Staffroom at St Bride's Books

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 tunnelsEven 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?With a little help from her new friends, including some worldly-wise pupils, she's going to give it her best shot.. .Perfect for anyone who grew up hooked on Chalet School, Malory Towers, St Clare's and other classic school stories. ***Set in the same world as Debbie Young's popular Sophie Sayers Village Mysteries series and includes a little crossover. In the first book, Gemma pays a visit to Hector's House in Wendlebury Barrow and meets Sophie and Hector. ***

When an American stranger turns up claiming to be the rightful owner of the school’s magnificent country estate, teacher Gemma Lamb fears losing not only her job and her home, but also her hopes for a relationship with charismatic PE teacher Joe Spryke. Her fears are compounded when the headmistress, Hairnet, accepts the stranger’s claim due to his remarkable resemblance to the school’s late founder.So it's down to Gemma to fight his claim and save the school, with a little help from her friends: the put-upon Bursar, ousted from his cosy estate cottage by the stranger the enigmatic Max Security, always up for a bit of espionage irrepressible Mavis Brook, geography teacher, itching to fell a tree on top of the stranger's white Rolls-Royce Judith Gosling, history teacher and genealogy expert, who knows more about Lord Bunting than she’s letting on Fickle maths teacher Oriana Bliss is even prepared to marry the stranger to secure St Bride’s future, especially if it means she gets to drive his fancy car. That's if inventive pranks by the girls - and the school cat - don't drive him away first. This sequel to Secrets at St Bride's , shortlisted for The Selfies Award 2020 and described by Katie Fforde as "the perfect book", is full of seasonal fun as the school celebrates the highlights of the autumn term, from Halloween to the end-of-term Christmas Fair. The perfect read for anyone who enjoyed school stories when they were growing up, from Malory Towers and the Chalet School to St Trinian's and Molesworth.By the author of the popular Sophie Sayers Village Mysteries which are set in the same parish as St Bride's School for Girls.