Death in the Spires: A completely gripping and addictive historical mystery

KJ Charles

Apr 2024 · Storm Publishing

About this ebook

The newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered.

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.

Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died – a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders’ for their charm and talent – only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer?

As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby's killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger?

Some secrets are better left buried…

From the bestselling, acclaimed author of The Magpie Lord and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen comes a chilling historical mystery with a sting in the tail. You won’t be able to put this gripping story down!

What readers are saying about Death in the Spires:

‘I completely adored this. Oh my god I can't even begin to explain how perfect I found this book. I can feel it sitting under my chest still.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘I devoured this book in a few short hours, I was enthralled from beginning to end. This book reminded me of If We Were Villains, it read like a dark academia with a murder mystery twist.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘An absolutely thrilling ‘‘who done it’’ set in 19th century Oxford, I could not put this book down.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘A gripping murder mystery that skilfully reveals the next pieces of the puzzle to the reader... I wholeheartedly recommend KJ Charles' new book to fans of murder mysteries, dark academia… It is so worth it!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘That was masterful! KJ Charles has written another 5-star book.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘Well-written characters you care about, and a satisfying ending. Fabulous!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘These characters got under my skin and will remain there for a long time. It's gripping, tense, and atmospheric, but also insightful and compassionate.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘I found this book deeply moving, completely engrossing and 5+ stars and a Recommended Read if you have the heart for it.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘This is near perfection from all angles – as a multi-layered mystery, as a reflection on class and power, and as a thriller with romantic elements. This is a book the description of ‘‘page-turner’’ was made for.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘Had me spinning the whole time figuring out who did it, and the pay-out was high. What an excellent job.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘A book that grabs hold of you, holds on tight, and hauls you along, breathless at an ever-increasing speed until the end.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘Death in the Spires swept me off my feet and broke my heart, then put it back together again.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

This book was absolutely brilliant. One of the best books I have read so far this year. The people and places all feel so real. Even though the setting is historical so many of the issues are ones that are completely relevant now just with a slightly different slant. I love the dash of queer romance and would have liked to see more of it although I know it’s not the genre of this book. I couldn’t put it down and finished it within just a couple of hours. Highly recommended and an easy 5 stars fr

I love KJ Charles, but this was a bit grimmer than her other work. It's another "how can they have a happy ending given all that has come before" books and Charles carries it off, but just barely. A group of golden young men and women at college and how they fall apart, and eventually come back together, it's more than a simple romance and more than a simple mystery at the same time. A complicated book about complicated characters, it's a story that will stay with me for a while.

A ten-year-old unsolved murder has shattered Jeremy’s life. Accused in an anonymous letter, Jem delves into the tormented lives of old friends present that fateful night, sparking their suspicion. The closer Jem gets to unraveling the gruesome truth, the bolder his shadowy pursuer becomes. This is a heartbreaking mystery, a story of friendships shattered. It’s dark and atmospheric, but with an uplifting and satisfying ending. I enjoyed the audiobook narration. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.