I really enjoyed this thriller. Both fast moving and full of candidates for the whodunnit, this will keep you on your toes from start to finish. I am pretty sure I was holding my breath for the last thirty or so pages. An excellent read.

This was a really well written thriller not at all what I was expecting from the blurb. Fun fast paced and thrilling a great beach read

This was my first experience with this author, and I was captivated by the story, despite some of the characters being quite unlikeable. The protagonists are Anna, a fiery American investigative journalist, and Reid, a stoic British detective. Their relationship has ended, and Anna is seemingly over it. She’s chasing a career-defining story—a suspicious death within the elite circles of Cambridge University, potentially involving police corruption. However, as she digs deeper, there’s only one person she feels compelled to share her thoughts with. She begins writing Reid a lengthy email, never intending to send it. But when she finds herself in grave danger, she realizes the only detective she can trust with her life is the one who broke her heart.

This thriller stands out by being told through Anna’s emails to Reid, written after her disappearance becomes evident. It’s a long read but maintains a gripping pace that keeps you hooked. The author cleverly misleads readers about the culprit and unveils the privileged world of the wealthy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am eager to read more by this author, who masterfully weaves twists and turns that leave you gasping. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Netgalley and publishers Michael Joseph for Penguin Random House for an ARC of this novel, which I requested because the blurb made it sound like my kind of novel, and I had often heard of this author.

I'm afraid that I gave up after 10%. I didn't want to waste any more of my precious reading time on a novel with which I couldn't connect and which sounded highly improbable.. There is no lead in or attempt to set the scene at the start. Instead, it begins with the main character explaining what has happened to a boyfriend that she finished with badly some time ago. The email explaining all this was still going when I gave up. The author seems to have used this lengthy device to tell a back story. Highly improbable. These email chapters are interlaced with ones featuring her father, who sounds totally unbelievable
. The story seems, so far, to be set in a world of Cambridge students who are very wealthy and privileged.

I'm sure that this tale will suit some, but I'm sorry, it wasn't for me.

I enjoyed this book, although I found it a bit difficult to remember who done of the lesser characters were, which made the ending more difficult to follow. That said, it was an interesting read and I would recommend it.

Fantastic book! I would highly recommend both this book and other books by this author. Be sure to read this book!

Told from various POV, young women are mysteriously dying of apparant accidental drug overdoses in the elite set of Cambridge University. Cue Anna, a dogged young undercover journalist with a vested interest in finding out what happened, it doesn't take long for her to get emotionally and sometimes physically embroiled in the friendships circle she is interested in infiltrating. She is getting in too deep and the one person from her past she hates is the one person she can trust with her life.

The ending was too rushed and underwhelming for me after the tense build up. I was waiting for an epic finale with some consequence, reflection and closure which never came. A disappointing end to what could have been an amazing book.

With thanks to NetGalley Uk, author Gytha Lodge and Penguin for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Gytha always writes good books, I haven't yet come across one I didn't like and this new standalone is no exception.

I'm not generally a fan of dark academia type books, and this one could be put in that category, but I kind of ignored that as much as I could and really got on well with it.

It is an extremely twisty narrative and at times I had to go back and check what I'd just read. So clever and so enjoyable.

I'd recommend this in a heartbeat. Already fans of this author will enjoy this and newbies can start here and work back to her series.

#DeadToMe #NetGalley
Gytha Lodge delivers a smart, suspenseful thriller with a layered blend of murder, emotion, and unresolved feelings. Dead to Me isn’t just about catching a killer—it’s about trust, betrayal, and the thin line between love and danger. Anna, a determined American journalist, has buried her heartbreak over Reid, a reserved British detective. When she stumbles on a high-profile death within the elite halls of Cambridge University—one that reeks of cover-ups and police corruption—she dives headfirst into the investigation. As the case turns darker and more dangerous, Anna starts writing Reid an unsent email to process her thoughts. But when her life is on the line, he’s the only one she can turn to—professionally and emotionally.
What I like :-
1 Strong Female Lead: Anna is sharp, bold, and relentlessly curious. Her voice is compelling, and her emotional vulnerability feels authentic.
2 Slow-Burn Tension: The romantic history between Anna and Reid adds a layer of tension that simmers throughout without overpowering the plot.
3 Atmospheric Setting: Cambridge University is a perfect backdrop—exclusive, secretive, and brimming with dark academia vibes.
Overall, Dead to Me is a gripping blend of crime and personal drama, driven by a fierce protagonist and a layered, dangerous mystery. With just the right amount of romance and suspense, it’s ideal for fans of thrillers that don’t shy away from the emotional side of danger.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for giving me an advance copy.

