Masters of Mystery Olivia & Icarus 1: The Peppermint Murders
By Mari Luoma
Masters of Mystery, Olivia and Icarus is a new mystery series, for readers aged 10 and over, featuring the mischievous Olivia and famous detective Isac Icarus, with plotting reminiscent of the classic Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes detective series.
With her nose often in a detective novel, orphaned eleven-year-old Olivia has been nicknamed ‘The Murder Girl’ at the Dancing Crane School for Girls, which her indifferent great uncle had sent her to. So when a real murder occurs at the boarding school, Olivia decides to try and solve the case. The official investigator assigned to the case is Isac Icarus, whom Olivia immediately decides is an insufferable dandy and airhead.
Teacher after teacher at the school seems to have something to hide, and soon both Olivia and Icarus have their own list of suspects. As they sniff around the case, the pair discover surprising common ground. Could there be hope of collaboration between plucky Olivia and the full-of-himself detective?
The suspenseful story is complemented by monochrome illustrations by Mari Luoma herself.
Publishing information
Awards & nominations
Nominations
2025
Arvid Lydecken Prize
Reviews
“Mari Luoma's murder mystery novel is excellent children's entertainment. Although the book deals with death and homicide, Luoma is very mindful of her target audience, and there is no unnecessary bloodshed. All in all, The Peppermint Murders is a good introduction to crime fiction – at least in our household, we immediately took the real Sherlock Holmes collection off the shelf. Highly recommended!”
“Olivia, an 11-year-old who loves detective books, lives at the Dancing Crane School for Girls. She is lonely and rejected by others. When a murder takes place at the school, the flamboyant Isac Icarus arrives to investigate. Olivia immediately notices that the celebrity detective is all talk and no action and decides to help him. Simply said, solve the case herself. The Peppermint Murders is a classic murder mystery adapted for younger readers, with well-known detective stories interspersed throughout the story. The story is light-hearted compared to a traditional detective novel, combined with humour, wit and clever wordplay. On a more serious note, Olivia is dealing with the loss of her parents and a lack of caring adults anywhere nearby. A distant great-uncle has abandoned her to boarding school. Olivia has learned to cope, and now she gets to put her detective skills to the test with a real crime case.”
"A charmingly classic murder mystery for pre-teens."
"The Mystery Masters is a tribute to old, English crime writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. (...) In terms of content, Mystery Masters is just as suitable for children as it is for adults."
Related content & publishing
Series: Masters of Mystery Olivia & Icarus
