Trapped at school amidst a snowstorm with their headmaster Mr. Boddy, Beth “Peacock” Picach, Orchid McKee, Vaughn Green, Sam “Mustard” Maestor, Finn Plum, and Scarlet Mistry, are left to solve the mystery of who in their crew murdered their beloved headmaster. Everyone has a motive and nothing is at it seems in this modern reimagining of the classic who-dun-it board game.

Published by Harry N. Abrams In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund is the first in this new YA trilogy based off the class CLUE mystery game

What an incredible novel. In the Hall with the Knife is a new twist on a classic game filled with absolutely rich characters that give the game some more dimension.

What was so amazing about this novel was the pacing of the novel. Incredibly well done and thought out, the execution of the pacing is vital in making this novel such a success. The way the novel starts by introducing Mr. Boddy as the lovable school headmaster before slowly introducing the characters. Peterfreund did an incredible job of building up the characters and adding the tension around each character. By building up tension between the characters and creating the right atmosphere, the story engages the reader in the plot of the who-dun-it. Once again, everyone has a motive, and to make everyone a believable culprit, the novel has to make sure that each narrative is suspicious. Eventually, as the story continues, the reader can start to eliminate suspects, but the tension never dissipates as the story progresses.

Peterfreund makes sure that the atmosphere never loses its strength as the story goes on. What more the number of twists and turns. The atmosphere is just so tense and remains that way perfectly. It keeps the reader guessing, and that is what makes a good mystery thriller. At times the atmosphere was reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s work.

The characters are all very diverse, as well. The range of characters and backgrounds gives the novel. Each character has a distinct voice and personality that adds to the story. What is more is that they are relatable characters as well as caricatures. It is the perfect blend to make the story maintain the tension and momentum of the story.

All the elements of this novel work so exceedingly well together. Diana Peterfreund has such a strength in creating the perfect atmosphere for an excellent mystery.

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