The sixth best book of the year is In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead.

What is it about? It’s been ten years since Jessica graduated from college but being the most successful, pretty, and intelligent person in her class remains her number one priority. When she receives the invitation to her class reunion, Jessica accepts it without reservation to show all her former classmates that she has achieved her dream. Not even the memories of the brutal and unsolved murder of her friend Heather can dampen her mood. Soon, she reconnects with her old circle of friends and Jessica seems to have achieved her dream. But not everyone is so willing to party the night away. Heather deserves justice and one person will make sure that her murderer is revealed as well as the former friends’ dirty little secrets.

Why did I love it? Dark academia has exploded as a genre since the pandemic three years ago and I’ve been hooked on it ever since, without actually reading a book that could be classified as dark academia. What can I say? I’m on Pinterest and Instagram too much. So one of my reading goals for 2023 was to pick up a couple dark academia books and this one by Ms. Winstead was the first one I decided to read. Perhaps because it was my first, I loved it immediately and guess what? Nine months later, I still love it.

The characters in this book are not particularly likeable and this can either be to the book’s advantage or to its detriment. But Ms. Winstead was able to navigate this tricky concept and create a story where we don’t necessarily cheer on any of the characters but also want to see justice be served for Heather. A lot like Lucy Foley’s The Guest List, which, coincidentally, I also selected to be in my top favorite books in 2022. Maybe I like the troupe? The ending sealed the book’s success, and it’s position on this list, by the author leading the reader to one conclusion but then revealing a different one, only to throw in one last twist in the final two pages. Mind blown.

Read my full review on this twisty thriller at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/05/in-my-dreams-i-hold-a-knife-by-ashley-winstead-review/.