COMMENDED REVIEW
This story is based around the events at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. It starts off setting the scene around this area and pinpointing small details. Then it reveals that one of those figures was themselves – Lizzie Sancho. This book is written in the first person and uses a chatty form of language throughout the whole book.
Lizzie then introduces her family to the consumer. Her father is to play Othello, a character in a play by William Shakespeare – he is the first Black man to do so, making it a momentous performance in history. However, disaster strikes on the opening night when the chandelier crashes down on Lizzie’s father. Only one other person in the whole theatre sees the figure who committed this crime – Belle. Together, they fight to uncover this mystery with many different suspects along the way. None of the events in the book were expected through my eyes – I was sure they had discovered who did the crime when yet another suspect was introduced! At the start of the book, the event happened in a fast-paced way – the chandelier fell almost immediately. Then, each event happened in turn, and you just couldn’t get bored!
The main characters were Lizzie and Belle – a mystery solving duo. Lizzie was part of a proud African family, whereas Belle lived with her aunt Betty (Lady Mansfield) and Uncle William (Lord Mansfield). Lizzie lived in a café whereas Belle lives in Kenwood house – a beautiful estate. Throughout the book, Lizzie is motivated to solve the mystery because her father’s life was on the line, but she could never have done it without Belle, a smart girl who was the more anxious of the two.
As Lizzie is the one writing the book, we don’t get much description of her apart from the illustrations. However, when belle is introduced, Lizzie gives a detailed description of her. Belle is described as “a girl about my age, looking straight at me and not altogether unlike me. Her skin was deep brown, almost as dark as mine, and the tight curls of her hair were gathered up in a bun on top of her head. Her delicate face was framed by a fringe of tightly curled ringlets. She wore a gown of cream lace, the sleeves puffed at the shoulders, and a delicate silver chain around her neck.”
As Belle is described, so is Lizzie, for she states that Belle doesn’t look unlike herself. My favourite character out of the two is Belle, for she forgives Lizzie when she wants to do the mystery her way. In the end, the characters get on extremely well together and both characters were needed in the process. At one point in the story, Lizzie and Belle have a fall out: however, they put their own feelings aside and get along better than before. It is very interesting reading their letters to one another as it portrays their friendship in a way that description couldn’t, and I imagine that the author took time to ensure that the wording of the letters was perfect and even the font that she used resembles the characters in a very clear way.
This book was written in the first person, with Lizzie as the narrator. This was important because it showed how she felt about the situation and how she felt about her father and what she assumed was an attempted murder. On the other hand, if Belle was the narrator, it wouldn’t have shown all of the family events that Lizzie goes through.
Overall, I think there was a good balance between description and dialogue. The author, J.T. Williams, was extremely good at knowing when to describe what was happening and when to use dialogue. The description included the feelings of the characters. Lizzie in depth, what she thought of certain individuals and their actions, and comments on her thoughts in general.
I thought it was a very good story because, even though it was set in Georgian times, it features the informal language of the 21^st century. The mystery kept me coming back to the book because you could never be sure of which characters you could trust.
My favourite moment in the story was very close to the end, when the mischievous duo tricked their enemy! But to be honest, any of the moments in the story could compete! However, when Lizzie and Belle were delivering their speech at the theatre, I found it quite sad when some people started to walk out. Though, it was never actually left the location or not.
I think that the reason the author wrote this book was to spread the word about Black history, because Lizzie is part of a proud African family, and the slave trade was one of the main themes. This was an extremely important detail during the story because of Lizzie and Belle’s backgrounds.
After completing the book, I felt as if I wanted to know more because the book was left on a cliff-hanger which was, in my opinion, crucial to the story. The book opened my eyes about the slave trade because I had heard of it before but didn’t realise just how serious it really was.
Compared to other books I’ve read, I really enjoyed this book because whilst it was based around history, that didn’t make it boring and the fact that it was written in an informal way helped with this. In addition, there were a decent amount of words that I had to look up in the dictionary. I think that this is important to say that some of the subjects in the book are for older readers and that younger readers would not understand many of the words. To add to that, there were some scenes in the book that more sensitive readers might find unnerving. Overall, I think this book would be best suited to children over 10 years old who aren’t easily upset. I would definitely recommend this book to others as the mystery kept me coming back and the end didn’t disappoint!
– Manor CofE Academy

