Having read other books by this author, I was expecting more from this. I didn’t real feel like there was much tension. I found it just too slow and I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I also found the long email format from Anna’s point of view quite irritating. It had a lot of promise but I just didn’t connect with it.

I really rather enjoyed this. Gytha Lodge's first standalone psychological thriller may be very different in tone and style from her brilliant Jonah Sheens series, but that is no bad thing. With two murders, or potential murders, at their core, and a missing journalist whose absence is of great concern to her father and her ex-partner, this is a book that is a heady mixture of mystery, suspense and intrigue, taking readers into the hallowed halls of Cambridge University. Well, hall adjacent at the very least. Posing as a postgrad student in order to investigate the untimely death of an undergraduate, Holly Moore, at the behest of Holly's old school friend, Anna may well have bitten off more than she could chew. And, having disappeared in the midst of the prestigious May Ball, it seems that both Anna and her client, Cordelia, may have reason to be suspicious.

I Like how Gytha Lodge has structured this book. Despite Anna's disappearance, we still get a lot of the story from her perspective, in a first person narrative, without learning a thing about where she may be. This is achieved by a kind if stream of consciousness email from Anna to her ex-partern, Police Detective, Reid Murray. Anna details her investigation into Holly's death and her close circle of friends, members of Cambridge's social elite. We gradually learn about their secrets, their personalities and their foibles, whilst also learning more about Anna's character too, a method which both endeared her to me and frustrated me at times.

There was no doubting her tenacity, but her determination to investigate often came at the expense of her own safety, something which was both signposted by the direction of the narrative, and also hidden by her own seeming naivety or perhaps indifference at times. As we re hearing her story in hindsight, almost like a diary entry, there is a strange mixture of excitement and trepidation at times, where the fear comes through but is tinged with a strengthening of her own convictions. She has al the brash quirks of her American upbringing, but a seemingly endless ability to draw those around her into her sphere, something replicated in the way in which I found myself drawn to Anna through the narrative and all the more invested in her fate.

In addition to Anna's testimony as it were, the other two perspectives we are privy to are that of Reid and of Anna's previously estranged father, Seaton Laws, a man of the stiff upper lip brigade, but whose curiosity, or concern, over Anna's failure to meet for lunch kicks off the whole story to begin with. I really quite liked Seaton, his strange behaviour and inability to quite connect with his daughter, using champagne as the catch all answer to all ills. Not my style but I'm sure it would work for some. Reid is a really different character to both Anna and her father, a straight by the book Detective whose outlook seems greatly at odds with Anna's but who, in the way Gytha Lodge gradually introduces him to us as readers, I can understand would be her perfect partner. The three make for very different narrators, but ones I was more than happy to spend time in the company of.

This book digs down into all that is right and wrong about Holly's friendship group. That looks beyond the superficial image that each of them portrays to the damaged and insecure young adults that lie within. Whilst on the surface they may project perfection, each is nursing a secret or two that could have bearing on Anna's investigation. Or not. And that is the beauty of the book in that it is packed with misdirection, drawing readers to challenge their own prejudices about the kind of privilege the group projects, casting suspicion on each in turn whilst hiding the truth in plain sight. There are some delicious twists and quirks in the story, and I will admit that it did not play out as I expected at all. There is a side story, a tragedy with links to the central characters, which may or may not play into what happens to Holly, but most certainly casts doubt upon Cordelia's assertions that Holly's death was no mere accident.

if you love a strong psychological thriller, that has a core of humour and heart in the central protagonists, people of dubious or, at the very least, duplicitous character, and perfect balance of jeopardy, mystery and suspense, as well as a long catalogue of various champagne brands (I really never knew there were so many varieties of fizzy French wine!), then this could well be the book for you. There are some dark themes in the book - attempted assault, suicide, drugs abuse - but the book itself is not gratuitous or overly dark in tone. The conversational style of Anna's narration keeps that at bay. I loved getting to know Anna, her personality was infectious and I found that once I started reading, I really didn't want to find the cure. Top stuff.

