Death Among the Dons — Janet Neel

Gladstone College was a distinguished women's school, the very model of British higher education. But behind its serene facade, the institution was on the brink of financial ruin. A controversy raged over whether to admit men. A stalker violently attacked two students and put the security of the entire campus on the tine. And the unexpected death of the school's Warden, Dr. Judith Symonds, stirred up questions about her recently-soured affair with a philandering funding chairman.

Into this, volatile atmosphere came Francesca Wilson, civil servant on maternity leave, whose life with her new infant son had quashed her usual take-charge demeanor. The baby did cry all the time, and Francesca never secured to get out anymore. Her husband, police superintendent John Mcleish, had been patient, kind, and understanding; her pop-star brother had hired her a live-in nurse. But true salvation came with the offer of a part-time position as Gladstone's Bursar. Working alongside Dr. Symonds' replacement, the aging and frail Dame Sarah Murchieson, Francesca began the challenging task of untangling the college's finances. But at a Place where marital infidelities, professional resentments, and a host of petty tyrannies ran rampant, asking too many questions was unwise. As John McLeish investigated the death of Dr. Symonds, Francesca learned that murder could topple academia's ivory tower -- and put her own life at stake.