Oxford Blood gives me a feeling of suffocation and tension like being locked in a closed box with potential enemies. Eva represents the innocent dreams of youth but the very environment she longs for becomes a deadly trap. I felt the bitter irony as Eva had to "prove her innocence" in an environment that was rotten from within. A week to save both her future and her reputation - this is a story of survival in an education system that has turned into a brutal arena. The work exposing the dark side of the culture of achievement and I was captivated from beginning to end of this book.

Oxford Blood is a YA Thriller/Murder Mystery revolving around Oxford University and its admissions process. I have to admit, I am not a person who typically reads YA Thrillers. But this book sucked me in like no other.

Eva is a very compelling protagonist. Throughout the book, I was rooting for her as she went up against the racist, classist members of the Elite who were fighting to prevent her from both discovering the truth and becoming an Oxford student. Her internal dilemma revolving around the murder of her best friend (with occasional benefits?) felt very realistic and grounded. I deeply enjoyed the acknowledgement of her mental health and grief after everything happened.

The murder mystery was genuinely very interesting to me. There were so many players involved with everything and I loved the fact that almost everyone had something that made them look guilty. Who I thought the culprit was changed a lot over the course of the book, and that was great. I don't like mysteries that heavily implicate the true murderer from the beginning. This book did a great job at obscuring the identity of the killer while still dropping hints as to who they were. There were so many twists and turns that kept me hooked the whole time.

4.5 stars out of 5. So very excited to be able to discuss this book with more people once it is officially released!

Oxford Blood is a razor-sharp blend of dark academia, murder mystery, and biting social commentary, and I was utterly hooked from page one. Rachael Davis Featherstone plunges us into the elite, intimidating halls of Beecham College at Oxford through the eyes of Eva—brilliant, determined, and up against a system built to exclude her.

What begins as a week of high-stakes interviews and intellectual competition quickly spirals into a chilling whodunit when a murder disrupts the already-pressurized atmosphere. Eva’s fight for her future is suddenly tangled in secrets, class divides, and a need for justice more personal than she lets on.

The setting? Perfectly atmospheric. Think cobblestone cloisters, whispered rivalries, and candlelit libraries, all soaked in tension. The mystery? Riveting. Even when I guessed the killer, I couldn’t stop reading, heart racing as the last chapters unraveled with furious urgency.

Eva’s voice is smart and compelling, especially with her love for literature echoing through the narrative. Her passion for English made the literary clues and themes even more satisfying. The book’s commentary on class, race, and elitism is threaded seamlessly into the story, never preachy, always poignant.

I do wish the romance hadn’t taken up quite so much space in the early chapters, it didn’t serve the core mystery and slowed things a bit. But thankfully, that thread burned out quickly (sorry, George), allowing the real story to shine.

Truly, Oxford Blood is the kind of book I finish and immediately want to reread. It’s immersive, razor-edged, and wildly satisfying. Rachael Davis Featherstone has arrived, and I’m already marking her down as an auto-buy author.

Who Should Read It?
-Dark academia with substance
-Murder mysteries at elite universities
-Class and race critique wrapped in gripping suspense

Final Verdict
Oxford Blood is dark, brilliant, and impossible to put down. With a tense mystery, sharp social insight, and an unforgettable heroine, it’s everything I want from a dark academia thriller and more. This is one of my top reads of the year. An easy 5 stars.

Grateful to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Rachael Davis Featherstone for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

This is being marketed as Good Girls Guide to Murder meets Ace of Spades, and while I agree that fits, I also think this is its own special story. It is very clear the author knows Oxford and the world of cutthroat academia. I enjoyed how the mystery is embedded within the school history and the ties to a secret society. This was a face paced mystery that had fun inclusions like texts and online postings that added different elements to the story. I will definitely be recommending this to students and grabbing a copy for my classroom library when it’s published!

If you divide this read into thirds, the final 2/3 was engrossing, fast paced and excellent. The initial third could have used more development for Eva and George’s relationship.

Other than their gf/bf status with exchange of some smooches and their shared desire to attend this school, didn’t see much of a relationship. Ok, they like to run together. So what ? So while his death was tragic couldn’t see how Eva was torn up emotionally. That said, the mystery and tension that grew as the storyline progressed made for a good read.


This ARC was provided by the publisher,
St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying, I loved this read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Oxford Blood is a dark academia thriller with a gothic heartbeat and razor-sharp teeth. I was immediately pulled in by the lush, atmospheric setting of Oxford in all its haunted, intellectual glory, and the I was held there by a plot that simmers with secrets, power plays, and deadly ambition.

The protagonist’s journey through elite academic circles, secret societies, and unsettling truths had me turning pages late into the night. The tension builds beautifully, with just the right balance of eerie mystery and high-stakes drama. If you love Donna Tartt’s The Secret History or Netflix’s Bodies, this will absolutely be your kind of read.

This ARC was such a treat, and I’m excited to share more about it with my audience on Bookstagram, where I pair book reviews with music to match the tone. For Oxford Blood, think moody, orchestral tracks layered with modern grit—exactly the kind of sonic tension this story conjures.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy! I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing more of your upcoming titles.

If you like college murder mysteries like anything Holly Jackson writes then you will really enjoy this one. Honestly was really straightforward and the killer kind of caught me off gaurd just cause I don't think that the killer was a good suspect but the FMC definitely should have been going to school to be a detective like her father rather then English at Oxford. Thank you Netgalley for this one, it was a fun read.

