Death in the Spires

by K.J. Charles, Tom Lawrence (Narrator)

“Listeners will be drawn into this atmospheric and compelling historical mystery” (AudioFile) performed by an Earphones Award–winning narrator. A decade after Toby’s brutal murder, his best friend Jeremy remains haunted. When an anonymous letter brands him the killer, Jeremy returns to his fractured circle of friends, knowing the true murderer could be hiding among them… With over 1,800 five-star ratings!

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!

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Queer, Fiction, LGBT

Audible Audio

First published March 20, 2024

About the author

KJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.

She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.

Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
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Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

In which I write a murder mystery. NOT A ROMANCE. Just to be clear on that, genre betrayal/confusion being a thing.

This book is my stab at a detective novel and I am terrified and excited. It's also whatever the opposite of a love letter to Oxford University might be. Possibly hate mail.

It's your classic Group Of University Friends Reunite With Murder set 1895/1905, enjoy. I am thrilled by the cover.

[Nataliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

“That was a foul thought, planning to trap his friends into admissions, but they weren’t his friends any more, and one of them had murdered Toby.”

Apparently this is being referred to as “dark academia” by quite a few people, but not knowing much about that subgenre (although I certainly should add that expression to my book vocabulary) I’ll stick with a mystery story, an amateur 1905 investigation into a decade-old murder at Oxford by a man who not only feels that his life has been ruined by that murder but who also knows that the murder had been committed by one of his formerly close-knit group of friends.

‘Don’t,’ she said. ‘Don’t ask me to remember all the golden times and how wonderful it was. It’s such a lovely lie, and it makes everything worse now. Stop dreaming about the spires. It was a dreadful place and those were dreadful people, and you and I got caught in their games and paid for it. And you may not want to remember how much we hurt each other, but Toby is rotting in the ground to prove it.

One of the reasons I like K.J. Charles’s books despite overall being quite wary of romance genre was that they have always been mystery first and romance second — but this one is a straight historical mystery with romance barely in the background, just enriching the story rather than *being* the story. And that’s what I like. And sex mechanics are off page too, and therefore are not distracting — a brief “It had been tender and gentle, and it had felt at once utterly alien after so long of nothing but knees on cold floors and the hard hands of strangers” is worth ten pages of play-by-play sex mechanics that to me are often awkward and unintentionally funny.

It’s a book of young hopes and dreams and the shattered illusions that university opens the doors for everyone to the good life in a class-conscious society, and the scars our youth can leave on us. It’s brief and somewhat episodic in its pre-murder timeline, but despite brevity is still full with the pain of strained friendships and falsehoods and entitlements and resentments (even if some of that does get healed eventually). It’s a sad story above all, with no satisfying comeuppance or brilliant conclusions — but with promise of healing, which is the best to hope for.

I liked it even if I wasn’t fully sold on some plot points — but ultimately it didn’t matter given that quiet and satisfied enjoyment it gave me in the end.

Solid 4 stars.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Also posted on my blog.

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.



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 spoke 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! Death in the Spires 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! Can't wait for whatever comes next, because I'm sure it will be top-tier AND I AM HERE FOR ALL. OF. IT!!

[Kathleen in Oslo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-upping 11 April -- Happy Book Birthday to this banger!

4.5 ⭐️

A KJ Charles book that is not a genre romance??? Squeak!

For those of you low-key freaking out, let me break this down:

-- KJC is not lying when she is using all her platforms to warn fans that this is a murder mystery rather than a romance. Expectation-setting is important, y'all! The mystery -- the murder of golden boy Toby in his Oxford digs shortly before final exams -- is what drives the plot and the resolution. Unlike the Society of Gentlemen series, or Jackdaw, or Magpies, or Will Darling, or . . . basically any other book KJC has written, where the romance is clearly the central narrative but is impelled/ complicated/ challenged by some crime or intrigue implicating one or both MCs -- and where the resolution of the intrigue plot is a means to the end of the HEA, rather than a goal in itself -- this book forefronts the narrator's determination to solve Toby's murder.

-- KJC is, however, adhering very much to the letter rather than the spirit of the law here. There is a meaty romantic subplot in both timelines -- pining galore! -- and, while it's not as developed as it would be in a capital-r Romance, you don't have to squint too hard to see an HEA (or at least an HFN) hovering off-page. The ending sees resolution for the mystery, which, in turn, sets the remaining characters -- all of whom have been living with the shattering consequences of Toby's murder for a decade -- on a more hopeful path, finally able to start moving forward. Indeed, while the Jem-Nicky relationship is the most central, this is at least as much about the friendships among this group that, to outsiders -- and for most of three years, to Jem -- were the best, the brightest, the shiniest stars: a tangle of love, jealousies, secrets, and betrayals that ended in bloodshed, lies, and haunted silences.

Jem, our narrator, is a working class scholarship lad whose three years at Oxford were like something plucked out of a fairy tale. Already on his first day in college, he is taken under the wing of Toby Feynsham, heir-apparent to a marquess, louche, charming, spoiled, and generous, the sun around whom a group of outcasts orbit: Jem, who is not just poor but also small and waifish, with a clubfoot that gives him a pronounced limp; Aaron, the college's only Black student, whose poshness does not does protect him from unrepentant racism; Prue, mousy and determined, the roommate and friend to Toby's twin sister, the brilliant Ella. Rounding out the "Seven Wonders", as the group is known, is Nicky, a friend and schoolmate of Toby's since childhood, whose unrequited love for Toby the group politely ignores; and Hugo, a posh, likable fellow whose ambition is the most notable thing about him.

