Aberfal Boys High School is the pinnacle of independent education in Cornwall. Yes, there are problems with bullying that the headmaster is failing to deal with effectively. There is a problem with falling numbers on role – and hence with money coming into the school. The Deputy Head seems determined to get her hands on the top job, if only the headmaster would retire.

And then on the day of the big cricket match, the headmaster has been found dead in his study. If you thought the Mum’s WhatsApp was lively beforehand…

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So, an interesting one here, sort of in the vein of Janice Hallett’s style rather than the cosy style you might be expecting. There are time jumps, police interview testimony, WhatsApp chats and sections from the point of view of the majority of the main characters.

This all felt quite close to home, as I’m a teacher in such a school – not an isolated posh one like Aberfal, I should say – but some of the themes I have seen in previous schools that I’ve worked in. I did find myself invested in the fates of a number of the lead characters, especially Asha, a parent who doesn’t think she really fits in with her fellow mothers, and Katy, the ambitious deputy head. The story twists and turns as it heads towards the revelation of the murderer but there are plenty of other bits and pieces being revealed and resolved along the way.

Not convinced that it’s a particularly clued mystery, and ultimately given a relatively small group of suspects (which I always find odd in school mysteries because schools are massive), I didn’t find the final reveal particularly surprising. It didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story – which was always leading to that resolution – and if there is more shenanigans to come at the school, I look forward to reading about them.

One Bad Apple is out now in hardback and ebook from Little Brown/Constable. Many thanks for the review e-copy via NetGalley.