Guardian Angel

Wealthy heiress Ella Sinclair, the founder of the Sinclair Academy for Girls, needs the help of private investigator Angelica Dale, a former Sinclair student, in Armstrong’s intriguing debut. Ella is worried that the institution is no longer safe after seventh grader Violet Edmonds was attacked on her way to her dorm room by a man who pulled her off the path, beat her up, and cut off part of her hair. Angelica quickly sets up a security system for the academy and looks into the theory that the assault is connected with a number of recent incidents at the school that include vandalism, arson, and thefts of some students’ possessions. The number of disturbances leads Angelica to suspect that the criminal wants to harm Ella. The fast-paced, suspenseful plot will keep readers turning the pages. Armstrong is off to a promising start. (Self-published)

Correction: The author uses a pseudonym, which a previous version of this review did not reflect.