'A cosy whodunnit set in a magical hotel' The Times Children's Book of the Week (21 March 2026)
'The most bewitching murder mystery I've ever read!' SOPHIE ANDERSON, author of THE HOUSE WITH CHICKEN LEGS
Welcome to Hotel Marvelo - a luxury retreat for magic-makers!
Hotel Marvelo is famous for allowing all magical beings a place to relax, rest and recover in safety. Until, that is, the wizard Henry Gravelaxe, is discovered dead in the spa. But who is the murderer?
As soon as his parents are blamed, Finnian Marvelo knows that he must do everything he can to clear their names. Together with his siblings Juniper and Teddy, Finnian sets about using his exhaustive knowledge of the hotel to interview the guests and hunt for clues to reveal the truth.
But it soon becomes clear that not even Finnian knew everything there is to know about the hotel - and more than one of their guests is hiding something.
Could the murderer be:
Miss Romunculus, the alchemist?
Gruffydd, the water sprite?
Cornelius Ashwand, the sorceror?
To make matters even harder, their new guardian Mrs Weatherly, is determined that they should stop investigating and focus on their studies. But with the clock ticking, the pressure is on to solve the murder before time runs out!
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Ruth Lauren is the author of Prisoner of Ice and Snow. She lives in a Victorian house in the West Midlands, England with family and a lot of cats. She likes chocolate, walking in the woods, cheese, orchids, going to the movies, and reading as many books as she can. She's been a teacher and worked in many different offices, but she likes writing best.
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Federica Frenna was born in 1990 in Agrigento, Sicily. After studying at the Art Institute of Sciacca, she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo for studying for a degree in Graphic Design. She began working as a freelance Graphic Designer until she approached the world of digital art and illustration at age twenty-five. Federica began attending va
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