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renee_85's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
rainbowbrarian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
From goodreads: “1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth.”
But what if the truth Jem uncovers will destroy them all? Is it worth digging up the painful past if danger still lurks within it?
Favorite Parts - The atmosphere, KJ Charles is amazing at historical scene setting. I literally changed my mind about who I thought was the murdered so many times. I also changed who I wanted to have done the deed multiple times. I didn’t see it coming. The characters were all so well done and the story was complex. I was worried the ending would be terrible, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Read This If You - love murder mysteries, want more queer historical fiction, love a story about a group of college friends
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
rynn82's review against another edition
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: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol
srm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
Given that Charles's Romance novels often have wonderfully constructed mystery plots, I had no doubts that she could pull of a straight Mystery, and I was right. I love the dual timeline between the present and 10 years earlier when Jem and all his friends were at Oxford and one of them committed murder. Fantastic characters and twists and just an all around delight.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Alcohol
jce's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Why yes, I do have my usual K.J. Charles book hangover. Thanks for asking. Switching to the mystery genre (and yes, there is still some romance) did nothing to lessen how enthralling I find this author's writing. I fell right into this book and quickly became attached to the characters, all of whom felt very real. It was no surprise to me that this was a cracking mystery, perfectly paced, because many of the romances I've read by this author have great mystery plot lines.
I was nervous for the first few chapters, because the tone was pretty bleak (giving me some Secret History flashbacks. Yes, I liked that book. Yes, I found it horribly depressing) and I worried it might continue on that way and amp up my anxiety and make me put off reading the book. But while there are some pretty depressing aspects of the story, the pace picks up, the focus is on the present rather than the bittersweet past, and I was soon so caught up in the characters that I just wanted to barrel along and read it all in one sitting.
I don't want to say much of anything about the story, other than that I found it hard to put the book down because it was so engaging, because it really is best to go into this one absolutely spoiler free, and even knowing a bit about the characters and their relationships or where the story heads might ruin that.
My advice is to skip reading the reviews and just dive into this book. I do think this is an important one to read content warnings as there are absolutely some heavy topics. But if you love a good mystery that's not overly cozy but also not mired in dread and gloom, this one is sure to hook you. I also found the bit of romance in the story extremely satisfying and emotionally wrought. All in all I had a fantastic time reading this and highly recommend it. Do beware the inevitable book hangover though!
*ARC provided by NetGalley
I was nervous for the first few chapters, because the tone was pretty bleak (giving me some Secret History flashbacks. Yes, I liked that book. Yes, I found it horribly depressing) and I worried it might continue on that way and amp up my anxiety and make me put off reading the book. But while there are some pretty depressing aspects of the story, the pace picks up, the focus is on the present rather than the bittersweet past, and I was soon so caught up in the characters that I just wanted to barrel along and read it all in one sitting.
I don't want to say much of anything about the story, other than that I found it hard to put the book down because it was so engaging, because it really is best to go into this one absolutely spoiler free, and even knowing a bit about the characters and their relationships or where the story heads might ruin that.
My advice is to skip reading the reviews and just dive into this book. I do think this is an important one to read content warnings as there are absolutely some heavy topics. But if you love a good mystery that's not overly cozy but also not mired in dread and gloom, this one is sure to hook you. I also found the bit of romance in the story extremely satisfying and emotionally wrought. All in all I had a fantastic time reading this and highly recommend it. Do beware the inevitable book hangover though!
*ARC provided by NetGalley
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief