| Publisher | Quercus Children's Books |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 13 May 2021 |
| ISBN-10 | 1786541335 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1786541338 |
| Format | paperback |
| Pages | 208 |
| Price | £ 6.99 |
The Ghost in the Garden
by
When one of Justice Jones’ dorm mates disappears, she’s determined to do some sleuthing and enlists the help of her friends to track down the missing girl.
Review
Justice Jones is now in her third year at Highbury House Boarding School for the Daughters of Gentlefolk. She wasn’t expecting to enjoy her time there, but to her surprise, she made friends and to her delight, there have been mysteries to solve. She’s even more surprised (and a little bit delighted, even though she won’t admit it) to find that she’s been made Form Captain.
When the relative equilibrium of the Barnowls’ dormitory is disturbed by the arrival of Leticia, a new girl who hasn’t been to school before, Justice and her friends aren’t impressed. They don’t like her and there isn’t enough room in the dorm for all of them. To make matters worse, Letitia latches on to Justice like a limpet, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Justice doesn’t want a new special friend, thank you very much. She’s quite happy with Stella as her best friend. And of course there’s Dorothy, as well, although Justice isn’t meant to fraternise with the school maids, but she’s never let minor details like school rules stand in her way.
A midnight feast in one of the school barns leads to a scare with the girls convinced they’ve seen a ghost, but there’s worse to come when Letitia disappears without trace. Justice is determined to get to the bottom of her disappearance and believes this is connected to the sight of a mysterious, white-garbed figure in the grounds. Then ransom notes start to appear, and it’s soon clear that the fate of the school is at stake, as well as Leticia’s safety…
Elly Griffiths has absolutely nailed the middle grade school story in a series that succeeds in recreating the classic Enid Blyton vibe that I enjoyed so much. Anyone who wanted to go to Malory Towers or St Clare’s will certainly feel at home in Highbury House along with Justice, Stella, Nora, Rose and Eva. Justice is a great protagonist. She’s brave, resourceful, loyal, determined and kind. And she’s not afraid to stick her neck out, much to the consternation of her headmistress. And speaking of the redoubtable Miss Dolores de Vere, Justice is starting to harbour some suspicions about how familiar and friendly her widowed father is with her, but on this occasion, that works in Justice’s favour when her rule-breaking goes too far to be ignored and she lands in some very hot water.
A Ghost in the Garden is a fun romp, with a bunch of very likeable characters. The plot is cleverly constructed with a neat twist that I didn’t see coming, although the clues are there to be spotted if you’re as eagle-eyed as Justice when she’s on the sleuthing trail. Elly Griffiths is an excellent successor to Blyton, bringing boarding school stories with a vintage 1950s setting to a new generation.
When the relative equilibrium of the Barnowls’ dormitory is disturbed by the arrival of Leticia, a new girl who hasn’t been to school before, Justice and her friends aren’t impressed. They don’t like her and there isn’t enough room in the dorm for all of them. To make matters worse, Letitia latches on to Justice like a limpet, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Justice doesn’t want a new special friend, thank you very much. She’s quite happy with Stella as her best friend. And of course there’s Dorothy, as well, although Justice isn’t meant to fraternise with the school maids, but she’s never let minor details like school rules stand in her way.
A midnight feast in one of the school barns leads to a scare with the girls convinced they’ve seen a ghost, but there’s worse to come when Letitia disappears without trace. Justice is determined to get to the bottom of her disappearance and believes this is connected to the sight of a mysterious, white-garbed figure in the grounds. Then ransom notes start to appear, and it’s soon clear that the fate of the school is at stake, as well as Leticia’s safety…
Elly Griffiths has absolutely nailed the middle grade school story in a series that succeeds in recreating the classic Enid Blyton vibe that I enjoyed so much. Anyone who wanted to go to Malory Towers or St Clare’s will certainly feel at home in Highbury House along with Justice, Stella, Nora, Rose and Eva. Justice is a great protagonist. She’s brave, resourceful, loyal, determined and kind. And she’s not afraid to stick her neck out, much to the consternation of her headmistress. And speaking of the redoubtable Miss Dolores de Vere, Justice is starting to harbour some suspicions about how familiar and friendly her widowed father is with her, but on this occasion, that works in Justice’s favour when her rule-breaking goes too far to be ignored and she lands in some very hot water.
A Ghost in the Garden is a fun romp, with a bunch of very likeable characters. The plot is cleverly constructed with a neat twist that I didn’t see coming, although the clues are there to be spotted if you’re as eagle-eyed as Justice when she’s on the sleuthing trail. Elly Griffiths is an excellent successor to Blyton, bringing boarding school stories with a vintage 1950s setting to a new generation.
Reviewed 25 June 2022 by Linda Wilson
