I misunderstood dark academia when I first heard the term. Instead of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, I immediately thought of mysteries that take place in academia. Not only mysteries that require research, but a murder in a library, or another dramatic moment in the hallowed halls of academia.
Campus mystery novels—a subcategory of dark academia—are such an enduring trend because of their seasonal flair. Windswept campuses covered in leaves are great settings for mysteries, so spooky campus mystery novels are perfect fall reading. From creepy high school boarding schools to magical institutions of higher learning, these books provide the perfect backdrop for diving headfirst into research in musty libraries and sorting through the clues.
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High School Detectives
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
At an elite private school, a Gossip Girl-like scandal causes students’ lives to spin out of control. Chiamaka and Devon are the targets of an anonymous texter who sends their private material to the whole school. It’s hard enough being Black in an elite white space, but now they have to figure out who is ruining their lives and restore their reputations. It’s twisty and the main two are compellingly real as driven teenagers.
Universities and Beyond
Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
Instead of a current student, this novel follows a woman returning to the Princeton University campus for a reunion. But when she arrives, she finds her younger sister, Naomi, has died, and no one is giving her a straight answer about what happened. Maya takes it upon herself to solve the mystery, and uncovers more about a secret society, double-crossing, and secrets long buried.
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
I read this book back during the doldrums of 2020, and it broke my anxiety-induced reading slump, so I still highly recommend it. A secretive institution called Catherine House only takes and produces the best of the best. When Ines arrives, she expects rigorous academia, but gets a much more exploratory, experimental, hippie-ish education. The longer Indes spends there, the darker the school becomes.
Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske
Marske’s latest genre-mixing, extremely detailed magical world takes place at a magical medical school. Healing isn’t just a job: it’s a higher calling from Mathé, so revered that even the death of an almost graduate, Ysabel Caudotte, sends the whole university into chaos. On the morning of their group final exam, five scholars find Ysabel’s body next to where they’re supposed to treat their patient.
The Examiner by Janice Hallett
This on-campus mystery has a great method of storytelling: clues, alibis, and motivations reveal themselves through homework. As the head of a Multimedia Art course at Royal Hastings University, Gela Nathaniel is responsible for both teaching and ensuring the success of the program. The rag-tag group of six students all cause aggravation and vexation for Gela, but when someone turns up dead, she has to look at their coursework with fresh eyes.
If you still have an appetite for the Ivory Tower, check out these dark academia mysteries, or change the genre and jump into campus romances.
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