I loved the Lizzie and Belle Mysteries because of the “Drama and Danger” of the book. The two main characters, Lizzie and Belle, are 12 year-old Black girls in 1777 London. You might imagine, because they are Black, they won’t live in the best conditions: it is the 1770s after all! But no, Lizzie’s father is a famous actor: he has the lead role in the play that nearly ends his life. Belle’s parents, well they don’t live with her at all. Belle lives with her aunt and uncle. Her uncle, Lord Mansfield, is described as being “the wealthiest man in the land”. When something life-threatening happens, Lizzie and Belle quickly realise that there’s something more to this case. As they go deeper and deeper into the mystery, someone realises how close they are to the truth and tries to silence them, but Lizzie and Belle won’t be silenced easily. The twists and turns of this magical book I am sure will lure you in, and I promise you will get just as tangled in this danger-filled mystery as I did.
– Annie, St Peter’s 8-13

This is an engaging mystery of two girls, Elizabeth Sancho and Dido Belle, which is set in 18th-century London. The story was exciting and mysterious since until the end it was not clear whether a falling chandelier that almost killed Elizabeth’s father while he was playing Othello in the theatre was an accident or a purposeful act. All through the story, the reader also finds clues about African history, slavery and the situation of Black people in Georgian London.
The characters Elizabeth, who is referred to as Lizzie throughout the book, and Belle come from different backgrounds and especially make this book interesting. Lizzie is a very courageous girl who is curious and has the features of a detective because she has the talent for noticing details that other people can’t. She lives at her dad’s tea shop and thus meets many people whom she observes. However, Belle lives with her aunt and uncle in a mansion. The fact that Belle comes from a wealthy family and has some opportunities such as a carriage makes it easier for them to go around the city to chase the possible suspect. These two characters make up a brilliant team that makes the story more catchy.
The story was full of surprises as it develops since as a reader, once I thought I knew the possible criminal, it turned out that he was not. These twists in the unfolding story and the dangers the two girls face made it even more stirring. Also, the details about social life in the 18th century in London such as theatres, and coffee houses depict a vivid scene for the readers.
I highly recommend this book to young readers as the story is easy to read with its chain of events that stirs up curiosity in the reader until its end. Also, the book is quite powerful and enlightening with its historical aspect.
– Kaan, St Peter’s 8-13

The book talks about two different people, Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle. Both lived in London. They
live two separate lives. Lizzie works at her family’s busy tea shop called Westminster. Meanwhile
Belle leads a life in the majestic Kenwood House.
J.T. Williams has taken two real young people who lived in Georgian times in London, who do many
cool investigations, while seeing cool things. Lizzie and Belle are very good detectives in the book, I
like how they do investigations together for the protection of London. The two girls are very good
friends who start building up a friendly relationship between each other. I like how they fight for
protection and the race against time to solve the mysteries before anything dangerous happens.
When Lizzie and Belle meet in the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, from that part on, I knew that they
are going to be great friends. The stories are based on two girls who saw something happen with the
chandelier that almost killed Lizzie’s Dad, Ignatius Sancho, in the Theatre Royal. The girls try to figure
out who tried to kill him but at the same time KOFI also known as Mercury (a 13 year old boy who
delivers newspapers) has gone missing, there is a wanted poster for Wilkins (the person they are
trying to find) who tried to attempt murder and even captured Mercury. They follow the clues to
find the right path to start their investigation. The clues they follow are involved with Ignatius’
accident that happened, they see a man with a hat on, looking very suspicious (Wilkins). Then they
look together to find more clues. Then when they find where Wilkins was they also find KOFI.
At the end, the Sanchos and the Belles come together to make a portrait and celebrate Lizzie and
Belles victory of solving the case of the missing boy and how to find Wilkins. But at the end, they see
that their family portrait has been stolen by somebody. Then there is a bit of tension, that got more
exciting.
J.T. Williams has made this book have a very good setting with many amazing things happening. I
really liked this book because I liked how there were twists that happen. I felt strong excitement
towards the book that made me feel like I need to carry on reading more and more to find out what
is going to happen at the end. I liked how two people who didn’t know each other well got together
and made a beautiful team to find mysteries and solve cases.
– Vivien, All Saints RC School

