What a stunning historical mystery debut for KJ! Wait, what? Yes, Charles, who writes amazing historical romances (with mystery/suspense plot lines), has gifted us with such a great read. This is not a romance, Charles has been quite clear on that. There's kind of a love interest, but the mystery drives the narrative, not the love interest. Set from 1892 when our Seven Wonders meet at Oxford, through 1895, when Toby is murdered, until 1905, when our narrator, Jem, decides through circumstances, he must solve this murder. As he revisits those years, those friendships, he must peel back the layers, exposing the jealousy, toxicity, so many -isms among these friends and at Oxford. As always, Charles uses the search for the murderer to give us lushly fleshed out characters, sense of place. The resolution is thoughtful, satisfying, sad, a sense of hopefulness, a sense of potential with the friends with cheese toast, so perfect! Oh, and there's going to be another Charles mystery, please let it be more of our Jem!

Kj Charles is one of the rare authors who NEVER misses for me. I think KJC is a master of the craft, and this atmospheric, dark academia murder mystery was unsurprisingly another win! Her skillfully executed, silky, witty narrative was, as always, completely enthralling. And, greedy for every last word of it, my eyes stood no chance! I devoured this in one sitting, and ofc wanted 1000 pages more!

I thought of Babel a lot while reading this for obvious reasons. Not at all similar work, but just that the location is always a magical place that brings all Spires inspired narrative to the fore, especially when it’s as alluring and atmospheric as dark academia!

Flowing black robes flapping around joyous dynamic bodies of 18 year old hearts on fire, playful as puppies without a care in the world. Their time together blossomed under the rays of their halcyon youth, and my smile for these glimpses into Jem’s past could not be contained.

I LIVE FOR THIS VIBE…like Dead Poet’s Society/Maurice meets Sherlock Holmes! And YES, it was as magnificent to read as this mashup sounds!

The characterization was chef’s kiss! Jem, as his nic implied, was indeed a gem! I adored him right away. And I very much appreciated that his mettle was astutely woven into the observations of his cohorts, because with a lot of these stories, scholarship kids are always denigrated for getting an opportunity based on merit, which then gets overshadowed by the slurs and shaming made primary as fodder for emotive narrative!

Here, in 1892, Jem flourished as part of the collective of the Seven Wonders, and I just loved the way this dexterity of KJC’s enriched the entire cast of characters with unforgettable charisma, all indulged with the same fully realized brilliance, seen through Jem’s eyes.

There was a lot of grace in the way the characters all <I>spoke</I> on the things that mattered to them about the world they lived in, and how they watched-felt-related to each other felt developed through real connection, instead of fiction. This was marvelous work, thoroughly engaging and gripping in more ways than one!

I still think KJC has another level, an extra ounce of depth, another layer of complexity, a power story still untold, and one that I am dying to see! <b>Death in the Spires</b> shows that Charles has hydra-headed talent, and is poised on the doorstep of an empire of gay historicals with teeth and fire! I WANT THAT! And as a fan of all of THIS, that next gear is assured, and with it, KJC's sui generis legacy of unrepentant wit and extraordinary calibre which never fails to leave me wanting for more!

I am pretty sure I would read anything that KJ Charles writes, but I was very excited when I saw she was set to publish her first mystery novel. (Luckily, this still also has some romance in it too.)

Once I started Death in the Spires, I don't think I set it down until I was unfortunately forced to. The story draws you right in and emotionally invests you in the life of Jeremy "Jem" Kite, our main character, who can't outrun the rumors that he murdered his university friend ten years prior. Exhausted by not knowing what truly happened back then, Jem begins to reconnect with his old friends and returns to Oxford in an attempt to learn the truth. He's soon uncovering long-buried secrets, rekindling old relationships, and dodging multiple attempts on his life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the setting in Oxford, and the diverse group of Oxford friends known as the 'Seven Wonders'. Can't recommend this one more and can't wait for literally whatever KJ Charles writes next!

