A less traditional murder mystery that does not limit itself to the crime story line but at the same time delivers a bit of a portrait of how women were seen at that time in history. It starts off a bit slow but as you get a better idea of what is going on you begin to get into it. The ending is well done but not very surprising. It's a nice read for the holidays.

A country house murder mystery set in a down at heel boarding school in 1945.
Told from the point of view of the ghost of murdered school mistress Miss Warnock as she uncovers the secrets of the school’s inhabitants and tries to get to the bottom of her untimely demise.

A great concept well told.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy to review.

It's 1945. Monkshill Park School for Girls is one of those establishments that appeals to the snobbish while treating the girls as unpaid skivvies and worse than children in an orphanage (although TBH that might just be the food in the 1940s in England LOL).

The book is narrated by Annabel Warnock, a teacher at the school who went away on holiday and never returned. Her fellow teachers assume she just left but we and Annabel know she didn't leave, she was murdered (by person(s) unknown), pushed over a cliff, and her body has been swept down river and out to sea.

For some unknown reason, Annabel can move about freely within the school grounds IF she had visited that place before her death, but if she hadn't previously entered a room, she can't now.

The school is a Petrie dish, all those female hormones inclose proximity. There are same sex relationships, conducted in secret for fear of being sacked, bullying by some girls, blackmail, poison pen letters, theft, intimidation, you name it.

Alec Shaw, the first male ever male teacher at the school, has come as a substitute teacher. Annabel discovers that he is the only person she can communicate with as she can 'hijack' his typing when he is typing his fledgling detective story. After a number of false starts she manages to convince him that she is not a figment of her subconscious, and enlists him in her search for her murderer. But the list of suspects is long. Could it be the surly gardener/former poacher who goes by the charming nickname 'Tosser'? What about the surly young nephew of the school cook Stephen who Annabel was trying to get into a local boys' grammar school? What about the local deserter Sam Crisp, son of the school cleaner? Could it be one of the school bullies Venetia and Rosemary? Could it be someone from Annabel's past - she had impressive qualifications but was forced to take the job at Monkshill after an unfortunate incident at her school?

I have loved Andrew Taylor's Ashes of London series so when I saw this new historical mystery I jumped at the chance to request an ARC. All I can say is 'huh?'. I don't really get this and I am left with a vague suspicion that it is misogynistic - although thinking about it the only character of any note who comes across as even halfway decent is Alec Shaw - and he has spent time in prison for embezzlement - so maybe it is just a book filled with unlikeable characters. Even characters who were supposedly friends turn out not to be.

I turned to my husband when I was 85% through this book on my Kindle and said 'I don't understand the point of this book' and I have to say after finishing it I am still baffled. I think the idea of having a 'ghost' able to overhear other peoples' discussions and/or read private correspondence felt too omnipotent and then this had to be reined back with the odd rule that she couldn't visit somewhere she hadn't before, and couldn't leave the school grounds. Also, why was she a ghost but there weren't any others drifting around?

Also, I thought the murderer's identity was fairly obvious, despite the plethora of red herrings, I just thought the motive was a bit left field.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have never read a story like this, a ghost murder but I’m afraid it wasn’t to my liking. It felt quite long and too many possible antagonists to make it enjoyable to read. If you want a story where you don’t have to think too much then maybe it will be better suited to you.

This is such a clever and refreshing twist on the traditional crime novel with a most unusual detective seeking to solve the murder mystery.
Set at Monkshill Park School for Girls in 1945 life seems a world away from the violence that engulfed Europe during World War II. Yet its lonely, decaying grounds have witnessed a murder.
Annabel Warnock, a teacher with a secretive past, left for the holidays and never came back. Both teachers and girls assume she simply walked out, but the truth is quite different.
To say more would ruin the fun because this was a brilliantly clever novel which kept me intrigued throughout
I loved the atmospheric period setting of a post-war English boarding school with all its jealousies, power struggles and insecurities.
I chose this books because I loved Andrew Taylor’s C17th historical crime series. While this new novel is a world away from those books, it is just as clever and had me gripped from the start.
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC.

I just couldn`t get into this novel, even though I tried very hard and kept assuming It would become more gripping.
Although not a great fan of novels written in the first person, I have nevertheless enjoyed a few. However, 'A Schooling in Murder` was not to be added to that list.
The concept of the main character trying to uncover the details of her own murder sounded intriguing. Taylor successfully uses this to increase the emotional appeal but I found the writing style lacked fluidity and there was not enough clue-finding and problem-solving for me personally.
This may appeal to those who want an easy read without involved detective work but unfortunately it's not to my liking.

This has an interesting concept - a ghost murder mystery, but I have to admit that it felt far too long and I never had long enough to suspect someone before another potential person came along. There were so many different characters it made it difficult to remember who was who. It felt a bit unresolved at the end too as I still had questions about what happened with various children.

As the war ends, Monkshill Park is facing an uncertain future. One of the teachers at this 'fourth-rate' girls' boarding school has disappeared, only she hasn't, she's been murdered and now her spirit is unable to rest until she finds out what has happened. Annabel was a good teacher but had left her previous job under a cloud however, at Monkshill Park she thought she'd found love and a purpose until she was killed. As secrets come to light, Annabel tries to solve her own murder.
Writing a precise of the plot of this book makes it sound completely ridiculous, a mash-up between a ghost story and a 'Golden-Age' murder mystery. However ,in the hands of Taylor it becomes a thing of wonder. The ghost element is just a clever vehicle for the sleuthing and the characters are diverse and complex in their motives. It's sad, intriguing and beautifully put together.

