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Reading lists

12 new and classic dark academia books

Best books set in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England

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14 books set in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland

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Interviews

The Things We Do To Our Friends: Author Heather Darwent on the inspiration behind her hit debut

The Things We Do To Our Friends

'Satisfyingly dark, cleverly plotted and pleasingly Donna Tarttish' Emma Flint, Little Deaths 
'Seamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive' S J Watson, Before I Go To Sleep 
 
Sunday Times Bestseller 
Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year 2023 
Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 
One of Cosmopolitan's Best Books for 2023 
 
------ 
 
In there, them, us, it’s everything you’ve ever wanted, and you’re going to love it. 
I promise. I’ll look after you. 
 
All her life Clare has never fit in. 
 
So when she arrives at Edinburgh University, she seizes the chance to reinvent herself. 
 
Then she meets Tabitha who is everything she’s not: charismatic, dazzling and intimidatingly wealthy. 
 
Soon Clare is sucked into Tabitha’s enigmatic circle of friends, and it’s all she hoped it would be. Until it’s not. 
 
Because they are not all they seem. 
 
And they’ve been waiting for Clare. 
 
With friends like these, who needs enemies? 
 
An intoxicating feminist page-turner with shades of The Secret History and Promising Young Woman, this novel will take youon a journey from Edinburgh's dazzling spires to the dripping staircases and dark alleyways of its underbelly. 
 
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'Startlingly lovely, like a fine, dark silk shivering on your skin' Julia Heaberlin, We Are All the Same in the Dark 
 
'Perfect for fans of dark academia stories like The Secret History and If We Were Villains' Cosmopolitan 
 
'A deeply compelling story of friendships turned rotten' Rosemary Hennigan, The Truth Will Out 
 
'Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her' Sunday Times 
 
'Dark academia and twisted friendships in gothic Edinburgh - what more could you want?' Cailean Steed, Home 
 
'Creepy yet compulsive, this impressive novel will stay with you long after reading' Heat 
 
'Dark and compulsive, this will have you turning the pages late into the night' Sarah Bonner, Her Perfect Twin 
 
'Themes of obsession, revenge and desire collide in a twisty, dark and delicious feminist thriller' Big Issue 
 
'An intriguing and complex heroine' Phoebe Wynne, Madam 
 
'Darwent keeps the reader guessing. Any time the balance of power appears to settle, the plot takes another twist' Scotland on Sunday 
 
'Such an immersive, surprising, impressive debut' Niamh Hargan, Twelve Days In May 
 
'Power, privilege and the most toxic of friendships. All set against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh' Carys Jones, The List 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, January 2023

Seamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive'

Satisfyingly dark, cleverly plotted and pleasingly Donna Tarttish

Perfect for fans of dark academia stories like The Secret History and If We Were Villains

Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her'

Clare arrives at the University of Edinburgh with a secret. This is her chance for a blank slate: to find the right people and reinvent herself. And then she meets Tabitha. Tabitha is charismatic, beautiful and intimidatingly wealthy. Soon Clare is sucked into her enigmatic circle of friends and their dizzying world of champagne on rooftops and summers in France. Her new life has begun. 
Then Tabitha reveals the little project they're working on, a project they need Clare's help with. It's reckless, possibly perilous and might finally allow Clare to become who she was meant to be... But how much is an extraordinary life worth if others have to pay?

Heather Darwent

Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her

Intoxicatingly dark . . . this twisted thriller about toxic friendships makes for compulsive reading

Seamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive

S J Watson on The Things We Do To Our Friends

Emma Flint on The Things We Do To Our Friends

We can fix you. 
 
It's a promise that Betsy has heard far too many times. From the child psychologist, from her husband, and from the wellness trends that scream at her from her screen. 
 
So far, it's been a lie. 
 
But this time, she believes it. Because Betsy has been offered a place at Carn - a luxurious, unorthodox retreat, where healing really is possible. At Carn, she discovers that her imperfections make her unique, not weak. She isn't broken, just special. 
 
All Betsy has to do is follow the rules . . .

Heather Darwent

Praise for A Sharp Scratch

Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her

Intoxicatingly dark . . . this twisted thriller about toxic friendships makes for compulsive reading

Seamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive

Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her

Intoxicatingly dark . . . this twisted thriller about toxic friendships makes for compulsive reading

Seamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive

Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her

Intoxicatingly dark . . . this twisted thriller about toxic friendships makes for compulsive reading

Seamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive

Books by Heather Darwent

Articles featuring Heather Darwent

12 new and classic dark academia books

14 books set in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland

The Things We Do To Our Friends: Author Heather Darwent on the inspiration behind her hit debut

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