I’m having a hard time rating this one, the story was good, when it got good … The beginning was confusing. I completely understand the moody teenager, and the stress of school, work, etc … but I wish there would,have been a,little background so I know who I was supposed to be sympathizing with. The story took awhile to build up, the. It was captivating, yet seemed to drag on. The author did a great job of bringing everything around and showing how the pieces fit. The ending fell a bit flat. It was a nice, fast read - but not a gripping thriller.

I'm in awe of Lynn and the way she so easily switches genre and always comes up with another brilliant book! In fact I don't think I've read anything less than a five star worthy read from her.

This is Lynn's debut into psychological thrillers and it certainly didn't disappoint. It only took several pages and that was me hooked and I didn't stop until I'd finished.

It's fast paced, twisty and certainly had me getting lost and taking the wrong path several times. I was left mouth well and truly agape with the final sting in the tail. I so love a book that comes with unreliable narrators and plenty of drama, and that's exactly what I got! The suspense and tension were real, and the plot brilliant.

A brilliant book by one of my favourite must read authors. I'm already looking forward to Lynn's next thriller venture with anticipation.

Liz has just landed her dream job as head teacher at St. Ann’s School, but someone seems determined to see her fail. With numerous suspects and hidden motives, Liz must uncover the culprit before it's too late. As a teacher, I was drawn to this book, and it didn't disappoint. From the gripping start to the unexpected twist at the end, I was completely absorbed in the mystery. The revelation was a surprise, and the book proved to be an engaging thriller.

Wowzers! This book was one hell of a ride through the life of a Headteacher in a strict catholic school. Not everyone is thrilled that Liz got the job and so as she starts her second year in the role, she is determined to win everyone's trust, but someone has other ideas and is set to destroy Liz and everything she holds dear.

I was drawn in from the first page, the writing is excellent and the pace is fast. It was so hard to work out who was telling the truth and who was lying and, as Liz's husband, best friend and daughter pulled away from her and she became increasingly desperate to hold onto them and convince them she wasn't behind the sabotage, the tension was crazy high!

The author kept us waiting until the very end before revealing the truth and was it worth the wait? Absolutely, YES!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, H. M. Lynn and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

OMW, loved this book from beginning to end! The writer added small glimpses of humour throughout to show that head teachers are real people too. Story line was great and had a few guesses as I was reading........totally wrong! Ending was not what I expected but understood why it happened.
Looking for more by this author, great read!
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review this book

H.M. Lynn's The Head Teacher is a psychological thriller with dark undertones. Liz is a woman navigating the treacherous waters of ambition and deception as she assumes the coveted role of headteacher at St Ann's.

Lynn's masterful storytelling creates an atmosphere of unease that permeates every chapter, building suspense and leaving clues that keep readers guessing until the final, shocking revelation. The characters are complex and relatable, their motivations shrouded in layers of doubt, making it difficult to be sure who is friend or foe.

I particularly liked the authenticity of the school setting, with compelling details which made me think this would make a great TV drama serial.

What sets The Head Teacher apart is Lynn's ability to delve into the psychological depths of her characters. The plot twists are unexpected and satisfying, propelling the story forward at a relentless pace. Hannah Lynn's writing is crisp and engaging.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers that will keep you gripped, The Head Teacher is an an impressive novel that will leave a lasting impression.

This is a story about a wife and mother at the start of her second year of being head teacher at a Catholic school. She stressed by all the work, but she loves her job and makes it a priority. On the first week of the new term an inappropriate photo is on a screen where all the kids can see it. There is also incriminating evidence that she did something some 20 years ago. Her 17-year-old daughter had a similar experience which also becomes public knowledge. Then perseverance and determination take over as she attempts to find out who is spreading the stories. Everyone at the school is suspect and as the story moves on the intensity increases. The end is a big surprise. I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. I happily recommend this book.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This is a gripping psychological thriller. I was drawn in from the prologue. The protagonist was Elizabeth Croft, headteacher of St Anne’s school. Reading her narrative, she didn't strike me as particularly likeable or kind, but there was something about her openness and honesty that resonated with me. In places, I felt she had a wry sense of humour that I enjoyed. Elizabeth seemed to make observations about others around her, and form opinions based on them, and it occurred to me that, at least to a degree, this is simply human nature.

The more I carried on reading, the more intrigued I became. This was a nail-biter that had me turning the pages quickly, and as the story progressed, I began to empathise more with Elizabeth. The suspense kept building, with some surprising twists along the way. If you are a thriller reader, you might like this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Fantastic book! They are so many plots going on, which work well with each other and didn’t become confusing.