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set amongst the dreaming spires of Academia, we are introduced to the “ Seven Wonders”, they are, Nicky, Hugo, Prue, Ella, Toby, Jem and Aaron, all become best friends, until Toby is found dead. Despite Police investigations ,nothing is proved against the remaining friends, but someone killed Toby, and, due to events that happened beforehand, it stands to reason that one of them dealt the fatal blow.
Years later, all the remaining Wonders receive letters to that same effect. We catch up with their lives now, and learn how the death of Toby has impacted their choices in life. These impacts included discrimination against educated women, unplanned pregnancy, racism and homosexuality.
There are many clues in this murder mystery, it’s almost as if the Author decided who was the guilty party, and then spends an inordinate amount of effort into teasing the reader into proving their innocence, a marvellous red herring indeed. Your sympathy and frustrations swing about as the question becomes, why did the murder happen and who can be trusted?
This was such a fun detective story. True, there were some stereotypical characters, that could have come straight from a Jeeves and Wooster book, but there were some marvellously solid and dependable persons, with a few imperfections , who flew under the radar, and you would have been proud to have been their friend.
This is the first book I have read from this author, but I am anxious to catch up with those missed novels.
A five star read. My thanks to Netgalley and Storm publishing for my advanced digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest feedback.
I will leave a review to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up. Unlike KJC's other books this is a murder mystery with a romantic subplot.

Oxford was Jem's chance at a better life. When he was embraced by a group of friends he felt as though they were invincible, after all they were known as The Seven Wonders. Then Toby was killed and Jem's life fell apart. Ten years on a poison pen letter delivered to his boss prompts Jem to try and solve the mystery of Toby's murder.

The murder mystery was compelling, with plenty of clues that were obvious in retrospect. We see Jem confront his past as he reconnects with his group of friends to try and understand who killed Toby. As events unfold it becomes clear the more interesting question is not Who but Why.

I received an ARC from Netgalley, this hasn't influenced my review.

This was a wonderful historical mystery. Though this is not this author’s normal genre, she did an excellent job with this mystery. I didn’t know who was the culprit until the author revealed it to me. And that was not the end of the story. It was an incredible story, the characters were wonderful and the pace made it hard to stop reading. I hope KJ Charles continues to write mysteries also as she did a wonderful job with this one.

The book started off slowly but I felt was well written.
I was not aware it was gay fiction and as such when I reached the part of the story where this element kicked in I stopped reading. It's not my genre of reading.
Therefore did not finish but for fans of this genre I think it will be a hit.

Excellent historical murder mystery told during the event itself and ten years later. And because it's a KJ Charles book, it's queer AF and has TEETH. Definitely an emotional rollercoaster as I suspected very nearly everyone.

**Received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

A group of seven friends could never know that they would not be friends forever. At the time, they were living in the moment, and enjoying the happiness of being together. When one of the group is murdered, suspicion falls on the remaining friends, although there is no evidence to show that any of them are guilty.
With the friendship gone, and each having gone their own way, it seems that the past is done. But every now and then, someone sends letters, accusing the remaining of the group of being murderers. Finally, Jem has had enough, and he is determined to get to the truth.

Good read, albeit very slow at times. There were parts of the book that just failed to keep my attention. Still, decently done, and a cozy little mystery for a weekend read.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Death in the Spires is the first title I've read by KJ Charles and I was blown away. The book spends its time split between the current day of 1905 and 1892, when our main character Jem went to Oxford on a scholarship. On his first day, he met Toby and Nicky who came to his rescue when another boy was bullying him. Toby is collecting "interesting" people and Jem quickly finds himself part of their group that also includes Toby's twin Ella, her roommate Prudence, Aaron, and Hugo. The group become fast friends and Jem makes a place for himself at Oxford over the next few years. Right before finals during their last year, things go horribly wrong and one of their number is murdered. The other members of the group are suspects in the death, but no one is charged as the killer. The rumors and events of that night have haunted all the surviving members of the group to various extents and in various ways; in fact, they have lost contact with each other in an attempt to put everything behind them. Jem, his life having gone downhill in the intervening years, He decides that he needs to finally find out who killed his friend and why; after that, he hopes to be able to finally pull his life together.

