Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the e arc of this book
Oxford Blood is about Eva and George who are going to interview week at Oxford University, however this all unravels when George turns up dead. The novel takes place entirely over this one week and follows Eva as she attempts to solve the mystery of her best friends murder, work out who to trust in a town full of strangers, and still make it through her 3 interviews to follow her dream.
This book was very atmospheric and I read the entire second half in 1 sitting, so it was very engaging and I was interested. I think this would be a good book for you if you are looking for a mostly light mystery with some more thrilling aspects near the end.
The pacing was a bit off for me nothing really happened during the first half and I would have also appreciated some more clues as to who the killer was and why they were doing this. Spoilers - the whole premise and the reason the kids died was basically because of the acts of their parents which felt a bit redundant.I think I would have enjoyed it more if the book had actually been about the parents and not their timeline, instead we basically learn everything we know about them during the dramatic final reveal.
I really like the cover and the chapter art. Overall I did enjoy this book and would recommend if you are looking for a something fast to read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Drug use
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A pacy YA thriller set in the world of Oxford University. Literally incredible, but a story that will satisfy fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Our main character, Evie, has the opportunity to attend Oxford for an interview to read English at the prestigious Beecham College. Along with her best friend/sort of boyfriend George, Evie longs to study amongst some of the finest minds in academia. Unfortunately, the interview week exposes some of the most unpleasant elements of this fabled institution and the people who have gone through its doors.
When George is found dead everyone seems shocked. For Evie, who finds his body, this is the start of a dangerous quest…the journey to find out who killed George and why.
With some caricature villains in the guise of the posh boys and the racist professor determined to keep his old boys’ network safe, there’s moments in this that really don’t hold up to scrutiny. Regardless of the fact that her father is a famous Inspector there’s no way Evie would be given as much licence as she is to investigate this murder. So, suspend disbelief and just enjoy the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.
Our main character, Evie, has the opportunity to attend Oxford for an interview to read English at the prestigious Beecham College. Along with her best friend/sort of boyfriend George, Evie longs to study amongst some of the finest minds in academia. Unfortunately, the interview week exposes some of the most unpleasant elements of this fabled institution and the people who have gone through its doors.
When George is found dead everyone seems shocked. For Evie, who finds his body, this is the start of a dangerous quest…the journey to find out who killed George and why.
With some caricature villains in the guise of the posh boys and the racist professor determined to keep his old boys’ network safe, there’s moments in this that really don’t hold up to scrutiny. Regardless of the fact that her father is a famous Inspector there’s no way Evie would be given as much licence as she is to investigate this murder. So, suspend disbelief and just enjoy the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
OXFORD BLOOD by Rachael Davis-Featherstone (Jan 13, 2026)
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the earc
All Eva has ever wanted is to study at Oxford. Along with her best friend George---boyfriend?---they are chosen for interview week. Everything is going as planned...until George turns up d*ad. Despite the police ruling his d*ath an accident, Eva believes foul play happened. As suspicions arise against Eva, she must clear her name and stop the k*ller.
OXFORD BLOOD is a YA m*rder mystery. This book is dark academia with secrets, lies, and betrayal intertwined in this bl*od-thirsty read. This book was exhilarating and much different from mot dark academia books I have read...but somehow all the same at the same time.
If you know me, you know I love solving mysteries. I couldn't solve this one. I had no clue who k*lled George. There were so many suspects, so many people who could've did it. I couldn't piece it together. OXFORD BLOOD was a shocking read that gripped me from the beginning. I loved all the dramatics, secrets, and anonymouse posting that added to this story. I did not love the relationship between Eva and George. I just feel like there wasn't much building there, and he was d*ad so fast---I just wish we could have gotten more flashbacks, more of George himself and more of George and Eva together.
I quite enjoyed this book. It was thrilling, shocking, and fast-paced. A must-read for those looking for mysteries that delve deeper than one can imagine.
OXFORD BLOOD by Rachael Davis-Featherstone (Jan 13, 2026)
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the earc
All Eva has ever wanted is to study at Oxford. Along with her best friend George---boyfriend?---they are chosen for interview week. Everything is going as planned...until George turns up d*ad. Despite the police ruling his d*ath an accident, Eva believes foul play happened. As suspicions arise against Eva, she must clear her name and stop the k*ller.
OXFORD BLOOD is a YA m*rder mystery. This book is dark academia with secrets, lies, and betrayal intertwined in this bl*od-thirsty read. This book was exhilarating and much different from mot dark academia books I have read...but somehow all the same at the same time.
