The Mystery of the Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a lovely story – for readers both young and old – full of Edwardian period detail, endearing characters and a thrilling mystery. The book really captures a sense of the time and place – London, 1909, the arts scene and the suffragette movement, the glamour of Sinclair’s department store and the excitement of the Cafe Royal. The mystery of the stolen painting was well plotted and there is a rousing conclusion full of intrigue, daring and bravery from our young heroines and heroes.
My only minor issues are that I wish I’d read the earlier books in the series first, as there appear to be possible spoilers for at least one of the earlier cases; and that, by the end of the book, I was getting a bit tired of the phrase “All at once”!
Minor gripe aside, I thought this was a great story and will definitely be reading more from Sophie and Lil, et al. With thanks to NetGalley and Egmont Publishing for the ARC of The Mystery of the Painted Dragon.
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