This week, I’m reading two Dark Academia thrillers: one has just been published and one has been on my TBR since the Kindle version came out last year. One is Irish and one is American. Both were debut novels and both use dual timelines to tell their stories. Both authors hold higher degrees and have insider knowledge of the academic world.
I’m hoping to lose myself in discovering dark secrets and watching well-planned revenge
‘When We Were Silent’ (2024) by Fiona McPhillips
‘When We Were Silent‘ caught my eye because it was heavily promoted in the Irish press and it was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger. I bought it because I fell under spell of India Mullen’s narration when I listened to the sample on Audible.
I expect this one to live up to the Dark part of Dark Academia by looking at how powerful institutions protect
Fiona McPhillips is an award-winning Irish journalist, author, and screenwriter. Her work has appeared in The Manchester Review, Hobartand Barren Magazine, among others and she is an editor at The Forge literary magazine.
Her academic background includes: University College Dublin, Commerce; Manchester University, MA Management Science; Trinity College, Dublin, MA in Music Media and Technology; Dublin City University, MA in Creative Writing
When We Were Silent, the runner-up for the 2021 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger, is her debut novel. Fiona lives in Dublin with her three kids, two cats, and a dog.
‘In My Dreams I Hold A Knife ‘ (2021) by Ashley Winstead
‘In My Dreams I Hold A Knife‘ was recommended to me by several people whose judgement I trust.
I loved the sound of the title (although my inner grouch longs to add a comma after Dreams). I didn’t love the audiobook sample, the narration sounded flat to me, so I ordered the Kindle version when it became available last October. Here I am, seven months later, only just getting around to it as part of my 2024 TBR Challenge.
I’m less certain of this choice than of ‘When We Were Silent’ because I have no experience of American universities and the cultures that they foster. I’m hoping to find the main characters engaging and the main topics relevant.
Ashley Winstead is the author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, The Last Housewife, Midnight is the Darkest Hour, Fool Me Once, and The Boyfriend Candidate.
Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide and optioned for film/television. Ashley holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature and lives in Houston.
Mike Finn's Fiction 