Thankyou for giving me early access to this book. This was a great thriller. Good writing style and characters in this story.

Set just after the Second World War in a third rate girl's boarding school this could easily have become twee or dated. In fact, the author skilfully brings the characters to light and even the fact that the main character is dead does not stretch credulity too far!

Annabel Warnock is a conscientious teacher, looking out for her pupils who have got a fairly rough deal in this school as well as falling in love with one of her teaching colleagues. At least until she is murdered, pushed off a scenic viewpoint in the grounds. However, Annabel finds her spirit wandering the place, only able to go where she went in life, and is determined to find her killer. She finds a novel way to communicate with her replacement teacher, and the scene is set for some very interesting sleuthing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual story and loved the way the characters developed. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A novel of gentle intrigue, violence and regret.
I have read all of Andrew Taylor's London series, they are exciting, edge of your seat, fast paced, violent novels.. A schooling in murder is written in an old fashioned, stiff upper lip way.
Monkswood P ark Boarding school in 1945, run by P.M. the penny pinching Head Mistress assisted by Runty , Matron and Housekeeper.
The story is narrated by Annabel, the ghost of a former teacher at the school who was murdered by being pushed off a bridge, her body has not been found. The ghost manages to engage with Alex a temporary teacher, through his typewriter. Alex is a suspicious character with a shady past. Enid is Annabelle 's former lover, she is popular with the pupils and talks to Alex about Annabelle. When the unpleasant Tosser is found drowned in a pond after a night's drinking, murder is initially suspected.
The pupils at the school are a mixed bunch, cruel Venitia who likes to control people, kind and clever Sylvia, unhappy Priscilla and unpredictable Rosemary all have links with Annabel.
With murders, blackmail and bribery present the novel still keeps its unique style..
Thank you Andrew, NetGalley and Harper Collins.

The narrator is dead, she's been murdered, shes trying to work out who dunnit? Something a little bit different I enjoyed it. I'm off to read The Ashes of London that's been on my TBR for an age.

I loved Andrew Taylor’s Marwood & Lovett series and was so looking forward to reading this. So many reviews of this book seem to start that way with the reader then giving it a glowing review. Not me, I’m afraid. I think it’s terrible.

Annabel has been murdered, though only posted missing, but her ghost is floating around the school where she taught. She manages to communicate with her replacement to an extent and tries to help him to uncover her murderer. So it’s basically a murder mystery with a supernatural bent. There is no suspense though and the action is so slow. We’re given so much superfluous information about the running of the school that it just becomes tedious. I guessed who the murderer was within the first few chapters so it seemed to take a lifetime (no pun intended) to reach the denouement by which time I could have cared less.

It disappoints me that I’m so disappointed in this as I’ve admired this author’s other work. I found it very unsettling that a male author would have a lesbian as his central character and the book’s narrator. A male author alluding to lesbian sex in the first person just made me feel a bit icky.

I’m hoping this a one off, ill-judged novel and will give Taylor another chance. I appreciate that the book has a lot of glowing reviews but I just can’t follow suit. With thanks to Harper Collins UK for a review copy.

Andrew Taylor is a new author for me and although I initially found this book to have a slow start, it was refreshing how it was told from the point of view of a ghost. Cleverly written and a solid 3 star read. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, Harper Diction and the author for the chance to review.

I was sent a copy of A Schooling in Murder by Andrew Taylor to read and review by NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! I have previously read the author’s book series featuring Marlowe and Lovett, which I also enjoyed, but this is a very different kettle of fish. It is very refreshing in its style not really like anything else I have read, and there are plenty of twists and turns in this whodunnit. There is a great cast of characters and the setting really comes to life. My only complaint is that I have already finished reading it!!!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

an all girls boarding school and a ghost walking the halls, the ghost happens to be a teacher that has been murdered... trying to figure out who murdered her....

have to admit to struggling with it a bit.... but the characters were well written it just didnt hold my attention....

When teacher Anabelle Warnock didn’t return to Monkshill School for Girls after the half term holidays everyone assumed she had just left. This is England in 1945, the war in Europe has just ended but the hardships still persist. Monkshill isn’t exactly thriving and everyone has better things to concern themselves with than a flighty teacher.
But something far more sinister happened. Anabelle was murdered and she is now determined to find out who did it.
Anabelle will use her new existence to find out what those in the school know, staff and pupils alike. What secrets they harbour, how they really behave behind closed doors.

Enjoyable but not up to the same standard as The Ashes of London series. This book was very slow despite a good plot. I must admit I was tempted to give up after 20% but, as Taylor is one of my favorite authors I carried on. I still look forward to Taylor's next book.

A good idea for a novel, but a little drawn out. Set in an all girls school it reminded me of St Trinians! A teacher is murdered and comes back in a ghostly form to try and discover who her murderer is.

A Teacher with spirit.

When first invited to read this I thought not really my genre - not my usual fare from Mr Taylor.
Wrong of me - this is a novel up to the usual standard but with a different storyline - a Who done it meets Ghost, set in a slightly decaying private girls school complete with some characters straight out of St Trinians. The main character knows she was murdered - but by who? A difficult thing to prove when your body has not been found and nobody can see or hear you….. Until…
Enjoy the read, I did.