I came across this in a post on my Facebook page by someone I first met online many years ago in the first book group I was in. She runs a blog and reads a phenomonal amount, which is always interesting. I don't normally read her choices but I fancied this one so went ahead with it.
I'm glad I did. This is an author I would otherwise not have heard of. It's set in 1980s New Zealand and is about a 12 year old girl and her glamorous, charismatic new teacher and she longs to be the teacher's pet, like all of the other kids in her class. The trouble is, the teacher isn't all she seems and things start to go wrong. Justine's suspicions grow but even although she does eventually do something about them things go further wrong.
I guessed accurately about one part of the story but was totally surprised by the rest of it (which is hard to do).
This is a superbly well written, well plotted, twisty psychological thriller which probes the themes of racism, misogyny and the oppressive reaches of Catholicism.
It does have a happy ending!
Recommended.