I read this book and was hooked like a fish being pulled up by the plot! The characters were deep, the plot had more twists than a coiled spring with a bounce at the end to tie it in… Then just when you think all loose ends are folded up, it gives you the smash and grab that sets you up for the rest of the Lizzie and Belle Mysteries!
– Edward, St Peter’s 8-13

This book is set in 18th century England. It features both historical and fictional characters. The book takes a dramatic start as Elizabeth Sancho’s father,  Ignatius Sancho takes the stage to perform The William Shakespeare play of Othello;  he was to be the first black man to play the black character of Othello. On opening night as he entered the stage,  a chandelier dropped from the ceiling but it was at this moment that Elizabeth Sancho saw Dido Belle, the first black girl her age that she has seen. As the chandelier dropped the whole theatre was sent into a commotion but the tension was higher for the Sancho family. Ignatius Sancho suffered a concussion and everyone evacuated the building. As the Sancho family exited the theatre (without their mother,  as she went for their father) , Dido Belle (or just Belle) gave her address to Elizabeth otherwise known as Lizzie. The next day Lizzie set off for the Kenwood house, the residence of Belle, where she lived with her Uncle and Aunt. When she got there Belle gave her tour of the house and they started investigating the case. They met all the different people involved in the play and those who worked in the theatre. They went to Garrick, who was the Director of the play: he felt the dropping of the chandelier was an accident and the show should go on. Greenwoode, Garrick’s assistant, felt it was an attempted murder. They continued investigating till they found out a Shadow was there at the time of the crime. He turns out to be their prime suspect. One day, during their investigation they find themselves listening to a meeting held by the Sons and Daughters of Africa,  and they figured out that the ‘shadow’ was a bounty hunter involved in the slave trade – whose name was John Wilkins. Wilkins already knew about them and knew that they knew too much already, so he broke into the Kenwood house and stole all their case notes. He also kidnapped them after knocking Joshua (their carriage rider).
I have really enjoyed the book, because it has mystery and plenty of danger. It also emphasises rights for Black people, so I think it will be a good story to be shared during Black History Month. My favourite character was Dido Belle because she is daring, and wanted to go on with the investigation despite it being dangerous.
– Jesse, Vale of York Academy

The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries is a thrilling book that follows Lizzie Sancho and her new friend Dido Belle as they start to uncover a plot that puts Lizzie’s father’s life under threat. Will they catch the elusive culprit? You’ll have to read it yourself to find out! This book has a very well thought-out plot that just kept me reading. It flows very nicely and it is easy to understand. I loved the characters and their unique personalities. The way J.T. Williams described them made me feel as though I was right there with them, joining in with their adventure. I loved the style of the illustrations, they fit the book’s theme very well and I was drawn to this book by its colourful and intriguing cover. The fact that you can see the hooded figure in the background made me desperate to find out who it was and what part they played in the story. I absolutely adored this book and would give it five stars. I would definitely recommend this to anybody looking for an exciting, gripping and mysterious read.
– Lucy, St Peter’s 8-13

