A Skeleton in the Closet

Brand new for 8- to 12-year-old murder-mystery readers in 2025, debut author Claire Hatcher-Smith’s unique detective heroine Mizzy will steal your heart! Perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and Sharna Jackson.

“Funny, tautly plotted and twisty debut with a unique and delightful heroine” Guardian

‘A brilliant debut’ The Bookseller

Twelve-year-old Mizzy dreams of being a detective and she won’t let anything stand in her way – not her reputation for tall tales, or her embarrassing fear of escalators, and definitely not her Down syndrome. Dumped for the summer with cousins who’ve outgrown her, Mizzy feels even more sidelined than usual. But when she discovers Great Aunt Jane’s diaries in a locked wardrobe in their spare room, and realises her aunt didn’t die in her sleep but under suspicious circumstances, everything changes. What’s more ? someone in the family appears to have been involved.

Under the guise of a family-tree project for school, and armed with a brand new set of Pipsqueak markers, Mizzy grabs the chance to prove herself to her cousins – and the world.

“Pacey and funny with a twisty plot and a fabulous heroine in Mizzy, A Skeleton in the Closet explores themes of being underestimated in a brilliant, relatable way. I couldn’t put it down!” Phillipa Leathley, author of Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo

“This absorbing, accessible story makes for a perfect ‘first’ murder mystery – packed with all the right ingredients like clues, red herrings, twists and turns, but nothing gruesome or gory. A total delight!” BookTrust

“This makes our Top 10 because of its page-turning murder mystery, endearing heroine and cast of English eccentrics.” The Bookseller Children’s Buyers Guide Spring 2025

“Twelve-year-old Mizzy is a great detective, and when she uncovers an unsolved murder in her own family, nothing will stand in the way of her discovering whodunnit: not unconvinced cousins, disapproving parents or her own Down syndrome. Mizzy the Marvellous is on the case in this funny, tautly plotted and twisty 9+ debut with a unique and delightful heroine” Imogen Russell Williams, Guardian

“A wonderfully engaging and exciting book; fast-paced and full of fun, this story will appeal to children of a curious nature” INIS Magazine