Death Before Detention

‘This is one of those books where the voice sparkles from the very first page. Funny, fresh and filled with mystery, I can see this book being devoured by fans of Murder Most Unladylike and Pamela Butchart’ – Chris Edge, author of Escape Room
‘Funny, clever, and sharp. A brilliant new take on the murder mystery boarding school genre. More please!’ – Pádraig Kenny, author of Tin and The Monsters of Rookhaven
‘Crackling with energy, pace and more jokes than even Sherlock Holmes could keep track of, Weatherby’s a fantastic new voice in upper middle-grade. Crime shouldn’t be this much fun …’ * Dave Rudden, author of the Knights of the Borrowed Dark trilogy *
‘A gripping rollercoaster ride full of compelling characters, mean-spirited fellow students, grumpy Guards and neurotic nuns … as well as a slightly puzzling corpse in the kitchen cooler! … A truly exhilarating read with more twists than a mother superior’s rosary beads’ – Alan Nolan, author of the Molly Malone and Bram Stoker series
‘With an irresistible heroine and a fantastically distinctive voice, this funny, twisty mystery will appeal to 9+ Robin Stevens fans’ * The Guardian *
‘An exciting murder mystery full of twists and turns, with a modern-day boarding school setting, dark secrets and friendship dramas’ * Natasha Mac a’Bháird, author the Sycamore Hill Mysteries *
‘I LOVED Death Before Detention! The main character’s voice is unlike anything I’ve read before in MG mystery and it draws you in from the very start. Clever, intriguing and so much fun, I’d recommend this book to any reader who loves Robin Stevens’ * Sarah Webb, bestselling children’s author *
‘Hilarious, twisty and fresh, Death Before Detention is a must-read for all murder mystery fans! The characters are intriguing and with all the red herrings and twists, I couldn’t guess the murderer in this brilliant modern-day boarding school murder mystery’ – Niyla Farook, award winning author of Murder for Two * Niyla Farook, award-winning author of Murder for Two *
‘A witty, twisty murder mystery full of adventure, heart, and enough red herrings to shake a stick at’ * Ann Sei Lin, author of Rebel Skies *
‘Packed with plot twists and teenage intrigue’ * Children’s Books Ireland Inis Magazine *
‘Having gathered all the evidence (and interrogated a few gossipers), I can confirm that The Common Criminals’ Club is not just suspicious - it is guilty of delivering a phenomenally clever, daringly deadly, and wildly addictive boarding school mystery. Pure class!’ – Eve McDonnell, author of Elsetime
Darkly comic * The Times *

Alison Weatherby is a YA and teen mystery writer who lives outside of Dublin, Ireland. A winner of Chicken House Books’ Open Coop competition, Alison published her debut novel, The Secrets Act, a historical YA mystery set at Bletchley Park during WW2 in 2022. The Secrets Act won the Redhill Academy Trust Book Award for 2023 and was shortlisted for the Young Quills Award. The Common Criminals’ Club is her first book for MG readers.

When she’s not reading or writing about murders, she visits schools to teach kids how to write them. She enjoys reading, running, and hitting things at the boxing gym. Alison lives with her husband, two daughters, and a very goofy lurcher named Greta.

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