If you know me, you know I love solving mysteries. I couldn't solve this one. I had no clue who k*lled George. There were so many suspects, so many people who could've did it. I couldn't piece it together. OXFORD BLOOD was a shocking read that gripped me from the beginning. I loved all the dramatics, secrets, and anonymouse posting that added to this story. I did not love the relationship between Eva and George. I just feel like there wasn't much building there, and he was d*ad so fast---I just wish we could have gotten more flashbacks, more of George himself and more of George and Eva together.
I quite enjoyed this book. It was thrilling, shocking, and fast-paced. A must-read for those looking for mysteries that delve deeper than one can imagine.
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Oxford Blood is a YA Thriller/Murder Mystery revolving around Oxford University and its admissions process. I have to admit, I am not a person who typically reads YA Thrillers. But this book sucked me in like no other.
Eva is a very compelling protagonist. Throughout the book, I was rooting for her as she went up against the racist, classist members of the Elite who were fighting to prevent her from both discovering the truth and becoming an Oxford student. Her internal dilemma revolving around the murder of her best friend (with occasional benefits?) felt very realistic and grounded. I deeply enjoyed the acknowledgement of her mental health and grief after everything happened.
The murder mystery was genuinely very interesting to me. There were so many players involved with everything and I loved the fact that almost everyone had something that made them look guilty. Who I thought the culprit was changed a lot over the course of the book, and that was great. I don't like mysteries that heavily implicate the true murderer from the beginning. This book did a great job at obscuring the identity of the killer while still dropping hints as to who they were. There were so many twists and turns that kept me hooked the whole time.
4.5 stars out of 5. So very excited to be able to discuss this book with more people once it is officially released!
Oxford Blood is a YA Thriller/Murder Mystery revolving around Oxford University and its admissions process. I have to admit, I am not a person who typically reads YA Thrillers. But this book sucked me in like no other.
Eva is a very compelling protagonist. Throughout the book, I was rooting for her as she went up against the racist, classist members of the Elite who were fighting to prevent her from both discovering the truth and becoming an Oxford student. Her internal dilemma revolving around the murder of her best friend (with occasional benefits?) felt very realistic and grounded. I deeply enjoyed the acknowledgement of her mental health and grief after everything happened.
The murder mystery was genuinely very interesting to me. There were so many players involved with everything and I loved the fact that almost everyone had something that made them look guilty. Who I thought the culprit was changed a lot over the course of the book, and that was great. I don't like mysteries that heavily implicate the true murderer from the beginning. This book did a great job at obscuring the identity of the killer while still dropping hints as to who they were. There were so many twists and turns that kept me hooked the whole time.
4.5 stars out of 5. So very excited to be able to discuss this book with more people once it is officially released!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Murder
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I got an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the cover, but I mean, that's a given, right? I love it though. I just love how striking the red is against the black. I love the title, too. That's actually what convinced me I wanted to read it.
This was a fun read! Overall, I really enjoyed it. I mean, come on. A dark academia murder mystery? Sign me right up. I really don't think that specific concept will ever get old.
I really like that the main character is BIPOC. I feel like we don't see that a lot in this type of setting. The writing also didn't feel dumbed down just because it's YA, which is something I often notice. This writing didn't feel like the reader was being talked down to or like an immature voice. It was refreshing.
Honestly, there were only a couple of things I can think of that I didn't personally enjoy. One of them being that the main character trusts cops just because her father is a detective and he actually follows the rules. That's really genuinely great for her, but I just didn't love it. Now, obviously everyone is different and this is just my opinion. I know others may have different feelings and that's fine!
The only other thing I can think of is the twist. I can't say I was necessarily expecting it, but it didn't really surprise me. Granted, I'm an adult so I'm not the target audience. I'm also a white person so it's not my place to speak over those voices; I just wanted to share my own opinion on the matter.
With all that being said, I think this is a pretty solid Young Adult murder mystery. I had a lot of fun reading it, I didn't feel like I had to force myself to finish it, and I read it in just a few hours (between a couple of days). I would have eaten this up in Middle and High School (Secondary School for those of you who don't reside in the U.S. Honestly I'm jealous.) I really enjoyed the ending, I thought it was very sweet and I love that Eva decided to go back despite everything that happened.
With all that being said, I gave this 3.5 stars. It was a fun, easy read (as I've mentioned. Sorry, I like to ramble) and if you're into YA, especially murder mysteries, I say give this a try. It officially publishes in January 2026.
Happy reading!
The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the cover, but I mean, that's a given, right? I love it though. I just love how striking the red is against the black. I love the title, too. That's actually what convinced me I wanted to read it.
