Pippa Evans had been a teacher at Penbryn Hall for just one week when her body was found alongside evidence of a pill overdose. Going undercover at the private school, investigator Mallory Dawson senses something rotten behind the wealth and privilege. Someone is leaving her coded messages: but do they want to help or harm the case?
Mallory soon finds links to the Solstice Sisterhood: a religious cult that believed punishment was cleansing. When a pupil is savagely attacked on school grounds, there is suddenly no time to lose in finding the killer.
A taut and twisty crime thriller set in the wilds of West Wales, perfect for fans of Clare Mackintosh and Fiona Cummins.

What readers are saying about The Death Lesson

‘I devoured The Death Lesson’
‘A murder mystery that feels fresh and complex, with characters you want to follow even as secrets unravel. Atmospheric writing keeps you hooked until the final reveal’
‘Filled with creative twists and well-timed revelations’
‘Oozing Atmosphere’

Sarah Ward is a critically acclaimed crime and gothic thriller writer. Her book, A Patient Fury, was an Observer book of the month and The Quickening, written as Rhiannon Ward, was a Radio Times book of the year. Sarah is a former Vice-Chair of the Crime Writers Association, Trustee of Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival and an RLF Fellow at Sheffield University.