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|title= The Last Duchess: a Silver Service Mystery

|sort= Last Duchess: a Silver Service Mystery

|website=http://www.laurapowellauthor.com

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Being a Lady's maid doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun. Don't read novels, which will make you dissatisfied with your condition. Be observant and cheerful at all times, and grateful for the benefits you receive from your employment - however difficult it may seem, it is, after all, far better than living in poverty on the streets. And never express your own opinion, even if your mistress asks for it. These are the rules (among many, many others) used to train girls at Mrs Minchin's Academy of Domestic Servitude. There are no rules for what goes on in the privacy of your own head, however, and Pattern, generally considered the Academy's most gifted student, has plenty of opinions which, if she said them aloud, would cause her teachers to faint in genteel horror.

There are lots of good adventure stories set in the past, and some really clever young detectives. One excellent series (though without any trace, this time, of the Dark Arts) is the Wells and Wong Mysteries by Robin Stevens: Bookbag particularly enjoyed [[Murder Most Unladylike (Wells & Wong Mystery 1) by Robin Stevens|Murder Most Unladylike]], [[Arsenic For Tea (A Wells and Wong Mystery) by Robin Stevens|Arsenic For Tea]] and [[Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens|Jolly Foul Play]].

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