Tag Archives: Mystery

Good Girl Bad Blood (Book of the Week: Lockdown edition)

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Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Book of the Week: 17 May 2020

Cover designer not credited

I am giving my bookshelves from the 1980s a rest this week because I have a brand new book: the follow-up to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder which was Book of the Week in June 2019

We are back in Little Kilton with Pip and Ravi barely having recovered from the Andie Bell case. Pip has been working on a podcast to document the investigation and Ravi jokingly suggests she call it ‘Little Kill Town’. It’s not a bad idea, as the town is on the way to being as much a centre of crime as Inspector Morse’s Oxford. Pip, however, is realising that investigating crime is taking its toll and she just wants to concentrate on schoolwork and her podcast. Her mind is changed when her friend Connor comes to beg her to look into the disappearance of his older brother Jamie. The police are unwilling to investigate because Jamie is an adult and there is no indication of foul play. Connor and his mum feel very differently and say he had been behaving strangely for some time before he abruptly vanished. Thankfully for the reader, Pip decides to help her friend and we are back to uncovering the secrets of school friends and residents and trying to see if we can guess who secretly hates who and what people are desperately trying to hide.

Although you do not have to have read the first book to enjoy this one, it does add an extra dimension to be familiar with some of the characters and understand the aftermath of the events in the first book. This one is just as tense and carefully plotted, has well-placed use of social media and fans will not be disappointed.

There is a ‘mature content’ notice on the back of the book and a small amount of strong language, and description of crimes, that make it generally more suitable for older readers.

Truly Devious

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Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Book of the Week: 24 March 2019

Cover art by Leo Nickolls

We start this story at an exclusive boarding school in the mountains of Vermont in the 1930s. One foggy April day, new student Dottie Epstein stumbles upon the entrance to a tunnel in the woods, follows it and finds herself in a domed building on an island in the lake. Shortly later, a stranger enters the dome and Dottie is no more. The fog also seems to have hindered the return to school of the wealthy founder’s wife and daughter. In the ensuing panic, Albert Ellingham, the wealthy philanthropist who built the school, receives a telephone call to say kidnappers are holding his wife and daughter and demanding a ransom.

In the present day, detective fan and new student, Stevie Bell, is arriving at Ellingham Academy for the first time with a vast knowledge of the murder and kidnapping and a determination to solve it all.

Whilst this has all the expected ingredients of a murder mystery: grand country house (converted into a school), isolated setting, unsettling atmosphere, a cast of idiosyncratic characters who may or may not be trustworthy and a determined investigator, it also looks at school life and the difficulties of fitting in and does not neatly tie up loose ends because the author wants to hold you in suspense for much longer than the duration of the book. It is only the first in a trilogy.

Girl in the Window

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Girl in the Window by Penny Joelson

Book of the Week: 23 September 2018

Cover design by Lisa Horton

Confined to the house, and often to her room, Kasia has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME. She is unable to go to school and Ellie is the only one of her friends who still visits her. Her older brother has left home to work in Poland and she is often bored and lonely as well as poorly. One evening, she sees a man jump out of a car and pull a young woman into the back seat. Seconds later, she notices movement in an upstairs window of the house across the street and thinks that someone else must have seen the event too. Kasia rings the police to tell them about the incident and the other possible witness, but when the neighbours are questioned they say there is no girl living there. But then Kasia sees her again.

Although this is the central mystery of the story, there is a lot more to this book than solving the puzzle of the enigmatic girl in the window. We are given a detailed picture of what it is like to struggle with a debilitating condition and the isolation that goes with it and what Kasia lacks in terms of a wider life, she makes up for in terms of an inner life, being curious, thoughtful and determined.

You will enjoy this if you read Penny Jolson’s previous book I Have No Secrets. If you enjoy stories where someone observes from their bedroom window and has to solve a mystery, you could try The Goldfish Boy too.

The Secret Keepers

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The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

Book of the Week: 29 April 2018

Illustration by Karl James Mountford

Our book this week has been chosen by Dan, who has been a student library assistant since 2016. This is his introduction to the plot:

“It’s the summer holiday in the lower downs of New Umbra and 11-year-old Reuben doesn’t have a lot to do while his mom is at one of her jobs in the city. He’s a loner who likes to sneak around town like a spy and find ways not to be noticed. One day, he finds himself in a very narrow alley avoiding the attention of mafia-like enforcers called ‘the directions’ and decides to climb as high as he can to try and escape. Up on a ledge he finds a mysterious package and nearly falls trying to bring it down. A watch is inside, but it’s not like any watch he’s ever seen – beyond the strange metal, it only has one hand. It also has a secret power: invisibility.”

