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The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place


The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place
by Julie Berry
Roaring Book Press, 2014. Fiction 351 p

One Sunday afternoon at St. Etheldreda's School for Young Ladies the head mistress and her slimy brother suddenly drop dead.  The seven students of the Victorian girl's boarding school must make a quick decision.  Do they report the deaths to the authorities and face the inevitability of the school being shut down, or do they hide the murders and enjoy, for the first time, some measure of freedom and control of their future? Lead by Smooth Alice, the seven girls begin an elaborate charade to fool all the nosy neighbor, police, doctors and suitors and keep their bid for independence alive. Focusing on strong and quirky girl characters,  Berry has created a fast paced, and darkly funny murder mystery for those who like The Series of Unfortunate Events, and the Enola Holmes mysteries.

Comments

Julie said…
Thanks for a great review!

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