I loved these so much, I bought them both!
We picked up these mysteries on the second book, and it was love at first page. I so rarely encounter mysteries for MG that are complex and take into account the wide range of human behavior. There's an unspoken rule in MG that characters must never kill each other, or be capable of committing truly heinous violence - that's reserved for YA. So these were a delight to find!
This series is strong, featuring a heroine / investigator with a love interest (but without delving into the overtly sexual), with intricate and well-plotted storylines. The fact that they are fantasy books, and magic is integral to the plots, was also very appealing. The second book is as strong as the first, with a stronger resolution (the reveal of the poisoner is fantastic!) and a gripping read from cover to cover.
