At St Oswald's, a long-established boys' grammar school in the north of England, a new year has just begun. For the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world; and Roy Straitley, the eccentric veteran Latin master, is finally - reluctantly - contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt.
Marlby Series
This series delves into the secrets and intrigues unfolding within the hallowed halls of prestigious British boarding schools. It follows the intertwined lives of young students whose paths cross with a dark past and hidden betrayals. Each installment unravels further layers of suspense, where innocence confronts cold-blooded schemes and ancient mysteries surface. It's a gripping narrative about the pursuit of a better life, the cost of lies, and the inescapable nature of the past.
Recommended Reading Order
Different Class
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
The impressively versatile Joanne Harris in her psychological thriller mode, at her darkest and most unsettling. After thirty years at St Oswald's Grammar in North Yorkshire, Latin master Roy Straitley has seen all kinds of boys come and go. Each class has its clowns, its rebels, its underdogs, its 'Brodie' boys who, whilst of course he doesn't have avourites, hold a special place in an old teacher's heart. But every so often there's a boy who doesn't fit the mould. A troublemaker. A boy with hidden shadows inside. With insolvency and academic failure looming, a new broom has arrived at the venerable school, bringing Powerpoint, sharp suits and even sixth form girls to the dusty corridors. But while Straitley does his sardonic best to resist this march to the future, a shadow from his past is stirring. A boy who even twenty years on haunts his teacher's dreams. A boy capable of bad things.