Krish Swan team up to uncover the truth.

One thing I loved was the character guide at the front - it’s so handy to flick back and remember who’s who and what their costumes look like. It adds a lovely visual touch.

I also appreciated that the mystery is simple. There are no complicated twists, making it perfect for introducing younger readers to murder mysteries without any gore.

🌟I’d recommend this to Year 3+ as a gentle but exciting introduction to the genre, while Year 4-6 will enjoy it too.🌟

Blurb

It’s the night of Sir Percy’s midsummer costume party, and Mulberry Hall has been turned into an enchanting wonderland. But the evening takes a dark turn when grumpy guest Magnus Cooper is mysteriously poisoned.

The bumbling village policeman is baffled, so it’s down to Eliza, Bram and Krish to solve the mystery. Can they find out who had access to the bottle of poison? Did a demon really appear in the maze? And what on earth is going on down in Sir Percy’s cellar?