For parents living in the beautiful coastal town of Pacific Pines, all their hopes and dreams are pinned on the outcome of the annual Gala Day hosted by St Ignatius Boy's School. To be accepted into the prestigious institution, their son's must battle it out, facing rigorous rounds of physical and mental tests. Their parents will stop at nothing to ensure their son's succeed!

I love a domestic thriller especially set somewhere dripping with money and privilege. The mothers we meet in The School Run are ones we would have encountered in real life; the sanctimonious one, the baker, the earth mother and the newcomer. How the cliques accept the new into the fold or don't for that matter is very revealing and makes for interesting reading.

I was introduced to Ali Lowe by reading The Running Club and whereas that reminded by Big Little Lies this one was more Desperate Housewives. This is because the outlandish behavior of the parents and unrealistic scenarios made it hard for me to connect with the characters and story. However for all I know these things do happen in real life especially when it comes to school admissions. They do say truth is stranger than fiction.

My favourite characters were the children and teenagers as I was able to visualize and recognize a lot of true life traits in them. The character of Felix in particular I clearly saw Jacob Elordi in my head every time he appeared in the story which was no bad thing.

Really enjoyable. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing untill the very end. I found myself connecting with Bec, Kaya and Estella as well as willow and flick in a way I don't normally.

The School Run is the third novel by Australian journalist and author, Ali Lowe. It’s late-October in the coastal Sydney suburb of Pacific Pines as parents and pre-teens gather at St Ignatius’ Boys’ Grammar School’s Gala Day to vie for a place in the next year’s enrolment. Iggy’s is private, exclusive, and offers prestige, sporting excellence, a university place in the bag, and of course the International Baccalaureate, which guarantees a boy’s acceptance to universities around the world: before the final selections are made, desperate parents go to untold lengths to see their sons admitted into this enviable fold.

Estella Munro has a daughter just about to graduate from Iggy’s sister school, Asher, and twin sons that she’s determined will go to St Ignatius’, so she’s not happy that her new neighbour on Ocean View Parade, Kaya Sterling has a young son who will be competing for a spot. Kaya claims to be the widow of a former Iggy’s school captain, but admits she’s an atheist, so her son’s baptismal classes are clearly a ruse. But there’s something that Estella doesn’t know about Kaya.

Estella’s best friend, Rebecca Lloyd also has a son hoping to enrol at Iggy’s, and a daughter just finishing Asher but, unlike Estella, she ha a close, friendly, supportive relationship with her daughter. Her business, Cakes by Bec, is going very well, but she dreads emails from a certain sender, surely spam, except that the sender seems to know too much about her.

And then, on the evening of the Gala, along the road that leads between town and Iggy’s, the School Run, a young man is hit by a car.

Lowe cleverly constructs her plot so that the identity of the victim is not revealed for quite some time, while the list of potential drivers seems to grow with every chapter, keeping the reader enthralled and the pages turning. Each of the main protagonists, and a few of the support characters, have secrets: in the aftermath of the Gala Day, there are even more secrets, and a number of them face dilemmas where doing the right thing wars with protecting their child.

Lowe easily evokes her setting and era, although, with the story set in or after 2023, attitudes to teen pregnancy, common sanitary products and mobile phones twenty-five years earlier are a few anachronisms that jar. Her characters are credible, their dialogue natural, and their reactions not unexpected. But she does throw in a few red herrings and twists to keep in interesting. Outstanding Australian crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

The School Run by Ali Lowe.

Ali Lowe has hit this domestic thriller out of the park yet again!.

The School Run follows the story of three mothers - Bec, Estella and Kaya. All three are hoping and praying their boys will get in to the elite school of
St. Ignatius. They would do just about anything to make that happen. The Gala day for St. Ignatius is like nothing else. All the boys must show they have athletic prowess along with being smart. The night of the gala a St. Ignatius is struck down in a terrible hit and run. Was this an accident or is something else more sinister at play? No ones secrets are safe.

So many twists and turns that I easily binge read this in two days. As always I love Ali's flawed characters. I found this book great on many fronts from the characters, the twists and it being a well written domestic thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a gifted copy for my honest book review.

Amazing story amazing plot absolutely loved this book I would defo give it a 10 out of 10 rating!!!!

