
When We Were Killers
A gripping, shocking dark academia thriller and Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month
C.F. Barrington(Author)
Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book (Publisher)
Published on 1. May 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
432 pages
978-1-80454-575-1 (ISBN)
Description
'Saltburn meets The Secret History in this gripping tale of alchemy and academia' IAN RANKIN
THE WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR MAY 2025
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...
A shocking fever-dream of a thriller perfect for fans of M.L. Rio's If We Were Villains, Ashley Winstead's In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Ellie Keel's The Four.
'I was blown away by this visceral roar of a novel: erudite, pacy and deeply moving. Think The Secret History on acid. Beautifully written and impossible to put down.' J.S. MONROE, author of Find Me and No Place to Hide
'When We Were Killers is a splintered gem of a book. Dark Academia at its seductive, shadowy best.' MATTHEW HARFFY
'Next to impossible to put down... This is bloody brilliant.' MICHAEL JECKS
'A stylish and darkly evocative thriller that it had me racing through the pages.' RUTH HOGAN
Readers love When We Were Killers!
'Like a rollercoaster you don't want to get off' *****
'The book for you if you're searching for a good Dark Academia' *****
'A first-rate mystery novel!' *****
'Dark academia at its finest' ****
'Absolutely fantastic' ****
THE WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR MAY 2025
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...
A shocking fever-dream of a thriller perfect for fans of M.L. Rio's If We Were Villains, Ashley Winstead's In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Ellie Keel's The Four.
'I was blown away by this visceral roar of a novel: erudite, pacy and deeply moving. Think The Secret History on acid. Beautifully written and impossible to put down.' J.S. MONROE, author of Find Me and No Place to Hide
'When We Were Killers is a splintered gem of a book. Dark Academia at its seductive, shadowy best.' MATTHEW HARFFY
'Next to impossible to put down... This is bloody brilliant.' MICHAEL JECKS
'A stylish and darkly evocative thriller that it had me racing through the pages.' RUTH HOGAN
Readers love When We Were Killers!
'Like a rollercoaster you don't want to get off' *****
'The book for you if you're searching for a good Dark Academia' *****
'A first-rate mystery novel!' *****
'Dark academia at its finest' ****
'Absolutely fantastic' ****
Reviews / Votes
'Saltburn meets The Secret History in this gripping tale of alchemy and academia' * Ian Rankin * 'I was blown away by this visceral roar of a novel: erudite, pacy and deeply moving. Think The Secret History on acid. Beautifully written and impossible to put down.' * J.S. Monroe * 'C.F. Barrington's tale of obsession, grief, toxic friendships and drug-fuelled violence gripped me in its berserker paranoia, dragging me inexorably towards its heart-achingly poignant conclusion. When We Were Killers is a splintered gem of a book. Dark Academia at its seductive, shadowy best.' * Matthew Harffy * 'Next to impossible to put down... This is bloody brilliant' * Michael Jecks * 'A stylish and darkly evocative thriller that had me racing through the pages to reach the brilliant and unsettling conclusion. Chris is such a natural storyteller and his characters are relatable, yet complex and fascinating. Another absolute corker!' * Ruth Hogan * 'A soul-spinning and intelligent thriller... Deeply dark, sharp, and chilling' * LoveReading * Immersive and compelling... read this in one mad fuelled day * The Book Trail *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
291 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80454-575-1 (9781804545751)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

C.F. Barrington
When We Were Killers
A Gripping Dark Academia Thriller and Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month
E-Book
05/2025
1st Edition
Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book
€3.49
Available for download
Person
C.F. Barrington was raised in Hertfordshire and now divides his time between Fife and the Lake District. Follow him on www.cfbarrington.com.