Blurb:

Five friends. One deadly obsession.

The salt-scented quadrangles of St Andrews University greet misfit first-year student Finn Nethercott with indifference. This is a place where only privilege counts, and those from the right backgrounds can get away with murder.

Finn is quickly seduced into a new circle of friends. Four history scholars obsessed with the deepest roots of ancient Scotland. They sweep him away on wild adventures to forgotten castles and faerie lochs.

But he soon discovers the darker sides of his new friendships: deadly rivalries, midnight rituals, and a desperate search for a long-lost hallucinogen.

Then, as Finn is pulled into a world where he can’t always trust what he’s seen each night, the group’s obsession turns deadly…

Review:

When We Were Killers was brought to my attention by a member of one of my local book clubs, and I was keen to read it as I love an academic thriller. St Andrew’s University clearly has its own customs and rituals, and these are described in great detail. One of the strengths of this novel is the building of the atmosphere, and I felt right in the midst of life at the University.

The novel is narrated in first person by Finn Nethercott. Before the reader is even aware of what happened during his time at St Andrew’s, it is clear that it has deeply affected him. I was aware throughout the novel that I was reading his own recollection and that has interpretation of what happened may not be completely accurate. Finn arrives at St Andrew’s with a difficult background, and this made me feel more sympathetic towards him than I otherwise might have done.

The plot of When We Were Killers is quite slow burning, as this allows CF Barrington to create the atmosphere in the novel. It is quite near the end that it gathers pace, and so when it does, it does so quickly. The tension is high and there are a few unexpected developments as it reaches its conclusion.

When We Were Killers is available from Amazon.