This book is called “The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger.” Its author is J.T. Williams, and the illustrator is Simone Douglas. This book is fiction, however it is based on some events in history. I really like books with genres based around mystery and adventure (and therefore detectives), so this book’s title really sparked my curiosity. The cover also looked very interesting, however the title really caught my eye!
The story is set in the eighteenth century, where things are very different. I love learning about the past, acting and mysteries, so this was the perfect book for me! I think this book has a great balance of humour and seriousness, which is perfect when writing a good book. I also think that it gets to the point swiftly and doesn’t dawdle like some other books. The three main settings are Lizzie’s house (a café) where there are many visitors and it is warm, snug and usually busy. The second id the theatre, where the crime happens, and is therefore the main place of investigation. Thirdly, Belle’s house, which is a massive mansion of a place which -despite its size – is quite bare of people. This is portrayed very well and therefore gave me a great picture of its inside (and outside) which made me feel like I was really in the story.
There are two main characters, Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle, two girls set in London 1700s. They are both Black which, personally, I find inspiring as not many books include Black people let alone Black women. Then there is the antagonist (The Shadow) who we do not find out the name of until much later in the story. Another large character is Lizzie’s father, Ignatius Sancho, who is actually the victim of the crime. What makes his character even more special is that he is a Black man playing a role on the stage. I find this quite interesting as back then there was a lot of racism and the fact that he is on stage is amazing!
The plot, to begin with, was a short introduction to the main characters, Lizzie and Belle. It then carried on with an important and dangerous incident which was the main occurrence of the story. The middle was mainly just detective work and planning on Lizzie and Belle’s part, however the antagonist(s) came out of hiding quite a few times… Eventually, it was all put right and Lizzie and Belle could return home, having worked out the whole mystery, sending the culprits to jail and making their families proud.
One of the most important events is the large incident eight at the beginning of the story; this is what most of the detective work is based on. Another important event is when the two main characters are captured but escape! This is a great act of bravery which I fondly remember.
– Manor CofE Academy

This book is called “The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger.” Its author is J.T. Williams, and the illustrator is Simone Douglas. This book is fiction, however it is based on some events in history. I really like books with genres based around mystery and adventure (and therefore detectives), so this book’s title really sparked my curiosity. The cover also looked very interesting, however the title really caught my eye!
The story is set in the eighteenth century, where things are very different. I love learning about the past, acting and mysteries, so this was the perfect book for me! I think this book has a great balance of humour and seriousness, which is perfect when writing a good book. I also think that it gets to the point swiftly and doesn’t dawdle like some other books. The three main settings are Lizzie’s house (a café) where there are many visitors and it is warm, snug and usually busy. The second id the theatre, where the crime happens, and is therefore the main place of investigation. Thirdly, Belle’s house, which is a massive mansion of a place which -despite its size – is quite bare of people. This is portrayed very well and therefore gave me a great picture of its inside (and outside) which made me feel like I was really in the story.
There are two main characters, Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle, two girls set in London 1700s. They are both Black which, personally, I find inspiring as not many books include Black people let alone Black women. Then there is the antagonist (The Shadow) who we do not find out the name of until much later in the story. Another large character is Lizzie’s father, Ignatius Sancho, who is actually the victim of the crime. What makes his character even more special is that he is a Black man playing a role on the stage. I find this quite interesting as back then there was a lot of racism and the fact that he is on stage is amazing!
The plot, to begin with, was a short introduction to the main characters, Lizzie and Belle. It then carried on with an important and dangerous incident which was the main occurrence of the story. The middle was mainly just detective work and planning on Lizzie and Belle’s part, however the antagonist(s) came out of hiding quite a few times… Eventually, it was all put right and Lizzie and Belle could return home, having worked out the whole mystery, sending the culprits to jail and making their families proud.
One of the most important events is the large incident eight at the beginning of the story; this is what most of the detective work is based on. Another important event is when the two main characters are captured but escape! This is a great act of bravery which I fondly remember.
– Manor CofE Academy

