If you want dark academia, a twisty thriller and an intriguing murder mystery, do I have the book for you! Rachael Davis-Featherstone has written a pacey and exciting YA novel with 'Oxford Blood' as we follow Eva during her interview week for Oxford University.

Not only do we have class and racial conflict sparking almost immediately between the interview candidates, this metaphorical 'Oxford Blood', but very soon, we have literal blood spilled in the quad. Did Eva's best friend George meet an unfortunate accident? Or is something more sinister at play here?

I enjoyed how the narrative unfolded, seeing some of the twists coming but not guessing every nuance. The twists were satisfying and Featherstone depicts Eva's grief in a convincing way. Her transition from desperate literature nerd willing to push herself academically to the limits to get into Oxford, to badass detective and calling out injustice, is a brilliant arc.

I look forward to seeing what this author does in the future! This book is a great start.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rachael Davis-Featherstone’s compelling, insightful murder mystery centres on fictional Oxford college Beecham. Prospective students Eva and boyfriend George are there for a weeklong series of interviews and college tours. At first Eva is overawed by the stately setting, the massive rooms, the ancient architecture, the rituals of college life. However, from the start there are signs this place isn’t quite as gracious or benign as it might appear. The exterior is overshadowed by a massive statue of Sir H. C. Glanville, representative of the Glanville family whose large donations have benefited the college, and the university, since the 1800s. But Glanville made his fortune through enslavement and profits from sugar plantations. For many he’s a reminder of histories they’d rather not talk about. But, for Eva who’s mixed-race Black British, the thought of being confronted with his image on a daily basis is deeply, deeply uncomfortable. With the arrival of a group of obnoxious, male candidates known as “Reapers” after their ultra-exclusive public school Reapington, Eva’s discomfort intensifies. The Reapers clearly despise Eva, their attitudes combine racism with misogyny and snobbery. Eva’s from an inner-city, state school, so not the kind of person the Reapers want around. Then a body’s found splayed at the foot of the Glanville statue and suddenly Eva’s prime suspect in a likely murder. Her background as daughter of a renowned police inspector forces her to realise that, in a city like Oxford, the only way she’s going to survive is if she launches her own investigation.

Davis-Featherstone draws extensively on her personal experiences of Oxford as a mixed-race Black undergraduate from a working-class background. Woven into her narrative are thinly-disguised elements of real-world, Oxford life. The Reapers read like the products of elitist schools like Eton, and the secretive, all-male society Rex Factorem they’re desperate to join is a version of the infamous Bullingdon dining club – featured in the film The Riot Club based on Laura Wade’s play Posh. Debates around whether or not the Glanville statue should be removed rework the “Rhodes Must Fall” campaign and the ongoing controversy surrounding Oxford’s statue of Cecil Rhodes - it’s positioned so it’s almost impossible to avoid for Oxford students. Although Davis-Featherstone’s references to sugar plantations also implicate the Tate family central to yet another shameful chapter in British history.

Davis-Featherstone’s novel wears its heart on its sleeve – it’s not desperately subtle. But I’m not sure that matters. Davis-Featherstone’s take on the intricacies of mixed-race identities is convincing as is her general indictment of racism, privilege and England’s class-ridden society. Eva’s a sympathetic character, the style’s unfussy and the plot’s engaging. My main gripe is that I wasn’t totally persuaded by the way things play out at the very end or Eva’s ultimate choices.
Rating: 3/3.5

3 stars
I liked the murder mystery story. How it was done was very cool, and the setting was great. I like that romance took a step back... I actually love that tbh.
I liked how the heavy subjects (racism especially) were dealt with. I liked how the characters, especially our main character, were flesh out. How she felt like a real person.
My issue with this was the pacing, and the plot itself felt odd, and for some reason, I couldn't get really into it.
I feel like this is perfect for YA because, as someone older, it might not work.
Still, I'd love to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! This was similar to Maureen Johnson’s series but if it was set in London (at Oxford!) and with diverse characters. This one pulled me under and I can’t wait to reread this soon!

This book was so clever! It has all the twists & turns of a murder mystery which made it so unpredictable, and the book had a lot of depth to it's characters. It has you guessing all the way!!

Thank you to Net Galley & Walker books for the ARC

I love a good YA thriller and this was one of those. I was hooked from the beginning and was so interested to see where it was going to lead. There were some twists that I didn't see coming and it really kept me on my toes and flying through the pages to see what the resolution would be. IT also touched on some really important topics and it did so with care and in a way that really enriched the story. Cannot wait to see what else Davis-Featherstone might write next!

This book is amazing and brilliant. Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Headlines:
Competitive academia
Prejudicial systems
Who dunnit

Oxford Blood started with buckets of hope that spilt all over the floor like the blood. I was crushed early on by the story direction and what happened with the initial friendship (and more) but the unfolding plot revealed gripping issues beyond the death. Behind this story were rotten systems, private schools and white men.