This was a fun read! Overall, I really enjoyed it. I mean, come on. A dark academia murder mystery? Sign me right up. I really don't think that specific concept will ever get old.
I really like that the main character is BIPOC. I feel like we don't see that a lot in this type of setting. The writing also didn't feel dumbed down just because it's YA, which is something I often notice. This writing didn't feel like the reader was being talked down to or like an immature voice. It was refreshing.
Honestly, there were only a couple of things I can think of that I didn't personally enjoy. One of them being that the main character trusts cops just because her father is a detective and he actually follows the rules. That's really genuinely great for her, but I just didn't love it. Now, obviously everyone is different and this is just my opinion. I know others may have different feelings and that's fine!
The only other thing I can think of is the twist. I can't say I was necessarily expecting it, but it didn't really surprise me. Granted, I'm an adult so I'm not the target audience. I'm also a white person so it's not my place to speak over those voices; I just wanted to share my own opinion on the matter.
With all that being said, I think this is a pretty solid Young Adult murder mystery. I had a lot of fun reading it, I didn't feel like I had to force myself to finish it, and I read it in just a few hours (between a couple of days). I would have eaten this up in Middle and High School (Secondary School for those of you who don't reside in the U.S. Honestly I'm jealous.) I really enjoyed the ending, I thought it was very sweet and I love that Eva decided to go back despite everything that happened.
With all that being said, I gave this 3.5 stars. It was a fun, easy read (as I've mentioned. Sorry, I like to ramble) and if you're into YA, especially murder mysteries, I say give this a try. It officially publishes in January 2026.
Happy reading!
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oxford Blood is described as A Good Girls Guide to Murder meets The Secret History. I have read The Secret History and absolutely adored it and it occupies a space that makes any comparison to it an extraordinarily tall task. Oxford Blood ultimately does not live up to the expectations set by that comparison but that isn’t a negative reflection on the book in any way shape or form.
Oxford Blood is a wonderfully addictive YA murder mystery thriller with some dark academia vibes. I read the first 20% prior to work yesterday and then on my day off today flew through the remaining 300 or so pages. It is the kind of book that holds your interest and makes you want to keep reading more and more. It took me embarrassingly long to figure out who the killer was but on reflection I do believe that it was sufficiently misdirected enough to keep you on your toes and make it harder to guess. There is nothing worse than a mystery where you are able to unravel it within the early stages, it rips out the tension and suspense and kills my interest usually.
Oxford Blood is set almost entirely in the fictional Beecham College at Oxford University and focuses on the interview week for the highly prestigious English and Classics intakes. Disaster strikes though and one of MC Eva’s best friend George turns up dead in the middle of the night. What follows is a whirlwind of murders, attacks, police investigations, amateur sleuthing, secret societies, and college interviews all accompanied by a constant flurry of online hysteria on the anonymous college messageboards.
Eva is a great MC, she is confident in her abilities and knows she belongs and is willing to fight for her place in the face of the systematic prejudice of an old stuffy institute like Beecham College. Simultaneously she is flawed though and is balancing the pressures of living up to her wish to her dying mother and the pressures of her slightly overbearing but ultimately wellbeing and loving father. Eva is pushed to the very edge throughout this week (understandably) and comes across as a very real character. People dealing with grief don’t always just curl up and cry, sometimes they carry on as best they can and keep plugging on before the grief floods them later on. Eva is so preoccupied with everything going on, with investigating the murder of her best friend, with trying to achieve her dream of getting into Oxford, of trying to deal with the various pressures on her shoulders. She does not have time to grieve in the moment and this accounts for erratic decision making at times.
The author does a great job developing the mystery aspect. There are a small group of suspects but no obvious one throughout. It ebbs and flows with who seems to be guilty and there are twists and turns that catch you off guard. False trails are laid, red herring crop up, there are clues but putting them together is truly a difficult task.
The author also takes time to layer in and approach a lot of more sensitive and serious topics. The most prevalent being systematic racism and the continued glorification of a colonial history that a lot of these institutes still engage in. Oxford Blood points out the hypocrisy of some of the affirmative action schemes in place and how they are simply papering over the cracks and not addressing the actual systematic issues in place. There is also commentary on class divides, nepotism, incompetent policing practices, the toxic nature of social media, how rumours can get out of hand, and sexual harassment and assault.
For what is a YA book (and does read in the tone of a YA book) Oxford Blood is staggeringly consistent with approaching complicated and important issues and I commend the author for doing such a fantastic job balancing these contrasting tones.
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A