I was looking forward to reading this book. However I found it hard to follow and too slow. I also didn't like the characters so didn't really care what happened to them. Hope other readers enjoy it more.

‘Dead to Me’ is Gytha Lodge’s latest psychological thriller and it is very likely to appeal to fans of ‘The Secret History’ or ‘Engleby’, or anyone who has a taste for looking in detail at the messed up lives of privileged youth.

Set in Cambridge university, Anna, an American journalist, infiltrates a close-knit sporty group of undergraduates, as Aria, a world-class rower. Why? Her paper has agreed to support her to investigate the as yet unsolved suspicious death of Holly, one of the student group. Unbeknown to her bosses, Anna is also keen to see if there are any connections with her ex-partner’s sister, Tanya, another promising undergraduate who dies of a drug overdose in similar circumstances.

Lodge presents the narrative through a number of third person points of view, including that of Reid, police officer and Anna’s ex. Their split, following Tanya’s death, was acrimonious but Anna decides that, if her life is under threat, there’s still no better person to have on her team. Hence, a draft email addressed to him that Reid finds when Anna goes missing. Unfortunately, this narrative device feels rather forced and spoils the overall effect of the novel for me.

However, Lodge does recreate Cambridge authentically. The various place names and descriptions of buildings and streets add an effective element of realism to her sometimes hard-to-believe motives for her characters behaving as they do. My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I loved this book so much! This is the first book I've read by this author. And it was so twisty and turny and full of suspense, I could not turn the pages fast enough. This book follows Anna who is an American journalist and she starts writing emails to her ex boyfriend and poilce officer Ried who has worked with her on a number of previous cases.
She writes these emails to him with info about a new story she is working on where girls from the same university are dying from overdosing on ketermine but she hasn't spoken to Reid in a while so feels like email is then only way to communicate.
So we follow the story with her emails as her pov and also her dad's pov too as he is looking for Anna who has now gone missing.
Obviously this is not a finished book so there were some formatting issues but I was so engrossed in the story, I barley noticed.
This exciting thriller is perfect for fans of Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell and I actually can't wait to read more books by Gytha Lodge.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for this opportunity
This is a expected to be published in July

Anna is chasing a story about a suspicious death amongst the elite world of Cambridge. The more she investigates, the more there's to find out and who to believe. Lots of red herrings and questions about who to believe and what are the facts. One person she needs to talk to is her ex-boyfriend but she can’t reach him. Will he save her when she needs him most? The climax is worth waiting for. A cracking page turner with multiple questions the reader needs to work through as Anna investigates.

I found this to be a rather gripping story with many twists and turns and it wasn't so much the plot (which was intriguing) but the various characters. They weren't exactly relatable but were so well drawn that I was totally captivated by them and their lifestyles. I feel somewhat bereft now I've finished reading the book.

This is a dark academia thriller set in Cambridge and more specifically Cambridge University where American journalist Anna has gone undercover, as American heiress Aria Lauder, to investigate the seemingly accidental death of two female students both of whom were connected to the same group of wealthy students. Told from multiple perspectives, those of Anna’s father Seaton Laws, her former partner DI Reid Murray, and Anna herself, by way of a very long email she wrote to Reid, never intending to send it.

Briefly, with help from her father Anna has inveigled herself into the group of friends who knew the dead women, one of whom was Reid’s sister. They are a group of privileged individuals who live a champagne lifestyle but all are flawed characters and Anna is struggling to get to the bottom of the deaths. But then Anna herself goes missing and her father turns to the one person he trusts to help, Reid.

This unusual style of writing for Anna’s voice had me a little confused at first and I think had it maybe been written in italics it would help, it may be that it will be different in the final version as I was reading a proof copy. That said I did soon get behind it and actually quite liked this different perspective. The story is fairly complex and there are so many twists and turns, I didn’t know how many times I changed my mind about what had happened and who was involved. This is a gripping read full of interesting characters, not least feisty Anna, sometime a bit too headstrong for her own good, but with all the right intentions. A cracking read.

4.5⭐️

I wasn't too sure about this. The description caught my attention but I did not find it as exciting reading. Cannot explain why. characters good and the base line of an email was good. I think 2 men came to her rescue in the end.