This is a cleverly done dual-timeline story told entirely in Jem's POV. We start in 1905, ten years on from the murder. Jem is in a pitiful state, working a grudge job, subsisting just above poverty level, never recovered from the psychic blow he received the night of Toby's murder and from his subsequent failure to pass his exams (if you're getting Ben from Jackdaw vibes, you're not far off). A malicious letter to his workplace names him a murderer; newly unemployed and fed up with the suspicion and gossip that shadows him, he determines once and for all to find out which of them killed Toby. We then follow 1905 Jem making contact with his estranged group of friends, doggedly uncovering secrets past and present, to his own physical and emotional peril; while the earlier timeline takes us through Jem's college years, at first joyful, exuberant, and dizzying, before imploding in spectacular fashion. Throughout, Jem is forced to reappraise what he thought he knew about those years; he must also reckon with what Toby's death has done to all of them, including those whose external circumstances are much less pressed than his. Among the latter is Nicky, now a fellow at their old college, whose short liaison with -- and betrayal of -- Jem has shaped Jem's life as irrevocably as Toby's death.

No spoilers here except to say that the resolution is very KJC, forcing us to sit with questions of justice, forgiveness, how we reckon grave sins against each other, and who can ultimately make these judgements. It is, at once, hopeful but also deeply sad: the story of a man who had everything and, in losing it, lost himself; who decided to take everyone down with him, to hurt and destroy, rather than accept being outshined. In typical KJC fashion, it is briskly paced, extremely well written, and masterfully constructed.

As a romance reader, I can admit that this wasn't as emotionally satisfying as other KJC reads. The lack of an on-page HEA leaves me wanting more than the glimpse we get of brighter days ahead. KJC's characteristic dry humor is also thin on the ground, replaced instead with a resonant but melancholy oppressiveness: it is always foggy, rainy, and cold; Jem is both in constant pain and in severely straightened circumstances; none of the characters can really be trusted. But if I'm reading this on its own terms -- as a mystery rather than a romance -- then I can't find much to quibble with. Unlike many KJCs, I'm not sure this is a book I'll go back to. But it is an accomplished, twisty story with absorbing characters, more than a hint of romance, and a real-to-life resolution that shows KJC's willingness to step out of her comfort zone, and I can't help but reward it.

(For those wondering -- there are non-explicit bedroom scenes/ references to sex -- this is fade-to-black.)

(Also, pedant's gonna pedant: All Souls does not have study programs or students per se, so while Nicky could have had a fellowship there, he couldn't have gotten his D.Phil there. Sorry, Nicky!)

(Final parenthetical aside: definitely google The Four Just Men, which does not seem to have been a work of particular literary merit but has a bonkers backstory.)

I got an ARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

The premise commences simply enough. Following on 10 years after the murder of his friend at Oxford in 1905, Jem is still being haunted by the events of that night and after an anonymous letter is delivered to his work, leading to the loss of his job, Jem sets out to uncover the truth (very I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes there at the start).

Regarding the quality- It’s KJ Charles and if you know, you know, I don’t need to sell you on how accomplished her skill as a writer and storyteller is. KJ Charles prefaced this book by saying that it was a murder mystery and not a romance. I think that this was a completely unnecessary disclaimer, cause I have rarely read a story that demonstrated so many layered, complex, genuine and sometimes toxic relationships and demonstrations of love and I am OBSESSED.

The whole cast of characters was fabulous. I feel reluctant to say too much to give anything away but everyone in the group of friends felt well realised as characters with genuine and complex motivations. Jem was a delightful main character who was clever and damaged and whose heartache and pain caused me to have actual goosebumps.

At times this gave me dark academia vibes that triggered off elements of Babel or Saltburn. It was a tense, emotional, engaging and queer historical mystery and will go down as one of my favourites for the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[ancientreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could write a long review, or I could simply say that as soon as I finished Death in the Spires, I got grumpy, and the reason I got grumpy was that I could no longer read Death in the Spires for the first time.

Twisty plot: check. Extraordinarily appealing detective with morally complicated love interest: check. Broody setting: check. Satisfying and unexpected form of justice: check.

At the end of the book mention is made of "K.J. Charles's next page-turning historical mystery." Show of hands for more of brave, big-hearted Jem? -- Yes, I thought so.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Susan (on hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pinnacle

I requested Death in the Spires based on the eerie cover and title suggesting a sinister undertone. I’m delighted to say that it exceeded expectations and then some.

Jeremy, known as Jem, is empathetic as a scholarship student hoping that attending the prestigious Oxford University will increase his future prospects. Being disabled, and from a small town, his future didn’t hold much promise otherwise.

Beginning in 1892, Jem attended among the blue stockings and nonchalantly entitled students. To his amazement, he was swept up in an elite friendship group eventually becoming celebrated as ‘The Seven Wonders’ both on and off campus. Then, one of the group is murdered and the killer never caught.

The storyline alternates between their college days at Oxford and ten years later when Jem attempts to investigate who killed their friend.

A nuanced tenor leaning toward melancholy and multi layered characters generated a singular reading experience apart from a standard who dunnit. There was a haunting quality and a morose feel which had me taking breaks here and there to bring some light in. I found it more emotive rather than the spooky atmosphere I’d anticipated.

Being unfamiliar with the author, I wasn’t aware that she’d built a following based on her romance titles so I want to clarify that this isn’t a romance but it does contain romance secondary to the murder mystery.

If you’re looking for a sophisticated thriller beyond the run of the mill you may love this as I did!

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and KJ Charles for my advance electronic copy due to be released on April 11, 2024

[Moony Eliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I devoured a book this quickly.

Mystery isn't my go-to, but that's somewhat because many of my experiences in the genre haven't held this much personality. With a diverse list of flawed characters, I was engaged from start to solved, and I would have enjoyed reading about them even without an alluring murder mystery.

