Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Weird Sisters by Olga Wojtas
Fifty-something librarian Shona is a proud former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, but has a deep loathing for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which she thinks gives her alma mater a bad name. Impeccably educated and an accomplished martial artist, linguist and musician, Shona is selected by Marcia Blaine herself to travel back in time for a crucial mission involving Macbeth, the weird sisters and a black cat.
Unsure which version of history she’s in, Shona tries to figure out who she’s here to save. But between playing the Fool and being turned into a mouse, things don’t always go her way. Shona’s expertise in martial arts is put to the test as family tensions rise and fingers are pointed for murder. Can Shona unravel the mystery in time to complete her mission?
Never underestimate a librarian!
About the author
Olga Wojtas is an unconventional – and very witty – writer of postmodern cosy crime fiction whose surrealist humour has been compared to the likes of PG Wodehouse, Jasper Fforde and the Marx Brothers. Her debut novel, ‘Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar’, was published in the UK and US to critical acclaim – being longlisted for the inaugural Comedy Women in Print Prize 2019, shortlisted for a CrimeFest Award, and named as one of the best mysteries and thrillers of the year by Kirkus . A journalist for more than 30 years, Olga was Scottish editor of the Times Higher Education Supplement before she began adding creative writing to her portfolio. She won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2015 and has had numerous short stories and several novellas published. Olga's second novel, ‘Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace’, was published in 2020 and longlisted for that year's Comedy Women in Print Prize. She lives in Edinburgh, where she once attended James Gillespie’s High School – the model for Marcia Blaine School for Girls, which appears in Muriel Spark’s ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’, the novel that inspired the ‘Miss Blaine’s Prefect’ series. She is president of the Edinburgh Writer's Club.
Review
Well isn't this a hoot of a book?! I didn't know too much about this series going and I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it hilarious! A time-travelling librarian that goes back to the times of Macbeth and has a mystery to solve, but doesn't know what it is - how could I not love it? Plus, she hates the ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ but I admit I have never been fond of that book either! So all in all it was a match made in biblio heaven!
Shona is a proud librarian and is saving the population of Edinburgh from ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ as she feels it slanders her alma mater the Marcia Blaine School for Girls! Whilst making a cup of tea she is transported back in time to the era of Macbeth! There must be a mystery to solve but she doesn't know what?!
Knock Knock
Who’s There?
The Fool
Come on in!
That joke made me snort! Like so strongly that my husband paused playing his games and asked if I was okay! This book is wickedly funny - I want to quote and rave about all the jokes but I don't want to spoil it for you guys. Plus, I adored the character of Shona - I'm always a sucker for a well educated, martial arts expert librarian.
I flew through this book in an evening and it's a very excellent cosy comedy that I think most people would enjo it! I just loved it!
Updated 29th June 2023
I have since listened to the audiobook of this on Audible and it is narrated by Olga herself. She is a brilliant narrator with a lovely Scottish burr, full of great voices for the different characters. I think narrating your own book is a great choice as who knows the nuances better than the author. It brought out the humour of the book even more and yes I snorted again!
