Maisie Hitchins: The Case of the Secret Tunnel by Holly Webb - Blog Tour!

Summary from Amazon UK

Maisie Hitchins longs to be a detective. She's sure there are lots of adventures to be had on the streets of Victorian London. And, together with her faithful puppy, Eddie, she is determined to follow even the slightest scent of a mystery - no matter what! In Book 5 of the Maisie Hitchins series, Maisie is intrigued by a new lodger, Mr Fred Grange, who isn't quite what he seems...Mr Grange claims to work as a clerk for a biscuit company, but he's out and about on the London streets at odd hours, and Maisie soon discovers something very precious hidden in his rooms. Determined to unmask him as a thief, she soon discovers that the truth is far more complicated - and dangerous. Before long, Maisie and her friends are led into a web of mystery lurking underground...

A fantastic mystery series from best-selling author Holly Webb, packed with adventure, Maisie Hitchins is perfect for readers aged six to eight years.

Paperback: 176 pages 
Publisher: Stripes Publishing (5 May 2014)

Character Profile

Full Name: Maisie Victoria Hitchins

Age: 10

Likes: Mint humbugs and people-watching.

Dislikes: Boiled fish, housework (even though she's good at it), stuck-up girls, cleaning out Professor Tobin's parrot cage (smelly, and Jasper is very hard to get back in again).

Hobbies: Detecting - Maisie works very hard at the boarding house, so she doesn't have a lot of time for hobbies but detecting can often be fitted in when she's out on errands.

Favourite things: Maisie's hero is Gilbert Carrington, the famous detective. There aren't many books at the boarding house, but Maisie follows Gilbert Carrington's cases in Gran's newspaper. Her most treasured possession is the magnifying glass given her by Professor Tobin.

Friends: Eddie, her dog. Eddie is Maisie's Faithful Assistant (all detectives should have one); Alice - really Maisie and Alice shouldn't have much in common, as Alice is very rich and spoiled. But they are both a little lonely, and they struck up a friendship when Alice came to the house for French lessons with Madame Lorimer; George, the butcher's boy. One of Maisie's first cases was clearing George's name, when he was suspected of stealing money from the butcher's shop. George is useful back-up when Maisie and Eddie need help, and being a delivery boy, he has great cover as a spy. 

Holly Webb started writing while working as a children’s books editor. She lives in Berkshire, with her husband and three sons, and is the author of many best-selling books. Find out more about Holly at her website, www.holly-webb.com

Some Thoughts 

We haven't actually finished reading this book yet so we couldn't review it.  To be honest we are taking our time reading these books as they just beg to be savored and adored.

Maisie is a fantastic heroine who is a wonderful role model. The Victorian London setting is really interesting and we are loving being transported there alongside Maisie while she looks for clues.

The illustrations are really lovely and break up the book beautifully. My sneaky daughter was skipping ahead to see the next picture.

Eddie the dog is a wonderful companion and friend to Maisie. My son is called Eddie, much to my daughters amusement.

We think these books are exciting and a little bit different from everything else out there on the market. We are thoroughly enjoying the mysteries in each book and can't wait to go on more adventures with Maisie!

Look out for my reviews in the coming weeks!