In The Hall With The Knife by Diana Peterfreund
4 out of 5 Magical Coffee Cups
From goodreads.com
A murderer could be around every corner in this thrilling YA trilogy based on the board game CLUE!
When a storm strikes at Blackbrook Academy, an elite prep school nestled in the woods of Maine, a motley crew of students—including Beth “Peacock” Picach, Orchid McKee, Vaughn Green, Sam “Mustard” Maestor, Finn Plum, and Scarlet Mistry—are left stranded on campus with their headmaster. Hours later, his body is found in the conservatory and it’s very clear his death was no accident. With this group of students who are all hiding something, nothing is as it seems, and everyone has a motive for murder. Fans of the CLUE board game and cult classic film will delight in Diana Peterfreund’s modern reimagining of the brand, its characters, and the dark, magnificent old mansion with secrets hidden within its walls.
I’m not sure if this book would have been more fun or less fun if I had seen the movie or played the game. I have never seen the movie Clue, nor have I played the board game. I have no excuse; I just never did. I was still aware of them!
Anyway, I was still really excited when I saw this book! This is the type of book that brings out all my detective nerd ways. I will audibly announce to an empty room my deductions. It’s me sitting in my home 100% by myself – telling the void my thoughts…
Every clue.
Every time.
Usually, I would be annoyed when I figure something out (too predictable!), but it’s pretty clear that the hints being dropped were meant to be found. I liked these little “aha” moments. They were just enough information to keep you reading without giving away everything. You ended up with a ton of information but still not enough information.
I really had a lot of fun with this one. It does end on a cliffhanger, so you might want to make sure you have access to the second book.
Literary Coffee 