With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my invitation to this trio of book tours for the St Bride’s series by Debbie Young. Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC of the book.
When Gemma Lamb takes a job at a quirky English girls’ boarding school, she believes she’s found the perfect escape route from her controlling boyfriend – until she discovers the rest of the staff are hiding sinister secrets:
Hairnet, the eccentric headmistress who doesn’t hold with academic qualifications
Oriana Bliss, Head of Maths and master of disguise
Joscelyn Spryke, the suspiciously rugged Head of PE
Geography teacher Mavis Brook, surreptitiously selling off the library books
creepy night watchman Max Security, with his network of hidden tunnels
Even McPhee, the school cat, is leading a double life.
Tucked away in the school’s beautiful private estate in the Cotswolds, can Gemma stay safe and build a new independent future, or will past secrets catch up with her and the rest of the staff?
With a little help from her new friends, including some wise pupils, she’s going to give it her best shot…
This is a series that begins with Dastardly Deeds at St Bride’s and tells us that, if the reader enjoyed either St Trinians or Malory Towers, this series should be right for them. As someone who read every Malory Towers book I could and watched every St Trinity’s film. I had to see what the Gemma Lamb series was about.
St Bride’s is a school set in its own private grounds. A boarding school for girls and it has a new teacher, Gemma Lamb. A woman who needs to get away from her abusive boyfriend. Making use of teaching qualifications she has never used she starts work at the all female school. One that is definitely ALL female, right down to the cross dressing PE Teacher and McPhee the male cat that is treated as female.
She arrives and finds this school is full of surprises. A Geography teacher who sells the library books is the tip of the iceberg. Gemma finds secrets everywhere with everyone seemingly hiding something or other. Will she be able to settle here or will her own secrets put a halt to her idea of a teaching career?
A brilliant read! It did take me back to my Malory Towers reading years. The difference being St Bride’s is from the adults perspectives. The said adults being so quirky and different. It’s jam packed full of fun, intrigue and mystery. Debbie Young has even brought suspense with red herrings too. Such a fun read and I’m looking forward to the next book so much!
Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3A3l13R
Author Bio
Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crime mysteries. She lives in a Cotswold village where she runs the local literary festival, and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing. She is bringing both her series to Boldwood in a 13-book contract. They will be publishing several new titles in each series and republishing the backlist, starting in September 2022.
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