The mystery portion of this book is extremely well done with tons of twists and turns that kept me guessing. The pacing of the book is excellent with just enough information revealed to keep you guessing including the use of the split timeline. There is a romance but it definitely isn't the focus of the story. I don't want to say anymore and risk spoiling the story, but I can confidently say that this book is well worth your time and I will definitely be looking for future mysteries from this author.

Its always the hardest to put into words why i liked the books i liked because there is just SO MUCH i want to say. So bear with me here.

Death in the Spires is a blend of dark academia, murder mystery and a complex web of relationships that take us from the Oxford says of the early 1890s to the reworking of the case in 1905 thru the lense of Jem Kite.
I loved Jem. A broken man, living thru his day with an constant emptiness in him since the moment he not only lost a friend but also every single thing he held dear at that time.
The way Charles developed all the different complicated dynamics within the group, the reasons for them being an unit and the impact of this one fatal night on their bond was truly sweeping.
Some relationships may not have been as developed as others but i didn't really see an issue with it given that in real life, you are never close the same way with one like you are with another.

The romance(s)....
She said that this is not a romance, and i get that it's not the main point, but the sheer force those romantic entanglements had on the story were just so intoxicating!
It played so well into the power dynamics (in some cases: imbalaces) among the group as a whole.

Satisfying end too! It can always make or break the entirety of the book but Death in the Spires delivered on that front.
It made the questions 'why even bother' and 'is it all worth it', and it's answers, make sense.

I hope you all will enjoy it as much as i did!


[Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the free Arc in exchange for an honest review]

This is historic mystery and the brilliant whodunnit. The writing is flawless and characters are mysterious. The book has been narrated in dual timelines.

Toby was murdered on the night of the final year at oxford and the case remained unsolved. No one knows who did it but it certainly upended Jeremy’s life. The author takes us back to 1905. The perspectives of present and past were interesting. Now ten years later, Jeremy is trying to find the person behind Toby’s murder. Jeremy and Toby were best friends. They were a group of friends called Seven Wonders. One day Jem receives an anonymous letter accusing him of killing Toby and due to that he has lost his job too. There are secrets, truth and slow burn mystery. The more he is getting close to the killer, the more his odyssey is becoming perilous. You can expect many more things other than solving a murder mystery. Jeremy is clever and loved how the truth was unveiled. It’s a brilliant whodunnit with academia vibe and the kind of book that keeps you guessing till the end.

Many Thanks to the Author and Publisher.

This was a great read overall. I found the book slightly slow until Jem returned to Nicky in Oxford, but even so the writing style, descriptions of the period and characters were so well written it really transported the reader back to the time. The settings were brilliantly written and I kept switching my mind to who the guilty party was every time Jem re-met a character. Jem's character, was particularly well written. Death in the Spire' was a great read that I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

Death in the Spires by K.J. Spires is an intriquing and compelling read, it was hard for me to put down once I started reading. The story begins in 1905 with Jeremy (Jem) Kite's employer receives a letter stating 3 things: that Jeremy was a murderer, that he killed Toby Feynsham, and for the employer to ask him why. Unfortunately this resulted in Jem losing his position.
He and Toby were college friends, two members of a group of friends on campus known as the Seven Wonders. They were an eclectic and diverse group at the prestigious St. Anselm in London; they met in 1892 during their first year, and appeared to be living charmed lives until Toby's death three years later.
Toby was the apparent leader of the group and basically chose the members. The group was comprised of Toby, Jem, a scholarship student; Ella, Toby's twin and a brilliant chemistry student; Prudence, Ella's roommate and an extremely bright if somewhat dull student, Aaron, a black student majoring in medicine;
Hugo Marly Adams, from a very wealthy family, destined to be a politician and Nicky Rook, Toby's best friend sarcastic and seemingly self-absorbed, yet an honors student. Each member had their own secrets.
Jem decides to discover the actual murderer with the hope that the letters will stop and perhaps finally he could put that period of his life behind him. Oh what a can of worms he opened, and each member of the group tried to discourage him, and/or thwart his efforts. I will not share anymore of the story, however I encourage you to read Murder in the Spires and discover the shocking outcome.
Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review an ARC in exchange change for my completely voluntary and honest review. 4 stars

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.

