Raising Arcadia
And now for something completely different… my first novel!
Arcadia Greentree knows she isn’t exactly normal. But then she discovers she isn’t Arcadia Greentree either.
Arcadia sees the world like no one else. Exceptionally observant, the sixteen-year-old is aware of her surroundings in a way that sometimes gets her into trouble — and out of it again. But when she seeks to unravel a mystery at school, a tragedy at home forces her to use her skills to catch a killer.
Advance Praise

MorganLewis.com
“Raising Arcadia is a pacy mystery novel that has, at its centre, the irrepressible (and perhaps sociopathic) heroine Arcadia, a sixteen-year-old searching for her place in the adult world. Stuffed with intrigue and mystery, it will be adored by young adults and by adults who prize curiosity and challenge. Read it — and then read it again, to see if you noticed all the clues.”
— Adrian Tan, lawyer and author of The Teenage Textbook

TonyWilson.com.au
“She’s Harry Potter without a wand; Katniss Everdeen without a quiver. It’s the world against Arcadia, armed only with her fabulous, prodigious, logical mind. A super impressive debut.”
— Tony Wilson, author of Players & Making News

Dentons.Rodyk.com
“Chesterman’s compelling creation of Arcadia, a preternaturally precocious sleuth with an unsettlingly clear-sighted and plain-spoken manner, is matched by the twists and turns of a devious plot, making for a true page-turner.”
— Philip Jeyaretnam, S.C., lawyer and author of Abraham’s Promise

LeeyaMehta.blogspot.com/
“In prose so still and measured, Chesterman methodically uncovers Arcadia’s world. Beneath this astonishing portrait of a family is an invisible intellectual machinery at work that will intrigue readers at every turn. I am already impatient for the next book.”
— Leeya Mehta, author of The Towers of Silence

stylexstyle.com
“What a mind-racing read! Raising Arcadia is Fringe meets Perception, Hermione meets Sherlock… a wonderful exploration of destiny vs. potential.”
— Sharon Au, actress and founder of styleXstyle.com
Reviews
“A 16-year-old girl detective stars in a mystery paying tribute to Sherlock Holmes… This series opener is pleasurably packed with clever, solvable, well-explained puzzles; hits the spot for a mystery lover” — Kirkus Reviews
“Peppered with codes, puzzles and shocking twists” — The Straits Times
“First-time novelist Chesterman creates an engrossing story that keeps readers chasing the truth. … Fans of quirky protagonists, puzzling mysteries, and spy craft will enjoy this” – School Library Journal
“Easily my favourite novel of 2016, with my favourite heroine … It was intoxicating to have such a strong character use intellect rather than supernatural abilities or weaponry to solve the minor puzzles (where the reader is pitted against Arcadia) and the more sinister mystery twists that ultimately shake Arcadia’s trust in family and identity” – Glee Books
Buy the Book
Amazon.ca | Amazon.de | Amazon.fr | Amazon.co.jp
Australia: Amazon.com.au | Abbey’s | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | Fishpond | Glee Books | Readings
Singapore: Kinokuniya | Popular | Times
United Kingdom: Blackwell’s | Foyles | Waterstones
United States: Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
Or I suppose you could always walk into a bookshop and buy it in person.
And now the audio book is available from Storytel!

Photo by Sharon Au
Thank You!
Raising Arcadia is about a teenager but it is for everyone. Please tell your friends and relatives about it, share on your social media forum of choice — convenient buttons are found below — and leave comments here and elsewhere to tell me what you think of the book. (For some of my own thoughts about writing it, you can read my piece in Singapore’s Straits Times here. You might also enjoy the profile of the “Law dean turned novelist” here.)
I hope you have as much fun reading the novel as I had writing it!
4 Comments
What is the release date for Finding Arcadia and being Arcadia?
Thanks for asking! Finding Arcadia is on track to be launched at the Singapore Writers Festival in November 2016. SC
Dear Simon,
I love love love this book – it’s my new favourite teen novel for the year! (An eleventh hour passion) As I was reading it I kept wanting to enthuse to other staff, and customers; to draw their attention to a credible, thrillingly intelligent teenaged girl character who has no superpowers or enhanced abilities – merely her brain, and the story itself is irresisistible from the very start, with a drollness I admired tremendously. Now that I am at work I shall be recommending it to as many people as I can. THANK YOU for writing this! More than eager for volumes two and three, I am confident they’ll be worth the anticipation and the wait.
I did notice two errors that slipped through:
page 141, line 3: in uniform (in unison?)
page 224, line 6: grasp this nettle (mettle? mettle is more common although the terms are becoming interchangeable)
Dear Lynndy,
Thanks for your kind note – it’s far better to be your favourite book of the year in December than in January. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the novel and connected with Arcadia. (If you’re minded to post something on Goodreads or elsewhere, please do!) Happily, book two is just out and I hope it lives up to expectations.
Simon
p.s. Thank you also for the corrigenda. I’ll review the text, which is only on its second printing (but hopefully will have many more).