I really struggled with this book because it was so slow. I considered not finishing more than once but don’t feel I can give an honest review if I don’t finish a book. The characters weren’t particularly likeable which didn’t help. The long rambling email could have been so much shorter and to the point which would have meant the book actually had something happening sooner.

All that said the book did suddenly ramp up towards the end with some tension and the twist was totally unexpected.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

After a party at Cambridge University, Holly drowned with a huge dose of ketamine in her system. Her friend Cordelia never believed it was an accident and encourages a journalist, the USA-born Anna, to investigate. Anna asks her estranged British father, Seaton, an emeritus professor, to get her into the university in the guise of a wealthy student. But Seaton is old friends with the father of victim Holly's boyfriend. The boyfriend is one of four possible suspects Cordelia and Anna have identified. Nevertheless, Seaton wants the truth for Holly's family, so he arranges for Anna to assume the persona of Aria, a real-life rich American, who has disappeared from social media to enter drug rehab.

Anna's experiences undercover among the rich, overprivileged student set are revealed in an extended email / request for help to her ex-boyfriend, Reid, a police detective. It took me a while to settle into this unusual approach as I’m not used to reading a slightly arm’s length narrative addressed to 'you'. However, as the story progresses, Anna’s email makes less use of ‘you’ and mostly describes her investigation in a conventional and suspenseful way. The second viewpoint character is Anna’s father, Seaton. His story takes off the day after Anna has disappeared from her undercover life and he tries to find out what’s happened to her. He summons support from Anna’s ex, the detective Reid, and we then get chapters from Reid’s perspective as the two men search for Anna. By chapter 5, I was fully invested and I’m glad I stuck with this intriguing mystery (even though the biggest conundrum might perhaps be how none of the students suffered liver failure given their copious consumption of alcohol and drugs…) All three viewpoint characters were engaging.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

On publication, I will post my review on my blog, Amazon and NetGalley.

This book had so many elements I loved. A dark academia vibe, privileged students at Cambridge caught up in murder. I loved the central character, Anna, and I loved Reid and their estranged love story. It was such a unique format too, partly told through Anna’s email to Reid, and the different perspectives made me race through the chapters. It was gripping, suspenseful and twisty, the perfect blend of a complicated plot that meant I had no clue who was responsible, and such real characters with shades of grey that meant I was completely invested. I loved the romance element too, and found it completely satisfying. My first book by Gythia Lodge but definitely not my last.

Gytha Lodge is one of those writers you can always rely on to deliver a cracker of a story, and this has got to be one of her best.

Anna and Reid have not been in contact since their bitter break up some time ago. She is a crusading American journalist who will do anything, however unethical, for a story. Or so her ex lover believes.

So the last thing that Reid, a British detective, expects is to find himself embroiled in her life once again. But that only happens in Anna's absence when her father asks him for help in finding his disappeared daughter. In the process, Reid discovers that their may be more to Anna's moral convictions than he gave her credit for...

Absorbing, complex story telling with plenty of twists, this one is well worth a read.

I really enjoyed previous books by this author, but this wasn't for me. I really struggled with the main character Anna and her conflicting decisions and personality. I persevered to get to the end and was left disappointed. Far too long, no return on the investment.

I struggled with this book, the beginning is lethally slow making it almost impossible to hold on and the book then goes on to have moments of greatness and returns slow.

The greatest bit in here is the undercover that Anna does.

I love the detective series by this author, so I was really excited to read this standalone. Unfortunately, I ended up having quite mixed feelings about it.

After the first few chapters, I considered DNFing, as I found it to be an incredibly slow start, and I didn't really get on with the writing style. I decided to stick with it, just because of how much I usually enjoy the author's writing. Around midway through, I did actually become invested in the story, particularly Anna and Seaton's father-daughter relationship, and I was eagerly turning the pages for a while. The ending kind of lost me again, I'm not sure I fully understood it and I had some unanswered questions.

There were definitely things about this book that I did like, but overall I don't think I would rush to recommend it.

Another twisty tale from one of my favourite authors, an absolute page turner with divisive, intriguing characters and a compelling mystery.

An undercover reporter, a possible murder, a tense group dynamic and academia, what else could you possibly want?

Terrific writing and a general sense of unpredictability made this a brilliant and involving read.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book. It sounded like a good plot, but it was just wasn’t for me. The writing style seemed a little weird. I have had a hard time getting into Gytha’s last few books.

This is a complex story, with many twists and turns.
Anna is a journalist who goes undercover at Cambridge University following the death of an undergrad. A second death is more personal to her, and she hopes to find out the truth about both deaths.
When Anna, AKA Aria, goes missing, her father asks her ex-boyfriend Reid, a police officer, for help.
This kept my attention throughout and I would highly recommend

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I was excited about this book . But to be honest I found it hard to finish. I couldn’t get past chapter 4. Just not for me sorry

Anna Sousa is like a dog with a bone. As investigative journalist on The Ensign, she is good at her job and really gets stuck in. So much so that it has, in the past, caused her much heartache. Now on the heels of another case that is eerily reminiscent of the death of someone close to her, Anna is determined to solve both supposed suicides. With the assistance of her wealthy father whom she has recently reconnected with, Anna goes undercover to delve into the lives of an impossibly rich and elite group of students at Cambridge University.

This book had a good and fast paced start, and I liked the idea of all Anna’s actions and thoughts being laid bare in an email to her lost love Reid. At the middle point of the story, the pace slackened somewhat and nothing really seemed to happen, but the ending came thick and fast.

I didn’t see the twist coming and enjoyed it, but possibly due to the poor arc I received, the final couple of chapters were very muddled and took something away from the impact of the ending. I will definitely reread when the published book becomes available, then I will review the rating I have given.

