To Our Graves

by Paul Mason

Located just outside the village of Bath, Ontario, St. Cuthbert's College prides itself on its beautiful lakeside campus, rich academic curriculum, diverse sports and cultural programs, and stable of distinguished graduates. But when a seventeen-year-old student is found stabbed to death in the chapel, the school's management is desperate to separate itself from the crime, even though Detective-Sergeant Diane Stewart comes to believe the murderer is a member of the school community. A fast-moving tale of deceit and intrigue, To Our Graves is a thrilling crime novel set in an exclusive Canadian private school.

249 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2024

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grade 12 student is found dead in the chapel of a prestigious and exclusive private school. This sets off a police investigation by Kingston police detective-sergeant Diane Stewart.

To ensure she can interview the boys who were in the same residence as the deceased, the school chaplain Luke Nash sits in, and occasionally asks questions based on his familiarity with school routines and practices. The OPP provide one of their detectives to the investigation, as Kingston has most of their personnel deployed on a separate big case. He ends up fining the murder weapon, while Diane continues to question a set of boys whose shiftiness hints at a greater understanding of what might have led the boy to being in the chapel.

We meet a lot of characters along the way; faculty, heads of houses (residences), and several individuals in these houses. We get a picture of a place filled with kids of the wealthy, staff constantly required to answer to demanding parents, and the headmaster trying desperately to stem the tide of parents pulling their kids out of school because of the murder and the ongoing police investigation.

We also see kids keeping secrets, adults unaware of some of what goes on in the school, and learn more and more, all of it bad, about the dead boy.

Though we do discover who was the murdered and why, Diane Stewart is unable to find her perpetrator, as staff and kids inadvertently, and in some cases deliberately, keep relevant information from the police.

Though not fast-moving, I found myself intrigued by the mystery and the complicated relationships and rituals at the school.

The ending had me wanting to see Diane Stewart investigating another case.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Now or Never Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Coryn A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great novel, and one of the best mysteries I've ever read.

There's a murder victim, but I think what makes the story really terrifying is how the other characters are navigating the much more mundane concerns of their lives, without recognizing how full of danger and consequence these concerns really are.

There's a teaching assistant having an affair with a housemaster's husband, teenagers dealing with the overwhelming power of authority figures, and staff dealing with alcoholism and loneliness.
These humanizing touches were a more chilling reminder of mortality and the fragility of life than the murder itself.

The murder serves to amplify the chaos and crises in the characters' own lives. Maybe we can't identify with what it's like to be a murderer, or to be murdered, but we can identify with the existential fears of aging, loneliness, and the maddening teenage fears of losing control and dealing with authority and finding one's own identity. That's part of what makes the novel such a compelling page-turner.

I highly recommend this book!

[Daknees57 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this page-turner. The author deftly paints a picture of community life at a private school from various perspectives— those of staff, administrators, students and their parents. Tensions build in this microcosm, leading to a violent death. The investigation held my attention, and every time I put the book down, I found myself looking forward to picking it up again. Well done! I look forward to the sequel.

[Gary Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obviously the author is a playwright. There is a cast of characters at the front containing about 100 names and most of them appear very briefly and seemingly only appear to pad out the story.

A very unpopular student has been murdered at this private school. There are many suspects. There are even more red herrings thrown in to, again, pad out the story.

We learn a lot about how private schools are run. This book will interest you if that is something you care about. I can’t see that it will interest you otherwise.

This is a novel that should have been a short story.

[Lorraine Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping read from the first page: a murder of a grade 12 boarding student. Teachers will find this story hard to put down. The choices of many of the characters feel relatable, especially one in particular (won’t give it away! You will have to read it.) Looking forward to discussing this book with colleagues and to learning more about what happens with the “to our graves” cast of characters.

[Margaret McMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, with its stunning cast of characters in a highly-charged private school setting, was a treat to read. It was like an Agatha Christie murder mystery. A great bookclub choice or vacation read.

[Bonnie Field]

This was an interesting and engaging crime novel however the use of profanity was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the story. It seems this is a common writing practice of some contemporary writers these days and is disappointing. It makes it difficult to choose good reading material.

[Nathalie Paulin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent characters, compelling story! An absolute must-read! It kept me wanting more: Sequel, please!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book taught me a lot about Canadian private schools — but it’s the characters and the story I’ll remember. I suspect I’ll read it again!

[Mary Greiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. It’s good to know that this is the first of many, as there are too many characters and plot lines for such a small volume.