But I'm quite glad that the mystery was afoot, because it was why I zipped through in one day. The setup contained so many Very Good Things — coming of age at the end of the 19th century, relationship dynamics both platonic and not, interpersonal tension, so much grey morality, ethical considerations, and found family, just for a start. The unfolding wasn't entirely unpredictable, but it still revealed some unforeseen curves — and I remained captivated despite the elements I saw coming.

In some cases, the characterization was a little scant, as might be expected with 7 primary characters over about 250 pages. I loved the ensemble cast and sometimes wanted a deeper dive with them.

We KJC fans know how she loves to weave a juicy suspense into her romance novels (which this isn't, in case you haven't seen her disclaimer 😂). Maybe this genre shift is what she's been wanting to publish for a while, because she nailed it — the balance was chef's kiss. Definitely falls wholly into historical mystery (NOT romance, yo), but still with the sexiness, wit, and tight prose that we love from her. I'm here for it and will snap up any future drops just as quickly as I do her romances.

4.25 stars

** ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **

[Andy Marr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how I came about this book, but it's exceptional. Fantastic writing, well-drawn characters, and a mystery that remains precisely that until its final pages. Easily one of my favourite books of 2025!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Are you always this rude to everyone?"
"I find it saves time."

Okay king, pop off with your people slander lol. 🫅🏽


I'm so fucking glad this book wasn't a romance, because I fucking hated Nicky.
Nicky was a over cooked noodle of a man who's excuses didn't hold up in the Chelsea's Court of Law because he had 10 years to open his gob and make up for his fuckass behaviour, and he did nothing of the sorts.
So HOORAH! That this book has a murder-mystery focus, and I pray there is never another book because I'm happy just imagining that Jem gets to move on with his life and be merry and learn who he is without fear anymore. Because Jem deserved the world.

A MYSTERY WHO DUNNIT BUT MAKE IT GOOD BECAUSE KJC WROTE IT 💗

[Bookshire Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooo boy, if this happens when KJ Charles isn’t required to write a romance HEA and people being nice to each other, I’m here for it!

(For the love of god, do not go into this with an expectation of a romance novel! I dare say you won't be left entirely empty-handed or damaged for life but you won't get what you seek.)

The mystery is solid and I really enjoyed trying to guess the whodunnit (I didn’t guess the murderer - I spent the majority of the novel jumping between the suspects like a rabbit on speed - but I did guess the biggest asshole for which I’m very pleased with myself). However, the thing I enjoyed even more is Charles’s work with characters and also how effortlessly she weaves in bigger (and topical) themes, such as female agency and bodily autonomy, racism, social inequality and privilege.

This book is at once heavy and angry and vicious and gentle and deeply human. It's about friendship, guilt and forgiveness and the poison of lies and secrets. The whodunnit is important but not for the reasons it normally is in a murder mystery.

I received the ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

(Siri, remind me to check the Goodreads reviews in a year to see how many dudes are leaving outraged reviews because they picked this murder mystery and found *gasp* gays in it.)

[Lottie from book club · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT'S GIVING THE SECRET HISTORY, IT'S GIVING MAURICE, IT'S GIVING KJC BABBBBYYYYYYYYY

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to go against the tide of popular opinion and say that I disliked this book, and not just a bit but tremendously. I found the plot tiresome and repetitive.

I hate flashbacks and skimmed most of them. The pompous Oxford setting with its elitism, racism, and rivalry did nothing for me. All the characters were dull and/or unlikeable (except maybe Ella, although she was rather blasé for someone whose brother was murdered).

Jem's quest to find the murderer consisted of asking everyone if they were the murderer. The who-done-it was obvious; the story lacked suspense or a sense of danger.

We get a confession near the end but no real resolution. Everyone sort of shrugged, like, Oh well, whatchya gonna do about it?

It was all so anti-climatic, cliche, and unsatisfying.

Also, I don't know why the side romance was even included. Aardvarks are far more interesting than Jem and Nicky.

I spent good money on this book, damn it.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read The Secret History and hated the characters, and the bleak ending made you feel terrible, this might be the book for you!

In her first non-romance, we've got K.J. Charles trying her hand (and succeeding) at a historical mystery, dark academia style. It's 1905, and our main character is Jeremy "Jem" Kite, who has just been fired from his job when a letter accusing him of murder showed up in his employers' mail. This is not the first or even the tenth such letter Jeremy has received, as he was part of a friend group at Oxford where one of the friends were murdered, a murder that was never solved, and the infamy has ruined his life. Jeremy was on scholarship to Oxford but was quickly absorbed into the prestigious friend group headed up by Toby Feynsham, who likes to "collect" interesting people. For two years, they lived the dream, and then things started to get complicated, and by the end of their third year, Toby was dead, two of their friend group had fled Oxford, and the rest did their best to pick up the pieces.

Losing this job is the last straw for Jem, who determines to stir things up with his old friends and find out who killed Toby—because he knows it was one of them.

I really liked Jem right away. He was a great way in to this story, as his outsider status made him the perfect observer. He also had the least to lose from digging out old secrets, because he'd already lost everything. The friend group is also full of really interesting characters that are explored with emotional nuance and an eye to social, racial, and gender differences (as per the usual for Charles). Two women scholars (who were rare), a black man, and two queer men make up Toby's friend group (along with Toby and Hugo, both white, rich, straight men). The clashes between their differences make for a really tense storyline.

I was also actively trying to solve the mystery, and I failed—the author used my emotions against me, and though there isn't a twist here, the story took a turn I wasn't really expecting at the end. But mainly this book had a fantastic resolution that not only resolved the mystery but also sent me on way emotionally satisfied.