If you like Dark Academia and enjoyed The Secret History, this will be your cup of tea. Anna is an American journalist who with the help of her editor and her rich and connected father, goes undercover at Cambridge University to try and solve the deaths of two students - one of whom is the sister of her ex boyfriend Reid, a buttoned up London detective. It’s mostly told from the POV of Anna and Reid, with some from her Dad at the start and end, and occasionally someone else. Anna’s chapters are in the form of a draft email she started to Reid.

It’s hard to tell who might have been responsible, as you read on, and I think it will keep readers guessing right the way through. I found it a little hard to emotionally connect with the characters, although I’m not quite sure why… but there’s mystery, twists and turns and we do ultimately find out who is responsible for the deaths…

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Anna is an American journalist who was in a relationship with Reid, a British detective. They had split up over a year ago, but Anna still has feelings for Reid, though he rarely thinks about her.
Two young women at Cambridge University one of them Reids sister, have been found dead, they were thought to have taken drug overdoses. Anna decides to investigate the deaths, she poses as an American rower called Aria Lauder to make friends with some of the students at university who may have known one or both of the dead girls in an attempt to find out the truth. The evening of the May ball, Anna goes missing.
The story is told by Anna, who writes her points of view in a long email to Reid, one that he is never meant to see, by Annas father, Seaton, and by Reid himself.
This is a complicated story, with lots of twists, and I did get lost at times, maybe the style of writing confused me. I'm sure this book will appeal to lots of people, but unfortunately it wasn't to my taste.

Anna Sousa is a determined young American journalist working undercover, relentlessly pursuing a major exposé. Her investigation leads her deep into the elite world of Cambridge University, where a series of suspicious deaths has caught her attention. Adopting the alias Aria Lauder, Anna infiltrates the inner circles of privilege and tradition, hoping to uncover the truth behind the façade. Along the way, she sends heartfelt, revealing emails to her ex-boyfriend, Detective Reid Murray—who, unbeknownst to him, has a personal stake in the unfolding mystery.

Back in London, Anna’s flamboyant father, Seaton Laws, is eagerly awaiting her for lunch the day after the prestigious May Ball. At first, he’s unfazed by her absence—Anna has never been known for punctuality, and he’s aware of the risks her work involves. But as time passes and she still doesn’t appear, his concern grows into alarm, prompting him to contact Reid.

What follows is a gripping, atmospheric mystery steeped in the rich traditions and shadows of dark academia. The story unfolds through three key perspectives: Seaton’s anxious observations, Reid’s quiet determination, and Anna’s own voice, delivered through the poignant emails she never sends. Each narrative thread deepens our understanding of Anna—her boldness, her moral compass, and her relentless drive—as well as the complex cast of characters that surrounds her.

The Cambridge setting is beautifully captured, from the cloistered colleges to the champagne-soaked rituals of the upper crust. The students Anna investigates—Esther, Ryan, Kit, James—are as intriguing as they are enigmatic. With each interaction, the sense of unease builds. Who’s hiding something? Who can be trusted? The tension simmers, then boils over as the May Ball approaches, culminating in a finale that is shocking yet entirely earned. The twists kept me constantly second-guessing, my loyalties shifting with every chapter.

What makes this novel truly stand out is its intricate character work and emotional resonance. Whether it’s Seaton’s larger-than-life charm (you can almost hear him ordering another bottle of Roederer), Reid’s internal conflict, or Anna’s fierce resolve, the people in this story feel real—and their struggles, raw.

The ending caught me off guard, not because it was implausible, but because it was so smartly executed. It landed with impact and emotional weight, leaving me both satisfied and unsettled.

Gytha Lodge delivers yet again. Her storytelling is razor-sharp, her pacing expertly controlled, and her sense of place immersive. I’ve consistently rated her work highly, and this book only reaffirms why. If you’re new to her writing, this standalone is a fantastic entry point—and if you love twisty, intelligent thrillers with a dark academia edge, this one’s a must-read.

I was asked by NetGalley to review this book and I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.

Modern take on this by using emails to tell the story. Aria who is working undercover and intercepts a murdered group of friends and each one is a suspect in her murder. With the emails keeps moving the suspense on with secrets within the university and an academic dark side. The author weaves a good story with twists and turns throughout keeping the reader guessing right till the very end.

Recommended read due for publication July 3 2025.