The protagonist, Eva was a black young women, from a state school vying for her chance to study at an esteemed Oxford college. Interview week quickly turned into a messy, competitive and risky time, full of grief and anger.

Some of the characters were frankly, just awful, but they made for avid reading. From tutors, to other interviewees, there was an endemic rot not only in recruitment but also in mentorship. It was truly satisfying to see this story go full circle exposing the issues and truth to events that had happened.

This was a quick, fast-paced and enjoyable read.

Oxford Blood is a painfully good mystery thriller with some excellent twists. There was a lot to take in, especially at the start, but once I settled into it I was gripped. A really solid story!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF at 29%. Unfortunatly I couldn't connect with the writing style and the plot progress felt chunky.

Eva and her closest friend George are on their way to Oxford for interview week after beating out hundreds of candidates. They compete with a dozen other students for one of Beecham College's five available slots. However, what begins as friendly rivalry quickly takes a negative turn, and Eva is accused of murder. There are many great plot twists along the way of this compelling, exciting thriller.

This one’s got serious dark academia vibes with a killer twist: literally. Eva’s dream of studying at Oxford turns into a deadly game when her best friend is murdered and she’s the prime suspect.

Lies, Legacy and Murder
At Oxford Interview Week
It's Slay or Be Slayed!

Oxford Blood is the addictive, fast paced ya debut by Rachael Davis-Featherstone. I devoured this book. If you’re into twisty YA whodunnits that are equally thrilling and thought-provoking, add this book to your TBR now! It’s got that dark academia vibe that pulls you in right from the start.
Our main character, Eva, is super relatable as she navigates interview week at Oxford with her best friend George, all while trying to honor her late mother’s legacy. But when tragedy strikes and George is murdered, everything takes a wild turn and it's a race to find the killer.

The way the story deals with classism, prejudice, and corruption truly adds depth to the plot, pushing Eva to confront some really tough issues.
I loved how the mystery unfolded, it kept me guessing without giving everything away too soon. By the end, everything fell into place, the clues pieced together and the resolution was just right.

The Oxford setting was fantastic, it was eerie, it was atmospheric, it felt like you were exploring the campus and experiencing the tension firsthand. The “Oxford Slays” forum and the involvement of a secret society brought a new level of sinister danger and distrust by blending present-day technology with outdated traditions.

Overall, this book was a gripping read that combined suspense with a sharp social commentary. Think Gossip Girl mixed with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. If you’re a fan of strong female protagonists and love a good mystery, this one is for you.

I was lucky enough to receive an arc of oxford blood by Rachael Davis Featherstone (thank you to Walker Books for the opportunity!). YA dark academia has been a favourite genre of mine for so long, so of course I devoured this! If you’re a fan of twisty YA thrillers, dark academia with a side of social commentary and badass female protagonists, this is definitely a book for you.

Oxford Blood tells the story of our protagonist, Eva, who attends interview week at Oxford University with her best friend George, hoping to follow in her late mother’s footsteps. When tragedy strikes and George is murdered, Eva is forced to confront issues of classism, racism, corruption and privilege in her search to uncover the truth.

Unlike a lot of protagonists in dark academia, Eva never felt cold or standoffish which made her easy to empathise with. Her grief and attempts to cope felt very real, as did her desperation to prove herself and find answers.

I loved the mystery of Oxford Blood and its ties to past events, complicated by several characters’ involvement with the justice system. The whodunnit was full of twists but gave just enough away that you could put the pieces together in the end, leading to a satisfying resolution.

The university campus setting brought such an eerie atmosphere that made the mystery even more visceral - I could easily imagine myself walking around in Eva’s footsteps and witnessing events through her eyes. The “Oxford Slays” forum and secret society involvement also added new layers of darkness and intrigue, drawing from both old outdated traditions and modern technology to create a fascinating environment of sinister distrust.

Whilst I mostly enjoyed the wider cast of characters - Xander being a standout - I do feel that more time with George before his death was maybe needed to feel fully emotional connected. However, as the story progressed and we learnt more about his life and history, I did feel more empathy towards him and became invested in finding out exactly what happened.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Oxford Blood to anyone who loves dark academia or YA thrillers - as the nights turn darker and the air gets colder, it’s the perfect autumnal read that will keep you hooked until the end. Thank you again to the author and Walker Books for the ARC!

Fans of A Good Girls Guide To Murder/All of Us Are Lying will love this.
Eva has always wanted to go to Oxford. Her mum wanted her to go to Oxford. She overcame obstacles of being a working class, mixed race kid to beat the odds and get into Interview week. Only to then have her best friend murdered, get framed for it, and have to deal with misogyny, racism and classism all in one week. Is this the Oxford she dreamed of?

