I didn't realize this was Book #3 in a series when I requested it, but it reads like a standalone fortunately. Liked the mystery of this read, hearing the different perspectives of each character and flashbacks and forwards to slowly reveal the mystery.

A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

After 500 years times are changing for the Yorkshire's St. Oswald's school. Rebecca (Price) Buckfast is the new and first headmistress and the school is now admitting girls. Even though Rebecca is barely 40, she has worked hard to obtain the position and she is going to prove her worthiness to everyone via her own rules, especially long-time classics teacher Roy Straitley. However, when several of Straitley's former Latin students tell him that they have discovered what might be a body in a muddy sinkhole where new construction is about to begin, he takes the matter to Rebecca.

What follows after this initial discovery is an unfolding tale of Rebecca/Becky's past and the present. The narrative moves back and forth in time following alternating time lines from 1989 and 2006. In 1989 the plot follows Becky's time as a new teacher, her family life, and her memories of her older brother Conrad, who disappeared at age fourteen when Becky was just five. She recounts her story over the length of the novel to Straitley. Her story is alternated with excerpts from Straitley's 2006 diary.

The narrative starts out very slowly which may be off-putting for some readers. Rest assured that if you stick with it you will adjust to the deliberate pacing of the story and the suspense and sense of dread will begin to intensify. Rebecca intimates dark secrets and disturbing events several times, even while causally mentioning her own intractable reactions to some events. Although this is book three of a series, I found no real difficulties in reading it as a stand-alone novel. Rebecca is an interesting character. It will be quite clear that she will tell the truth, as she recalls it, but this won't necessarily always reflect virtuous behavior.

The writing is excellent. The time period of each chapter is clearly marked, so you can follow events between the two timelines and the different characters. The novel is complex, well plotted and, after the slow start, the pacing evens out until it picks up at the end and reveals several new facts. The tension and unease build throughout the novel, making it more compelling as the plot unfolds. The final denouement was very satisfying.

I enjoyed this one! The twists kept coming and I wanted to know what would happen next. The excellent narration of Alex Kingston and Steven Pacey kept me engaged and interested.

I could not get into this book, sorry. Trying to clean up my netgalley. Didn’t realize that I was forgetting to leave reviews on netgalley itself, My apologies.

The Narrow Door is a dark, compelling story of female empowerment. Although it is the end of a trilogy, it can be read as a standalone. The pacing is perfect as the strong characters are developed. I enjoyed the dual timelines that tell a very unpredictable and clever story. The narration adds a layer of intrigue and suspense. Thank you NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for my audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars.

This was so good! I didn't know that it's a third book in a series but it could be read as a standalone. It was a great thriller which could be considered as a Dark Academia book with a femenist touch. Now, I want to read all the books of Malbry series. It has some "For Your Own Good" kind of vibes.
The narration was amazing and sometimes a bit creepy which made my listening experience so great and enjoyable. My advice is to listen to this book rather than read it.

The story starts when the remains of a body are discovered in the year of 2006 at St. Oswald's School for Boys now opening its gates to girls and where Rebecca Buckfast is the first female headmaster. Roy Straitley, an old Latin teacher at st Oswald's tries to understand why is the headmaster so reluctant to call the police to investigate.
From there starts the unravelling of a really dark past like Roy said "Her tale unfolds like an onion; leaf by leaf, layer by layer, soon to reveal the thing at its heart that must make an old man weep."
Rebecca Buckfast is like Scheherazade in recounting her story to Roy little by little day by day until the ending.

I have not read the first two books in the series, but this one was such a gem! It truly spun a dark and twisted tale of secrets that ruin families and change the trajectory of people's lives. The tiny crumbs of information that are doled out as the story is unpacked were just enough to keep me insanely invested -- I couldn't wait to find out more! I also really enjoyed the feminist component of this story and the push to believe that women deserve to be considered equals. Another thing I really enjoyed was the unreliable narrator situation, not just one but several. It was part of the fun to not quite know who could be believed and who was unhinged. The creepy element of this book is not to be overlooked. Some parts were spine-tingling!

The narrator did a lovely job of telling the story and making the scary parts even more so. I liked the voice acting and thought the emotions were well done. Great narration overall!

nice read, had fun devouring this!

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an early review.

Holy mother of terror! Been listening to his book while doing house chores and there where some parts where I had to stop because I was literally scared! I liked the narrator and I really think that listening to someone telling you the story makes it even spookier. I loved that there were also some cliffhangers that I did not expect.
Great audiobook. I recommend this to any horror/ thriller enthusiast.

