The Sinclair's Mysteries

The Sinclair's Mysteries

Author	Katherine Woodfine
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's books, mysteries
Publisher	Egmont Publishing
Media type	Print

The Sinclair's Mysteries is a quartet of children's historical mysteries from author Katherine Woodfine. The first book, The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow, was published in June 2015. It was a Waterstones Book of the Month. The sequel, The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, was published in February 2016; the third instalment, The Mystery of the Painted Dragon, was published in February 2017, with the fourth and final instalment expected to follow later in the year.^[1]

Each of the novels is set in Edwardian London and revolves around the fictional department store, Sinclair's. Sinclair's is an establishment very much like Selfridge's, catering to London's rich, offering high fashion, perfumes and sweets. The series heroines Lilian Rose and Sophie Taylor are employed on the shop floor and frequently find themselves privy to criminal goings-on.^[2]

Novels

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

Left penniless when her father dies, Sophie is pleased to find a job in the millinery department of Sinclair’s, soon to be London’s largest and most glamorous department store. There, she makes friends with Billy, a junior porter, and beautiful Lil, who is one of the department store “manikins” by day and an aspiring actress by night.

Just before the store is due to open, there is a daring burglary, including the theft of the priceless Clockwork Sparrow. When Sophie herself becomes a suspect, the only solution is to solve the mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow. Her friend's Lil and Billy help her to solve the crime.

The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth

In The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, the Jewelled Moth, a priceless piece, disappears and again Sophie, Lil and Billy have to solve the mystery by infiltrating Lord Beaucastle’s fancy dress ball. While Sophie had come face to face with one of the villains of the East End in The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow, the mysterious Barron, and in The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, Sophie gets even closer.

The Mystery of the Painted Dragon

This novel concerns the theft of a famous painting of a dragon. The London arts scene and the Suffragette movement are strongly featured.

Characters

Sophie Taylor – Sophie's family have fallen on hard times necessitating her employment as a 'shop girl' at Sinclair's. Her genteel upbringing makes her something of a misfit with the other girls. Sophie is somewhat intimidated by her colleagues who tease her for being a lady.^[3]

Lilian Rose – Sophie's best friend, Lilian aspires to be an actress. She works as a model at Sinclair's. She is shrewd, confident and naturally inquisitive.

Billy – Billy is one of the junior porters at Sinclair's. He becomes good friends with Sophie and Lil

Mr Cooper – The manager of Sinclair's. Outwardly stern but actually very generous.

References