This twisty story about an unsolved murder is told via dual timelines. One timeline is told during a reunion 10 years later. The other is during the character’s college days. Each character is holding a secret which is eventually revealed with plenty of drama and betrayal thrown in. The pace is well balanced and intriguing. I liked going back and forth between different timelines which give enough clues about characters’ motives and perspectives.

Unfortunately this author is not for me. I’ve read a few of her books and just haven’t been enthralled or interested at all. I think Her books are great for those who enjoy popcorn thrillers.

This was such a fun thriller!

Six friends attend a 10 year college reunion, where alllllllll the secrets are revealed, including who was behind an unsolved murder.

Fast-paced, and told from alternating POVs and timelines. And so many plot twists and turns.

This was a fantastic debut novel! I loved the dark academia setting. The secrets and all the moving pieces were delightful as well.

I think this might be the year that my backlist books own my top ten stack. I fully credit the #23in23 challenge for this obsession.

I know you probably remember all of the hype for this book back in 2021 and I’m here to tell you all that the hype is real! From the minute I started reading this book I was pulled into Jessica’s world (okay, maybe it helps we share a name!) and became obsessed with her friend group. Winstead alternates timelines between present day and different moments from Jessica’s college days. These woven timelines work to unravel hints about the unsolved murder of one of Jessica’s best friends.

You know those movies/shows/books where people are forced together and are made to spill their darkest secrets? This is exactly that! This style is perfect for sucking a reader into the web of deceit these friends have created. I couldn’t look away! The pacing is lightning quick, which lends itself to hooking the reader more and more into binge reading this book.

Fun fact about Winstead: She also writes romance books and this was her debut into the thriller world. I’m usually not a romance fan, especially in my crime fiction reads, but the way Winstead drops it throughout felt natural and it served as one of the driving factors for the story.

In case you can’t tell from my raving love for this book, Winstead is now firmly on my auto-buy list and I’m very excited to already have The Last Housewife waiting for me on my shelves!

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is a genius novel! The character development is insanely good and the plot is magnificent. I devoured this juicy murder mystery! I absolutely loved it! Highly highly recommended!

Wow a thriller that kept me turning the pages! The ending was a little bonkers but I enjoyed the campus story and friendships gone awry.

I am not typically a thriller reader, but In My Dreams I Hold a Knife had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The storyline never felt predictable and all of the twists and turns throughout the book kept me completely invested as I read!

This plot never lets up, it's a total page-turner and kept me guessing until the final reveal. The characters are all god-awful people though, so my actual level of investment in their outcomes was pretty minimal despite being engaged in the mystery itself.

This book was a great twisty, suspenseful read. Six friends reunite for a college reunion and an unsolved murder from their past comes back to haunt them. Told from different POV's and in dual timelines the story keeps a relentless pace as the secrets that they are all trying to hide start coming out. A smart and gripping debut.

Who murdered Heather? A classic whodunit unravels in alternating POVs between the past and present among college friends who all had their secrets and their reasons to kill their friend. A tale of horrible people with deep wounds concluding in a surprising ending.

This is a wonderful story of friendship, secrets, and betrayal. Throughout the story we follow Jessica Miller and her friends through college, alternating to where they are ten years later. As we learn of the events that unfolded over their four years at Duquette, we also learn what happened leading up to Heather’s murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

This wasn't quite a home run for me because I had read several OMG Amazing books recently, but it was perfectly fine for what it is.

This was definitely one of the best thrillers I have read in some time. It was one of those books that just captured my attention and kept me invested and involved with figuring out who the culprit was and the role each of the members play in the past event. Jessica is the main character and she has made it a goal to go back to Duquette for a purpose. I loved the dual timelines and I felt that the pacing and the back and forth plot really created a great level of suspense. I was definitely kept guessing until the very end. I cannot say I was ever truly invested, or really liked any of the characters, but it did not take away from the strength of the book. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

The beginning of this book was confusing for me. I thought I was reading a YA novel. Jessica was so narcissistic that I was rolling my eyes and thinking I would have to stop reading. However, I stuck with it and found it to get better. I really didn't fully understand any of the characters because there was no depth to them. Overall, I liked it even with these drawbacks.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

Another engaging thriller is “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife” by Ashley Winstead, which hits bookstores August 3. Jessica returns to her alma mater for a 10th reunion and to flaunt her improved looks and income to her old friends, the East House 7, and all the other classmates that made her feel unimportant.
Not at the reunion are her best friend Heather, who was brutally murdered their senior year, and Jack, Heather’s boyfriend, who was suspected of the murder, but never tried for lack of evidence.
However, Heather’s brother is determined to use the reunion to out the murderer and bring his sister justice. What they all discover is that the East House 7 is hiding more secrets than just who killed Heather.
Although some of Winstead’s minor characters are flat and stereotypical (mean-girl sorority sister, homophobic frat boys), her book gives the reader plenty of action and suspense, with a heavy dose of romance also. A perfect read for a late summer beach trip.

Absolutely loved this book! It kept me riveted as I tried to figure out who killed Heather and everyone seemed a likely suspect. I loved all the messy flawed characters, especially Jessica. The toxic friendships, the relationship between Jessica and Coop - all of it felt very realistic. The dual timeline was skillfully written and I'm surprised this is a debut novel. Highly recommend!

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is an excellent thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It is also Ashley Winstead’s debut novel. The twists and turns kept me guessing. I cannot wait to read more from her.

Though this was a quick read, and certainly entertaining enough, the characters are SO annoying. I get that they're probably supposed to be, but why are characters in elite universities or boarding schools always so insufferable? Anyway, maybe I've read waaay too much crime fiction, but I saw the twists and turns well ahead of time and just wasn't blown away by this one. That being said, this was the author's first book, and publishing and writing a book, especially to such generally good reviews, is a huge feat and for that I congratulate her! I'd read something else by her in the future, but this one just wasn't as great as I hoped it would be, given all the glowing reviews.