- The writing was sharp and fast paced which I enjoyed because it kept the thriller/crime themes going alongside the themes of capitalism, classism, slavery, poverty, racism, sexism. I think it’s really important to understand that our ‘heritage’ comes from the subjugation and penalisation of others and that we can address that and keep our great institutions going. This novel addresses that and shies away from it being a background aspect of the novel.

This is a brilliant murder mystery set within in the confines of an Oxford College during interview week where everyone is a suspect and anyone could be next. Eva has been dreaming of Oxford for years, she's worked so hard to get there and her dream finally seems to be coming true when she and her best/maybe boyfriend George are invited to interview week. But things go downhill quickly when the boys from an elite school arrive, a gossip forum app turns deadly, and George's dead body is found splayed across the statue of a notable alumni and infamous slaver in the college courtyard.

When George's death is finally taken as suspicious, Eva finds herself the prime suspect. Can she find the killer, clear her name, and still get into oxford?

This is Davis-Featherstone's YA debut and she is masterful keeping it pacy, twisty and creating characters you'll love to hate. The private school boys are the epitome of everything wrong with the wealth and privilege of the independent sector - there are no consequences you cannot buy your way out of. She also tackles the roots and origins of that privilege and how those echo and still have impact whether it's 20 or 200 years later,

Eva is a brilliant character, you really feel her confusion and grief as she struggles to know who to trust, the body blows of betrayal as secrets keep unfurling about people she thought she knew, and the people she's competing against for a place at oxford. The bodies keep falling and more comes to light including shady secret societies and the manipulation of access programs meant to force oxford admissions to be more egalitarian. She battles through regardless and

If you can suspend your disbelief about Oxford still holding in person interviews that last a week, (they don't they're all online and you're there for like 2 days max), this is a brilliant story and I can't wait to see more from Featherstone.

Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone is a great blend of YA thriller and dark academia seasoned with social commentary and I ate it up. Set in a fictional college at Oxford University the book follows Eva as she attends interview week to try to secure her place in the elite Beecham College, the school her now deceased mother planned to attend before finding out she was pregnant with Eva. Getting a place will not be easy and Eva is hoping to impress during the interviews but it helps that she has support from her boyfriend George, who is also applying. As a young mixed race woman Eva would like to see more people who look like her around campus, but at least one of the professors who will be interviewing her is Black and is trying to set up an outreach programme that would help underprivileged teens get into the university. Before long Eva's dreams turn into a nightmare as she finds George's dead body lying below a statue of the college founder and former slave owner. Despite the fact that her father is one of the most celebrated detective inspectors in the police force Eva makes some errors in judgement and soon finds herself a prime suspect in the murder. Determined to clear her name and get justice for George she sets out on an investigation that will uncover secret societies, conspiracies and a decades old murder, and will put not just her future at the university but potentially also her life on the line.
This was a really fun fast paced thriller and Eva was an immensely likeable character, making it very easy to root for her even though she did not always make the most sensible decisions, but then again who among us did when we were seventeen? The mystery is cleverly plotted and even though I had figured out the murderer relatively early on it did not impede my enjoyment of the book, a testament to the author's storytelling skill.. Issues of class and race are skillfully woven into the narrative in a way that makes the reader think, and adds to the power of the story being told.
Overall this was a fun fast paced read with more depth than I was expecting and I enjoyed it immensely. I think it will certainly appeal to fans of authors like Holly Jackson and I could imagine it would translate well from page to screen. As long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow you'll be entertained.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Oxford Blood was additive, fast paced, and full of twists. I devoured this book. I loved Eva, and her spirit. Everything was capitavting, from the setting, to the characters. The plot unravelled in an action packed way, that kept me wanting to read on. I felt so sad for Eva and George, but the ending was exactly what I had hoped for.
Brilliant read.

Unfortunately this is a half finished review due to the book being archived before I could finish reading - I was about 50% of the way in and was thoroughly enjoying it.

Although I know I cannot give a full review - I would still like to give my opinion for what I thought led up to where I got too.

It was quite clear from the start that this book was going to be a natural page turner, the flow of writing is effortlessly accessible and keeps you entertained enough to want to find out what happens next.

Littered with mini Easter eggs, it’s a thrill to start connecting the dots or what we think could be, we go on a journey with the protagonists inner thoughts, her turmoil and worries as she plays detective owing it to her ‘best friend’.

It becomes a game of who done it - where secrets start to unravel and those who appear to be friendly could possibly be hiding much more than they’re letting on.

A tale of murder mystery enclosed with dreams, high stakes and motivated agendas.

I would really like to continue this book, and see how it ends.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Walker Books UK for the opportunity to read this book

I can totally see the Holly Jackson similarities here but Oxford Blood still stands in its own as a twisty fast paced thriller that will leave you wanting more.