The storyline based on an email sent by Anna to her ex boyfriend Reid, which she wrote believing he would only read it if she was in real trouble or possibly dead, was an original idea. Anna was an undercover journalist and wanted to find out what really happened to Tanya, Reid’s late sister. When she was approached by someone who believed their friend Holly, had died in similar circumstances Anna was certain she was on to something. Becoming Aria, a rower she infiltrated herself into life at Cambridge University and gradually became part of the group of friends of Holly. Determined to get answers she put herself into increasing danger, not knowing who the perpetrator was. If indeed, one even existed. I found the book a bit of a struggle if I’m honest and found it had little in the way of suspense to make me want to keep reading. However, I made it to the end and unfortunately found it left me wanting answers. I felt it was rushed and another few pages with explanations and conclusions would have benefited the whole book.

A clever murder mystery set around Cambridge University. A couple of girls have been murdered but we’re made to look as though they took their own lives. Anna is a new student but working undercover for her journalism. Reid is a detective and ex boyfriend and is the only person she can truly trust.
When she gets deeper into the elite clique the meow danger she is in.
This book is gripping with twists that keep the reader hooked.

Dead to me, wow what a ride! Fantastic storyline with plenty of twists and turns - towards the end I was a little disappointed… thinking oh predictable - and the pendulum swung and off we go on a different tangent! Excellent descriptions that totally had me hooked

A bit of a slow burner but had some interesting characters and good plotting. I liked the Cambridge setting and the descriptions but the narrative not so much. I can't quite put a finger on what failed for me, perhaps it was the lack of pace and empathy for Anna's character but overall, it is a good psychological thriller, with a rushed ending which other readers might enjoy. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Set in the tradition-steeped world of Cambridge Uni, this dark academia thriller follows American journalist Anna Sousa. Investigating the suspicious overdose deaths of two female students, Anna goes undercover as heiress Aria Lauder & embeds herself among a privileged group of undergrads.

She begins recording her findings in a long email to her ex, DI Reid Murray – a message she never intends to send. But when Anna vanishes after the prestigious May Ball, that email becomes Reid’s only way to retrace her steps. With help from Anna’s worried father, Seaton, Reid must untangle a web of secrets, lies & privilege before it’s too late.

Told through alternating perspectives – Anna’s unsent email, Reid’s present-day investigation & Seaton’s desperate search – the pacing is tightly controlled. The slow build of tension from Anna’s deeper involvement with the students contrasts beautifully with the urgency of her disappearance. Each POV adds suspense & emotional weight. Every timeline feels vital, pulling you deeper into the mystery with every turn.

Lodge excels at giving each character a strong voice. Anna is bold, principled & sometimes reckless; Reid is tormented yet loyal; Seaton is flamboyant but deeply loving. The Cambridge students – Esther, Kit, Ryan & James – mix charm with suspicion. No one is quite what they seem. I suspected nearly everyone & thought I’d cracked it. I hadn’t. Not even close.

A clever, character-rich thriller blending mystery with emotional depth. The unsent email format adds a personal, confessional tone. The Cambridge setting is vivid, layered with wealth, secrecy & danger. Lodge builds suspense masterfully & the final reveal is both smart & satisfying. If you love dark academia, unreliable characters & twisty plots, this standalone’s a must-read.

Another fantastic book by the brilliant (and also, lovely!) Gytha Lodge. A huge thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the advanced copy - out 3rd July.

This book was okay. I wasn't a fan of the long email idea. The author is a great writer, though. Just for some reason I didn't gel with this plot.

