Robin Stevens

Robin Stevens, born in California in 1988, is an author of children's fiction with dual US and UK citizenship. She moved to England at age three and was raised in Oxford, where her father was Master of Pembroke College and her mother worked at the Ashmolean Museum. Stevens pursued her academic interests in English and crime fiction, earning an MA in the subject from King's College London. Before her writing career, she worked as a bookseller and an editor.

Stevens is most recognized for her "Murder Most Unladylike" series, which features young detectives solving mysteries. The series is set in the 1930s and draws significant inspiration from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, with authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers being key influences. She has expanded her writing with "The Ministry of Unladylike Activity" series, set during World War II, and has also contributed to other collections. Her work has garnered attention and awards within the children's literature sphere.

Born in California on January 15, 1988, Robin Stevens holds dual American and British citizenship. She relocated to Oxford, England, at the age of three. Her upbringing in Oxford was influenced by her academic parents; her father served as Master of Pembroke College, and her mother was employed at the Ashmolean Museum. Stevens's grandfather was the noted literary critic Wayne C. Booth. Her education included attendance at The Dragon School and Cheltenham Ladies College. She furthered her studies in English at the University of Warwick, where she also participated in "University Challenge" as the team captain. She later obtained a Master of Arts degree in crime fiction from King's College London.

Prior to dedicating herself to writing full-time, Robin Stevens gained experience in the literary world by working as a bookseller at Blackwell's in Oxford and as an editor at Egmont. Her journey into authorship began in November 2010 when she participated in National Novel Writing Month, initiating what would become the "Murder Most Unladylike" series. Stevens has openly stated that the Golden Age of Detective Fiction significantly shaped her writing style and thematic choices. She specifically cites authors such as Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Dorothy L. Sayers as major inspirations for her work.

Robin Stevens is best known for her "Murder Most Unladylike" series, a collection of eleven books centered on the adventures of schoolgirl detectives Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells as they solve murders in 1930s England. In 2020, she announced plans for new literary ventures, including the book "Once Upon a Crime," released in August 2021. She also introduced "The Ministry of Unladylike Activity" series, with the first book published in 2022. This new series, set during World War II, follows Hazel Wong's younger sister, alongside two other characters, Eric and Nuala. Stevens has also written a standalone novel, "The Guggenheim Mystery," which serves as a sequel to another author's work, and has contributed to various mystery anthologies.