A huge thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to review. This was an excellent book! First of all, I am never not here for a good cozy mystery. Secondly, this cozy academia mystery vibe is just as good if not better than the dark academia mystery vibe in my opinion, though this is really my first foray in this as a vibe. I love when a book can engage in tough social conversations in a way that feels natural and authentic and has a clear point of view, and this book definitely has all of that. I love the way that many issues of academia were laid bare and the way that the mystery was used to expose those issues was really smart. The one thing I wish was that we would get to see more of Daphne’s research being brought in to the story and her use some kind of history within the actual solving of the mystery. Here’s hoping the next book is set in my favorite city, Paris!

I really wanted to like this but struggled with a few aspects. I can tell this author wants this to fall within the “cozy mystery” genre, but it was a little too all over the place to hit that mark. The central mystery was interesting enough, but the prose style was very clunky and kept taking me out of the narrative.

The narrator did a good job with the material and smoothed over some of the prose issues that bothered me when reading the ebook.

I saw the cover, read the blurb, and figured this would be a fun campus whodunnit. I was right—but what I didn’t expect was how much I’d end up loving this smart, funny, and twisty mystery. History Lessons delivered a compelling amateur sleuth, well-placed humor, and just enough romance to keep things interesting—without ever losing sight of the central murder mystery.

Some of my favorite things:
✅ A brainy, socially awkward Black woman protagonist who actually uses her academic smarts to solve crime
✅ A cast of quirky but lovable side characters (shoutout to Daphne’s hilarious family and loyal friends)
✅ Slow-burn sleuthing that pays off—every detail matters in the end
✅ A flirtation with a mysterious bookseller that’s sweet but never cheesy

What didn’t quite work at first?
➖ I initially thought the pacing was a little scattered, but by the end, everything tied together so neatly that I couldn’t even be mad about it.

The audiobook narrator was excellent—her voice work really brought Daphne to life and kept me locked in from start to finish.

Overall, History Lessons was a thoroughly enjoyable listen and an excellent debut. I sincerely hope Daphne returns for more campus chaos and clue-chasing in future books.

#HistoryLessons
#NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish- the setting, the characters, the dog, the mystery- all of it. It promised a lot and delivers all that and even more in a wonderfully charming package!

The main character, Daphne, was such a joy to follow. I couldn't stop rooting for her. Her commentary on academia was both hilariously relatable and distressingly accurate (so funny and so alarming, though sadly not surprising).

I think the book hints at a sequel? I hope so, because I want to see Daphne solve more mysteries, murders, and mayhem on top of everything else she already does (sorry I'm going to ask the world of her!!)

Really loved "History Lessons" by Zoe Wallbrook. The character development is much deeper than many mysteries, and I enjoyed the literary references. Wallbrook does a good job of creating a realistic university and college town atmosphere. Great narration as well. Highly recommended.

I almost didn’t pick this one up (I’m more of a thriller than a cozy mystery fan and I’m very picky about romance), but the cute cover and academic setting sold me. I’m glad for it!

Premise - Daphne Ouverture is a junior professor with an incredible memory. It’s so good that she becomes the university’s de facto plagiarism checker. Even so, it’s her colleague, Sam Taylor, who gets rising star status, while she gets side-eyed as a “diversity hire.”

But then Sam is murdered on campus. Worse, the killer is coming for Daphne next. Now the curious academic has to launch her own investigation and figure out what connects her and Sam before it’s too late.

+1 star for mentioning Zimbabwe… kidding, kidding. This was genuinely a fun rump of a murder mystery! I'd definitely say it was more of a cozy mystery with a strong romance side plot than a thriller. ATM I prefer romance storylines as a side dish, rather than the main event, as it keeps the overall story from getting too schmaltzy. The romance balance here was just right for me (though there were a couple moments where it stretched belief, like when she jumped right from almost getting murdered to making out with lover boy in public, without establishing that the threat was fully over).

The mystery was well crafted, too. The big red herring went a little too hard for me (it was like: story over! Or is it?) and I would have liked a little more heart-pounding thrill vs. just cozy mystery vibes, but the characters were so enchanting and voicey and fun that I happily traipsed alongside them for a while. The feel good vibes of this (especially the friendships and the family dynamics) were top tier.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jasmin Walker. Walker has the kind of voice and narrative skill that could make a thesaurus read interesting. Paired with Wallbrook’s well-crafted characters/story, it was a real treat!

Thanks, NetGalley and RBMedia Recorded Books, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so many things. It captured college life so well, the drama between professors is always over-the-top and throughout the story heavily addressed the racism and sexism that plagues academia.

The story mostly follows Daphne, our professor, but sprinkled throughout are chapters showing a bit of Asma, our detective. I kind of wish there was more from Asma, but am happy with the little glimpses we got.

I love that Zoe brought so much depth to Daphne and her general philosophy of life.
I want to reread this and note down all of the books, texts and general historical + cultural references to create a new reading list.

Can't wait to see what comes next!

4 stars

Fans of mysteries and generally amazing protagonists rejoice! Daphne Ouverture, the charming protagonist of this nicely paced mystery, MAKES this book.

Daphne is a new history professor and as a woman of color, she is facing all of the gross obstacles that exist for those of us who enter that profession not looking like tiny Chaucers and Emersons. Fortunately, she has an amazing network. Her parents are a kick, her friends are fully devoted (and hilarious), and her dog, Chloe, is a queen among dogs. Daphne is also brilliant, funny, driven, and layered. Folks who have worked in this field, particularly those who share one or more of Daphne's identities, will find aspects of this wildly relatable (from everyone's hatred of grading to students' approaches to their grades to the depiction of department meetings). I came for the mystery but absolutely stayed for the atmosphere.

Don't get me wrong; the mystery is also compelling. There are also romantic elements, interesting connections to texts, and generally great characters throughout.

I'd love to see this be the start of a series so that I can spend more time with these characters and with this writer. Recommended!