It´s diificult for me to rate this one. So, after trying to put my thoughts in words, I´ll go for a 3/10. A perfect duology, completely ruined.
I loved the first two in this trilogy and was eagerly anticipating the third.The writing, as usual, is beautiful,the build up is great, the characters engaging...and yet,and yet, I was very disappointed,and here´s why [
1- Rebecca: Despite the title, and the numerous and -very-tiring feminist rants, there´s no explanation as to how she "crossed" the narrow door. Just nothing between her being 24 and 40.
2- Straitley: I can´t believe his passive attitude.In the previous books,despite his faults, he always rose to the occassion and ended up saving the school. Here he´s just a spectator.Why would anyone,after finding a body,just do nothing? Worse still, his favourite pupils were the ones who found the remains.
3- The whys.Not believable.Rebecca´s kiliing spree, maybe, she´s a psycopath,but the boys hiding their friend´s body just not to be caught pulling a prank in the theatre? I found it absurd.
4-Straitley again: He´s a wonderful character;it´s a letdown that the author had him brought down (killed, that is) by a two bit psycopath

I feel bad for writing this but this book wasn't for me. It was way to long. I kept waiting for it to end. There were a lot of internal dialogues but not much happening.

While being the third in the series, this book did not feel like you have to read the first two in order to enjoy it. The story was well rounded, if not a bit slow in the middle, and easily stood by itself.

The characters are all completely unreliable to the point where I wasn't sure whose story to trust and who was leading me in the wrong direction. A Narrow Door swaps between two different narrators, Rebecca (Price) Buckfast and Roy Straitley; as well as, jumping between 2006 and 1989. Overall, the story kept me gripped trying to figure out what really happened in 1989 and what she was hiding in the present.

Fantastic ending, great characters, and completely engaging.

**Trigger warning for mentions of pedophilia and child abuse**

Thank you sincerely to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy

I thoroughly enjoyed this series, from Gentlemen and Players (my favourite), to A Different Class, to this, A Narrow Door.

The narration of Steven Pacey as Roy was spot on, what a memorable character! I would have loved to have a cup of tea with him in his bell tower. Alex Kingston as Rebecca Buckfast was good, although the drain and Mr. Smallface business really did go on a bit and I felt was overdone.

Conrad got what was coming to him... I won't say too much, but the twists at the end were an excellent touch, especially the very last one. I do wonder if that gargoyle ever came in handy.

Thanks to #NetGalley, author and publisher for my ARC.

Rebecca Buckfast is the first headmistress of St Oswald’s in 2006 and for the first time, the school's doors were open for girls, and Rebecca was determined to change things.
Rebecca grew to understand how men only look at her as a pretty, fragile thing and she learned how to play their game.

The story went with two time lines 2006 where Becky is recounting to Roy Straitley, an old Latin teacher at st Oswald's, the event of the year 1989, the year she first taught at King Henry Grammar school, the same school her brother who went missing when she was 5yo was a student at.
Unravelling the mysteries of the past, Roy got caught up in the tales Becky had for him every day.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook so much and I didn't noted that it is book #3 of a series until I saw it on goodreads. Interesting!

Rebecca Buckfast is the first female headmaster of St. Oswald's School for Boys, and she. means. business. After clawing her way to the top, she's determined to tell her story to Roy Straightley, a stuffed-shirt of a professor who's just discovered a dead body on HER campus. As a means of explanation (or maybe diversion?) Headmaster Buckfast slowly weaves an intricate tale of dark academic mystery that keeps both Straightley and the reader on tenterhooks.

The dual narration of this audiobook is phenomenal. I don't think I would have been nearly as into it if not for the vibrant narration. The main characters come across as truly alive, thanks to both the great voice actors and the skilled writing. The plot(s), however, didn't pack as much punch. I found myself questioning how to categorize A Narrow Door in my mind. At some points, I thought this half-historical novel was the tale of a feminist vigilante. Other times, it smacked of paranormal horror. I think in the end, it would be best described as a gothic, academic, psychological thriller.

