A Murder of Principal

I had the pleasure of being a teacher under Saralyn Richard’s administration of our high school. She could not have painted a clearer picture of our building’s environment and affairs. I could hear Saralyn’s voice clearly through the diction of Sally and enjoyed guessing the REAL teachers behind some of her other characterizations. I am not an avid mystery reader but am now eager to read her other books. She had me second-, third- and fourth- guessing the culprit throughout this one!

The author creates an interesting story with true sounding characters dealing with life’s struggles, including racism, teacher and union issues, gangs, and general high school drama. The book catches your attention and keeps it with plot twists and turns.

The author creates an interesting story with true sounding characters dealing with life’s struggles, including racism, teacher and union issues, gangs, and general high school drama. The book catches your attention and keeps it with plot twists and turns.

The author creates an interesting story with true sounding characters dealing with life’s struggles, including racism, teacher and union issues, gangs, and general high school drama. The book catches your attention and keeps it with plot twists and turns.

The author creates an interesting story with true sounding characters dealing with life’s struggles, including racism, teacher and union issues, gangs, and general high school drama. The book catches your attention and keeps it with plot twists and turns.

Love the way all the characters are created.

Love this author. Have read all of her books and enjoyed them all. Generally, they are rather quick reads but usually not easy to figure out who the bad guy is before the reveal.

Saralyn Richard creates a high school setting, not unlike society. Her novel is rich in diversity of age, color, experience and opportunity. There’s much to learn from the murder mystery and the characters. Great read and great insights.

This is a great read. From the beginning, I was drawn into the world of Lincoln High School. I loved the pace of the book and how we go to meet and know the characters and the dilemmas they face in life. Saralynn has written another wonderful book.

I really enjoyed the steady pace of this novel, keeping me engaged from start to finish. Each of Saralyn’s novels have kept me guessing right until the end! Loved it!

Readers who loved Murder in the One Percent and A Palette for Love and Murder will be thrilled by Saralyn Richard’s captivating mystery, A Murder of Principal. The award-winning author turned her enormous talent to multiple challenges plaguing our high schools—gangs, race, jealousy, and even murder, wrapped around a well-crafted story with food for reflection on our contemporary society and the meaning of family.

Enjoyed the story and characters very much. It kept me guessing. Couldn’t put it down!

Simply said, a really great read. The characters were well thought out and The author draws the reader in page by page.

Saralyn Richard will school you in the importance of solid evidence in her thrilling book Murder of Principal. This is a well-researched story in correct police procedures to find who’s killing administrators at Lincoln High School. Soon after beginning the book, I was transported to the campus and ensconced in the story, thanks to the author’s skills for description and character development. You will cheer for Sally Pearce, the vice principal, who must balance her duty to the school and its students with her own fears for her safety as murders occur around her. Will she be next? You will love Sally’s devotion to all the students, even those being eyed by the police. Things are not as they seem at Lincoln High. There is nothing elementary about this whodunnit!

A Murder of Principal is both a terrific character study and murder mystery. Clearly the author understands life in a big city, minority school and describes all of the attitudes (and prejudices) of the administrators, teachers, students and families who populate the schools. In addition to being a fun read, the book gives the reader an intelligent understanding of effective (and ineffective) teaching techniques. This is a terrific combination. I want to know what is next in store for Sally.

When Sally Pearce is selected by the new principal to be the assistant principal, she prepares herself for a new role in the school she loves. What Sally didn’t prepare for was the new principal’s death, which plummets the school into a mystery of disappearances, gang violence, and a slew of grievances. While Sally struggles to uphold order and keep that principal’s hopes for the school alive, she realizes that she has to assist the police as much as she can before the murder destroys her school. This is the third Saralyn Richard novel that I have experienced and she never disappoints. Each set of characters have unique voices with a setting and plot that always lines up perfectly. Any reader looking for the perfect balance of characterization and well-structured, well-written mystery needs to pick up a Saralyn Richard’s book.

What a terrific murder mystery! Saralyn Richard develops these characters beautifully and I became fully invested in finding out the answer. She keeps you guessing until the very end. This is the third book I have read by this author and I can’t wait for the next one!

Who knew that high school could be so dangerous! Saralyn has bravely and competently tackled some difficult issues, arousing my emotions and getting me engaged with the characters. I was sad at the first murder, cheered on the beleaguered young couple, and glad when the culprit was apprehended. Well done!

Another fun page turner from Ms. Richard. if u like a good mystery, check out this and all her books.