If you like mysteries or historical fiction, I do highly recommend this one. (And all of K.J. Charles's romances as well.) I hope she writes more mysteries going forward.

[4.5 stars]

Read Harder Challenge 2025: Read a queer mystery.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was AMAIZING. K.J. Charles doesn't disappoint, the dark academia vibes, the mystery, the yearning, it was all set up perfectly!

The thing with thrillers is that sometimes they feel repetitive, so you may think that this book is the same as any other with a similar plot. A group of dysfunctional friends meet in a highly prestigious university, and they are super toxic with each other. BUT, even though it might not feel unique, the way the story is written, how the characters act and interact with each other, was just marvellous storytelling.

In this case, Jem is brilliant but is the one who comes from a low-class background and has a small disability. Toby is the ring-leader, Ela his twin sister, Aaron the med student who is also a minority, Pru who is Ela's roommate and is another skilled but also poor student, Hugo the wealthy, aloof athlete and Nicky the eccentric and devoted friend.

At first, it all seemed to go well; they adored each other, and Jem felt as if he had actually found a place in his life where he was accepted and happy. As always, with toxic friendships, there started to be problems, and their group ended up dissolving after Toby died.

10 years later, and Jem is in a state of limbo, not having done anything with his life, so he decides to finally put everything to rest and find out what happened the night Toby died. This decision becomes the beginning of the end of their kept secrets, and what is discovered is more than what Jem originally expected.

I really had the best time listening to this book, I was conflicted because I wanted to keep listening to find out what was gonna happen, and at the same time I was dreading it to be over. I wouldn't call it necessarily a romance, even though there are some romantic elements. For me, it was more of a thriller and a self-discovery story. Of course, I wouldn't mind an extended epilogue where everyone is happy, or another book with Jem finding his HEA and maybe uncovering another mystery.

[Agla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one but didn't love it. At first, I wasn't a fan of the way the 2 timelines played out. It led to a lot of withheld information that the MC knew and kept hinting out. I liked both timelines but not the way they were interwoven. In the before, I loved that we saw the group dynamics and that each character was fleshed out. I liked the twists, the secrets revealed and the resolution so really, an enjoyable read. I wasn't a fan of the romance side plot. I get that it's not a romance but still. All in all would recommend 😀

[Brok3n · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crimes of Passion

K.J. Charles's Death in the Spires begins in 1905, when our hero Jeremy (Jem) Kite is called into his boss's office. His boss has just received an anonymous letter accusing Jeremey of murder. Jem immediately knows what this is about, because it's something he's been living with for ten years. The REAL beginning of our story is in 1892, when Jem shows up at Oxford as a new student. He is quickly taken up into a group of seven friends, revolving about Toby Feynsham. So brilliant are these seven, both in sports and scholarship, that they become known among their contemporaries as the "seven wonders". Until 1895, when Toby was murdered. The other six know that the murderer had to be one of themselves. But the murder has not been solved.

Jem, prodded by the letter, is no longer able to let sleeping dogs lie, and begins to investigate. So it's a murder mystery with some of the usual elements common to most murder mysteries.

Two things about Death in the Spires stand out as different from genre murder mysteries. First, the usual mystery novel is passionless. The investigation is framed as an intellectual exercise, a game that the author plays with the reader. Indeed, Jem's boss alludes to this in his conversation with Jem. And, even more strangely, the murderers in genre mysteries are coldly rational actors, who plan their murders, and carefully think about the costs and benefits.

That is not the seven wonders at all. They are not coldly rational sociopaths. These are passionate, angry people (who, indeed, have much to be angry about). Death in the Spires is more emotionally powerful, and more believable as an account of murder, than most mystery novels.

The second thing that jumped out to me was, "This could not happen today." Charles has described Death in the Spires with these words

It's also whatever the opposite of a love letter to Oxford University might be. Possibly hate mail.

But the message is addressed to late 19th century Oxford, not the 21st century university that some of us know. At one point in the novel Jem and Hugo tell each other:

‘It hasn’t changed, has it?’
‘Not much. Nothing here does.’

But it does. If your time horizon is ten years, the change is imperceptible. But the Oxford of Death in the Spires is not 2024 Oxford.

The Oxford in which Dorothy Hodgkin could not become a full-fledged Oxford Don because she was a woman is gone. That would not happen today. The England that convicted Alan Turing of "gross indecency" is gone. Gone too is the Oxford that would greet a brilliant new student with public mockery because he had, through his own merit, won a competitive scholarship.

Now, to be sure, the prejudices that motivated those injustices are still alive and flourishing in some quarters. But, at the very least, the legal environment has changed. And it has changed for the better!

Death in the Spires is not a typical genre mystery -- it is something better than that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance reader copy of Death in the Spires.

Blog review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical about how much I would enjoy a ‘not a romance’ mystery but I was completely enthralled with this cleverly layered historical story. The audio narration was brilliant, I came to love Nicky’s distinctive voice and really all the main cast were very well done. Initially I was a little lost in the 2 timelines and many cast members due to the audio but before long everyone felt very distinct. Even the murder victim who is dead the majority of the novel had a brilliantly developed character arc, I felt like I knew him as a living character.

I’d love to see how these people are getting on later in life, I need more!! I felt very invested by the end and was wonderfully surprised by the mystery.

As much as I loved this I do hope KJ Charles goes back to writing her usual ‘romance with a body count and a dash of dry humour’ fare as she does those so bloody well and I’ve read her entire backlist and need more.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a decent whodunit, add a last-minute twist that was truly surprising, a startlingly sad and at the same time gorgeous second-chance romance, add grieving the loss of friendships and loved ones, and throw in heavy topics such as racism, bodily autonomy, rape, and abortion and you should have a really angry or a really sad book.

