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rynn82's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
I'm sure it's possible for someone to write a murder mystery that is more exactly suited to my tastes, but I'm not sure it's probable. I told myself "I'll finish reading this on my lunch break" and then took my life into my own hands by finishing it on my walk in to work instead. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, with some cool twists.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexism, Gaslighting, Rape, Homophobia, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Death, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol
greatestheights's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Ableism, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Sexism
Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion
jadesarah's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Homophobia, Murder, and Ableism
marmaladereads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An absolutely thrilling "who done it" set in 19th century Oxford, I could not put this book down and found myself speculating on the murderer all throughout my work day as I was forced to pause between reading periods due to *blegh* adult responsibilities. Set in 1905 with frequent flashbacks to 10 years prior, the story follows a group of 7 close friends who had studied at Oxford together. They had been all drawn together, or "collected" by the charismatic Toby, golden boy and heir to a marquess who liked to surround himself with odd characters - a scholarship kid, two women scholars, one of the first Black men to study at Oxford, the son of a rich shipping magnate. Somehow, this odd group works and forms a close bond. However, their friendship and indeed many of their promising futures are ended abruptly when Toby is suddenly murdered in their final year.
Ten years later, Jem (the narrator) is suddenly dismissed from his post following an anonymous and scandalous letter bringing up this old murder. Having nothing else left to lose, he decides to solve Toby's murder once and for all, finding all of his remaining friends and digging up all of their old secrets from university. Each of the six remaining friends has a lot of secrets to hide, and the tale unraveling the knot is absolutely gripping. At any point I suspected each of the friends individually, and ultimately was wrong in most of my guesses, but this tale kept me hooked from beginning to end. A fast paced unraveling with plenty of social commentary and lots of the historical tidbits that KJ is known for.
It also features a fairly solid romantic subplot. The romance is certainly not a focus in this book and does not carry the same emotional weight as other KJ works, as well as being a closed door affair, but it underpins many of the motivations of the characters and the emotions are hinted at throughout. An incredibly satisfying read.
Ten years later, Jem (the narrator) is suddenly dismissed from his post following an anonymous and scandalous letter bringing up this old murder. Having nothing else left to lose, he decides to solve Toby's murder once and for all, finding all of his remaining friends and digging up all of their old secrets from university. Each of the six remaining friends has a lot of secrets to hide, and the tale unraveling the knot is absolutely gripping. At any point I suspected each of the friends individually, and ultimately was wrong in most of my guesses, but this tale kept me hooked from beginning to end. A fast paced unraveling with plenty of social commentary and lots of the historical tidbits that KJ is known for.
It also features a fairly solid romantic subplot. The romance is certainly not a focus in this book and does not carry the same emotional weight as other KJ works, as well as being a closed door affair, but it underpins many of the motivations of the characters and the emotions are hinted at throughout. An incredibly satisfying read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Pregnancy
crothe77's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Death in the Spires by K. J. Charles is a historical mystery set in Oxford in 1905. When Jem, a closeted gay man, is removed from his job because of a letter accusing him of murder, he returns to Oxford to find out who the real killer is. His former friends, the Seven Wonders, are all under suspicion as he uncovers more motives than he suspected.
What I liked was how the novel included conversations around women's rights, particularly on abortion, and how K. J. Charles includes the realities of Queerness, racism, and ableism for the time period. Aaron Oyede, a Black medical student, and Ella, the sister of Toby, the murdered man, had a chance at marriage and happiness before Toby’s murder tore them apart. Meanwhile, Prue, who was in love with Toby, left Oxford and lost her husband and child before seeing Jem again. Nicky, Jem’s former paramour, is back at Oxford as a tutor and Hugo, the last of the Seven, is in the government.
Jem is deeply invested in the mystery despite the decade that has passed since it happened. As he uncovers more, we learn more about the dynamics between the Seven Wonders and how Toby, despite being the one poised to have the most as an heir to the marquess, was actually the most mediocre of the bunch. Classism and sexism play a part in where each member went after the murder and how society looked at the group while at Oxford.
Content warning for period typical racism, homophobia, ableism, sexism, and mentions of deceased children
I would recommend this to readers looking for a mystery set at Oxford, fans of mysteries exploring social issues, and those looking for Queer disabled protagonists in their mysteries.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Ableism, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual assault
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