Diana Peterfreund brings the classic board game to life in “In the Hall with the Knife.” The mansion we all know so well from the game is now situated on the campus of an elite private boarding school in rural Maine. Tudor House is a dorm/residence for co-eds, watched over by Mrs. White. The story takes place during an intense winter storm that strands a handful of students on an increasingly dangerous campus. When the power goes down and the only bridge to the mainland fails, the school’s Headmaster, Mrs. White, and the remaining students are forced to shelter in place together in Tudor House.

As with all groups, there are those who get along famously and those who merely tolerate one another. The same is true for these students, including Orchid McKee, Beth “Peacock” Picach, Vaughn Green, Sam “Mustard” Maestor, Finn Plum, and Scarlett Mistry. Secrets abound and suspicions run rampant when the school’s headmaster is discovered dead in the Conservatory.

I had fun reading this one! It was just like playing the board game as I went along seeking out clues to each character’s motives. “In the Hall with the Knife” is the first in a series and I’m eager to see how the mystery continues in the next book.