This being a KJ Charles book, of course, this makes you feel all of those things and still gives you and ending that leaves you feeling sad to see the protagonists go (except one of them...), ridiculously happy that they managed to work things out, AND happy knowing that they are going to be alright.

The murder and the mystery of "who of the group is the murderer" was not even what kept me glued to the pages. It was the beauty of all the ugliness, the grieving of friendships that fell apart, the hopefulness of coming to terms with what happened and finding a way to move on from there. After all, making us feel things is what KJ does best, and it makes no difference which genre she writes in.

*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death in the Spires by K.J. Charles

Synopsis /

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.


My Thoughts /

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

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author, K.J. Charles for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for April 11, 2024.

Full Disclosure: Death in the Spires is my first K.J. Charles read. After finishing this one last night, I trolled through my own tbr list to see if I had anything on it by this author, quietly sitting, awaiting my attention. I did. Slippery Creatures, the first book in the Will Darling Adventures, which I have now brought to the top of my list.

This book is my stab at a detective novel and I am terrified and excited. It's also whatever the opposite of a love letter to Oxford University might be. Possibly hate mail.
— KJ Charles

This brand-new historical mystery is hitting the shelves soon. Set on the grounds of Oxford University. Steeped in history, Oxford is a unique and historic institution. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, it can lay claim to nine centuries of continuous existence. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form as far back as 1096. With so much history to draw from, it's no surprise that Oxford has its fair share of ghosts.

The story opens in 1905 with Jem (Jeremy Kite) receiving a letter. The letter itself is nondescript, plain, but it's what is written on the paper that's disturbing. Jeremy Kite is a murderer, He killed Toby Feynsham, Ask him why. Receiving that letter is the catalyst for the series of events that happen next.

Oxford University, thirteen years earlier, and seven of its academic students - Toby Feynsham (History), Nicky Rook (English), Hugo Morley-Adams (History), Jeremy Kite (Mathematics), Aaron Oyede (Medicine), Prue and Ella (Hugo's sister) met during Michaelmas Term in the Autumn of 1892. The group became very close friends and soon were referred to jokingly on Campus as the "Seven Wonders". Well, right up until the close-knit group of seven became the fractured group of six, when Tony Feynsham was found dead. Murdered. His killer was never found.

Charles should be commended, because if this is the quality of a first attempt at writing in the historical mystery genre, I'm certainly sticking my hand up to read her next. Let's talk about:

🌟Atmosphere -✅ - it's oozing atmosphere. From the setting (Oxford University) to the characters (Toby Feynsham is the grandson and heir of a marquess).
🌟Characters - ✅ - there is a cast of wonderful characters - some are heroes, some are villains, ALL are suspects and you can't trust anyone!
🌟Writing - ✅ - the writing is clear-cut and rich in description. My only nay comment about the writing was that it was a little verbose in parts, especially at the end, when the killer was exposed.
🌟Plot - ✅ - I enjoyed the dual timeline and thought the transitions back and forth were done well. My only nay comment with the plot, NO, it's not really a 'nay' comment, it's more a personal preference… is that I would have liked the murder to have been investigated by someone from the constabulary. If you are going to describe your book as a detective novel, I would have liked to have seen one in the cast of characters. However, that is a very minor quibble, and I realise that Jem was the focus for the "detective" character in this story; but he is also a suspect, so his integrity is a cause for concern. But that did heighten the suspense, so there's that.
🌟Themes - ✅ - racism, social inequity, toxic relationships, jealousy, rivals, success and failure, unfaithfulness and resentment are just a few that stand out.

And the last word about our murder victim, Toby Feynsham. Did our Group's ringleader deserve to die? You'll have to read this and make up your own mind.

#DeathintheSpires #NetGalley #StormPublishing

[Charlotte (Romansdegare) · Rating 4 out of 5]

KJ Charles's first foray into the mystery genre is unsurprisingly engaging and self-assured. Long-time readers of her romance work will know that she often keeps a suspense plot running right alongside the love story, and incorporates an important component of "justice being served to the baddies" as part of almost all of her HEAs. Practice at both of these elements has clearly set her up well to write this gripping mystery story of a group of friends at Oxford - the Seven Wonders - who have been torn apart by the murder of one member by another one of their group. After ten years of wondering whodunit, and lamenting how that uncertainty broke up a meaningful friendship, our hero Jem Kite sets out to find some answers.

There is a lot to love here. Charles's brisk, economical, no-words-wasted writing style is perfectly suited to the genre of the murder mystery. The cast of characters is very quickly individuated, and there's never any feeling of difficulty following the plot- while at the same time, you never feel like it's being heavy-handedly over-explained to you. The book it atmospheric, and does a good job feeling referential to a LOT of things, from Shakespeare plays to The Secret History to the Bloomsbury Group and beyond, without feeling derivative. Jem make a great POV character to follow through a murder story, and audiences will have no trouble relating to him.

That said, there are a couple things that didn't come off for me, and they are very spoilery so I'm going to tag them and also suggest NOT to read them until you've read the book. I really bought in to the emotional heft behind this book - that seven truly great friends had lost a beloved member of their group, and felt torn apart by the idea that another one of them had done it. That the denouement relied on making not one, but two of the members of this group *actual sociopaths* for the mystery element to come off... it's not that it's unrealistic, but it kind of skewed the emotional gravity of this book for me? And it was an emotional gravity that I (unsurprisingly, I know I'm biased here) felt could have been replaced by leaning just a tiny bit more into the romance between Jem and Nicky. Instead, it felt like KJC was almost needlessly running in the opposite direction of that emotional center in order to prove that this was Not a Genre Romance, Really!

