From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch comes a thriller set at a secretive boarding school where students are trained to carry on family legacies that have built--and toppled--empires. Think Umbrella Academy with teenage assassins. November is as good as dead. She just doesn't know it yet. At the international Academy Absconditi, there's no electricity, no internet, and an archaic eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes range from knife throwing and poisons to the art of deception. And the students? All silver-spoon descendants of the world's most elite strategists--training to become assassins, spies, and master impersonators. One is a virtuoso of accents--and never to be trusted. Another is a vicious fighter determined to exploit November's weaknesses. And then there's the boy with the mesmerizing eyes and a secret agenda. November doesn't know how an ordinary girl like her fits into the school's complicated legacy. But when a student is murdered, she'll need to separate her enemies from her allies before the crime gets pinned on her . . . or she becomes the killer's next victim. From New York Times bestselling author Adriana Mather comes the first book in a thrilling new series that will leave you breathless. Gr 7 Up—November Adley has lived a sheltered life, growing up in a quiet New England town with her widowed father. One day he abruptly informs her that she needs to leave her familiar home for an exclusive boarding school for her protection while he deals with threats against their family. Instead of a traditional boarding school, as discussed, she finds herself in an isolated castle. There is no electricity and no means of communicating with the outside world, and the students are the children of elite strategists who have been maneuvering and influencing the world for thousands of years. Curricula includes knife throwing, poison, and deception. Secrets abound, and November is vulnerable, traversing unknown alliances and unfamiliar traditions. Tensions escalate quickly, and a classmate is found murdered. November must determine whom she can trust and how to protect her family. While the premise is absurd and most plot points could easily be resolved by a few honest conversations, the mystery is compelling. November is smart and loyal and has some depth. The mystery and action take the focus, while romance adds a light touch to the intense plot. VERDICT An entertaining read that teens will eat up.—Amanda Foust, Douglas County Libraries, CO "Anything is possible in this world of cloaks and daggers. A strong beginning that will leave readers hungry for more." - Kirkus Reviews "Mather ( How to Hang a Witch , 2016) has built a dark, intriguing universe. Between the boarding-school setting, the lessons in espionage, and the murder mystery, there's plenty to grab readers, and with the door open for sequels, they're bound to stay on the hook." - Booklist "November is just ordinary enough for readers to identify with and just talented and knowledgeable enough to inspire awe. Full of danger and intrigue, this series opener establishes a fascinating premise with an international cast of tenuous allies and ambiguous adversaries that will keep our heroine, and her readers, on a knife's edge." - Bulletin In addition to her novels How to Hang a Witch and Haunting the Deep , Adriana Mather is also a full-time producer and actor. She owns a production company called Zombot Pictures, which has produced the award-winning Honeyglue , among other films. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. Follow her at @AdrianaMather or @adrianamatherauthor. My name is November Adley and I was born in August. The way my dad tells it, the Connecticut nights were unusually cool that summer, and the day I arrived our maple burst with color reminiscent of late fall—­hence my name. He claims the leaves shone so brightly in the morning sun that it looked like our front lawn was on fire. Dad also says that’s part of the reason I’m obsessed with the woods. I’m not sure there’s any connection, but I enjoy the comfort of that story—­a reminder of a time when the world was safe and so was my family. The most disorienting thing about safety—­my own in ­particular—­is that it never crossed my mind before. My ex-­CIA, now–financial manager dad often tells me I’m too trusting, all the while shaking his head like he’s shocked that we’re related. Which I, of course, remind him is one hundred percent his fault, since I’ve lived my entire life in the same small town with the same friendly people, who pose about as much threat as a basket of sleeping kittens. Dad argues that I want to believe people are good and that while that’s admirable, it’s also not realistic. To which I ask him how it helps anyone to believe that people are bad. He claims that having a healthy sense of suspicion prepares you for every possible danger. But until now, it was all just a theory. And if I’m being ho