It's 1905 at the Bellehave House school and the headmistress Mrs Meredith Llewellyn wakes up one morning to discover that one of her teachers is dead.
A light quick read that involves the ghost of the dead teacher pointing Meredith to the guilty party. ( )

This book has me on the fence as far as a review goes. The overall mystery is good, but the characters feel lacking depth to me. I’ll give the next book in the series a try, but I’m not holding out hope. ( )

Synopsis: Widowed at an early age, Meredith Llewellyn is the head mistress of a girls boarding school. Unfortunately, one of her colleagues, and a good friend, is murdered on the grounds of the school. The constable who comes to investigate basically says that women who walk alone at night get what they deserve, and probably by some vagrant. After seeing Kathleen's ghost, Meredith is more than convinced that she must solve the murder.
Review: Set in mid-1850s, this cozy mystery has the irritating 'simpering women', the 'hatchet-faced woman', and several mysterious men. The premise of these mysteries reminds me of Casey Daniel's books. ( )

When the gardener at Bellehaven Finishing School finds the body of Home Management teacher Kathleen Duncan, the police and headmistress Meredith Llewellyn initially think it was a tragic accident. But Meredith soon discovers that the tree limb that hit Kathleen on the head did not accidentally fall off the tree - it was sawed off and Meredith thinks it may have been used as a murder weapon. The police still say it was an accident so Meredith decides to investigate Kathleen's death without their help. But she won't be alone - Kathleen's ghost is eager to help her.

"High Marks for Murder" is the delightful first mystery in the new Bellehaven House cozy mystery series. Author Rebecca Kent previously wrote two cozy mystery series under the name Kate Kingsbury and this book is as good as any of the Kingsbury books. The mystery is set in England in 1905 and Meredith will reminder readers of a typical Kingsbury heroine - a feminist who struggles to conform to the times. Kent does a good job of capturing that period of time, especially with the students and the maids who aren't as willing as their elders to give in to the constrictions of that time. The book is filled with great characters including Meredith and her fellow teachers Felicity and Essie; Tom, the elderly gardener; Mrs. Wilkins the cook; and maids Grace and Olivia. The ghost of Kathleen added a nice supernatural atmosphere to the book that I really enjoyed and I also liked the gentle sense of humor throughout the book. The mystery elements were well done, although I felt a bit let down when the killer was revealed. I also didn't care for the romance that is hinted at between Kathleen and Stuart Hamilton, owner of Bellehaven, but perhaps it will grow on me in further books.

"High Marks for Murder" is a good cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more in this series. ( )

When the local constable investigates the death of Kathleen Duncan, a teacher at the Bellehaven Finishing School whose body was found in the school garden, he is happy to chalk it up to accidental death. Headmistress Meredith Llewellyn becomes convinced that Kathleen was murdered when she, and only she, keeps seeing Kathleen's apparition in various places around the school. Since the police are not investigating the death, Meredith decides it is up to her to interpret Kathleen's message from beyond and find her murderer. The book is set in the Edwardian era, and a subplot has the school's young maids caught up in the women's suffrage movement.

The mystery was predictable. I had no trouble figuring out early on who was responsible for Kathleen's death. It was a pleasant enough diversion for a sick day, but I won't be picking up other books in the series since I'm not fond of books with a paranormal bent. ( )