The Lost Twin by Sophie Cleverly

Her sister was dead.  She had been going to an expensive school that their father paid for and Ivy had stayed with her grandmother.  Her grandmother needed a caretaker so that was a good thing, but Ivy couldn't understand how her twin died.  Then she got a letter that told her she was chosen to fill the open spot at the school.  She wasn't sure she wanted to, but her grandmother told her to go...

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published.

When Ivy arrives at the station, she's met by the head mistress of the school.  She's amazed to find that she is to act like her twin, Scarlet.  The head mistress gives her no choice.  She agrees but wonders why.

This is an interesting tale about a secluded school with a limited staff and a head mistress with absolute power.  She enjoys punishing the students.  She's determined to dominate all her students.

Ivy finds Scarlet had her enemies; they now belong to her.  She doesn't know what happened in the year before, but she works on finding out.  Scarlet has left part of her diary hidden in her bed and parceled the other pages out in hidden locations with clues.  Ivy and her roommate puzzle out the pieces of the diary and try to decide what Scarlet is telling them.

This is a good mystery with a cruel (and insane) head mistress, a few student fights, illicit activities, and more to keep your attention.  I liked Ivy as a character.  She tried to mimic her twin without becoming 100% like her.  She also didn't give up looking for the diary pages.  What she finds at the end scares her to death but she still moves forward. This has a the taste of an old Victorian tale.