On the whole, a really satisfying mystery genre outing from a beloved author. I would 100% sign up to read any more mystery that KJC wants to write

[S.G. Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed. For real for real. The characterization in this book is literal goals. I've read other books from Charles and enjoyed them, but this is something else. A few things that stood out:

- Character depth. It almost doesn't matter what happens in this story (though there is in fact plenty of excellent plotting) because I swear these characters could just be peeling bananas and I'd be riveted.
- That was not a euphemism.
- Jem, our main character, and the only POV of the book. You feel so entirely sorry for his situation right from chapter one. I love feeling sorry for characters.
- Dual timelines. It's usually not my preference, but here it really works. With that said, most of the book does seem to take place in "present day."
- Writing style. Easy, straightforward, with lines that pop out of the bushes and punch you straight in the mouth.
- Setting. Lots of fog. Very moody.
- Ending (no spoilers). I was afraid basically the whole story that we'd get a tragic ending. Nope. I walked away entirely satisfied.

It's a great book. Read it!

**As a fellow author, I only post about books I heartily recommend. If I didn't love something, I won't review it.**

[Amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

✰ 4 stars ✰

“He couldn’t go on like this, loving people and suspecting them at once. A human mind couldn’t do that without breaking.”

The thing that I find admirable about KJC's writing style is how she adds a flair to her historical fiction that lights a certain spark to the story and characters that makes it such a highly entertaining, if not appealing one. It is not only how well written it is - it is how the characters are well-rounded and the story so well-developed that you find yourself engrossed in the plot - following along the events as they unfold and seeing the characters interact as the pace steadily moves towards its conclusion. 🤍🤍 It is such an enjoyable experience that one can't help but appreciate her writing talents that shine with each book I feel fortunate to read. Even if her latest book Death in the Spires was heavily anointed as one that deviated from her usual - namely, it being more a mystery than a romance - it still carried all the charming flavors that make KJC's works such a delightful treat. 🙏🏻

“So: all of us could have, none of us would have, one of us did. It resembles one of those immensely tiresome riddles.”

I love mysteries and I am not ashamed to admit that I had my suspicions for a few, but with never enough concrete evidence until all the reveals were brought together. It reads like a classic whodunit mystery, but it was the way we follow thirty-one-year old Jem from the minute the ten years of trying to escape the death that has followed him into his later years suddenly makes a return in his life, to the dogged steps he takes to track down every remaining member of Oxford's creme de la creme that makes it such an entertaining read. 🤌🏻🤌🏻 'All we have is inference, implication, and suspicion.' The narration slips so easily into the past so that we get to see Jeremy Kite's emotions and thoughts at the time. How he was with the elite of the pack - how such an oddball felt in their presence and what relationships he forged during that time.

“But it was one of us,’Jem said through lips that felt a little stiff. ‘I quite agree that none of us could possibly have done such a thing, but we all know that one of us did.”

And you can't help but root for him; he is a sympathetic protagonist who has carried the stigma like a scarlet letter throughout his failed prospects for the future and all he wants to know now is who really killed his best friend, Toby. Even when he is guided by his heart to act foolishly or impulsively, his heart still was in the right place. 😟 Becoming a detective wasn't only a means to an end to quiet those who continue to torment him and his career, but finally put to rest the guilt and uncertainty - to quell the inconclusive way their lives abruptly ended. 'He needed to be strategic, not sentimental,' and for the most part, he let sound judgment and meticulous thinking guide him and not allow himself to be swayed by the memories of what they had been ten years ago, when 'the world was before them, a great sunlit path through pleasant meadows with a glittering city at its end ready for them to conquer.' ✨

But Toby's death and the blame game that followed ruined his life, he lost everything and with nothing left to lose, it is not enough to receive threats that hint that any one of them may be guilty - it is about piecing together the past to try to understand and paint an image of what really transpired the night of his murder. Even if he was considered one of the Seven Wonders, he never thought himself as wondrous as them - 'nothing wonderful. Nothing remarkable. Nothing at all' - yet being invited into their clique changed his life. 🥲 He was bound by their friendship, compelled by an attraction, captivated by an attraction, compelled by a loyalty, love for what they were - that who they were - those relationships made him into the person he is now - the good and the bad.

“Fastened in fetters your inmost thoughts—How much have you lost to this wretched, sordid business, Jem? How much of your life did it lay waste?”

I also appreciated the thought and care it went into making it feel as authentic to Victorian England as much as possible - in mannerisms and mindsets of that time. It was also interesting to see how she incorporated real-life social problems of that time into the plot. 👍🏻👍🏻 Following alongside Jem as he tried to piece together the memories of that day, trying to understand what could have led to his murder was both a cathartic if not rewarding feeling for me. Yet there was a trace of such a lingering sadness at the ending - not really a closure that demanded retribution, but simply in the art of knowing - that was the entire purpose of Jem's pursuit - the need to know - no matter how painful the truth may be. 😥

Toby's death affected everyone in different ways - a friendship that perhaps was inevitably doomed from the start, but trudged on in the hope that all that they kept quiet wouldn't find a way to tear them apart. ‘We can’t talk to each other as we did, because we’re not as we were.' Each locked away with their own guilty conscience - each life ruined by the inescapable bond that tied them together - each of them inadvertently harboring their own reason for being close to him - a kind of love that affected their judgment of the kind of person he was - it was heartbreaking to see that crumble. 🥺 It was such a palpable loss of a time that has come and gone never coming back the innocence and vivacity of youth, the free spirited highs and the lows - the enthrall of one's whole life ahead and the way one decisive act can crumble it all. 😔

“Let’s pretend it never happened, he’d wanted to say. Let’s escape from this damned place where neither of us is wanted, let’s make a sane life, a reasonable one, without grand passion.”

