A fun and thrilling murder mystery. Really enjoyed this dark, atmospheric whodunit. The setting was perfect though I wish the characters had been a bit more dynamic and developed.

A pretty quick and easy read. The characters were all a bit surface level and I didn't get much from them. I loved the premise and love a boarding school thriller but this lacked much of a thrill? It was fine to pass the time but I wouldn't be rereading it

A good.murder mystery and was set in a prestigious school. I really loved this was an unexpected find on Netgalley. Highly recommended for lovers of academic psychological thrillers x

4.5
I am new to isolated boarding school thrillers, but this was a great starter! I've read some thrillers in the past, but am fairly new to the genre. With each book, I am growing to love the genre more and more and this is no exception. While I still had many questions at the end of the book, there were also many questions answered as well. I feel many books are like that though, especially thrillers because there are so many things going on and some things in life are unexplained, so it only makes it more realistic, at least in my opinion.
The last night I read this book, I was not planning on finishing it because I still had almost half the book left and it was already after midnight when I started it. But I did end up finishing it and I was awake until 2am, but it was definitely worth it. I was completely hooked!

A murder mystery with other nefarious goings-on at an isolated school in the Catskill Mountains.

Cassie has just been throught a break-up, and to get away from everything and everyone, she has accepted a job as a teacher and moved from California to New York.

The school is Falcon Ridge Academy, and what she thought was a regular school with its boring routine in a far-to-reach, remote location, is anything but that. The book starts off with the murder of one of the teachers, Kimi. Though the police say that it wasn't murder, she suspects that it most definitely was.

Soon, shady stuff begins to happen, aided along by gossip that is inevitable in small towns and even smaller schools. She realises that something dangerous is afoot, and she is now in the middle of it all. The story is told in multiple POVs, so as a reader, you get a 360 degree view of what's going on.

I would have read further, but it was a DNF for me at 50%, since I was not invested in the story, didn't particularly like any of the characters, and started feeling put off by some of the events that were just not believable. I just lost interest and moved on, because the story was not riveting enough. Just overall pretty 'meh'.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns and shocks. Brilliant!

Kimi is excited to have a new position at a finishing school in the mountains of central New York. She is a little uneasy about the competition for the coveted position of Headmaster.

Teaching summer classes is always a pain. The students are less than motivated and some of them are here learning English as a second language. The passing of Kimi puts everyone on edge. “Was it an accident”?

Compensation is good for the position and housing and food are supplied to the educators. Cassie hates the winters in upstate New York and will leave at winter break but being one of the newer teachers is stuck with students who cannot go home for break.

This tale embraces the politics of a small teaching institution that caters to the very rich and foreign students. The characters are well developed and the plot simple but tragic. Avarice is a terrible taskmaster. Mix that with a mental condition and you have the ingredients for an interesting and heartrending tale. 4.5 stars - CE Williams

received an advance copy via NetGalley.
Our MC is a teacher from sunny locales who takes a job at a remote mountain school in the Catskills. There's a suspicious death and intrigue ensues. There's corruption and secrets and Cassie is hiding one of her own.
Although this book was well-written, it left me wanting. It can't be called a psychological thriller and there's barely any suspense.
The killer's identity is revealed too early and we have a number of chapters from their perspective. Their motive didn't make sense to me either. In general, I felt the author over shared / gave away too much information throughout the book.
Cassie is the only character that is well developed (which makes sense given she's the MC).
I kept waiting till the end for a twist but there was none coming although the book was an easy read.

After a bad breakup, Cassie makes the rash decision to take a teaching position across the country at an isolated boarding school in the Catskills. Everything goes smoothly, if a bit boring, until about two weeks before winter break, when a fellow teacher and former friend of Cassie’s, is found dead. Oh, and she mailed an ominous message to Cassie the day she died. As tensions on campus escalate, Cassie doesn’t know who she can trust or how long she’s safe staying at the school as a storm bears down on the campus.

The story is told from the POVs of various characters, all in the present timeline, as the story unfolds.

I really think the premise of this book was good; any kind of remote boarding school mystery catches my attention. And there were some nice aspects here. The description of the scenery and setting really drew me in, and there was a bit of suspense waiting to figure out how everything was going to all play out. There were some twists in there at the beginning that I didn’t see coming, which kept me reading.