As an educator, I’m always concerned when I pick up a book set in a school and doubly nervous when the story includes a murder. I’m afraid the author will include some of the stereotypes many people believe about education. But Saralyn Richard shares my background. She describes the school environment well—as a microcosm of the wider society with all it’s warts. Of course, I don’t want anyone to die in a school, but since Saralyn writes in this genre, somebody’s got to go. The murder mystery part of the book was well done. The reader is led to believe it could be—him or—her or—that other person. This book will keep you guessing and teach you a little about schools at the same time.

Readers are immediately pulled into the story as Saralyn engages them in her world, unfolding well-developed complex characters in richly detailed settings. The story moves along a satisfying pace, making the book truly hard to put down. In every scene, a reader feels a part of the inner circle of teachers, students, administrators, during discussions, a shared meal, and private moments between characters. She keeps readers guessing until the end as to who is guilty and their motive. Woven into this mystery is also a message of hope, which I really enjoyed. So many things to really love about this book!

I read this book in one sitting. I enjoyed the characters and the twists and turns one mystery buff expects. I recognized many characteristics of the teachers both as an educator and as a former student of the author. I knew I would enjoy the book when I read the opening quotation of Marian Wright Edelman. Although the characters are fictional, there are many familiar elements and quirks of Sally and her colleagues.

It’s funny to call a murder mystery fun, but this book is crafted to describe a school, much like many other schools, which is striving to have all students succeed.

Finished yesterday. Enjoyed every minute. Many characters could have been the murderer, even after they were dead. Also, loved the salute to Phillip-Morris. A product from the past. Keep them coming. Am looking forward to the next one. I have not delivered all the copies I purchased. Hope the recipients enjoy it as much as I did.

Author Saralyn Richard hits it out of the park—again. Penned by a real-life educator and school administrator, the setting and delicious details are brought to life as only someone “in the know” can. Richard gets an A+ in Murder and Mayhem.

Suspenseful and intriguing read! Saralyn is a great author and I have enjoyed all of her books.

I can’t say enough about this book. The author has managed to create an intriguing tale while introducing believable characters who face real dilemmas. She doesn’t shy away from important contemporary issues: racism, teacher unions, gangs, and the challenges of running a school in modern times. It’s easy to identify with all age groups, from misguided teens to principled adults, as they move through the story to the satisfying, if sobering, conclusion. An excellent read.

Saralyn has done a great job developing the characters in this book. They cover the gambit from good to bad, are multidementional, and they all belong in the setting of an inner city high school. The plot has twists and turns to keep you guessing. I recommend this to anyone who likes a thriller.

Saralyn Richard fluidly captures the inner-city school setting very clearly. The development of the story and characters are clearly on point. I was half way through the book before I could put it down. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Saralyn Richard draws on her experience as a compassionate educator to develop believable characters and situations in this murder mystery set in a high school. She understands both the feelings and passions of good and not-so-good educators as well as their dilemmas. She also understands and empathizes with the difficulties and emotions of teenagers, and the turmoil that is such a part of their educational experience. This is a book that would benefit and entertain all parents, teachers, and school administrators.

A Murder of Principal produces a roller coaster ride with twists and turns at a speed even experienced riders would be impressed with. Saralyn skillfully brings to life her characters as the reader is ascending the top of the hill only to find themselves plunging below into theories of intrigue in this engaging Who Dunnit! Saralyn is on a roller coaster ride of her own to join our most beloved mystery writers. Dare I say I see a movie adaptation of this book over the next hill!

Beautiful mastery written book Enjoyed the book characters, the students achievements despite their difficulties and the happy ending love story

A believable plot with well developed characters provides the perfect novel to delve into on a cold and rainy (or snowy) weekend. The author brings you the satisfaction of reading a well-written book that is well worth your time. Congratulations to Saralyn Richards for another winner!

This book takes the reader through the life and times of true educators; the encounters faced religiously no matter what area of the United States you live in. These are the real-life stories we face whether in middle school, high school, or college. I’m glad the story tells of what educators deal with but never speak about, and few in the real world really know about. The lives we touch and the difference we try to make in students’ lives, even if we can only reach a few and turn their lives around is why we do what we do. Vivian= adjunct professor

The pages flew by as the mystery of who did it kept me guessing to the very end. What I especially enjoyed was the dynamics of the students and faculty at Lincoln High School, an inner-city school. The setting bubbled with the full-range of human emotions from the desire to get ahead, to protecting the status quo, to love and the hope for a better future. Saralyn Richard hit it out of the park.

