The Tower Ghost: A Sycamore Hill Mystery

by Natasha Mac a'Bháird, Lauren O'Neill (cover_art)

Sycamore Hill Boarding School, Donegal

1963

Clare is excited to start her first term at Sycamore Hill. New sports, new subjects, and new friends – chatty, confident Rose and quiet, nature-loving Molly.

But something strange is going on. The girls see a face at the tower window and hear the sound of crying – could the school be haunted? And does it have anything to do with the mysterious death of a pupil years earlier?

No one seems to want to answer their questions, but Clare and her friends are determined to investigate.

Can they solve the mystery before a killer strikes again?

304 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2024

About the author

Natasha Mac a’Bháird is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of the bestselling wedding planning book, The Irish Bride’s Survival Guide, a new edition of which was published in 2011. Her first children’s book, Olanna’s Big Day, was published in 2009. Olanna’s Big Day was included in the White Ravens Collection 2010 and was shortlisted for the Reading Association of Ireland Award 2011.

Natasha has written articles for the Evening Herald, Irish Examiner and Image magazine and is a regular book reviewer with Inis – Children’s Books Ireland magazine and Book Fest.

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting boarding school adventure with some fab characters! Recommended!


😍 Clare, our MC, who got a scholarship at Sycamore Hill! She is smart, but not annoyingly so. I loved how hard she studied but I also love that she took time (with some motivation of Rose) to relax and do some other things as well. She was a sweet character and I love how, when she hears crying and sees someone in need, tries to help them out and comfort them. I also loved seeing her discover Sycamore Hill, find out all about it, learn about hockey, and it was great fun to see her feel more and more at home with each week.
😍 I loved the side characters (well, OK, not Sinead and her lackey). Rose was such a fun character and while she was rich she wasn’t flaunting with it, instead she wanted to help out her friends, I loved her courage and how she went for things if she wanted to go for it. Molly took me a bit to like, but as soon as she opened up I really liked her. Despite being a bit of a scaredy cat she fits in well with the friend-group of Clare/Rose and I loved seeing them do things together. Plus, there is Niamh the prefect and a really sweet girl who wants to help out the first years and make sure they are settled in and takes care to be nice to them. Nancy, one of the girls in Clare’s year group who was chosen to make sure the other girls did their things (forgot the name) and who didn’t abuse her powers once but instead did a wonderful job. And there are others! It was just so fun.
😍 The boarding school, the lessons, everything. I just wish I could step in this book and be part of it. I just love the sound of boarding schools and wish I could have gone to one (but we don’t really have them in my country, so sad). I would love to be part of a midnight feast!
😍 It is set in 1963, but it felt like it could have also easily been set earlier, 40 years but also 100 years. It felt ageless. No sure what the correct word is. The only thing that gave away the time were the music, the telephones, and some other stuff. I love that!
😍 I also love that the boarding school was mostly run by nuns, with a few exceptions of the day teachers that popped by. I loved the different personalities of the nuns, how the author took the time to make them really come to life.
😍 The mystery was fabulous! I loved the addition of a ghost/ghostly noises that set our girls off to go on investigation and find out more about the tower, if someone died, who that mysterious girl was that Clare saw, and also try to not annoy people with questions (because peeps in this book really do not want questions). I loved seeing the mystery grow and finding clues, getting hints, and slowly being able to form a picture of what happen. But the culprit? Well, that remained quite the surprise and I love that!
😍 The last part of the book was just fabulous. Exciting. OMG. Gasp!