I know it was heavily promoted as not a romance, but there was still enough of a romance to satiate the ones who enjoy how she makes the relationships flow - the dynamics engaging - the chemistry wanting. It is not as spicy, which I suppose is an attempt to herald in a new audience who appreciate fade to black over the more explicit details, so that they can get a taste of her writing prowess, but I still enjoyed how she portrayed it - "—with a longing that was entirely permissible if it was understood to be impossible.' 😢 The dynamic is touched upon so subtly, but tastefully so that you get to witness one of my favorite brands of romance - yearning so very palpable that the temptation is part of the pain - that the rekindling of a second chance of love could be touched upon achingly so - ' What that might have meant. What they might have had. What he’d lost.' That desire can be both a motive and a victim, that wanting can lead to betrayal, that even loving someone is enough to sway one's reasonable sense. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

But, if I were to have one complaint that severely hampered my overall enjoyment of it would have been how I couldn't help but draw certain yet slight similarities to If We Were Villains. I know people tend to get overly defensive when one points out it reminds them of another work, but here it was too oddly familiar that prevented me from really feeling it. 😕 It may be my own personal notion, but it lingered with me, throughout. But, I still had a wonderful time with it; it flowed with its sharp, crisp dialogue, well-paced plot and its intriguing dark academia vibes, enriched further by how capable she is in crafting characters that come alive in whatever story she breathes to life. 🌟🌟

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book through a Goodreads review, and it sounded like one for me.

It is 1905, and ten years since one of an Oxford University group of friends was murdered, but the killer was never unmasked.

Jem, one of the friends, is dismissed from his position due to an anonymous letter sent to his place of employment which accuses him of the murder, and Jem decides that now is the time to solve the mystery once and for all.

This necessitates Jem returning to the University, and contacting the rest of the group. Not all are happy to see him...

A very decent historical murder mystery!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts in 1905 but goes back to 1893 and this was a story that pulled me in from the start, a gritty and tenacious story that started ten years before when what people called The Seven Wonders became friends at Oxford University, lost one of their own in a brutal murder that ten years on has never been solved.

Jeremy Kite was one of these friends and when Toby Feynsham was killed in his room, Jeremy lost everything he had worked for. It ruined his life and now again it is causing problems when another mystery letter arrives accusing him of being a murderer, he has now lost his job and Jem has had enough, he will not stop at anything till he finds the killer and gets the answers he wants and needs to move on.

Jem starts on a journey to track down the other five wonders and finds that they two are receiving letters but they are willing to let things go unresolved, but not Jem and he ends up back at Oxford University where it all began, but the closer he gets to answers, the more secrets he uncovers the more danger he is in.

Will he finally uncover the truth, will it be better to leave some things in the past and the secrets buried deep?

This is a story that I do highly recommend, filled with a fabulous murder mystery, secrets and blackmail and wonderful characters, it had me guessing till the very end, which I thought was so good, will the seven wonders left behind become best friends again or will they all move on?

My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

[Darka · Rating 5 out of 5]

це перша спроба авторки написати детектив, а не романс, і спроба ця дуже вдала, бо - сюрприз! - якщо добре створити своїх персонажів, то читачам буде не байдуже до їхньої долі.

події відбуваються в Оксфорді 189... років, тут і компанія блискучих студентів, і Шекспір, і нагла смерть, і зради, і таємниці, але правда відкриється лише через 10 років. і найскладнішим вибором для головного героя буде вирішити, що ж тепер робити з цією правдою.

[Ms. Smartarse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tight-knit group of college friends have their lives upended when their most popular member (Toby Feynsham) is murdered under suspicious circumstances. 15 years later the events have yet to be cleared up, but at least Jeremy Kite has started to get used to his bleak and low-key tense existence... that is until a mysterious threatening letter gets him fired.

With nothing much to lose (human lives were a dime a dozen at the time... apparently), Jeremy decides to look up his estranged college friends, and finally solve Toby's murder. His past college mates are anything but keen on the idea.



Nothing gets me more interested in a book than declaring that it is not a *insert genre-specific attribute*. My curiosity will be positively eating at me to find out just what it actually is! Sure as K.J. Charles is mostly known for romance novels, such a warning might be fair... but it's also not entirely accurate. This is where I'd get into a theoretical debate on what does and doesn't count as a romance novel, but frankly I can't be bothered.

Suffice to say that when I started, I was expecting ZERO romance and/or sex... unless tangentially mentioned as motive. In fairness, the M/F romance and sex in here is quite tame and wholesome. Well, except for some more sordid details that get unraveled in the course of the murder mystery, but none of it is described very explicitly. When it comes to the M/M romantic subplot however, things change. There's lots of heart-ache and unrequited love, plus a fair bit of steamy goodness to be had. Oh and, it all culminates with a happy ending so... "Not a romance" should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt.

And just to be clear: this is not me complaining. This is me reassuring the romance fans of the author.



The mystery felt a bit... unusual. Not (only) because there is basically zero law-enforcement involvement, but rather because I'm more used to several twists and turns until the killer's identity gets revealed. Basically the killer confesses pretty early on, much to Jem's surprise at having his suspicions confirmed. And most of the following plot only leads the reader to the motive reveal. Granted, there is one surprising twist at the end... although I got low-key disappointed that it was something different than I expected. I adore surprises in murder mysteries, but only when they follow a well-established pattern... I guess.

Score: 4/5 stars

I quite liked it: read at the right time and with the right mindset. Although it now occurs to me, that I totally forgot who it was that sent the incriminating letters from the beginning... 🤔

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well played, KJ Charles, well played 👏👏

It took me a little while to get into this book—especially with all of the back and forth in the timelines. But once I did, I couldn’t put it down!

What a mystery where everyone has a great reason for murder! I had nooo idea who did the dastardly deed! And I love that.

