Death in the Spires

By K.J. Charles

Death in the Spires - K.J. Charles
  • Release Date: 2024-04-11
  • Genre: Historical Mysteries
Score: 5
5
From 20 Ratings

Description

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, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviews

  • Scintillating and compelling

    5
    By elinor g
    An excellent and natural pivot for KJ, with emotional and satisfying results.
  • Engrossing Historical Mystery

    5
    By Kimalah
    Death in the Spires is an excellent historical mystery by KJ Charles. Charles notes in the front of the book as well as in other spaces that this is not a romance. There is a MM romantic subplot involving the main character, but the central driving force in this novel is the murder mystery. And oh what a mystery it is. I do not like to give details about mysteries because I find the development of the story is part of the enjoyment. However, this book deals with issues of race, gender, sexuality, autonomy, wealth, entitlement, and class, all subjects that Charles is a master of exploring. I really enjoyed Death in the Spires. It is an engaging and engrossing mystery with good characters, smart writing, and an excellent sense of place. I look forward to any future mysteries KJ Charles might write. Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
  • Perfection

    5
    By SurLava
    With every book, KJ Charles gets better and better and she is already one of the best writers of gay fiction period. In this tome she seamlessly blends one man’s unrequited love for another with a search for a killer of a school friend which Jem knows must be found among a group of close friends who became immediately estranged upon the murder. As always she blends a strong empathetic approach to her characters with taut plotting and realistic understanding of how people really are in the world. This is one of the best portrayals of a citizen unaffiliated with police or investigation setting out to right an injustice to himself resulting from police failure to identify the killer a decade earlier. Along the way, trust lost between friends is regained through twists and turns both realistic and unexpected. This is a book to bolt through, then reread repeatedly just to savor the excellence of this writer’s craft.
  • Engaging characters and a mystery that unravels at the perfect pace

    5
    By Jcd725R
    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!
  • Intriguing KJ Charles historical mystery

    5
    By Home or travel
    Death in the Spires is an intriguing mystery about a group of college friends, and the unsolved murder of one of their own. I truly enjoyed this engaging story, and it is proof that I adore anything KJ Charles writes. It’s 1905 when Jeremy Kite receives another anonymous threatening note about his friend Toby’s murder at Oxford 10 years earlier. When Jem’s out of a job yet again, he decides that it’s time to solve this crime once and for all. But as he searches for the truth, old, ugly facts come to light. What will people do to keep those facts hidden? I love this pseudo locked room mystery, and it’s best not to know too much going in. It’s told in the 1905 present, with flashback to Jem’s student days in 1895. The vivid images of both the students seemingly blissful rise in Oxford contrasts with Jem’s current dismal existence. The relationships between the friends ring true, along with their clear class differences and individual struggles. The mystery is a challenge to puzzle out too. And, to the surprise of no one who has read a KJ Charles book before, the queer representation is outstanding. If you adore KJ Charles’s historical romances, you’ll enjoy this mystery too. I had a blast reading Death in the Spires. If you are a fan of historical mysteries with interesting characters, a great puzzle and wonderful queer rep, read this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.