😒 Why oh why do we always have to have a bitchy character in books like this? In this one that person is Sinead and I just disliked her from the first time we saw her and sadly she only got worse and worse with each new part. sighs

❓I really need a picture from someone for those beds. I still have no clue what beds those are and Google doesn’t help/doesn’t know either. And yes, it is a small detail, but since it is a vital part of their daily schedule it was mentioned often and my mind just constantly tried to form a picture… and failed. XD

All in all, I am just hoping and praying that we get more books set in this school with this group of friends, because I desperately need more!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite like a story set in a boarding school so I was excited to read this book. And I wasn’t disappointed. As I was reading this book all I could think of was how I wished that I had gone to this school. The description of the school was so good that I could picture everything in my mind. And there were lessons that I wanted to be part of.
The characters were well plotted and all worked well together. Clare is our main character. She is a sweet character that makes you want to be her friend. Sometimes characters like these can be annoying because they are so nice but not in this case. And I like how we don’t see the boarding school until she does.
The supporting cast were just as good, with a believable mix of personalities. The setting of 1963 was great and it was good to see what life was like then. The mystery was a good one that leaves the reader guessing right to the end. I really hope that this is not the last we see set in this school as I need more, much more.

[Mary Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tower Ghost ticks all my boxes: a boarding school story; an eerie mystery to investigate; building firm friendships; adventures to be had; danger, daring and finding your feet in the world. While the book takes place in the 1960s, the mysterious death happened twenty years before, adding a unique generational aspect to the tale. Within the school, many possible suspects emerge, each that would have their own reasons for committing this horrible crime. (As it turns out, Roses’ mother even had an unwitting role in the cover-up!) It is also worth noting that the absence of contemporary “gadgets”, phones, computers and whatnot allow the girls to display their intelligence and problem-solving abilities; no looking things up online…they have to figure it out, an important message to the current generation of budding techies. It also adds to the appeal and enjoyment of the story.
The pace of this story is perfect! Steady, but never plodding as they gradually uncover mysterious events and build a list of suspects, uncover subtle clues and inconsistencies in the death of a student years before. The characterisation is superb throughout; of each and every character! And the scenes are set with such an adept quality that the reader has a clear picture of time, place setting. There is a superb and surprising twist at the end, creating a strong finale, with a shocking, gasp-inducing moment that is unforgettable. Full of drama, intrigue, friendship, mystery; a tale of finding your tribe, following your heart and trusting your feelings.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this novel had been around when I was a (much) younger reader. I relied on Enid Blyton to show me what it could be like to attend a boarding school but how I would have loved a novel about Irish students in an Irish boarding school - and here it is: 'The Tower Ghost', set in a large convent school in County Donegal in the year 1963. Mentions of Elvis and The Beatles posters clash beautifully in this setting with the old building's locked north tower, murmurs of a ghost and the forbidden dark forest outside. As a former student of a convent school I loved the inclusion of nuns and, in particular, the mention of the nun's graveyard out the back of the school grounds. I have vivid memories of discovering the nuns' graveyard out the back of my own primary school. The novel is full of atmosphere and, on top of all that, Mac a'Bhaird provides the reader with a genuinely thrilling story, she creates and maintains just the right amount of tension whilst giving nothing away until the very end. I read it in two sitting, only putting it down long enough to make dinner. The novel is also about friendship and compassion for those around you. This story exudes warmth on every page. I highly recommend this for ages ten years and upwards.

[Leanne Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it had the feel of “Malory Towers” about it. I loved the storyline and characters. I loved all three girls Clare, Rose and Molly and how they all became friends and grew closer together trying to solve the mystery of the ghost and trying to solve what happened to her.

It was interesting learning about all the different types of characters like the nuns and the priest Fr Reed and also Sinead who was a strong character.

I felt intrigued following the girls around the school piecing together the pieces to the mystery. There were also parts where i was biting my nails in anticipation, and had anxiety when the girls did their investigations.

I loved how each of the three girls were so different but complimented each other and each had their own strengths.
I also loved Rose’s bold streak, how she would be straight out and ask what she wanted to know,
Or Molly who was shy and kind, and Clare who was kind and sensible but also adventurous.
I enjoyed seeing their characters develop throughout ❤️

Overall I absolutely adored this book and I’m dying for there to be a sequel!!! I also did not see the twists throughout, I can only imagine how much any kids from the ages of 10+ would love this if I loved it this much 😂