The Secrets of St Jude’s is an academic noir — a gripping work of fiction grounded in reality that explores the hidden dynamics of power, leadership and silence within high-pressure school environments.
Set within the tightly controlled world of an elite girls’ school — a world Susan Simon knows intimately from decades spent leading within Australian school communities — the story follows newly appointed principal Rosie Gladshaw as she steps into a role shaped by tradition, hierarchy and unspoken rules.
‘It is important for our principal to be a person with an unwavering commitment to her faith… You will be scrutinised for this objective, I must emphasise.’
What begins as an opportunity to lead with integrity quickly becomes a test of resilience, as Rosie navigates staff unrest, influential alumni, religious authority and a growing sense that not everything at St Jude’s is as it seems.
At St Jude’s, leadership is shaped not just by experience, but by expectation — where faith, reputation and authority are closely intertwined.
As pressure mounts within the school, underlying tensions begin to surface — exposing the competing forces shaping life at St Jude’s.
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Schools, School Principal, Education, School Communities, Academic Noir
About The Author
Susan Simon is a former school principal and education academic. She has spent more than four decades working across Australian school communities.
Originally from England, she holds a Joint Honours degree in English and Fine Art from the University of Nottingham and later completed her teaching qualifications at the University of Queensland. She went on to lead three independent Queensland schools as principal before completing her doctorate in 2008. Susan then moved into academia, where she lectured and published in the field of teacher education and school leadership.
Susan has written creatively throughout her life, but The Secrets of St Jude’s is her first full-length novel. She draws on her own experiences, and those of colleagues, to explore the complex realities of school leadership, organisational pressure and contemporary education challenges.
Encouraged by a creative writing group formed during her academic career, she began shaping these insights into fiction — ultimately developing the story into what she describes as “academic noir”, blending authentic professional experience with scandal, intrigue and psychological tension.
Susan now lives in Queensland with her husband Geoff, where they share a busy family life with six adult children and a growing number of grandchildren.
