Loved this one!! 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...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Love the cover of this one!

This was a quick and entertaining read. I think it is a bit of a stretch to call it a "mystery" as there really isn't one. 🤷🏻‍♀️ That said, the book was still a fun read with a great setting and a cast of quirky characters. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I do love a cosy mystery and this is the first in a trilogy I’m reviewing this month by Debbie Young. Set at the boarding school of St Brides, an old Manor House on an estate in the Cotswolds, we follow Gemma as she settles in as the new Head of English.

She has secrets she hopes to keep, but as the story progresses, it can’t be helped that they come out. It seems as if everyone there has secrets too, will all be revealed?

It’s an easy, well written read that I read in a day, perfect for cosying under a blanket when the weather is rubbish and just drifting away into another world for a bit.

I’m looking forward to reading the next ones, look out for my reviews later this month.

As someone closer to pensionable age than school age, Dastardly Deeds at St Brides is a veritable blend of fun and nostalgia. Being an avid fan of Malory Towers as a child, the boarding school theme drew me in instantly, and the fact that it’s the first in a series only makes me happier still.

The staff at the girls-only St Brides, apart from the bursar and the head of security, are (supposedly) all female, even the cat is described as such regardless of his very obvious anatomy. It’s all part of the contract that the headmistress, commonly known as Hairnet, struck with the estate of the stately home. Lord Bunting, the last known ancestral owner, stated in his will that in the event of there being no surviving heir, the estate would be run for the education of mother-less girls. Along with his wife, Lady Bunting, they suffered the loss of all their children, the eldest one at the age of nine.
And so it came to be that St Brides boarding school for girls took on only female staff (well, almost).

This, together with the bonus of live-in accommodation, is what attracts Gemma Lamb to the job as Head of English. Escaping a controlling ex, Gemma revels in the opportunity to be as far away from Stephen as she can in this remote part of the Cotswolds while finally following her heart to become a teacher, something Stephen had mocked her for and not permitted.

Book one in this series sees Gemma settle in and acquaint herself with the odd yet equally amusing rules of the school. Her pupils, many richer than royalty and some actually of minor royal descent, are welcoming and engaging, and Gemma’s colleagues are just as obliging. It’s all rather wonderful and addictively cosy. However, the book is listed as a cosy mystery, and while there are some mysterious secrets to be learnt, the expected tropes of a cosy mystery are somewhat lacking, and it’s only very near to the end of the book that there’s a potential tragedy and a crime to be solved. That said, I didn’t mind at all, since just reading about how the school functioned, the dynamics between various staff members and seeing Gemma grow in confidence was more than enough to keep me entertained and wanting more. The mini foray into a cosy mystery at the end worked well enough to quench my thirst for sleuthing, and also set the story up for the next in the series.
I raced through this book – it’s more a long novella than than full novel at around 200 pages – and once I’d finished I couldn’t wait to dive straight into book two. By now, the characters all feel like people with their own personalities, their own quirks and, most definitely, their own secrets. I am looking forward to revisiting them.

Middle of the road, unmemorable, but not horrible read. You can pick it up and put it down and come back to it as time allows. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great. It failed to be what I was looking for when I read it.

This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series with a school setting. I was flying through it. I loved all the characters. The mystery aspect shows up pretty late, I still loved it though. It also touches different serious topics which are handled in a really sensitive way. Can't wait to read the next installments.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

A Gemma Lamb Cozy Mystery

Gemma leaves her abusive ex Steven and takes a job as an English teacher at St Bride's School for Girls,both for the job which includes a place to stay and for the chance to drop off the radar from her ex.

This tale is filled with quirky characters which I enjoyed thoroughly. I have already continued with this series and the second book is even better.

4stars goodreads
I received this book free from netgalley and am providing a fair and honest review

This was a quick and easy read that was perfect for a rainy fall afternoon. I finished it in one sitting. Somewhat predictable, the story / plot isn't going to win any grand prizes for literature, but if you enjoy cozy British mysteries with a fun and quirky cast of characters, this might be worth a go. This was my first Debbie Young book, and I enjoyed it enough that I'll definitely continue the series and read more of her books in future when I'm in the mood for something light, quick, and entertaining. Strong 3.5 stars.

trigger warning
<spoiler> abusive relationship, trauma, mention of loss of parents, mention of grief </spoiler>

After finally breaking up with her abusive boyfriend, Gemma decides to put her never used teaching degree to the test and working at a boarding school, which will look nicely on a resume later and will solve the pesky question of where to live.
The school is old, and has a few mysteries.

First off, please be aware that this is more cozy than crime, more about the protagonist getting used to her new life and finally making friends than shady dealings, despite the whole thing starting with a murder-filled prologe.