Also, I thought it was a pretty bold choice for the Buckfast character to continually address the reader/listener with something along the lines of, "This story is so enthralling, the world falls away when I tell my tale." I more or less guessed the ending by the the time I finished the prologue, and there's an awful lot of story between prologue and last chapter... Still, the story is so tangled, so layered and twisty, I doubted my guess over and over. So in the end, yeah, La Buckfast did indeed have me wrapped around her finger!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

AUDIOBOOK
A great addition to the dark academia library, A Narrow Door is a spooky creepy novel told in flashbacks between two voices.

St. Oswald's school is a prestigious school. The first female headmistress, Rebecca Buckfast is a force to be reckoned with and has a historic axe to grind. Roy Straitly, the Classics teacher, with 30 years at St. Oswalds is not open to change and not open to the female perspective. He would like to maintain the historical reputation of the boys school as-is. When he is taken ill, the new headmistress visits him daily and tell his a very peculiar story... one that you will not guess until the very end.

I loved this story. I had no idea that it was actually the third in a series - it is not mentioned nor promoted in that fashion. You can very much read this as a stand alone and enjoy it greatly. I will certainly go back to read or listen (the voices were excellent!) the first two entries by Joanne Harris. She can certainly create a horror-like atmosphere while retaining literary pacing and great characterization. If you love academic based stories, horror lite and creepy tales of cat and mouse, #ANarrowDoor is for you! #NetGalleyReads #NetGalley
#OrangeskyAudio

This is a skillfully-written, gradually unfolding tale of mystery and revenge.
A body is discovered by a group of schoolboys at St Oswald’s, an exclusive boarding school. Could it be that of Conrad Price, a pupil who disappeared decades ago? We hear alternatively from the new headmistress, Rebecca Buckfast, and long-time schoolmaster, Roy Straitley, in this beautifully narrated version.
I loved how Harris drip feeds titbits of information that ultimately fill out the story of what had actually happened all those years ago. Very enjoyable.

This started don't quite slow and tooka while for me to get into the story. Once it started, though,I really enjoyed it. Reminded me a little of Colin Dexter's Morse novels... highbrow, literary, collegiate.
Great narrators, engaging plot.

Rebecca Price becomes the first female headmaster at a previously, “boys only” school. Rebecca’s dark past follows her into adulthood and paves the way for hardship after hardship. While I did enjoy the feminist undertones in the story, the added in creepy, “Mr. Smallface” was a bit weird and didn’t add to the story. What was intended to be a psychological thriller fell flat for me. It was, overall, an entertaining read but didn’t necessarily leave me longing for the next book.

***huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Audio review - loved both narrators. Each captured the essence of their pov character and delivered the narrative with nuance and plenty of engagement.



Main review: Okay, I didn't realise that this was the third book in a loose trilogy and I have not read the previous two books. Not that that matters in the slightest. I was halfway through the book before I realised it wasn't a standalone and tbh it can easily be enjoyed without reading its prequels. Harris' writing is sharp, funny, poignant and very engaging - occasionally, it's also the only protective barrier between the reader and a vast lake of justifiable rage. Considering Rebecca Buckfast's age and the attitudes she's encountered through her life before becoming headmistress of St Oswald's School, it's perfectly understandable why this anger should be there and perhaps why Harris chose her as the protagonist.



Standing in contrast, is the proper old English Batchelor, Straitley - star of the previous books, something of the last of the old guard but in a way that reminds you that class and privilege might be flawed but it both grew out of and produced people who believed, that those given higher social status had a duty to behave in ways worthy of it. Unfortunately Straitely is something of an anomaly amongst his peers in an increasingly anachronistic system. Despite that, I couldn't help loving him as a character.



I don't want to spoil the plot at all. You should go into this psychological thriller/ dark domestic/ reading group commentary of systems of power and privilege knowing very little. All you need to know is that 40-something Rebecca has done the impossible in being elected head of a once prestigious boys school - which is now mixed education thanks to her efforts. The old is very unwillingly giving way to the new but the past is refusing to stay buried. And Rebecca has a lot in her past that could jeopardise her future. Meanwhile Straitley, motivated by principle, honour and loyalty to old friends and old systems, is trying to unravel a mystery. The two are on a collision course.



I loved this book. It was utterly immersive regardless of being somewhat outside my usual genre preferences. It was excellently well plotted, the characters were spot on, the social observations were sharp enough to make you wince and overall it was a very satisfying read. My only (tiny) reservation is how it ended. And make no mistake, it ended well, it made sense and was even satisfying. I just didn't personally want Straitely's denouement but it's a testament to just how good the characterisation was that I got so attached. Excellent book. Highly recommend.