Random House, London, first published 1946

Josefine Tey was at the height of her literary fame in the 1940ies and became very popular, probably like Agatha Christie.

She writes in a pleasantly old-fashioned, elegant style and I am sure, her unwilling heroine Miss Pym, a former teacher and now famous author of a book on psychology, is Tey´s alter ego.

Miss Pym is invited to a renowned girl´s college in the country, where the young are trained in all kinds of sports and scientific subjects to prepare them for a career in teaching  or medical professions.

Miss Pym originally was supposed to hold a lecture and stay for one night, but she becomes so drawn to the young ladies and their endeavours, that she stays to the end of the semester. In a grand finale, there is a demonstration of all their sporting and dancing efforts, to which parents and guests are invited. And posts are offered to the most deserving. Here the principal makes a serious mistake as a consequence of which one girl is killed.

And Tey shows her narrative talent at its best, as nothing is as it seems.

A pleasant, if a bit dusty read!.