Take a handful of hidden notes, a dash of secret meetings, a light dusting of deaths and kidnappings, and a sprinkling of clues at just the right moments and you have the perfect ingredients for this arresting mystery.
I really enjoyed this action-packed story which has a perfect blend of tension and intrigue throughout. Justice Jones has been sent to Highbury House Boarding School for the Daughters of Gentlefolk, where she soon suspects a crime has been committed. Not surprising as she is the daughter of a criminal barrister, and her recently deceased mother was a crime writer.
Justice is a curious, clever, determined super-sleuth who is intent on solving the mystery of the murdered maid which leads to her tenaciously following her suspicions … and uncovering hidden secrets.
As Justice, who has been home-schooled, settles in to boarding school life, she forms some wonderful friendships, and comes to rely on these friends to help catch the criminal which, of course, leads to dangerous situations for them all.
The setting for this story is perfect: an isolated Gothic mansion on the edge of a marsh with its own haunted tower, basements, attics and creaky staircases. This really helps with tension-building, especially when they are cut off by a snowstorm with no apparent form of communication with the outside world.
I would highly recommend this to any 9+ fans of detective stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Children’s Books for an e-ARC of this book.
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