I had the amazing opportunity to read this as an ARC thanks to K.J. Charles, Netgalley and the publishers. This was my first K.J. Charles book and I can tell you it won't be my last! This book was not what I was expecting, but in ALL of the BEST possible ways.
It starts in 1905 when our main character Jem decides that after 10 years of uneasiness and stagnation, it is up to him to solve the murder of one of his best college friends. Jem returns to Oxford, England where he was once part of a friend group known as the 'Seven Wonders.' These friends attracted attention and shone in an almost Gatsby like fashion on campus until the night Toby was murdered. No one was ever convicted and it took away the shine from everyone.
Now that he is back in Oxford, turning over the stones in a long gone murder investigation, it becomes obvious someone is not happy with this. As he contacts his old friends and starts to doubt his whole college experience, more things are brought to light and more things go wrong.
This book took me through the fog and history, keeping me guessing right until the very end. As with all friend groups, everyone has secrets, but some are darker than others. The aspects of dark academia are a perfect touch and just helped add more mystery to what could have possibly happened leading up to and on that night.
Overall I loved this book. The mystery kept me turning the pages, the character development and evolution done through uncovering old secrets peaked my interest the whole way. And as someone who does read a fair share of mysteries, I did not see the ending coming or piece the whole puzzle out until the end.

(Thanks to KJ Charles, Storm Publishing, and Netgalley. I was provided a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

When disabled, working-class Jem won a scholarship to Oxford, he was drawn into a circle of brilliant, talented, intense friends, with the privileged and charismatic Toby Feynsham at its center. We meet Jem ten years after all of that vanished - he left Oxford with shattered nerves and no degree, after Toby was brutally murdered. Jem is now friendless, poor, in pain, and grieving everything he lost when Toby died and his circle of friends broke apart. When his boss gets a letter calling Jem the murderer and it turns out that there's still more he can lose, Jem starts recklessly investigating old friends and old secrets. The book alternates between past and present; we see the golden buildup and painful breakdown of the Seven Wonders, alternating with Jem's present investigation of them.

I've been a fan of KJ Charles' historical romances for years, and Death in the Spires has everything I love about her writing: vivid characters, intense emotions, themes of difference and belonging, keenly observed and period-appropriate political analysis, and masterfully-built tension. I became a little desperate and teary halfway through the book when I was forcibly reminded that Death in the Spires is NOT a genre romance and that I could NOT expect it to follow romance genre conventions (in particular, a happy ending involving an emotionally satisfying relationship). I started considering, with dismay, the conventions of the mystery genre: would societal order be restored? Even after that societal order had been thoroughly established as rotten? Or maybe the book was a noir mystery, in which case the ending would be whatever destroyed our poor main character the most? (Apologies to my family, who had to listen to my anxious mid-book rants about genre.)

Fear not: the conclusion of Death in the Spires is both narratively and emotionally satisfying. Highly recommended, both to old KJ Charles fans and to people who aren't romance novel readers.

Carefully Plotted..
1905 and the appalling death, the murder, ten years prior of an Oxford student still haunts and still remains unsolved. As the best friend of this victim becomes obsessed with solving the case, his investigation leads him into a vipers nest. Carefully plotted and keenly observed historical mystery with a deftly crafted cast, an atmospheric and well imagined backdrop and an immersive storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy of Death in the Spires. I must be honest and say that at the beginning I was ready to put this book aside and not finish it. However, I felt I owed it to NetGalley to complete the read and give it an honest review.

I found the book to be very repetitive; in Jem's pursuit of Toby's killer the retelling of last week, last evening together was overdone. Enough already! The readers are not fools....

It was only at the conclusion did the book pick up speed and add some additional information about each. of the Seven Wonders.

In every reader’s life, there’s at least one author one will follow almost without question. If one is very lucky, there will be more than one. K.J. Charles is one such author for me. ("almost" only because I don't read horror.)

The novel is narrated in third person, past tense, from the deep point of view of one Jeremy Kite, formerly a bright star at Oxford, and now literally a nobody who wants to remain a nobody. But of course, there is always someone unwilling to let scandals die, and there are always those who will gleefully join in mudracking of the basest sort.

