The Ministry of Unladylike Activity

Author Robin Stevens
Narrator Samantha Shortall, Thaddea Graham, Robin Stevens
Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
Publish Date 20 October 2022
Run Time 9 hours and 20 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction and true stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Crime and mystery fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Historical fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Military and war fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Racism.

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What to expect

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Britain is at war, and a secret arm of the British government called the Ministry of Unladylike Activity is training up spies. And who better to become a spy than a child? A child can go places, see things and listen in on conversations in a way that no adult ever can.

Enter May Wong and her friends. Trained up at the Ministry, they soon embark upon their first mission: masquerading as evacuees, they are sent to a wealthy manor house to spy on the owner, who is suspected of working for the enemy.

And then the murder happens...

© Robin Stevens 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

As funny, clever, and warm as we've come to expect from Robin Stevens, The Ministry of Unladylike Activity is such a delight

Louise O'Neill

Robin Stevens is Agatha Christie for children: her books have all the rich satisfactions, all the twists and pleasures and the enormous delights of instant mystery classics. I am always hungry for the next one

Katherine Rundell on the Murder Most Unladylike series

Emotionally involving, enjoyably logical and engaging . . . The sense of place, time and voice are carefully created, and whether you solve the mystery before May, Eric and Nuala or not, you will make the 400-page journey - despite deaths on the way - with a spring in your step

Times

A new crew of resourceful children takes the helm . . . Meticulous, lightly worn research and sharp character observation

Guardian

The author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series is returning to what she does best, which is creating a fictional world full of child detectives, period details, sumptuous settings and, yes, murder . . . Spirited and fun, this is a must for young murder mystery fans

Bookseller

Expect excitement, intrigue, friendship and a puzzling mystery

Week Junior

Much superb Agatha Christie-style whodunnitry

Observer

This is an exciting book full of suspense . . . I give it 10/10!

Nat Geo Kids

Rip-roaring stuff

Daily Mail

A fiendishly plotted, astutely observed novel that's equally perfect for avid Stevens fans and new readers. Absolutely thrilling!

Louie Stowell

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