Trenton Lee Stewart is best known for his Mysterious Benedict Society series that feature clever children solving puzzles in stories that are a mix of mystery and adventure. If you would like to read more, his publisher’s page is here.

 

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I Have No Secrets

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I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson

Book of the Week: 4 February 2018

Cover design by L. Horton

A crime story told from the unique perspective of fourteen-year-old Jemma who uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy. Jemma lives with her foster parents who also care for Finn, who has autism, and sparky Olivia who has emotional difficulties. Jemma is unable to speak, communicate or control her muscles but she is intelligent and observant and sees things that other people miss. She knows, for example, that the charming Dan, who is dating her carer Sarah, is not all he seems. He displays quite a different attitude when he is alone with Jemma, believing she is powerless. Jemma is desperate to let everyone know what Dan has done, but how can she protect her family when her options are limited?

This is not only a tense story but one that gives readers a rare insight into living with a disability. Jemma is a great character and there are some real lump-in-the-throat moments as well as some anxious ones.

World Book Day 1 March 2018

I Have No Secrets also happens to be one of the books on special offer for World Book Day on 1 March. This year is a little different from previous years insomuch as you will be able to swap your coupon (plus £1.50 payment) for one of five full-length books. These five books are aimed at secondary school readers and are by John Green, Frances Hardinge, Benjamin Zephaniah, Taran Matharu and Penny Joelson. Have a look here. Vouchers will be distributed to every student in School after half-term.

 

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Click Here to Start

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Click Here to Start by Denis Markell

Book of the Week: 15 October 2017

Cover art by Katrina Damkoehler

The third book of the week in a row that deals with a mystery must mean that the genre has taken over from dystopian adventure in the popularity stakes (perhaps). Coincidentally this story, like last week’s, is set in the USA (although in California rather than New York) and has a central character called Ted. The similarities end there, however.

When Ted’s uncle dies, he leaves him some cryptic clues to finding some sort of treasure that lies in his cluttered apartment. Ted loves a puzzle and spends a lot of his free time solving escape-the-room games on his computer. One evening, after attempting to sort out his uncle’s apartment, he goes to his favourite game site and discovers, not only a game named after him, but one that mirrors his uncle’s rooms. Can this mysterious Game of Ted, help him solve the puzzles and find the treasure? Together with his friend Caleb, and an irritating girl called Isabel who is new to the neighbourhood, he sets out to figure out how the little information given to him by his uncle, can lead to a huge reward.

If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society series or The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (both in the School Library) then this will be a great read. Read an excerpt here.

Holiday reading

Here are some books that have been added to library stock over the last few weeks that you might want to read over half-term. Some of them may be on loan, but you can reserve anything you want to read that isn’t on the shelves, or look for them in your local public library.

 

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The Guggenheim Mystery

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The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens

Book of the Week: 8 October 2017

Cover illustration by David Dean who illustrated The London Eye Mystery.

Those of you who enjoyed The London Eye Mystery will be pleased to know that there is now a sequel. Sadly its author, Siobhan Dowd, died from cancer in 2007, so mystery writer Robin Stevens has taken the central characters: Ted, Kat and Salim, and woven a whole new mystery set in New York.

Aunty Glo and Salim have moved to the USA for her to pursue her career as a curator in the world famous Guggenheim Museum.  Ted, Kat and their mum go to New York to see how they have settled in, but during their very first visit to the museum, the alarm sounds and thick, white smoke pours everywhere. Everyone is evacuated safely, but once the hubbub has died down there is an even greater panic when it is found that a valuable painting, In the Black Square by Kandinsky, has been stolen. When Aunty Glo is considered the chief suspect by the police; Ted, Kat and Salim must use their detective powers to solve the mystery.

Robin Stevens has done a great job of capturing the spirit of the original book, as well as writing a carefully-plotted mystery. Just like The London Eye Mystery, this is a book that tells you some fascinating facts along with the story. You may have read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (and if not, why not?) when you were in primary school. Robin Stevens acknowledges as influential when she was considering writing this story.