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House.

A journalist on a mission a detective trying to catch up, an old story excellent adaptation with a fabulous twist, he's her ex and she needs him to help

Set mainly in Cambridge but also London Anna trying to find out if 2 girls have been murded by a groups of students or one of them. The answer is x great discovery. The story is well told (crafted); and I was truly gripped all the way through when some truly interesting characters they I needed to find out more about. A dad she just getting to know due to a divorce she was whisked of to American now returned and her ex an detective queen the MET but he's a good one, as I'm sure most are actually despite the press.

So I highly recommend this truly awesome read and hope you enjoy it as I have.

I've liked all Gytha Lodge's books - this one's a standalone, not featuring her usual police detective Jonah Sheen. The detective here is Reid Murray, ex-boyfriend of undercover journalist Anna Sousa, who seems very likely to have got herself into hot water infiltrating a group of wealthy students at Cambridge University.

Two young women students - one of them Reid's sister - have been found dead in drug-related incidents. There may be more to the deaths than meets the eye, and it's Anna's job - posing as an American postgrad and elite rower called Aria Lauder - to find out what. But befriending students James, Kit, Esther and Ryan may be a dangerous game, and the university's May Ball a dangerous night.

The story is told through the medium of a very long draft email from Anna to Reid, alongside the attempts of her father and ex-boyfriend to track her down after she doesn't return from the ball.

As always, a great read.

I loved this book! Such an original concept reading the story from Anna/Aria's point of view, as well as her email to Reid telling her story.
I was intrigued throughout the whole book and I absolutely loved Anna, and her stilted relationship with Seaton.
Undercover, Aria manages to infiltrate murdered Holly's group of friends, with each member being a suspect. The continuation of the email to Reid builds the suspense and illustrates Aria's growing unease and the tangled web of university secrets. The author masterfully presents us with multiple red herrings, keeping us guessing until the final, shocking twist. Dead to Me is a psychological thriller that explored the dark side of academia and the complexity of friendships, love and family.
I'd have liked the ending to have told us more about Anna's relationship with Seaton going forward but this is a fantastic book that I'd highly recommend.

A journalist tries to infiltrate an exclusive set at Cambridge after one of their members drowns at the May Ball.

What I liked about this book: It's written mainly from the POV of Anna, the journalist, in an email to her ex, explaining what's she's doing and why. This is very effective in ranking up the tension. The characters are all well formed, especially Anna and her ex, Reid. I also liked the way the book gives you an insight into the goings on of the weill-off students at Cambridge.

What I wasn't sure about: I thoroughly enjoyed this book but the one thing I wasn't sure about was the final few pages. It read a bit garbled and I wondered a couple of times if something had gone wrong with the typesetting,

Overall a convincing thriller. which was very enjoyable and realistic. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC,

A compelling thriller. Very early on in the story Seaton realises his daughter, Anna, an investigative journalist currently pursuing a story undercover, has gone missing whilst pursuing a story about a suspicious death. The story is told mostly in the form of a long email by Anna to her ex-partner, a detective called Reid but also flips to 'real time' aswhen Anna disappears, her father Seaton finds the email in her draft items folder and sends it to Reid.

Through the contents of the email the reader follows Anna's attempts to find the truth behind the death of a student called Holly at Cambridge and the dynamics between the group of wealthy students that Holly hung out with. The group of students are interesting characters in their own rights, with their own flaws and complicated family relationships. On top of this, Anna is also investigating the death of Reid's sister, Tanya, who she was very close to and who also died at Cambridge - it seems clear to Anna that Holly's death and Tanya's are linked.

It seems anyone in the particular group of students Anna is mixing with could be involved in Holly's death - but the ending is suitably both tense and unexpected. A really good read which I'd recommend to anyone who likes a good page-turning thriller.

Dead to Me by Gytha Lodge is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller that skillfully unravels the dark complexities of friendship, betrayal, and buried secrets. The story follows a detective’s investigation into a chilling crime that forces her to confront painful memories from her own past. Lodge’s sharp writing and expertly crafted suspense create a tense, engaging atmosphere from the very start.

The characters are well-drawn, particularly the protagonist, whose emotional connection to the case adds layers of depth to the story. Lodge captures the nuances of complicated relationships and the lingering impact of past trauma with sensitivity and realism. While some twists are easy to spot, the emotional weight behind them keeps the narrative compelling. The interplay between the present-day investigation and flashbacks adds to the sense of unease and emotional complexity.

The pacing is generally strong, though the middle section slows slightly as the story dives deeper into character backstory. However, the final act delivers a satisfying and emotionally charged conclusion that ties the plot threads together well. Dead to Me is a smart and emotionally resonant thriller with strong character work and a gripping mystery. A solid 4-star read—perfect for fans of complex psychological thrillers.

This was a fascinating mystery with both a missing person and a suspicious death. Told alternately in the form of a long email by Anna covering several weeks of her investigating a small clique of Cambridge and in current time over a few dats by both Anna’s dad Seaton and her ex Reid. There’s a lot of background between Anna and Reid which is well explained but did give this the feel of being part of a series rather than a standalone however I did like tension this caused between the two characters and how it made things awkward between Reid and Seaton when Seaton contacted him in concern at Anna’s disappearance. The clique are quite a mix of flawed characters and certainly made Anna’s investigation more interesting as you could easily believe any were capable of anything. This isn’t very fast paced but it’s quite a compelling read and the ending was certainly unexpected which I loved.

Didn’t sit with me sadly. Telling the whole back story in monologues felt a bit contrived and unnatural. Anna grabbering away on long email to Reid felt a bit bizarre to be honest .

I’m not usually a fan of 1st person books in any case so this just wasn’t for me. I’m sure there are readers who will love it