A huge shoutout to Netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for a honest review!

I LOVED this book! Honestly my rating is more of a 4.5. The Oxford setting was right up my alley, and I felt very attached to the characters! I truly loved Eva's relationship with her dad. I didn't really guess anything right so I was very surprised! I was giggling and laughing at certain moments, and tearing up at others. Lowkey hoping the author comes back to these characters because I had such a fun time and love them dearly!

I could not get into this one unfortunately!

Totally my fault - I was debating requesting initially because I'd DNF'd both of the comp titles.
I grabbed it when it was Read Now but had a hard time getting more than a few chapters in.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to take a look anyway!

Eva has the chance to interview at her dream university for her dream major- Oxford University. When she and her beat friend, George (who also has an interview) arrive at Oxford secrets start to unfold. After George is found murdered, Eva does everything in her power to investigate his murder and prove herself innocent. Will she find the real killer leave it in the hands of the police?

I’ve been on an Oxford kick lately reading about different stories that utilize Oxford as the setting. I really enjoyed this book but felt confused at times of all the characters. I really didn’t know who the killer was so I appreciate that twist in the book. Overall, I’d recommend this book. Thank you netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

I got an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the cover, but I mean, that's a given, right? I love it though. I just love how striking the red is against the black. I love the title, too. That's actually what convinced me I wanted to read it.
This was a fun read! Overall, I really enjoyed it. I mean, come on. A dark academia murder mystery? Sign me right up. I really don't think that specific concept will ever get old.
I really like that the main character is BIPOC. I feel like we don't see that a lot in this type of setting. The writing also didn't feel dumbed down just because it's YA, which is something I often notice. This writing didn't feel like the reader was being talked down to or like an immature voice. It was refreshing.
Honestly, there were only a couple of things I can think of that I didn't personally enjoy. One of them being that the main character trusts cops just because her father is a detective and he actually follows the rules. That's really genuinely great for her, but I just didn't love it. Now, obviously everyone is different and this is just my opinion. I know others may have different feelings and that's fine!
The only other thing I can think of is the twist. I can't say I was necessarily expecting it, but it didn't really surprise me. Granted, I'm an adult so I'm not the target audience. I'm also a white person so it's not my place to speak over those voices; I just wanted to share my own opinion on the matter.
With all that being said, I think this is a pretty solid Young Adult murder mystery. I had a lot of fun reading it, I didn't feel like I had to force myself to finish it, and I read it in just a few hours (between a couple of days). I would have eaten this up in Middle and High School (Secondary School for those of you who don't reside in the U.S. Honestly I'm jealous.) I really enjoyed the ending, I thought it was very sweet and I love that Eva decided to go back despite everything that happened.
With all that being said, I gave this 3.5 stars. It was a fun, easy read (as I've mentioned. Sorry, I like to ramble) and if you're into YA, especially murder mysteries, I say give this a try. It officially publishes in January 2026.
Happy reading!

This book is great for fans of "The New Girl" by Jesse Sutanto and perfect for dark academia and thriller fans in general. I was captivated from chapter 1, and the last few chapters really cemented this book as a five-star read. I figured out who the murderer was before it was revealed, so I was screaming at my laptop for the last 50 pages! The fact that the mystery revolved around literature and that Eva, the main character, wants to study English at Oxford was the cherry on top. Also, Rachael was able to conjure up an entertaining story whilst delving into the vast issues of racism, among others, reminding readers that upper-class life isn't all glamour.

Although "Oxford Blood" was seriously unputdownable, I had one critique. I knew that there would be romance in this book, but the level of romance at the beginning was too much for me, and served no purpose towards the larger plot. Thankfully (and unfortunately for George), it was cut short. Nevertheless, this book was a real page-turner, and I'm thrilled to have been given the opportunity to read it in advance.

One word. Devoured. I was so excited when I received this arc. I finished it in a day. Highly recommended

I was so excited when this became available on NetGalley! Despite it not coming out until 2026 I had to put it at the front of my list and ended up devouring it the day I started reading it. It was well worth it to put off some other books as I really enjoyed the experience.

This book has all of my favorite things: YA, dark academia, British location, thriller and secret societies! Those themes were masterfully weaved together into an engaging tale that had many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

I enjoyed the representation that took place and handling of racism and bigotry that can so often plague colleges that are typically old stage white institutions. While the college at Oxford that was in the book was fictional, it did have a lot of facets from colleges that exist and thrive today.

Another aspect that I enjoyed is while you have an older teen taking it upon herself to investigate a situation, she didn’t have a completely absent parent that allowed her to go off and do ridiculous things. He remained appropriately (for a YA thriller) present and also the skills he taught her set the groundwork for her actions in making them believable.

This book doesn’t come out until January 13, 2026 and I enjoyed it enough that I’ll be looking forward to acquiring the audiobook to see how it translates. So stay tuned for an update!
I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from St Martins Press through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC or eARC from through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
As soon as i received the arc, I had to stop everything and read this. Just based on the summary, I had a feeling I would enjoy. And I was right. This was so good. The past is incredibly fast as the story is taking place over less than a week. Eva is such a nice character. She’s smart, determined and focused on her goal. This is a murder mystery set during the interview week at Oxford. Eva and George are trying to get in Beecham college to study English and classics. Suddenly, George gets killed and Eva is trying to find the killer. Honestly, I had no idea who the killer was until the reveal. The investigation was really well done and engaging. It kept me on my toes all throughout the book.
If you loved a good girl’s guide to murder, I think you will love this book.