I honestly didn't know what to think at the beginning of this.
I didn't know anything about it, just saw it on a Goodreads giveaway and thought the cover looked cool.
Because of this, I kept putting it off. When I finally started it, I was hooked.
Historical fiction wrapped in mystery and murder?
The hallowed grounds of University of Oxford home to an elite underground society? Sounds extremely likely.
The pacing was great. It built up slowly, then the first death happened and you didn't know what to think.
Then the detective work began and I kept thinking of clues. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something else happened and changed everything.

The final reveal was done well and didn't drag on.

I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it.

From the moment I began reading Oxford Blood, I was completely immersed in Rachael Davis‑Featherstone’s atmospheric and intelligent debut. Set within the hallowed yet claustrophobic walls of a fictional Oxford college, this novel brilliantly blends dark academia themes with a compelling murder mystery, social insight, and unforgettable characters.

At its heart is Eva, a fiercely determined and sharp-witted young woman dreaming of studying English at Oxford—a dream that stands for freedom, ambition, and escape. When her best friend George is found dead during Interview Week, Eva finds herself not only under suspicion but immersed in a high-stakes hunt for truth.

What sets this novel apart is the seamless weaving of cultural commentary into a riveting storyline. The secret student forum Oxford Slays introduces a chilling element of surveillance and peer scrutiny, amplifying the sense of competition, privilege, and exclusion under which Eva must operate.

The pacing is relentless. Despite the story unfolding over just one week, every chapter bursts with urgency, revelations, and emotion. Even when I thought I had the killer figured out, the shocking final twist left me breathless.

Eva’s voice is a standout—a blend of academic passion, emotional vulnerability, and steely resolve. Her pursuit of justice and belonging is deeply personal and powerfully relatable.

While the early romantic subplot with George felt a bit tangential to the core mystery—slightly slowing momentum—it quickly fades into the background, allowing the plot’s real tension to shine.

I liked the setting: dark, atmospheric, and moody. Perfect for this mystery.

Handling of tragedy and trauma: As someone who has dealt with personal loss, I struggled with how Eva and the school respond to George’s death. Eva loses her best friend and boyfriend, yet continues on without taking a single day to process or grieve. For me, this felt emotionally distant and hard to relate to. It gave the impression that grief was minimized, and it made it tough to stay emotionally engaged with her journey.

There’s also a plotline involving rape that, in my opinion, could’ve used more emotional weight and sensitivity. It felt somewhat underdeveloped, especially given the topic’s importance.

Some elements reminded me of Zodiac Academy: the mean, entitled boys (so many of them I couldn’t keep track), and the whole concept of a school-run social media platform where bullying plays out publicly. While I get the idea, this part felt over-the-top and a bit hard to take seriously, which affected how grounded the story felt overall.

I’ve read and enjoyed YA, but here I couldn’t get past the immaturity and silliness of certain characters and plot points. I wasn’t emotionally attached to anyone, and the ending left me unsatisfied.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Thank you for this book it was very good !! Young and older adults will enjoy this read it’s fun fast paced you can’t go wrong !! It’s a brilliant book brought together with so much action it grabs you right in from the start thank you so much for this great read that I’m sure everyone will love

Thanks to St Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

God. This book came out of a genuine and earnest experience of oxford and all the beauties and horrors that come with it. Still, I felt like the mystery could have had better development, and while it felt SO rooted in genuine experiences of that institution, it just didn't quite hit for me in the way that I want a murder mystery/thriller to nail the landing. Still! A fun little time!

Oxford Blood is a stellar debut that does a great job of displaying what we all love about dark academia. The raw and gritty details about privilege mixed with the hauntingly beautiful spirit surrounding the halls of an elite university makes for a thrilling tale. What happens when a group of students go to Oxford for interview week and are met with a gruesome murder? After all, at Oxford college it's slay or be slayed.

Eva is a stellar main character. After stumbling upon the body of her best friend she jumps into the role as detective, stepping into the shadow of her famous detective father. Through her journey trying to discover the killer, ancient secrets and harrowing details come to surface. Oxford college is harboring deadly mysteries and someone is enacting revenge.

Rachael Davis-Featherstone does a great job of making us feel connected to Eva and her search for belonging. The story is thrilling and raw with emotion that drags you in until the very end. I wish we could have gotten more moments between Eva and George. I think having extra glimpses into their tender friendship/romance would have made for a bigger impact.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC of this book!

If you enjoy tense, character‑driven mysteries set in prestigious academic environments—with clever protagonists and sharp commentary on class and elitism—Oxford Blood is a gripping, satisfying read.

This is a gripping dark academic thriller set in Beecham College at Oxford. It is the first of the series. A competition leads to a murder that shakes up the campus. The story is told through Eva and gives hints of mystery, social conflict and rivalry. This story delivers suspense and a fast paced ending. Definite must-read fans of murder mysteries.