Great murder mystery set in a high school. Very fast read in a good way. Anyone who has worked in a high school is in for a special treat! I really enjoyed this book. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

The dialog was great. I liked the pacing. I got an insight on what difficult work administrators do and the difference caring makes to students I learned a lot

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this mystery. In.fact, toward the end I couldn’t put it down. I learned a lot about i met city schools while being thoroughly entertained its well written and worth the read

You can tell an experienced teacher, who well knows the political ins and outs of the school system, wrote of what she’s lived. The characters feel so authentic and some are so annoying that I wanted to reach inside the pages and grab more than one of them by the throat. In the meantime, I’m trying to figure out who really had a motive to kill the do-gooder victim. And then there’s the subplot, which an educator has no doubt witnessed many times especially in an inner-city school, but still, it’s heartbreaking. And are the actors in the subplot complicit in the murder? This intriguing mystery will keep you guessing right up to the end. I highly recommend it to mystery lovers everywhere.

Once again, Saralynn Richard does not disappoint. Her attention to detail, character and story line does not go unnoticed. She weaves a great mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the end. This is the third book of hers that I have read, and I’m am anxiously awaiting what mystery she delivers next.

I felt the beginning dragged a bit. However, once it reached the action part… the pages simply flew by and I could not wait to see WHO DONE IT!! Thanks

Saralyn Richard’s latest murder mystery has an unusual setting — an urban high school — with richly described characters and puzzling murders! You will fall in love with some of the people in this story, and you will not figure out “whodunit” until the exciting reveals in the last pages. This is Richard’s third murder mystery and I can’t wait for the next one.

Author Saralyn Richard has the ability to engage her readers by introducing and developing multiple characters in her work, all of which could very well be the guilty party of the said crime. I found it difficult to put down A Murder of Principal because this literary work causes the mind of the reader to form multiple theories (motives and opportunities) about each of the multidimensional characters throughout the book. I would recommend that anyone who aspires to become a school administrator read this book. It certainly allows you to think about serious issues that arise in a school setting and ponder the best ways to address them so that an administrator can uphold the teaching staff’s contract, maintain confidentiality, provide a quality education for students, and ensure the safety and security of all building stakeholders. The issues that Sally Pearce, main character and new administrator, faces are like no scenarios that you’d ever encounter in educational administration/leadership textbooks. If educational leadership programs posed such scenarios there would be a very low retention rate for students who actually earned their certificates or graduate degrees in this field. Overall, this was a great read and one that I’d recommend to other avid readers.

Having spent decades as a teacher and educational consultant, I not only savored the storyline (in spite of my failed attempt to solve the murder) but I also fully appreciated the day-to-day business, the personalities, the relationships, and the conflicts at Lincoln High School that Saralyn Richard deftly depicts in her newest mystery!

Wow! Fantastic! It’s time for you to sit down and read this exciting murder mystery. One that has you begging for the next turn of the page. You might as well find the time to start because once you do….there is no putting it down. Thanks again Saralyn for such a powerful message of the problems we face daily in ours schools. Looking forward to your next book.💙

I finished the book today and was so intrigued throughout that I was sad when it ended! Saralyn did a wonderful job of creating the real life dynamics educationally, politically, and personally of a typical school environment for her non-educator readers which also helped set up each character’s potential for being the murderer. The in-depth development of each person and the realistic dialogues literally came to life and you could almost hear the conversations! I guess you can tell that I really liked the story!!! Congratulations on another winner and I look forward to the next one!!!!

Murder of Principal; I could not put it down!!!! Great mystery.

A Murder of Principal, by award winning author, Saralyn Richard, has all the drama, intrigue and suspense needed to pull off this intense, inner-city high school mystery. Lincoln High is struggling with the usual issues surrounding students and faculty, even before the new principal, R.J. Stoker, shakes things up. Gangs, grievances, sexual harassment, and other tensions cause conflicts and rivalries. Stoker makes waves, and his new right-hand assistant struggles to balance the schedule before faculty grievances sink their maiden voyage. Just who has put a target on Stoker’s back? Plenty of characters have motives, but this suspense-filled mystery will keep you guessing who done it until the very end. Lots of clues and a few scattered red herrings will keep you engaged and trying to identify the killer. A Murder of Principal, is a nostalgic page turner that you won’t want to miss.

Saralyn Richard has become my favorite murder mystery author. Once again she has written another page turner. Her character development, plot and and attention to detail is second to none.

Sadly, this book ended too quickly! I Love reading books by this author. I cannot put them down! I usually end up reading them through the night! Wonderful book! Please, another one soon!