Fantastic audiobook narration, too.

[Ditte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Fantastic murder mystery with a minor queer romance subplot. It gives dark academia reminiscent of If We Were Villains and it's such a thrill to read.

Less romance than usually in KJC books which initially made me wonder if I'd like it as much as I do her other books, but I shouldn't have worried. Absolutely loved it!

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this an A at AAR.

Quite a few of KJ Charles’ historical romances have a mystery subplot, but Death in the Spires is her first historical mystery ‘proper’. She’s taken pains to make sure readers know what to expect – that this novel is, first and foremost, a mystery and not a romance - so I’m echoing that here for anyone who hasn’t seen the disclaimers. There is a romantic sub-plot running through the story, but there’s no HEA (although there’s the tentative suggestion that there could be one somewhere down the line) and while it’s an important plot point, it’s not the main focus.

Our protagonist is Jeremy – Jem – Kite, a young working-class man from the Midlands who, in 1892, gains a scholarship to study mathematics at Oxford. On his very first day, he’s sought out by Toby Feynsham, the handsome, charming and generous – though spoiled - heir-apparent to a marquess, and the centre of a group of friends that becomes known as the Seven Wonders.

At that first meeting, Toby is clear about wanting to “collect the interesting people” rather than just “mingle with all the men one went to school with” and at first, Jem can’t quite believe his good fortune in being welcomed into such a bright, witty and popular group of people. There’s Toby’s brilliant, fierce twin sister, Ella, and her quiet yet determined roommate, Prue, who are both studying at the women’s college; Toby’s childhood friend, the louche and waspish Nicholas Rook, whose unrequited love for him is common knowledge (although is never spoken of); Aaron Oyede - the only Black student at the college, whose upper-class background does nothing to protect him from discrimination; and the supremely likeable Hugo Morely-Adams, whose principal defining characterisic is his ambition. Becoming friends with all of them and being known as one of the Seven Wonders is like a dream come true, and Jem’s three years at Oxford pass in a glorious whirl of academic success, sporting glory and wonderful friendship - until the fateful night just before Finals when everything falls apart and Toby is killed. The murder and events leading up to it have a profound effect on Jem, and he never really recovers from the shock, his once bright future crumbling into dust when he fails his exams.

The novel opens in 1905 when Jem, tired, downtrodden and just about making ends meet, arrives at his dreary office job one morning to discover that his boss has received a letter containing three lines:

Jeremy Kite is a murderer.

He killed Toby Feynsham.

Ask him why.

It’s been a while since the unsolved murder of Toby Feynsham has garnered Jem any attention, and although it’s not the only malicious letter about it he’s received over the years, this is the first one that has not been addressed to him directly. His boss is not impressed, either by the letter or by Jem’s reaction to it, and Jem decides to resign before he can be sacked. Badly disillusioned and fed up to the back teeth with the suspicion and rumour that continue to dog him, even so many years later, Jem realises there’s only one way he’s ever going to be able to shake the shadows of the past and forge a better future for himself. It’s time to find out what really happened on the night of Toby’s death – and which of their group killed him.

Death in the Spires is a compelling, twisty and atmospheric story featuring an interesting cast of characters and into which the author effortlessly interweaves bigger, topical themes of women’s agency and bodily autonomy, racism, homophobia and social inequality. The pacing is brisk, the prose crisp and insightful. The wit and humour that generally characterise the author’s work are a bit thin on the ground here – which is an observation rather than a criticism – but as usual, she creates a fantastic sense of time and place, skilfully contrasting Jem’s time amid the dreaming spires - where optimism reigns and everything is a new adventure - with the sadness and melancholy of his present, where it’s almost always foggy, rainy and cold. Most of the story is set in Jem’s present day – 1905 - but there are some well-placed chapters that detail the key events from his time at Oxford, and the structure works extremely well, the flashbacks offering greater insight into the complex dynamics of the friendship group and helping to build an encroaching sense of disquiet.

Unlike some murder-mysteries where the characters take a bit of a backseat to the intellectual exercise of uncovering clues and theorising about the crime, those in Death in the Spires are pivotal and their interactions and strongly-crafted relationships are what give the story its emotional heft. Each of them is well-drawn and intriguing, and they have all been badly affected by Toby's death - but they have secrets to keep, and none of them is pleased to learn of Jem’s determination to get to the truth. So while this is a whodunnit and Jem does find out who killed Toby (not without some risk to life and limb along the way), the resolution is about so much more than that. Jem and the others have been living with the consequences of the murder for a decade and only one of them seems to have been able to move past it; for the rest, it’s been ten years of suspicion and gossip and looking over their shoulders, so for them, it’s as much about finding hope for the future and a way forward as it is about uncovering the truth. And even then, the truth is not black and white and they – and we - are faced with the sorts of complicated questions about truth and justice and forgiveness that will resonate with anyone familiar with the author’s work.

Death in the Spires is a gripping murder mystery, and while the plot is complex, it’s neither difficult to follow nor explained to death. Jem – quiet, stubborn, broken but loveable Jem – is a wonderfully engaging protagonist, and one of my favourite parts of the story was watching him gradually finding himself again after ten years of drudgery and trying to fade into the background. This might not be genre romance, but different aspects of love – romantic, familal and platonic – are strongly woven into the story alongside themes of friendship, regret and healing, and we’re left with a sense of optimism for Jem and his friends.

KJ Charles has clearly found another niche, and I’d happily read more historical mysteries from her – although I’m grateful that she’s said she doesn’t intend to abandon historical romance any time soon. But while we wait for the next one of those, Death in the Spires is utterly captivating and a splendid way to get your KJC fix.

This review originally appeared at All About Romance .