I really warmed to Liz and felt for her, especially while having to deal with the most annoying daughter, a snivelling gaslighter of a husband and the governer from hell 🙄.

I was constantly changing my mind about who was doing what and the final twist was an unexpected surprise, I loved the reasons why.

A must read for any thriller fan

A great psychological thriller full of suspense, I was so hooked on this book, I had to find out what was going to happen.

This was a great psychological thriller. I really enjoyed the story line with Liz covering up her past while becoming the headmaster at a Catholic school. There were plenty of twists and turns in the story and it definitely keep me up reading into the night. A suspenseful easy read. I would highly recommend it to all that enjoy a good thriller and mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

This is a different genre for this author and I think she has done a great job. She has kept you guessing and trying to find out who to guilty party is. Right up to the end. I hope that she doesn't give up writing in this field.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the Publisher and leaving a review by my own accord.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Impressive debut novel. Quick read. I love the premise and throughout the book, I couldn't figure out who I should trust!

Thank you Boldwood and Netgalley for the arc of The Head Teacher. Well, I was gripped from the first page! There were twists and turns, lots of drama, and edge of your seat moments. I read this one quick and did not figure this one out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Head Teacher by H. M. Lynn. I really liked this one. It was an easy and quick read. Once I started it, it was hard to put down. The writing was good and the pacing of the book was well done. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong! I definitely would recommend this book to others. A 4 star rating from me.

Ooooh I really enjoyed this book, I kept putting it down and a few minutes later i would pick it up again..
Liz is the head teacher at St. Anne's a Catholic school, but not everyone was happy with her getting the position . A,photo is put up on the projector in the assembly hall of liz appearing drunk and wearing in appropriate clothing.. liz needs to find out WHO has done it and why?
When Sashas liz s daughters past is also branded around the school it's time for action. . Someone wants to bring their family down but who?????
What is in both lizs and sashas past? Is it the person who should have gotten the head teacher job that is causing the heartache????? I couldn't read it quick enough, to see what happened next....... This is the first book by this author and I'm definitely impressed.. I didn't see the end coming. It's highly addictive

Gripping, twisty and with the background story revealed in just the right way. This was a real rollercoaster and there were so many moments I thought I’d guessed right - wrongly! I was a huge fan of The Head Teacher!

"The higher you climb, the greater the fall". Introducing Liz, the head teacher of a prestigious high school whose life is about to start falling apart. Someone knows her secrets and is going to make sure everybody else knows them too!

This was almost a bit of a frustrating one to review to be honest because if I was basing my star rating on the latter 25% of the book I'd have gone higher but the first half of the book just lacked excitement. I felt like I was reading but nothing was happening and I only continued reading in the hope it would get better, which to be fair, it without a doubt did (just a little too late)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 📖

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This tense psychological thriller follows Liz, a Head Teacher at prestigious school. She has finally reached the position she desired, but with lack of support from other staff members, knows she must get this to change in the new school year.

Unexpectedly, moments from her past are shared in the school making it more difficult to keep her position in the school.

When the malicious acts start to affect her daughter, she knows she must work out who could be behind trying to bring her down.

Who can Liz trust? Why are they targeting her?

This psychological thriller is tense throughout and builds as Liz tries to uncover who could be behind the hateful reveals of her past.

Liz is a strong woman and deserves her position she has worked so hard for and shows her determination to solve the mystery even when she doesn’t know who she can trust.

It is quite scary how with technology it can be so hard to track down who could be behind an attack. With images of us all over the internet, without us even knowing.

Overall, a tense psychological thriller where a head teacher past secrets threaten to destroy her life.

This book was brilliant in creating suspense with expertly placed red herrings, making it a real page-turner that kept me hooked. The mystery of who is making Liz's life a nightmare is intriguing, and although the ending feels a bit rushed, the final revelation and the way the author ties up loose ends is well done.

However, the book falls short in a few areas. I struggled to connect emotionally with the characters, and I found the female lead to be passive-aggressive, judgmental, and overly gullible—more talk than action. Additionally, there are moments where the characters pick up intriguing ideas that aren't fully explored later in the story.

While I can't compare H.M. Lynn's work directly to authors like Frieda McFadden, Lisa Jewell, or Claire Douglas, this debut thriller is a solid introduction for readers new to the genre. Overall, it’s a decent first effort from the author.