5.0 out of 5 stars A Killer Of A Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2018
I find novels that open after the scene of the crime very intriguing. Coryell has done this with her latest release, "A Murder of Principle". The reader is thrust into the middle of the murder scene, creating the lure that tempts the reader to see what the heck just happened.
The new principal, with the last name of Storme, has aptly lived up to her name. Like an ill wind that blows no good Storme enters her position in the new school wreaking havoc all around. Replacing and demoting with a callousness that shocks each department.
English Department Head, Rose Lane, tries to balance what she's experiencing with the hope that perhaps it's just a bumpy start, maybe something will make sense or resolve soon. But, it doesn't take long until even her rose-colored glasses slide down her nose.
Author Coryell, does a bang-up job of supplying the reader with a cast of characters that you respect, find outrageous to believe any could be guilty of such a crime, all the while leading you down school hallways with a stunned look on your face. No one seems capable of the deed, even though every one of them has a darn good reason to at least wish the hateful Storme dead.
This piece of Coryell's is delivered with her usual skill for writing, and a first-hand look inside the machinations of the politics and undercurrents that exist inside the typical school system. The story not only gives you a cleverly written mystery, but leaves you with an awareness (if you didn't already have one) of just how intricate it is inside the world of academia.
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended.
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2018
This is Ms. Coryell's best work yet. It is a testament to dedicated teachers as well as being an intriguing mystery. The characters are so well-developed they could walk off the page and down the hall of the local high school. The issues faced by the students and by the faculty are realistic in today's world yet timeless as evidenced by the English teacher's Shakespearean quotes which I particularly enjoyed. And, anyone who has had "the world's most vicious boss" can identify with those who express murderous rage against the villain. I must add, however, my hope that Penny marries and takes her husband's name in the next book of a long series I look forward to reading.
5.0 out of 5 stars Storme Weather
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2018
If any of you teachers out there think you have a bad principal, Wendy Storme will make you reconsider that thought. She came into a well run school through an evil plot and managed to turn the school upside down in less than one school year. Storme fired the winning football coach, arbitrarily punished a student athlete, replaced an excellent English teacher with a sub who’d never taught, and made everyone in the school miserable from the assistant principal to the janitor. Anyone in that school could have murdered Storme. Who did it was cleverly handled.
5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect Storme!
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2018
What a fun read! No doubt from the start that this was written by an educator who understands the politics and dynamics of a school community. Gosh! By the end, I was ready to help make it happen myself! Thank you for such a delightful reminder of the highs and lows of being a public school educator!