But then there were a couple of things that kind of threw me off track. I wasn’t really into the romance aspect of the book, it felt kind of thrown in. And it also felt like the book was about 70 pages too long - the killer and their plan/motive was revealed relatively early, and then there really weren’t any other twists after that. So, by that time, I was pretty much done.

So I’m kind of half-and-half with this one. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. It’s a three star.

This book was okay. The plot was interesting and I like how it intertwined a murder and a financial scandal within this elite private school. However, I did the really get the workplace rivalry vibes. Sure, there was a teacher and an administrator that didn’t get along, but it didn’t really scream rival. The campus was isolated, but truthfully, the campus and school was rarely talked about! It was like the characters weren’t teachers at all. Cassie was an interesting character but her storyline seemed hard to follow and so much of it was left out that she was very underdeveloped. Overall it was a quick read but it didn’t do much to hold my attention. I think the writing style felt like it was written for a younger audience despite it being an adult book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me on my toes and kept me guessing. I liked that i didn't work out the who done and the book also ended well.

Loved this story as there were many twists and turns that you don't necessarily see coming. I went to a school similar to this in Northern Massachusetts and during the 1978 blizzard and remembering not to step off the paths they made as you would sink about 7 feet into the snow. We had been snowed in for several days not able to get to the cafeteria and ate a lot of popcorn. No electricity, no problem just add warm clothes and blankets but luckily we did not have a killer in our mists.
Bonnie Traymore has become one of my favorite suspense writers and love when I am asked to ARC or preview one of her books. This was another one of her books that I finished in one day.
So, as we get into the colder weather, snuggle up in your favorite chair, light the fire grab your coco or coffee and settle in for a wonderful experience.

"Head Case" by Bonnie Traymore had its moments, but it left me with mixed feelings, and I'd rate it 3 stars.

The story begins with Cassie Romano, who makes a life-altering decision to leave behind her native California and embark on a new journey as a teacher at a remote boarding school in upstate New York, all in the wake of a painful breakup. The book takes an intriguing turn with the mysterious death of a fellow teacher, Kimi, and this event sets the tone for the rest of the story.

Kimi's character is central to the plot, and her untimely demise sparks a sense of mystery and intrigue. The story kicks off with a significant twist around the halfway point, and this twist was genuinely well-executed. However, it's worth noting that this was the sole major surprise in the book. Once the identity of the killer is revealed, the plot loses some of its suspense and unpredictability.

I had high hopes for the story to maintain a sense of seclusion and suspense, akin to a small-town setting. Regrettably, the book doesn't quite sustain this atmosphere. The lack of an ongoing mystery and the early reveal of the killer's identity left me wanting more suspense and surprise.

Character development presented its challenges as well. With the exception of Cassie, it was difficult to connect with most of the characters, particularly the killer. The killer's motive felt somewhat implausible, and their uncooperative behavior made it hard to empathize with their actions and choices.

On a positive note, the use of multiple perspectives in the narrative was a sound choice, allowing readers to see the story from different angles. However, this aspect could have been executed more effectively to enhance the overall reading experience.

In conclusion, "Head Case" had a promising premise, with an intriguing character in Kimi and an initial twist that engaged the reader. However, the predictability of the plot following the revelation of the killer's identity left much to be desired. The book lacked the sustained mystery and suspense that I had hoped for, and the characters, aside from Cassie, didn't fully engage my empathy. While the book had its ups and downs, I'd like to express my sincere thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is a classic mystery - a new job, a new location, a possible murder and multiple POVs. I saw some people say they were drawn right in, but this book was slow for me, at least in the beginning.

Cassie has moved across the country from California to New York, and accepted a job as an English teacher. Falcon Ridge Academy is in the Catskill Mountains, and as winter approaches, Cassie starts wondering if she made a mistake. First, there’s the issue of having no time to go to the city. Secondly, a major winter storm has her feeling claustrophobic. Lastly, a coworker is found dead. Was it an accident, or murder?

That’s about it; this book felt a little bland to me. The story is any murder mystery, with a few variables like people in witness protection and a potential romance. We get to hear from several people involved with the academy, and then the ending gives you the answer to the mystery.

