📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ One Bad Apple by Jo Jakeman

Constable
19 September 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Aberfal Boys High School is the southwest’s jewel of academic and sporting excellence, until one gorgeous summer’s day the headmaster is found murdered in his study. Who would do such a thing? Or perhaps a better question would be, who wouldn’t…

Things are not as perfect as they appear at Aberfal, and the list of suspects seems to cover the whole school. From Charles the Chair of Governors, Cass the bullied scholarship student, Mandy the secretary to Miss Lane the ambitious Deputy Head there are a lot of people whose lives are better off with Headmaster Jerry Newhall gone. (And the mums’ WhatsApp group have their own theories too.)

As more and more secrets are revealed and rumours fly at the school gates, it’s clear that appearances mean nothing at Aberfal and everyone is hiding something. It’s not just one bad apple apple Aberfal Boys High School is rotten to its core..

📖 My review..

Aberfal Boys School offers a unique opportunity to those talented pupils whose parents can afford the exorbitant school fees however, privilege has its price and Aberfal is about to have to look very carefully at what it offers and the price it attaches to reputation. When Jerry Newall, the popular headmaster, is found dead in his office it opens up far more questions than it does answers and as his death is considered, by the police, to be suspicious there are those amongst the staff, and parents, who definitely have something to hide.

One Bad Apple is a great read, it’s both immersive and entertaining, and I was able to whizz through the story in one sitting. I especially enjoyed the WhatsApp messages in the mums’ group, they made me smile and are so typical of parent group discussions. Whilst this is definitely a murder mystery it is not particularly a police procedural and even though there are several witness statements, it’s more about the intricate dynamics of all those who could have easily played a part in the murder and boy, what a devious lot they all are! 

Thanks to the skill of this talented writer it’s very easy to be drawn into the mystery surrounding Jerry Newall’s death and with so many hidden secrets it soon becomes obvious that there is definitely One Bad Apple to be discovered in Aberfal Boys School. 

About the Author

Jo Jakeman was the winner of the prestigious Friday Night Live competition at York Festival of Writing. Her debut psychological thriller Sticks and Stones was shortlisted for the Best Revenge Thriller at the Dead Good Reader Awards 2019. Since then Jo has had two more books published, Safe House and What His Wife Knew which have been translated into several languages. Jo lives in Cornwall with her family and is an avid wild swimmer, making the most of her home county.

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