An outrageous plot of villainy starring seven brilliant young girls.

At Prickwillow Place, Disgraceful Mary Jane, Smooth Kitty and their fellow students are keeping a deadly secret.

When the headmistress of St Etheldreda's School for Young Ladies drops dead at Sunday dinner, her seven pupils agree on a clever scheme: to bury their teacher in the vegetable garden, dress up Stout Alice in her place, and educate themselves. This is tricky enough in a small Victorian community, but when the girls deduce that their teacher was poisoned - (it was the veal!) - they realise there is also a murderer on the prowl . . .

An outrageous plot of mysterious happenings, farce and friendship.

Julie Berry grew up as the youngest of seven children on a 50-acre farm in America complete with pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and oodles of cats and dogs. As a child she took beloved books to bed like other children took teddy bears, nestling down under the covers with them. She still does this today, and her patient husband stacks them on his bedside table before turning off the light. She has written four novels with ALL THE TRUTH THAT's IN ME being nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2014. She lives with her husband and four sons in Massachusetts. Follow Julie at www.julieberrybooks.com or on Twitter: @julieberrybooks.