St. Bride's is an all-women school, at least on the pr material. There <i>are</i> a few men: The security guy who gets ignored because the parents don't want to think about security issues anyway, a PE teacher who resorts to crossdressing which works because he's a former pro-cyclist and those are on the skinny end of slim anyway, and a cat who is named McPhee, as in Nanny McPhee, and randomly turns up and demands cuddles. Naturally, the latter was my favourite character.

While this could easily have gone wrong, I picked this book up on a very bad health day and it was exactly what I needed in the moment. And now that I am warned, I would be interested to see how further issues treat Gemma and her new friends.

And it's quite short, so if it turns out it did not scratch that itch, you can jump right into the next cozy crime book.

Would recommend if you feel like this is up your street.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

A fun read that is a cut above the usual chicklit, this screams please write a series about St Brides, so much more left to explore with the characters

In an effort to escape an abusive relationship, Gemma has applied for a teaching position at St Bride’s, an all-girls school. Despite having no experience, she is hired. But she quickly discovers that no one and nothing is what they seem, that everyone there is hiding something, and she starts to suspect that there are are, indeed, dastardly deeds being perpetrated on the beautiful grounds of St Bride’s.

When I saw Dastardly Deeds at St Bride’s on Netgalley, it was the title that attracted me to it but it was the eccentric and mostly likeable characters that kept me reading. It’s a fun fast cozy and I couldn’t put it down. Loved it!

I found this book easy to read, I liked the characters who were interesting, however I got to 48% and it just didn't seem to go anywhere. There were a few allusions to various things going on in the teachers private life but didn't really come to anything so unfortunately I gave up.

This book started like a good cozy mystery: a closed community of a boarding school sounds like a great place to uncover secrets. Except that there's no real mystery to solve in this novel. The characters are no doubt interesting, but in some places the story felt like a parody. A man dressed and acting like a woman, a military-like security guard moving around in underground tunnels, an apartment wallpapered with actual money... There's a romantic subplot however I felt no sparkle whatsoever between the parties.

It was an easy and quick read but I am not sure if I will read the following books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advance Review Copy.

Gemma Lamb desperately needs to get away from her abusive boyfriend so she decides to use the teaching qualifications she has never taken up & gets a job at a quirky girl's boarding school. The school is for the daughter's of millionaires who are motherless. The staff are all female- even the cross dressing PE teacher! Gemma discovers that she really enjoys teaching but there are some strange things going on.

I am drawn to 'school stories' & really liked St Bride's. I thought that the story felt like it was set in the past, so the appearance of mobile phones jarred a bit. It was a fun read & I'll be looking out for the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

“Dastardly Deeds at St Bride's” the first instalment in a cozy mystery series by Debbie Young. (Now it’s definitely cozy but there is no murder) this was formerly published as Secrets at St Bride's .

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:

The mystery is interesting, well plotted, with just the right amount of twists and turns. Overall this was an entertaining, fun easy read.

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5*
I was expecting a cozy mystery but it's a fun book but there's just a hint of mystery.
I had fun but this isn't a cozy mystery but a funny romp.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nice cozy mystery set in a girls school with an interesting cast of characters.
Gemma is starting her teaching career at St Brides, following a controlling relationship and she is determined to do well.
Well written and a nice storyline with some interesting characters who I am sure will develop as the series progresses.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really enjoyable read. I like the idea of a ‘cosy mystery’ and this was certainly that. All the loose ends tied up nicely and a splendid cast of characters.

Gemma Lamb is on her very first teaching post at St Bride’s school for girls. She just wants to do well enough to be kept on and pass her probationer year. But she has a secret. She is also trying to hide from her controlling ex-boyfriend.

I read a copy provided by NetGalley and tge publishers. I shall certainly read more in this series.

Dastardly Deeds at St Bride's by Debbie Young.
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?
A brilliant hilarious read. I loved it. To the story and characters. 5*.

The title got me intrigued as I thought a convent school and I am always interested in that background.
St Bride's is a posh school set in beautiful surroundings with an odd mix of teachers - more than meets
the eye definitely as all of them have secrets they will like to hold onto. Gemma joining them was perfect
she was running away from a controlling boyfriend, she did not want to be found and at St. Bride's she thought
she found the perfect niche.

Coupled with eccentric teachers and pleasant work place Gemma fit in easily but she is curious by nature and it
is this curiosity that uncovers a whole bundle of secrets - combining suspense, comedy, escapism by the bucketful
and ended up being a very good relaxing read.

Descriptive of the English countryside and its people the book was a good fun read.