Scarlet and Ivy, Book Five - The Curse in the Candlelight

It's back to school for Scarlet and Ivy Grey, the twin sisters who seem to keep stumbling upon one mystery after another. This series has been rather interesting, in that the culprits in each book are quite a bit more dangerous than those in the standard children's mystery book, and the twin girls and their friends find themselves limited in their investigations by their teachers and school environment. Of course, that never stops them from pursuing whatever culprit happens to be behind whatever shenanigans are going on in each mystery, even when they have to face the consequences for their actions.

In The Curse in the Candlelight, Scarlet and Ivy face off against a new student who seems to have cast a spell over the entire school.  Ebony McCloud shows up late on the first day of school, making quite the entrance to a very startled and surprised group of students and faculty. Scarlet, Ivy, and their friend, Ariadne find it very odd that none of the teachers, nor even their headmaster, reprimand Ebony for anything. She shows up late, it's okay. She talks back to a teacher, it's okay. She doesn't want to do something, it's okay. She has a pet cat in the school dorm, it's okay. And when the rumors begin that Ebony is a witch, and that she has cast a spell on the teachers, some of the younger girls find themselves in awe of this new girl and begin to follow her around.  But Scarlet and Ivy think something else is afoot.

And that's when Muriel Witherspoon shows up at Rookwood School - and becomes the new roommate for Ariadne! Poor Ariadne is at a loss, since Muriel was the bully that ultimately lead to Ariadne being transferred to Rookwood to begin with. But something has changed. Muriel is oddly nice to Ariadne, and even apologizes for her treatment of the girl at their previous school.  Things are definitely not right at Rookwood School, and Scarlet and Ivy are determined to get to the bottom of it.  Muriel has some strange accidents, which ultimately lead to her going missing! When she is found, she is so badly injured, she doesn't remember what happened. Ebony seems to be at the center of everything. And when Ariadne starts to act strangely, the twins go undercover and "befriend" Ebony in the hopes of finding out the truth regarding her alleged supernatural powers.

Tarot cards, curses, and spells are the topic of the day, and soon enough, Scarlet and Ivy find themselves on the receiving end of what appears to be Ebony's wrath.  Their headmistress believes the twins are causing problems at the school, and they are warned that one more incident will result in their expulsion - which would mean going to live with their father and his horrible wife who doesn't want the girls anywhere near them!

Author Sophie Cleverly writes a (dare I say it?) clever little mystery, where nothing is exactly what it appears to be.  As with any good magician, it's all about misdirection and diverted attention. So, what is really going on at Rookwood School? Scarlet and Ivy put their friendship with Ariadne to the test as they try to uncover the truth - and place their own lives in jeopardy when they find themselves locked in a secret basement, left to rot with no food, no water, and no one knowing they are there!

While this book does not provide any further backstory with regard to Scarlet and Ivy's mother, readers will get more of a taste of the nastiness of their wicked stepmother, Edith, who makes her intentions very clear that she wants the girls to be gone from their father's life - permanently!  As this is the penultimate book in this 6-book series, I can only assume that the next book will reveal everything regarding their mother, their stepmother, and reunite their family with a good ol' happy ending (at least, we can hope!).  

RATING:  8 bubbling beakers of frothing green liquid out of 10 for a tense mystery filled with twists and turns and unexpected surprises!