I loved Ali's previous book, The Running Club so I couldn't wait to get stuck into The School Run. Domestic, gossipy neighbourhood books are my guilty pleasure. I love when there are a ton of secrets and as they are slowly revealed, we get to see what each character is really like deep down. I appreciated the multiple POV's this book was written in as each character's story did find a way to weave together by the end. If you like an academia set storyline with lots of scandal, secrets and lies, make sure you give this one a go!

I found myself immersed in the book, despite some decisions that initially felt unbelievable. It's a challenge to articulate why I enjoyed something that goes against my usual preferences. What pleased me most was the satisfying resolution, aligning with my desires. The unfolding events, though initially questionable, culminated in a wrap-up that felt just right.

The Australian setting added a captivating backdrop to the story, enhancing the overall experience. The perfect infusion of mystery, though not overly challenging to decipher, added an extra layer of enjoyment to the narrative. The unique charm of the Australian setting and the well-balanced mystery elements further contributed to my love for this book.

The friendships, initially seeming unreal, blossomed into genuine connections, a pleasant surprise. The portrayal of mother-daughter relationships evolving and the unwavering support among the kids added depth to the narrative. Overall, I cherish the unique blend of elements that made this reading experience memorable.

What lengths would you go to get your child into a prestigious boys' private school?

For Estella, Bec and Kaya they want nothing more than for their boys to attend Iggy’s. Full of secrets and scandals you don’t know who is genuine or who to trust.

When a boy is hit by a car all the secrets start to unravel and you can’t help but keep turning the page as each secret is exposed. Lots of twists and turns.

Thank you to @hodderstoughton and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC. The School Run is available to purchase now.

Love an Australian setting for a book!

In The School Run we meet a set of women all vying to get their sons into the elite St Ignatius’ school. Living in the gorgeous coastal town of Pacific Pines, the boys will be assessed at a Gala day and entrance decided. These mothers will stop at nothing to ensure a place- showstopper cake baking to fraud to bribery but will they go as far as murder?

This was one of those easy and enjoyable reads which I raced through in a day. There’s some great twists to the story, a couple I guessed at but a couple I definitely didn’t.

All the women have their own secrets to keep and while some were more immediately likeable than others, each were relatable in their own way

With the Australian setting and the group of women hiding secrets, there are definitely Big Little Lies vibes which I loved.

I really think this would make a great beach read

I love reading Ali Lowe's books and this is the third book I have read from her. And this book is no exception.

The story talks about three mothers--Bec, Estella and Kaya. All these mothers are determined to put their sons into one of the prestigious schools in the country, St. Ignatius and would do anything to make sure that their son is accepted into that privileged school. The story is told in these three mother's POV and you can see jealousy is playing through in the story. However, the real story begins when a boy gets into a hit and run accident and was left to die on the road, and that's when things start getting interesting.

The story is fast paced and I have to say, it was quiet unputdownable and as a reader you are intrigued which of these boys will get into the school and which of these boys won't get in and then what is going to happen after that. Not only that, the hit and run accident also made this story as I mentioned before more interesting and intriguing. The writing was really greater and I like how the author managed to make the reader feel like they are also a part of the story as well. Not to mention all the scandals and secrets and lies that are uncovered after the accident, which made the whole story more interesting. If you have read Big Little Lies, and maybe watched Gossip Girl, think of this story as a mix of Big Little Lies and Gossip Girl. Overall, this book worth 4 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder for the ARC. Thank you Hodder for the invitation to review this book. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

This is a good book with plenty of twist and turns to keep you guessing throughout. It was enjoyable but at times a little annoying. However I liked it.

Pacific Pines, the small Town with the prestigious St Ignatious School where 3 mums want to enrol their sons. To what lengths will they go to? Are they pushy parents or just looking out for their sons best interests? This is the dilemma facing Estella, Bec and Kaye, but they all have secrets that could affect their child's placement.
This is the latest great read from Ali Lowe, o loved it, so much so I read it in an afternoon as I couldn't put it down. With some characters that you like on first read to some that grow on you. This gave me Big Little Lie vibes and I could imagine this as a TV series

Always seem to love thrillers set in Australia,so this combined with the storyline blurb of parents who will stop at nothing to get their kids enrolled into the perfect school meant it caught my eye, and am glad it did

Ultra rich neighbourhood riddled with secrets and past and present indiscretions

Near Sociopathic Mum’s prepared to do anything for their precious offspring

A new Mum and Son arrival that causes feathers and cliques to be ruffled

A gala day at the best private school where the kids compete to get a place in the new school intake ( known as the ‘Hunger Games’ by some of the Dad’s )

And cakes! Lots of sumptuous alluring mouthwatering butter cream filled cakes

Seriously what more could I want in a book?
Well there was also great writing and a story that was addictive with fast snippy dialogue and a mystery or two with a fark very dark ending

Pretty much all combined to make this a perfect read for me, very enjoyable and more than a bit shocking!

