Deadmistress [Paperback]

Carole B. Shmurak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2004

This semester has been a real killer.

The headmistress of a posh private school for girls has been found brutally murdered in her office. When professor and educational consultant Susan Lombardi learns that her close friend John has been accused of the crime, she wastes no time setting out to clear his name. While doing so she uncovers some troubling secrets about the school’s faculty and staff, and it soon becomes clear that John is definitely not the only one with a motive for murdering the "deadmistress".

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Carole B. Shmurak, Ph.D., received degrees from Mount Holyoke College, Harvard University and Indiana University. She is the author of the Matty Trescott series of Young Adult novels, one of which was nominated for the 2001 Agatha Award for Best YA Mystery. Dr. Shmurak’s book, Voices of Hope, was named "Critics’ Choice" by the American Educational Studies Association in 1998. A science teacher at private schools for many years, she has for the past fifteen years been a professor of Education at Central Connecticut State University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563153521
• ISBN-13: 978-1563153525
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,499,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Carole B. Shmurak is the author of ten books, including Deadmistress, her first mystery featuring professor/sleuth Susan Lombardi, which was named a Notable Book of 2004 by Writers Notes Magazine. Other Lombardi mysteries include Death by Committee and Death at Hilliard High (new for 2009). Under the pseudonym Carroll Thomas, she is the co-author of the Matty Trescott young adult novels, one of which (Ring Out Wild Bells) was nominated for the Agatha for best young adult mystery of 2001. (Please see Amazon's Carroll Thomas page for more information about the YA books.)

Carole holds degrees from Mount Holyoke College, Harvard University, and Indiana University. She is Professor Emerita at Central Connecticut State University, where she still teaches a course in the history and philosophy of education. She was a chemistry and biology teacher in private schools in New York and Connecticut for 20 years prior to coming to CCSU. Her non-fiction book, Voices of Hope: Adolescent Girls at Single Sex and Coeducational Schools was named a Critics' Choice by the American Educational Studies Association.

Carole leads the mystery group discussions at the Simsbury Public Library, was the founder of the mystery readers group at the Farmington Public Library, and is a member of Sisters in Crime and the CT Authors and Publishers Association. She lives in Farmington CT with her husband Steve and cat Ariel. Visit her website at www.MattyTrescott.com/Carole.htm

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Headmistress killed -- lots of suspects, March 29, 2005

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deadmistress (Paperback)

Professor Susan Lombardi learns that her close friend John is the police's prime suspect in the murder of headmistress, Sabena Lazlo. Susan used to teach at Wintonbury Academy and knows the faculty well. She can't believe John would have killed her. Even though he had threatened her the day before at a faculty meeting. But many people didn't like Sabena. Susan isn't sure there are many people who like her. She was the reason Susan had left.

Susan decides to try to help clear John. Since she knows the faculty, she feels she can find out information the police may not be able to discover as easily. She gets permission to talk to the faculty from Granny Smith who is helping to run the school in Sabena's absence. Plus she enlists the help of her husband, Swash, and her Private Investigator friend, Mark.

The deeper Susan digs, the more secrets about the faculty and students she discovers. John is definitely not the only person with a motive for murdering Sabena. But can Susan figure out who the real killer is among all the suspects?

I found this mystery to be very enjoyable. It is a quick read. Susan is such a likeable character. The faculty and students at the Academy are very believable. The plot is well written, and there are enough suspects to make it difficult to figure out the killer.

I hope Ms. Shmurak writes more in this series. I highly recommend it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun, traditional, academic mystery!, September 30, 2004

By 

Lorraine Talbot (Winsted,, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deadmistress (Paperback)

Susan Lombardi is a professor at a Connecticut university who used to teach at an exclusive private girl's school. She left Wintonbury Academy and moved on to the university because of conflicts with the school's headmistress, Sabena Lazlo, the murder victim.
We learn about her death on the very first page of the book. Susan is appalled because a good friend, John deHavilland, who still teaches at Wintonbury, is the primary suspect. She decides to look into the crime to see if she can clear John. While following her investigation we're introduced to an interesting cast of characters, her best friend, Elaine, Swash, her likeable husband, Mark, a former adult student with a P.I. license, as well as numerous instructors and students at the girl's school. There is a sub-plot involving a conflict with a manipulative professor at the university, etc.
The story is told exclusively through Susan's point of view, which helps us to identify with her. The descriptions of the characters are good, enabling the reader to "see" them in the mind's eye. The quotes that introduce each short chapter are fun, and the whole thing comes to a very satisfactory conclusion in the last couple of chapters. My only complaint is that I would have liked more story, a bit longer would have been great.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2005 Writers Notes Book Award Notable, April 19, 2005

By 

Writers Notes Magazine "Book Editor" (www.WritersNotes.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadmistress (Paperback)

The principal of an exclusive girls' school is murdered, and a depressing number of people are pleased by this. A former colleague-anxious to clear the name of her friend, the number one suspect-reluctantly plays the role of detective. This book harkens the best P.D. James mysteries.