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Thriller set in St Andrews

  • Submitted: 14th March 2025

When We Were Killers – CF Barrington

Five friends. One deadly obsession. And all set at the university at St Andrews!!

Map of locations in When We Were Killers

Thriller set in St Andrews

Thriller set in St Andrews

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination : St Andrews

Author guide: C F Barrington

Genre: thriller

Food and drink to accompany: whatever the student union has on offer!

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A novel to transport you to St Andrews university

 

Map of locations in When We Were Killers

Oh this was creepy and atmospheric! There is a lot here – an academic setting, murderous thriller but also a book steeped in folklore and Scottish history.

Finn arrives at university for his first year. He’s feeling nervous of course but things gets worse when he realises that the other students seem to be so privileged and boy do they know it. He feels isolated but also excited as there is lots to learn here, the university itself is historic. He meets  four history scholars, obsessed with Scotland’s historic and folkloric past, and when I say obsessed, I mean obsessed!

Oh the history then blasts from the book with the many folkloric influences of Scotland. The country is STEEPED in history and myths and religion and all matter of things. Finn and the other characters explore their spirituality and believe systems and what they believe and what they explore suddenly becomes a whirl of mystery and danger.

Kudos to Laurie at this point – through his character and insights, I believe he was the vehicle  through which most of the mythical themes came through for me. He helped me understand the many traditions and believes that both colour and stain the land and  I was hooked! Talking of the land, this is very well evoked – with the history of the university grounds, the heritage of the area and the salty sea atmosphere.

Oh and did I mention the ancient ruins and lochs shrouded in mist and myths? Oh I mean THIS LANDSCAPE is what really brings up the novel to another level for me.

The book gave me vibes of The Secret History and the film Flatliners. The students get involved in some crazy and weird things and drugs are involved of course but to be fair, their minds are pretty warped before they get to that stage!

A dark, dark world unravels…..

Map of locations in When We Were Killers

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More books set in academic settings

 

BookTrail Boarding Pass: When We Were Killers

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