What a Mum is prepared to do for her kids should never be underestimated….😎

For parents living in the beautiful costal town of Pacific Pines, all their hopes and dreams are pinned on the outcome of the annual Gala Day hosted by St, Ingatius Boy's School. To be accepted into the prestigious institution, their sons must battle it out, facing rigorous rounds of physical and mental tests. Their parents will stop at nothing to ensure their sons succeed. But one boy is struck down in a hit-and-run, the scandals, secrets and lies that entangle three mothers threaten to unravel their seemingly perfect lives.

With so many twists and turns, I could not put this book down. Neighbours Kaya, Estella, and Bec have all submitted their sons for placement at a prestigious boy's secondary school, St, Ingatius. Before the boy can be accepted to the school, they have to compete in the annual Gala Day. At first, it just seems like a school tradition, but it's not long before secrets emerge that could instantly change their lives. review.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Hodder&Stoughton and the author for my ARC of #TheSchoolRun in exchange for an honest

Ali Lowe has done it again! Her domestic suspense thrillers are so binge worthy, full of terrible people and tricky situations…I love it! The School Run was so addictive, and like a car crash, you just could not look away as these characters got themselves into more and more trouble.

The mothers of boys in the exclusive suburb of Pacific Pines in Sydney all want one thing, a place for their sons at St Ignatius Boys School. It will set them up for life. But getting in is not easy, and these 3 mothers will stop at nothing to get their boys in. How far will they go though? Nothing seems to be too much for these women, but they all have their secrets that they are desperate to keep. The stakes are raised even higher when a boy is hit by a car and left for dead.

This book gave me all the vibes of big little lies crossed with the hunger games. It was insane what these women would do for their boys. I loved the way the women worked with and against each other.. were they friends or enemies? You will have to read it to find out.

Thanks so much to Hodder and Stoughton for the advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on February 29th.

Another great novel by Lowe. When the yearly contest to vie for position at the illustrious St Ignatius begins, friendships are put to the test and three women will stop at nothing to esnure their children get a coveted spot. But which one of them would turn to murder? This had so many twists and turns and kept me hanging on right until the last page!

St Ignatius' Boys school is a very prestigious boys school in Pacific Pines, everyone wants there sons enrolled. The story follows 3 families as they approach Gala Day who all have their own reasons for sending the boys but also have a lot of secrets! On the day there is a hit and run. Who did it? Was it an accident or not? And if not what was the reason?
I enjoy all of Ali Lowes books and this was no exception. The characters are interesting and the way their history and secrets all weave together is fascinating.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an advance copy.

It’s a given that parents would do whatever they could to help their children… but how far does that extend? For the families living in Pacific Pines, the goal is to get their sons into St Ignatius Boys’ School. A model of academic and athletic glory, all prospective pupils must show an aptitude for the curriculum inside and outside the rooms. To get enrolled however, the boys must battle it out in mental and physical tests — and there’s nothing their parents can do to help. Well, unless you’re in the know. A trio of mums are encouraging their children to get involved but after one boy is hit in a car accident, there’s a lot more being revealed than who is top of the class. This nifty read takes quite a few unexpected turns and makes it all the more enjoyable when you’re unprepared for the disclosures. One to enjoy in a single satisfying sitting, bravo, Ali Lowe.

Always competitive for schools and school mums! Loved reading this one and the situations they all land in.

Engaging Suburban Noir..
An engaging suburban noir set in the fictional coastal Pacific Pines where all attention is focused on success and acceptance of offspring into the highly regarded local boys school. Competition is fierce and it soon becomes clear that some parents will stop at absolutely nothing to succeed. When tragedy strikes, secrets and scandals may out - but just how far will these parents go to protect their offspring? With a cast of deftly drawn and well observed although mostly unlikeable characters, a well imagined backdrop and a propulsive plot this is a compelling one sit read.