I thought this was a pretty great read! It was unexpected in a good way and keeps you hooked until the last page!

Wow, this one was… not for me. I picked this up expecting a dark academia YA mystery. I will say that I didn’t vibe with the writing and characters, but I don’t necessarily view that as a fault of the novel. However, I think what doesn’t make it into the description is that this book contains a fair amount of discourse surrounding privilege and how academia can be so prejudiced against minorities. While unexpected, I was pleasantly surprised and partially kept reading for this aspect of it. Unfortunately, I think it ended up containing some pretty problematic aspects, which I will detail after a brief review of the rest of the book.

If you’re after a quick, plot-driven YA mystery read set at a storied university, this may be for you.

What worked for me:
- The concept of the students-only social network was fun and I liked the posts scattered in the chapters to break up the story and make it more immersive
- I liked the setting and getting to dive into the drama and politics of a (fictional) college at Oxford.
- While the writing wasn’t my speed, I can recognize that it’s a pretty easy read and the chapters aren’t too long.

What didn’t work for me:
- I think my biggest problem was that characters were pretty one-dimensional and nobody really seemed to grow or develop throughout the story, despite opportunities for it. I was especially not a fan of the MC, who came off self-righteous and arrogant.
- I found the writing repetitive at times and dragged out. I would say the mystery doesn’t properly start until about halfway through.

What really didn’t work for me:
I am not at all trying to put this book on blast, but ultimately I decided it was important for readers to know what they’re in for and maybe throw a different perspective in. For a story about a diverse character written by an author who shares similar identities, I was put off by how poorly the rest of the diversity in this book was handled. There is a lot of identities represented, but they were used either as plot points or the characters were portrayed negatively. There seemed to be an underlying message that Eva was “more” disadvantaged than every other character.

The way the other biracial girl is continuously made out to be the worst and the other low-income character is invalidated at times, while the story continues to martyrize the rich, white boy was… not it for me. It even goes as far as acknowledging how difficult it is for a woman to get a powerful position in law enforcement, and then only ever portrays said woman as being incompetent and spiteful as she bungles a murder case. Meanwhile, the MC’s dad appears to be the best and most famous detective in the country. The one time Eva is confronted with her own privilege (in that her dad is on the police force and will come rescue her if needed) by another character, she denies it, saying she’s uncomfortable that somebody would suggest she has any advantage. She even says “it’s not a privilege to have police officers take you seriously”. Maybe my US is showing but yes, it absolutely is?

My biggest issue was with the entire story arc involving Tessa (cw: sexual assault)

Spoilers below

Her main contribution to the story is that she is assaulted at party. I generally have some problems with the way the entire assault storyline was handled, but I feel like a particularly harmful aspect was that the assault is said to occur because the boy was dared to seduce her and she “was too into girls”. This trope is cliched and frankly unnecessary to add in, as it doesn’t provide anything to the story. To be clear on where I stand, he assaulted her because he’s a r*pist, not because she was into girls, and I wish that had been articulated better. There was no depth to her sexuality or commentary on violence towards queer people beyond using it as a plot point. This story line could’ve looked exactly the same if she was just shy, without involving her sexuality at all, so it gave me the ick.

End spoilers

I’m not sure if this just hit too close to home for me as someone is deep in the trenches of real academia and as a person who might not be where I was today if not for programs that help marginalized students, which the MC seems to be both for and against. At the end of the day, this is a book and anything that is in it is there by choice. If you are going to take the step to include diverse characters with minority identities (POC, LGBT, low-income) and to breach big topics like privilege and equity, I find it a bit irresponsible not to take the extra step to do it respectfully. I'm happy that this book clicked for others, unfortunately it just didn't sit quite right for me.

This was a good read overall!

I’ve never really read a dark academia book and I’m not sure yet if it’s the genre for me, but I liked the premise of this book and the writing style

I was completely caught off guard with the twists and I loved that!

I look forward to reading more from this author

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!

3.5⭐

Plot
Eva, a top student aiming for Oxford, is determined to succeed alongside her best friend (and secret crush) George. But during interview week, George is found dead. Though ruled an accident, suspicious behavior from other candidates and a secret about George put Eva in the spotlight. As gossip spreads on a student forum, Eva must clear her name and find the truth, before her dream turns into a nightmare.

Thoughts
If I see “if you like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” it’s an immediate read for me but sadly, this one didn’t live up to my expectations. I didn’t feel any real connection to the characters, especially the main character, Eva, who I just couldn’t find likable. That said, it’s still a fun and easy read, and if you’re looking for a murder mystery in the vein of Holly Jackson’s books, it might be worth checking out.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me a copy!

As a lifelong lover of dark academia, I’m always drawn to that heady mix of beauty and menace—where ivy-clad halls hide ancient secrets, ambition walks a knife’s edge, and candlelit libraries whisper of danger. Oxford Blood delivers all of that and more, plunging us into the shadowy, high-stakes world of Beecham College with a murder mystery that cuts as deep as the expectations placed on its brilliant young characters.