Anna is an American journalist on the trail of a story. It is a story close to heart as her ex boyfriend was a police inspector whose sister died from an overdose of drugs. As a result of this Anna and Reid had a massive falling out and split up.
A new death occurs very similar to the previous one - could they be linked. Anna investigates but dissapears.
Can Reid find her before its to late?

what a brilliant book. and brilliant original take on this genre. i was gripped to all parts of it both the plot and the characters involved.
the book gives us Anna who is a strong undercover journalist who feels like she is on the cusp of a huge story. the story being a secretive world of Cambridge university and some suspicious deaths there. so undercover she goes ready to find out what she suspects to be true and whether she can unravel this story from this inside. shes doing well and has managed to infiltrate the friends of the dead. but all of them could be a suspect at this point.
during this time she keeps up emails to her ex who is a detective. i loved this addition to the book. it was a really personal and almost undercover way for the reader to keep knowing what Anna was saying and thinking through a different medium than the author telling us.
but then Anna goes missing. and her dad knows the person to be called is her ex the detective.
i was fully immersed in the world of the university, the detective and the characters who all had their own vital part to play in the story unfolding.
i was hooked by this book and it took me to places i never saw coming and surprised me in the best of thriller ways.
this book is such an atmospheric and smart read. i felt cleverer just from reading such a stand out plot which was full of spot on understanding of how a reader should feel whilst turning the pages of a book like this.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book. There were to many characters dropped in to the plot with scant information about them which didn't make them memorable. The story told from two points of view made it to difficult for me to follow the plot and I gave up at 19%.

Dead To Me is a 3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️
Cambridge university and Anna is an undercover journalist trying to find out the truth about a two female students deaths. Her father lives in Cambridge and has helped her with her alias character, helping her blend in with the other affluent students. Anna starts to uncover some lies and decides the best way to deal with it would be to write it all in an email to Reid Murray a detective and also her ex, they are not in a good place but she thinks he’s the only one that will listen and understand. Anna then goes missing and her father asks Reid to help find her.
The book started well, the first quarter was well paced but then it went quite slow with a lot of characters POV and I sometimes got confused. It’s a good book but lacks the pace and fire from any of this authors previous books. The characters were plentiful but I think the storyline could have been punchier. The ending could have been better I thought. This is a clever book with a lot of twists so don’t give up when it slows down.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

2.5-3 stars

I have only read one Gytha Lodge book - Little Sister - and I own a copy of A Killer in the Family - so I had really high hopes for this one but it didn't live up to what I was hoping.

I found the opening quite good, and I'd read the first 15-20% really quickly, but then it fell quite quickly in quality for me.

It is a very slow burn, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I kept looking for that hook.

It was hard to get into. It's not written in the traditional format. Reid's sections are written in the normal third person narrative, while Alex's are written in the first person because she's writing an email to Reid. I prefer third person generally, but in thrillers I like the first person, and so this gives us a bit of both, but it wasn't as smooth to read as if it was just one type of narrative throughout.

Having finished it, I'm not sure the format worked with this story or vice versa. It lacked the urgency that thrillers - and Gytha's works - normally have, which was a bit disappointing. I enjoyed the story, it's not that it wasn't a good story, but it lacked that fast-paced thrill I was expecting.

I am all for a slow born but this was too slow. I know it's more of an investigative thriller than a blood and guts and murdery type of thriller, but I felt it dragged from about 1/4 through. I didn't feel on edge, I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I wasn't looking over my shoulder. It was a nice interesting story, but didn't quite hit the 'thriller' for me.

There's not much in the way of character interactions for me. Yes, in Anna's sections we do see her interacting with others, but it's all sort of done retrospectively. It's very much a two-character story, but it was difficult to actually figure out if I liked them or not because you don't get to know them very well so it was hard to have any opinion on them.

I also found the ending a bit too rushed and complicated and I can't say I was particularly satisfied by it.

As bizarre as this will sound, it was far too heavy on the detail and yet I realised I didn't actually know what was going on. It's simultaneously heavy and light on detail.

Overall, I'd say I still enjoyed it. Gytha does know how to create a story, weaving together lots of threads and bringing it to a conclusion, and her stories are unique, but this one fell flat. It didn't give me much thrill, it was too slow and I didn't feel anything for the characters.