Overall, I thought this was well-written, but I could have used a bit more thrill and suspense. Many things were obvious as the book went on, which left the surprise ending with not a lot of excitement. True crime and straight mystery fans will probably enjoy this more than mystery/thriller fans; I’ve seen some really good reviews for this one, it just fell flat for me. Three stars.

(Thank you to Pathways Publishing, Bonnie Traymore and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

After an emotional breakup with her boyfriend, Cassie leaves San Diego and heads to a new teaching job in upstate New York. The private school is located in the Catskill Mountains – remote and surrounded by wilderness. A fellow teacher’s tragic accident does nothing to calm her nerves and she suspects that the death of her friend could be murder. Meanwhile, Cassie has secrets that she’s harbored since she was a child, which makes her reluctant to get involved.

Head Case is told from the perspective of several characters. This aspect of the book is very well-done and I enjoyed moving between them. Cassie is a sympathetic character although she makes a few odd decisions (after all, she’s still quite young). There wasn’t a lot of build-up or maintained suspense in this book, but it is well-written and plotted. The epilogue wrapped it all up, although some details could have gone unsaid and left to the reader’s imagination. Still, it was nice to read a book that really did finish the story. Head Case is an enjoyable book. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

A good read, and one that I would totally recommend if you enjoy the genre. I liked the protagonist, Cassie, and felt that she was well written and well rounded.

Personally, I am a big fan of mixed perspective books and enjoyed the writing style here; however I think the book gave away a little too much too soon and lost some of the suspense (this would have been what secured the 4 star review from me). I also feel that Cassie was the most rounded character, and the mixed perspective would have really been elevated if other characters shared the depth that Cassie had.

I also think the book was missing a little scene setting. I love the boarding school concept but there wasn't much imagery that brought the place to life for me.

All in all though, it was a good read and one that I finished in a couple of evenings. I'd definitely pick up a book by this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I really really wanted to like this book after reading the summary and was excited to start it. The book however was just very boring for me. Cassie has a job at a private school in the Catskills and it sounds like something that could turn into a creepy murder mystery with lots of creepy atmosphere with a snowstorm. It is anything but that. There wasn’t much mystery at all. The killer is revealed about halfway through the book so there isn’t much surprise at all.
Just not what I was expecting and I kind of had to force myself to finish it even though by the middle I had a pretty good idea of how the ending would turn out.
Not for me at all.

After a painful breakup, Cassie seeks solace in a teaching position for an exclusive private school nestled in a secluded community of the Catskill Mountains. However, shortly after her arrival, she discovers it's a supreme mismatch for her. The cold and isolation of her surroundings prove daunting, especially with the unsettling revelation of a murderer in their midst – a development that couldn't have come in a worse circumstance, given the secret she harbors.

At first, I was worried I would be incredibly annoyed with Cassie's selfishness for the entirety of this ebook but I was pleasantly surprised with how captivating the twists and plotting turned out to be. I particularly appreciated the various character perspectives of Cassie, Miles and Madeline because it was organized very well and relevant in every instance. The pacing and the main thread of the story continued seamlessly and I didn't have to jump around to clarify important aspects. It was crystal clear whose perspective I was reading, as each of the characters had a distinct voice.

I unexpectedly zoomed right through the latter half of the book because the suspense was that good! I really appreciate a surprise binge read.

This stories follows Cassie, an English teacher with a big secret. Cassie works in a boarding school with more than a few secrets of its own, when a teacher dies everything begins to unravel.

This book has multiple POV’s, which some readers may find difficult to follow. The book offers a satisfying moment when everything begins to make sense and Cassie is a very likeable character that I couldn’t help but root for. The characters in the alternate POV’s didn’t hold my attention to the same degree but those chapters offered important insights into the plot. There was a lot of scene setting at the start of the book which I really enjoyed and made for a more immersive experience.

This is a good, fast paced read for everyone, whether you’re new to thrillers/mystery’s or not.

Three word summary- fast-paced, satisfying, scenic.

Dark academia, murder, threatening notes, remote locale…this was so utterly good! I cant wait to read more by Bonnie Traymore!