For Eva, Oxford isn’t just a goal—it’s her way out. A chance to rewrite her story, to prove herself on her own terms. But that dream fractures fast when her best friend George is found dead just days into interview week. The official word is accident. Eva knows better. And as suspicion begins circling her like vultures, her fight for a future becomes a fight for the truth—and for survival.

What starts as a story of ambition quickly spirals into a taut, razor-sharp thriller. The anonymous gossip forum Oxford Slays adds an unsettling digital layer—where every rumor, misstep, and crack in Eva’s composure is dissected in real time. The pressure is relentless, and the privilege on display is both dazzling and suffocating.

Rachael Davis Featherstone’s writing is magnetic—smart, immersive, and emotionally raw. Eva’s perspective is deeply compelling, shaped by a quiet love of literature and a sharp awareness of the class and cultural codes she’s navigating. Her longing to belong, without losing herself, hit hard—and made her journey all the more gripping.

The mystery is twisty and well-paced, but what kept me fully invested was Eva herself. Her grief, her fury, her grit. The supporting cast is rich with moral gray areas and hidden motives, heightening the suspense and emotional stakes at every turn.

If I had one wish, it would be for more depth in the early pages of Eva and George’s friendship—a few more moments or memories to make his loss land even harder. Still, that’s a small note in a story that otherwise fires on all cylinders.

Oxford Blood is haunting, timely, and razor-edged—a dark academia gem wrapped in velvet and laced with menace. A stellar debut, and the start of a series I’ll be following closely.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books for the chance to read this gripping, unputdownable thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was so excited for this one due to the comp titles and it being dark academia, however it fell flat for me. I didn’t really jive with the writing style and unfortunately that hindered my enjoyment of the story.

I love YA thrillers especially when dark academia is involved but this one missed the mark for me. I didn't love that the main character's parent was an inspector and it felt like they kept going to them for help with the situation. Any other inspector parent would've pulled their kid from that school way sooner. The middle felt like a back and forth game of blame. I did like the solving part with going back into the history to relate it to the present. Eva does have good moments at the end.

i love a YA thriller but i kept having to convince myself to finish this. my biggest gripe is the writing style, i didnt really like it and found it unbearable at times. i also wasnt a fan of the killers reveal/identity, mainly because it felt so sudden

This isn’t my usual genre, but thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I ended up really enjoying this book, we have an academic setting, Oxford, and a murder mystery. I will say, I did not guess, I had zero clue – I might just be that dense, and thankfully never went into the field of homicide detective, because apparently, I suck at it and picking up on clues. Anyhoo, fun read – if you like a murder mystery, this is great and if like me, you don’t usually read them, it’s a fun read and worth giving a shot to see if you find a new type of book that you like!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

OXFORD BLOOD by Rachael Davis-Featherstone (Jan 13, 2026)

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the earc

All Eva has ever wanted is to study at Oxford. Along with her best friend George---boyfriend?---they are chosen for interview week. Everything is going as planned...until George turns up d*ad. Despite the police ruling his d*ath an accident, Eva believes foul play happened. As suspicions arise against Eva, she must clear her name and stop the k*ller.
OXFORD BLOOD is a YA m*rder mystery. This book is dark academia with secrets, lies, and betrayal intertwined in this bl*od-thirsty read. This book was exhilarating and much different from mot dark academia books I have read...but somehow all the same at the same time.
If you know me, you know I love solving mysteries. I couldn't solve this one. I had no clue who k*lled George. There were so many suspects, so many people who could've did it. I couldn't piece it together. OXFORD BLOOD was a shocking read that gripped me from the beginning. I loved all the dramatics, secrets, and anonymouse posting that added to this story. I did not love the relationship between Eva and George. I just feel like there wasn't much building there, and he was d*ad so fast---I just wish we could have gotten more flashbacks, more of George himself and more of George and Eva together.
I quite enjoyed this book. It was thrilling, shocking, and fast-paced. A must-read for those looking for mysteries that delve deeper than one can imagine.

The premise of this book was extremely interesting and I love thrillers that are set in school settings, I feel there's always soo much drama that ensues. But when I read that it was in an Oxford setting? Oh I knew it was about to be even better.
The characters in this book were interesting, and honestly some gave immense trust issues that honestly, after the ending I'm wondering why I never trusted them when they were the most trustworthy! This book keeps you on the edge wondering who is the person committing all the crimes. Eva was a wonderful main character, and seeing her try to unravel the mystery was amazing.
I liked the idea of OxSlay as well, adding a social media aspect into the crimes and people following Eva, and posting about the different incidents was interesting and made the mystery even more intriguing.
The twist at the end was absolutely perfect and I can't wait to read more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oxford Blood was such a great book. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to stop. It was very engaging, and a joy to read.

I find myself already wanting more. I want to know how the future plays out for all of them returning in the fall.