Anna is an undercover investigative journalist on a case in Cambridge looking into the death of Holly, a student at the university who died at the May Ball. Her father works in Cambridge and has helped with her alias. When Anna also disappears after the following May Ball, he fears the worst, and calls on Reid, her police officer ex-boyfriend, to help find her.
Anna's side of the story is told in an unsent email to Reid. Anna is quite a character, determinated, feisty and funny, but also warm. The plot is interesting, with several suspects, and wrong conclusions.
Very good.

I have read other books by this author which I enjoyed but I did struggle a bit with this one as there were many different viewpoints which was rather confusing.
Reid is a police inspector with the met and his ex girlfriend is Anna. When Reid’s sister dies in mysterious circumstances at Cambridge university, Anna looks into it but alienates Reid in the process.
When another young student dies in similar circumstances, Anna goes under cover to investigate and eventually goes missing herself.
The book is mainly an email to Reid from Anna detailing her investigation, interspersed with other points of view including her father and Reid.
I don’t know what it was but I found the whole effect of this construction very disjointed and it wasn’t a book that was particularly easy to get into.
By the time I got to the end and the reveal I could barely remember the perpetrator of the crime.
I think the style of writing broke the tension of the plot although there was the constant question of what had happened to Anna in the course of her investigations and whether she was even still alive.
If I’m honest I found the book rather contrived and I was relieved when I got to the end so I could close it and say enough is enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

‘dead to me’ is constantly moving, providing new characters and twists to keep you interested from beginning to end. i really enjoyed the writing style and the switches between povs, but can understand that it could come off as confusing to keep track of. it’s a classic crime story with a hint of romance and one i’d definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this book. It is gripping and suspenseful. It felt quite an immersive book that I always wanted to pick up and read more. Anna is a journalist that takes on investigating a murder at Cambridge University but gets into danger. A previous boyfriend could help her but he had already broken her heart. The pace is fast, the plot compelling and the relationships interesting and intriguing. This is a book that grips you all the way through. I cant wait until the author writes more.

Think, the pulse of a thriller with beautiful prose, throw in a couple of mind blowing twists and then sprinkle a touch of heartbreak in for good measure, and brava! One of the best crime books I've read in years!

Anna and Reid used to be a couple until Reid’s sister and Anna’s best friend omitted suicide. Eighteen moths later Anna who is an undercover journalist in going undercover to investigate a murder at Cambridge university. But suddenly Anna goes missing and one of her colleagues as him for help as he is a detective with the MET police to find her.
This is my first book I am reading from this order. I will be honest. I struggled with this book all the way through. I found it slow and too many Points of views to grab my attention. This is not a bad written book but just not for me. 3 stars

Gytha Lodge writes great books - twisty, fast-paced and totally immersive. I loved the series featuring detective Jonah Sheens and was intrigued to read this standalone crime novel.

This story centres on an investigation by an American journalist, Anna Sousa, who is digging into the circumstances surrounding the death of s student at Cambridge University. Going undercover and moving among the rich and elite students, Anna seems to be closing in on some very unpalatable truths. She begins writing her notes down in an email to Reid Murray, a British detective and Anna's ex - they're not really in a good place, but he's the only one who will understand. Then Anna goes missing, and her ex is the only one who can help her...

I liked the way that the book was structured, moving between Anna's father (who is looking for her), Reid and the email to Reid containing Anna's account of what happened. It's a clever model and allows insights into the separate characters and the situations they put themselves in. It also brings a great deal of tension into the book, as Anna mixes with the students knowing that one of them may be a killer - and puts herself in constant danger of discovery to get some answers. The suspense builds as the account gets closer to the University's May Ball, while Reid and Anna's father try to find her.

I'd recommend this to fans of clever crime fiction - it will keep you guessing with your heart in your mouth!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy of this book. It is due for publication on 3rd July, 2025.