If you enjoy books that feature art, then you could try Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine. If you like mysteries set in New York, She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick (Book of the Week on 23 November 2014) would be a perfect companion read.

Visit of author Chris Bradford

We are looking forward to a visit from Chris Bradford on Tuesday. He will be talking about his work to Years 7-9 and, no doubt showing us some of the skills he writes about in his most famous series: Young Samurai and Bodyguard.

I know many of you have read, or are reading, these at the moment, and will be ready with some good questions for the author.

The Goldfish Boy

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The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson

Book of the Week: 14 May 2017

Matthew’s dad is a whizz at pub quizzes and has an answer for everything.

“Dad, who was on the throne during the Black Death?”

“Edward the third.”

“What is the capital of Latvia?”

“Riga.”

“What is the chemical symbol for copper?”

“Cu.”

“What is wrong with your eldest and only son?”

“He’s crazy.”

Matthew is far from crazy. He is clever, kind and observant but he does have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) which means, amongst other things, that he likes staying safely in his bedroom and keeping everything clean. One of his favourite occupations is looking out of his window to see what his neighbours are up to. There’s Mr Charles, who is fond of gardening but who doesn’t seem quite so fond of his grandchildren; Old Nina, who ventures out of doors almost as infrequently as Matthew himself; Penny and Gordon who are never seen apart; Jake, who hangs around on his bike bullying people; not to mention the very annoying Melody Bird who seems intent on being Matthew’s best friend.

When Mr Charles’ grandson Teddy goes missing one day, Matthew thinks he knows who the culprit might be and where Teddy can be found. But is he going to be able to follow up the clues when he can’t bring himself to leave the house?

This engrossing mystery is a kind of ‘Rear Window’* for younger readers but has the added advantage of being a sympathetic exploration of what it might be like to live with OCD. It is a compelling who-done-it told with warmth and wit.

Lisa Thompson’s website is here.

*Rear Window is a 1954 film and one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best thrillers.

The Challenge

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The Challenge by Tom Hoyle

Book of the Week: 12 March 2017

Like last week’s book, this is another story unsuited for those of a sensitive disposition. This time, instead of a ghostly atmosphere, The Challenge is characterised by a sense of unease and mystery.

Ben lives with his grandmother in Compton Village in the Lake District, next to Lake Hintersea. When we first meet him he is grieving over the death of his best friend who mysteriously disappeared from outside his house and was later found washed up on the shore of the Lake. Ben is feeling lonely and withdrawn until twins Sam and Jack arrive at his school. They are popular, athletic and charming and, to Ben’s surprise, want nothing more than to be his best friends. Life is looking up for Ben and when the twins introduce him to their special kind of challenges, some of which put him on the side of the cool kids, he thinks he might be able to put his grief aside. That’s until their suggestions become more outrageous and a lot more sinister.

Tom Hoyle is the pseudonym of a secondary school headmaster. He is the author of the Adam Grant series: Thirteen and Spiders and this is his second stand-alone book – the other one is Survivor.

Follow Me Back

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Follow Me Back by Nicci Cloke

Book of the Week: 1 January 2017

Happy New Year! The first book of 2017, in a very short school week, is a mystery about a missing girl called Lizzie Summersall.

Aidan arrived in Abbots Grey with his mum and stepfather Kevin to start a new life. In the three years since he arrived he has settled in to St Agnes’s, his new school, and made a friend called Scobie, a Doctor Who fan and computer nerd. Then one evening, just as he returns from football training, the police arrive to question him about the disappearance of his friend Lizzie. The police think she went to meet someone she met online. Aidan says he knows nothing about it and they were just friends who had a falling out. Is Aiden hiding something?

The story is mostly told in the present tense by Aiden, with a fair proportion of the plot told in the form of Lizzie and Aiden’s conversations on Facebook. Further on in the book, we see the events from the point of view of other characters as the story twists and turns.

If you enjoy mysteries such as 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough, Running Girl by Simon Mason or The Yellow Room by Jess Vallance, then this is in a similar vein. You can read more about Follow Me Back on Nicci Cloke’s blog here where there is also a serial-style podcast featuring interviews with some of the characters.