Title: What's Murder Between Friends

Author: Meg Gatland-Veness

Reviewer: Rhonda Bruce

Audience: Older Readers (coarse language)

"Without Ms Lovelace, what will they do?" Dimitri asks. Will they cancel the show?" Penny adds. "And what about our drama class?" Dorothy says. "She is the only drama teacher in the school. Will we have to choose another elective? Dear god, please don't make me take engineering," I say. (P15) 

" The last thing we expect to find on the scavenger hunt is a dead body". Thus begins the story of Hallie and the other Year 12 Drama students who were at school on Saturday morning for their usual Scavenger Hunt. This was always organised by their Drama teacher, Ms Lovelace as a warm-up to their musical rehearsal. Instead of clues. the Year 12 students find their Drama teacher lying in a pool of blood outside the drama rooms. In this small country town with no police station, everyone becomes a suspect, including the Drama students. With the school musical still going ahead, exams coming up and romance in the air, the Year 12 students must discover whodunnit before another murder occurs.  A story with many twists and suspects, a sprinkling of drama, romance and murder.

Relevant to Stages 5 & 6 Wide Reading Program