Missing maids, suspicious teachers and a snow storm to die for… For a fearless girl called Justice Jones, super-smart super-sleuth, it’s just the start of a spine-tingling first term at Highbury House Boarding School for the Daughters of Gentlefolk.
When Justice’s mother dies, her father packs her off to Highbury House Boarding School for the Daughters of Gentlefolk. He’s a barrister – specialising in murder trials – and he’s just too busy to look after her alone.
Having previously been home-schooled, the transition is a shock. Can it really be the case that blondes rule the corridors? Are all uniforms such a charming shade of brown? And do schools normally hide dangerous secrets about the murder of a chamber maid?
Justice takes it upon herself to uncover the truth. (Mainly about the murder, but perhaps she can figure out her new nemesis – the angelic Rose – at the same time.) But when a storm cuts the school off from the real world, the body count starts to rise and Justice realises she’ll need help from her new friends if she’s going to find the killer before it’s too late …
My Review
This mystery adventure aimed at the 9 to 12 age group is set in a remote gothic style boarding school during the 1930s. As Justice Jones had previously been home schooled, arriving at Highbury House school so soon after the death of her mother must have been traumatic, yet this brave heroine copes with the harsh conditions and unfriendly girls in her dormitory by putting her mind to solving a murder mystery. While all the other girls idolise the Head Girl, Helena Bliss, and other blonde girls like the unpleasant Rose try to imitate her, Justice investigates the school’s secrets.
Can she really trust the charming headmistress, Miss de Vere and what goes on in the haunted tower after dark? After they are cut off by thick snow and another murder victim is discovered Justice finds a true friend, but she is almost too late in discovering the murderer. An exciting tale I would have loved when I was younger and still enjoyed at my senior age! And there are several more books about Justice to follow!
A Girl Called Justice on Amazon UK
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