Lis Jardine grew up in London and the Black Country, and now lives with her family on the edge of Bristol, where she works as a secondary school librarian. Her life has been shaped by a passion for fantasy, middle grade fiction and Golden Age crime. Lis studied English Literature at the University of Warwick and the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Lis was longlisted for the 2020 Penguin WriteNow programme and participated as a mentor in WriteMentor 2021. In her spare time, Lis likes to knit baby socks, practice Norwegian and invent interesting sandwich recipes.
Top-grade misbehaviour...Lis Jardine's first novel is a compelling addition to the new canon -- Imogen Russell-Williams * The Guardian * Friendship, trust, courage and determination are at the heart of this extremely funny murder-mystery tale. Featuring a hugely entertaining cast of characters, the intriguing plot is full of twists and turns, and will keep readers guessing to the very end. * BookTrust * Lis Jardine is an exiting new voice in the canon of authors brilliantly sending young readers sleuthing. The Detention Detectives is cleverly plotted, the characters quirky but convincing, the action perfectly paced. * LoveReading4Kids * The story is as funny as it is clever...The interweaving and strengthening of the bond between the three children gives emotional depth and veracity to the narrative. However, when the murder seems to be solved, there is one final twist at the end of the book which signals a further, hitherto unnoticed suspect-and, happily, the stage is firmly set for a sequel. * Books for Keeps * This brilliant detective debut really is in a class of its own...plot twists and turns to keep your mini-investigators working their little grey cells right up until the end * Lucy Brandt, author of the Leonora Bolt series * Clever, comical and clue-packed adventure in a sparkling new series from Lis Jardine...with an addictive, up-tempo prose and lively dialogue that children will recognise and love, Jardine’s dazzling debut is brimming with skulduggery, secrets and some super entertaining sleuthing -- Pam Norfolk * Lancashire Post *