As Jeremy is forced to remember the unsolved murder of one of his closest university friends, and to confront the certainty that the murderer must have been one of their small circle, the reader follows him through a maze of memories and feelings, the story is effectively told in two timelines: Jem’s 1905 present, and his early-1890s past.

Beware: racism, ableism, classism, homophobia/queerphobia, all of the time; rape; loss of a child.

Jeremy Kite is an outsider at Oxford, in every possible way. Not only is he “the scholarship boy”, thereby lacking the connections, class and privilege of the vast majority of the student body, but he’s also poor, very small in stature, and has a clubfoot. He also has the brains and the determination to make more of himself than what his cirumstances dictate; though merit and grit, he has secured his place at the oldest, most prestigious university in the empire, and that will be the making of his future.

He expects insults at best and abuse at worst, while hoping for indifference, as ostracism would at least allow him peace to work. When instead he is immediatelt drawn into Toby Feynsham’s inner circle, his entire world opens up; Jem is no longer the crippled charity case, and therefore an obvious target, but a close personal friend of Toby, the golden boy who everyone else admires; Toby, who’s in line to inherit a maquisate and its attendant fortune.

For three years, Jem’s life exceeds even his wildest imaginings. He has not only managed to excel at Oxford, with a bright professional future just a few short weeks away; he’s not only one of the Seven Wonders and a sought-after member of various clubs; he also has made the best friends a man could ever want.

And then, Toby is murdered, and Jem’s entire world collapses; his future is gone, and his friends become hostile strangers. For ten years, as the crime remains unsolved, Jem exists in limbo; his dreams out of reach, his future gone.

When a letter arrives, once again destroying the insignificant measure of safety Jem has managed to build for himself, he’s finally had enough.

But of course, one cannot go kicking over hornets nests and not expect to be stung.

Ms Charles took pains to make it very clear to her readers that this is not genre romance, but a murder mystery; however, the identity of the killer can only be ascertained by studying the relationships and feelings (revealed or not, requited or not) between this once-tight group of friends.

And so, as Jeremy revisits his past, by interviewing his erstwhile friend on by one, and as he remembers those golden years a decade prior, the reader comes to see each of these seven bright young persons as complex people, and their apparently easy friendships as tangled ties that both bind and stiffle.

And the pining, goodness gracious me, the pining is off the charts.

“Nicky watched Toby, and Jem knew it because Jem watched Nicky. …he watched Nicky all the same, and Nicky watched Toby, just as hopelessly. …as Aaron watched Ella–with a longing that was entirely permissible if it was understood to be impossible.” (Chapter 5)

“Jem had never believed he could supplant Toby in Nicky’s affections, so he didn’t let himself think thought to which he wasn’t entitled.” (Chapter 9)

Bit by bit, memory by memory, Jem deconstructs his original interpretation of events, and realizes how much had been hidden from his understanding, and how his perceptions of the people around him was colored by his feelings for them. He had been young, sheltered, and an outsider, ignorant of the many subtler rules of the society in which he now moved. A decade later, with the eyes of a man past thirty, he sees and understands many more of the undercurrents swirling behind the relationships between the group of former friends, now all strangers far removed from those heady golden days.

“He was frightened, and, once he recognized that, he realized he’d been frightened for a very long time, at a level so deep he hadn’t known it. One of the people he most loved had become a murderer, and he’d never trusted anyone again.” (Chapter 11)

The structure of the novel is brilliant; as Jem remembers the past and doggedly looks into the present, everything is laid out for the reader to put together. And then, the climax, the twist, and the almost painful hope of the denouement.

I inhaled this book–who needs sleep?–; the ending is absolutely perfect; the characterizations are so rounded, the plotting so tight, it’s glorious, just glorious.

And because past is invariably prologue–given humanity seems incapable of learning–several of the themes and issues the characters deal with are as timely today as they were at the dawn of the Twentieth Century.

Death in the Spires gets a 9.50 out of 10.

This book will be released on April 11, 2024.