Published August 6th, 2026 by Point Blank
Dark Academia, Suspense, Thriller, Crime Ficiton, Psychological Fiction
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Anatomy of a Scandal meets The Maidens in this seductive dark academia thriller, an intoxicating, high-stakes tale of desire, betrayal, and the dangerous cost of power
When a woman’s affair ends in murder, it threatens to expose a scandal at the heart of one of America’s most powerful universities
Elizabeth Harker has a secret.
On the day she hears the news that her husband is to be the President of one of the most prestigious universities in New England, she is in the arms of another man.
Then, on presidential inauguration day and just moments before Elizabeth is due to step on stage and deliver a speech to be broadcast around the world, she learns her lover has been brutally murdered.
As the university closes ranks, Elizabeth is forced to grieve in silence whilst protecting a secret that could destroy everything. But the harder she tries to contain the affair, the more she begins to see what lies behind the university’s immaculate façade: a world where power is absolute and any threat to the institution is buried without hesitation.
Because this was never just an affair.
And this was never just a murder.
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MY REVIEW:
Elizabeth Harker’s husband Jeff has just been promoted to President of one of one the most prestigious universities in New England. It’s his dream role and Elizabeth throws herself into organising events to celebrate his achievement, even planning to deliver a speech at his inaugural event. But just before she steps onto the stage, she learns that her lover has been brutally murdered on campus and her whole life is turned upside down.
Sex, secrets, scandal and murder. A gripping thriller showing the darker side of academia, Faculty of Liars pulls back the curtain to explore what lies behind the perfect veneer of prestigious institutions. The story is told from Elizabeth’s point of view which gives the story a very claustrophobic and isolated atmosphere. Well-written, cleverly plotted and perfectly paced, R. L. Heber has crafted an intriguing thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The characters are flawed but compelling and Elizabeth pulls the reader into her world as she tries to uncover the truth about the lover’s death.
The main theme of this book is secrets. Everyone is keeping them and the secretive nature of Elizabeth’s affair is magnified by the fact that she never utters her lover’s name, keeping his identity a mystery to us throughout. Her lover’s death tears her apart and Elizabeth is determined to get justice for the man she loved. So she begins to investigate, but is unprepared for the secrets she’s about to uncover and the greater scandal lurking behind the scenes of the university. Tension radiates from the pages, ramping up to a heart-pounding crescendo as we approach the finale.
Scandalous, suspenseful and seductive, this is a must-read for fans of dark academia and well-written thrillers.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
Thank you Point Blank for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
R L Heber is the author of three previous novels and has been selected as a WHSmith Fresh Talent. She is a comms strategist, and runs her own business, Words With Bex.
She lives in London.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx
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