Five intelligent and young scholars are admitted to Oxford College as part of the Shephard Scholars legacy. As they get to know each other and find friendship and relationships with each other, their secrets also threaten to spill out. Each hides a dangerous secret that would ruin their lives if they were revealed but just how far will they go to protect themselves,

It is a thrilling and mind-bending story of intertwined relationships, hidden depths and so many secrets that as they are revealed, you begin to see that any one of them could be a killer. When one of the five falls from the roof of their dorm it becomes obvious they were pushed and as the remaining four begin to turn on each other, it really becomes intense.

What I loved was the varied history of each character, the lives they had built and the secrets they were desperately keeping hold of! It really keeps the reader on their toes….and that ending! Brilliant!

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

I love a good mystery book and thoroughly enjoyed this one in which we meet five scholarship students who all seemingly have a secret they are desperate to keep. When one of them dies suspicion immediately falls on the remaining four but just who is telling the truth and how far will they go to keep their secrets safe?

The plot in this book is well paced and I loved the character development throughout.

I would definitely recommend this book to other mystery fans.

A gripping, fast paced, engaging thriller that had me guessing from the start.
We follow 5 students who have each won one of the 5 prestigious Shepherd Scholarships to study at Oxford University. One day one of them ends up dead, and a manuscript reveals that each of them are hiding something. Queue the investigation into the death and what really happened, with the others desperate to clear their names and their reputations.
I liked the inclusion of the online chat rooms, the news reports and the flashbacks. I thought this made it feel more like I was included in the investigation. I also liked that we had chapters from all of the scholars perspectives, especially as they did not trust each other, we could see what each of them were thinking and delve more into their history’s and the secrets they were hiding.
I didn’t want to put the book down as I really wanted to know who the killer was and I was engaged with all the reveals and twists and turns we kept learning throughout the book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

There was no way I was passing this book by! The name and front cover instantly drew me in but the story kept me coming back.

It was so addicting to read and I completely fell into the ‘just one more chapter’ trap. I couldn’t stop reading once I picked it up and I needed to know what happened. The desperation to find out how it was all going to end had me tearing through pages and ooof was it a well woven tale.

And that ending!!! Whaaat. Mindwarp!

Set against the backdrop of Oxford (one of my favourite settings for a dark academia vibe) and filled with wholly unlovable yet deeply interesting characters, the plot was entertaining and entirely absorbing. Really glad I picked this one up as I really enjoyed!

This a deeply dark and intriguing read from the first page. All of the main characters are deeply flawed and experts at hiding who they really are. You will suspect everyone at least once, and the ending is incredible. I certainly wasn’t expecting it.

A fantastic read full of intrigue twists so definitely a gripping read.

5 Scholars at Oxford, all on a unique scholarship (the Shepherd Sholarship) celebrating its 100th anniversary, only this might just be the most controversial of them all, even if that isn't obvious to start with. When 1 dies and the truth behind the others begins to emerge the action really notches up, and its already started really well . Each one has secrets (always a good reference or starting point for a thriller). They are definitely a mixed bunch but how will they or do they connect is part of the fun of life. As the mysteries deepens each one hoping their secrets aren't exposed knowing that the truth may already be out there makes the dynamics awesome.

It's well writen with great storylines for each character and plenty of twists that keeps you guessing to the end of the book plus what an ending but for the full effect you definitely can't jump to it 1st it really won't work. One of the best endings I've read in a while definitely a 5star read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Dark and mysterious good trademarks for a physiological thriller I believe