I quite liked this book, but I wouldn’t read it again though. The book follows the characters Dido Belle and Lizzie Sancho. Lizzie’s father is almost killed and the girls feel it is their duty to find out who tried to kill him. Along the journey, they uncover more mysteries and clues. The book shows themes of slavery and resistance. The book is dramatic and fun, but just not for me.
– Arabella, St Peter’s 8-13

12-year-olds Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle are from very different worlds. Lizzie lives in Westminster
in her dad’s tea shop, while Belle is an heiress being brought up by her aunt and uncle at the grand
Kenwood House.
When they witness something suspicious on stage at the Drury Lane Theatre they decide to team up
and take matters into their own hands, unaware of the dangers of Georgian London. Lizzie and Belle
soon find themselves on the trail of a mystery – and are becoming best friends. But can they find
out what’s going on in time to prevent a murder?
This book is packed with tension and thrills throughout, making it a hugely enjoyable mystery, set in
the dangerous Georgian era. It was especially dangerous if you were black and this is explored
throughout the book in an age-appropriate way. This book, in addition, also explores the African
brothers and sisters who are unfortunately still in slavery, yet there is still hope and joy too.
While reading this book, I really enjoyed learning about the dangers of London during the Georgian
era and loved how the book was a blend between fact and fiction. Reading this story was an
adventure and I would love to find out about what happens next in book 2! Overall, I loved reading
this action-packed novel and have decided to rate it a well earned 5 stars and would hugely
recommend this book to children aged 10+.
– Suhani, All Saints RC School

Lizzie and Belle is a detective and drama book about two girls, Lizzie and Belle, trying to solve an
attempted murder case committed in a theatre. This novel is a wonderful book filled with plot twists
and will constantly keep you on edge, the perfect book to sit under the covers with a torch with!
– Jillian, All Saints RC School

I enjoyed this book. I thought it addressed racism in a clear and relatively subtle way. The problem
it reviewed the most was the slave trade. I thought the author entwined the confusing mystery
around the slave trade and racism very cleverly.
I think it is a very unique genre and style, that I have never been introduced to before (as a reader of
many mystery books). I like it. I think how the two main characters are based on real people is
clever and makes racism, attempted murder and the slave trade seem more real. However, as of
most mystery books I have read, there was not much emotion put into it. Though at points there
was an attempt, I was not really moved. That is one of my only bits of criticism.
The use of letters and notes thrown in at points, helped to keep the reader engaged. The mystery
was also well thought through and cleverly developed. The people I suspected most did not commit the crime. My favourite character was Francis: an ambassador for non-slavery and a smart, nice girl.
This is why I believe this book is worthy of 4 stars.
– Toby, All Saints RC School

I believe that I was in the wrong mindset when I first read this book, being slightly taken aback by the style of writing; evidently it was made for a younger audience. However, as soon as I read further, the book became quite good. The age range it was reaching for was still present in the descriptions of characters and plot twists, but I liked it.
I assumed that there would be no mention of racism whatsoever, as the book started so lighthearted (minus Ignatius’s injury), but it does, and in good detail. The inclusion, as quite heavy handed as it is, is overall great.
I’m sure that we need more books where race isn’t a subject to talk about, as people need to be represented how they are and not what or who, but the time that this book is set works with the idea well.
I liked it. The representation was good, especially for a younger audience to read about and I liked the characters and story.
– Lilah, All Saints RC School

Overall, in my opinion this book is good! I enjoyed reading the mystery that Lizzie and Belle uncovered. At points in the book it had me excited and nervous of what would happen next. When the chandelier fell onto Lizzie’s father, it was a shocking moment! It felt as if I was in the story with the main characters. They have many different suspects until they narrow it down. I love the fact that most of the book is set in a theatre (as I love theatre’s). I love the drama and danger that came throughout the book. My favourite character was Lizzie, as she is a brave, courageous girl. I like the historical factor, which is set in 1777. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in mysteries. In the future I think it would make an amazing film set in England.
– Lily, Vale of York Academy