Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Reminds me of: (1) Mr. Mercedes – seems like Bill Hodges and Roy Straitley should be friends; (2) The Secret History – due to the setting and involvement of a teacher of the Classics, not writing style
A modern mystery, the book takes place at a private all-boys prep school called St. Oswald’s, which is often resented by the local community for its wealthy patrons and entitled students but predominantly loved and protected by its members. A traditional institution, the school becomes the de facto games arena for exacting one character’s lifelong revenge. Meanwhile, the faculty are attempting to modernize in preparation for an impending school inspection. The story is told from the perspective of two characters, both teachers at St. Oswald’s. Roy Straitley is the well-established Classics teacher who is nearing retirement age and is immersed in the school’s culture and history. The other narrator is a teacher who is secretly wreaking havoc on St. Oswald’s by creating and exposing various scandals as revenge for childhood insults. Since these chapters reveal the revenger’s unfolding plans, most of the mystery revolves around identifying this character. The book explores this teacher’s childhood and motives for revenge on St. Oswald’s, but I could never fully understand or sympathize. While it is equally true of crime in real life that we can never truly understand another’s experience and thereby their motives, the failure to translate a childhood experience to motive for revenge was one of the novel’s shortcomings.
Harris’s writing style was pleasant; although, there are sections that are effectively character sketches strung together. Most of the characters’ names pick up on a personality trait or role. There are many supporting characters, so this practice can be helpful. It can also be fun to try to figure out why Harris chose the names she did; however, it also feels contrived, making the characters less believable. This is a pleasant, quick-read, mystery novel perfect for early fall, paired with some slippers and tea.
