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

Description

Price: $2.99
(as of Jul 27, 2024 07:23:43 UTC – Details)

By: KJ Charles (Author)

The newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We…

Reviews

  1. Reader Rivka –

    Tense, emotionally gripping, FANTASTIC.
    (Thanks to KJ Charles, Storm Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC!)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.

  2. Steve J –

    A good whodunnit.
    This was an interesting murder mystery that kept me reading. Plus a nice dose of closeted gay longing (and some consummation) in college and afterwards.

  3. MidKnight13 –

    Suspense with a Hint of Romance
    Charles is one of the best authors writing today. Death in the Spires is just another example of excellent storytelling and strong characters that make it impossible to put the book down.If you’re not familiar with Charles’s work, this is a lightweight introduction to an excellent romance writer. The story of seven friends who get intrenched in mysteries and danger and have to put their lives back together without knowing the truth is captivating and a great example of a page-turner.I don’t want to give anything away, but suffice it to say I will be rereading this book very soon. To be honest, I reread all of Charles’s books after I finish them. It’s impossible not to because the intricacy is subtle and so satisfying to find on the second read.Yet another excellent story from an exceptional writer.

  4. Bronwen –

    Set in the early 1900’s we follow Jem (Jeremy) as he reunites with his university mates to finally figure out what happened to their friend Toby, who was found dead in his room 10 years past. Jem is certain, given the history between him and his friends, that one of them is responsible for the crime. In true Christie fashion, we go through each of the cast of characters to find out who has motive and opportunity. I really can’t say much without giving the game away!While this book is through and through a mystery, and the author has stated it’s not a romance, it does have some romantic ideations. Jem is having a tough time and I spent the book really rooting for him to get things figured out and have a happy ending. KJ Charles masterfully weaves a complex story of seven characters and gives them so much individuality in such a short book. I was on the edge of my seat several times and was satisfied with the ending but sad it was overly so quickly. Many feelings were had. I will happily continue through KJC’s backlist and absolutely pick up the next new release!

  5. Kindle Customer –

    I have previously tremendously enjoyed KJ Charles’ romance novels with a lot of crime mixed in, so to now get a crime novel with some romance mixed in instead was an unexpected treat and an absolute delight.The case and characters were incredibly compelling and I never would have expected the twists it took. Fantastic entertainment, I built some pretty solid theories and was very pleased when it turned out I was wrong, which means the author didn’t go with the easiest possible solution.

  6. Sayoni B. –

    KJ Charles is pure magic. The book has compelling characters, a twisted plot, suspense, darkness, poetry and a resolution full of unexpected promise. A thoroughly satisfying read.

  7. HB –

    A gripping historical thriller with a dash of the romance we all know and love KJ Charles for. 100% recommended!

  8. Lyt –

    Unexpected and, as always, exceptional work with this murder mystery. Gripping, and the feelings brought to this reader were acute and powerful, vibrant.Wish for an epilogue of sort, if possible

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