The Scholars by MacKenzie Common

 

Five brilliant scholars are awarded postgraduate scholarships to Oxford University. The scholarships are a stepping stone to greatness; recipients go on to be leaders in their field, Nobel prize winners, and even world leaders. This year's students have all the hallmarks of greatness, until one of them dies mysteriously and secrets are uncovered.

Last year I read The Six Murders Of Daphne St Clair, a riveting story of a 90-year-old serial killer who suddenly decides to confess (you can read my review here). When I was offered the opportunity to read MacKenzie Common's new novel, The Scholars, I leapt at the chance.

I find that the genre of dark academia can be very hit and miss; much of the time, it is down to the accessibility of the writing. I want something that grabs my attention quickly, keeps me engrossed, and is easy to read. Luckily, MacKenzie Common manages to do all of this in her latest offering. We are introduced to the protagonists immediately; Azelle, Finn, Hadley, Mabel, and Hugo are all shining lights in their respective fields and have their feet planted firmly in the modern world. 

Not long after we meet the five students, one of them is dead, the result of a fall. Initially, it is assumed that it was a tragic accident. However, when it is revealed that the individual was going to disclose extremely dark secrets about at least one of the other scholars, all thoughts turn to the possibility of murder.

I found my feelings for the characters swing wildly. Initially, I found them condescending, as if there was some kind of competition to see who was the most deserving among them. Following the accident, I was sympathetic as they were collectively treated with suspicion. As rumors swirled, my skepticism went into overdrive, wondering which of the remaining four could be trusted. The use of message board posts within the narrative is used effectively to slowly reveal lies and deceit. Not only did I begin to doubt the amazing claims made by each scholar, but we also witnessed the characters begin to turn on each other.

The author keeps you in suspense regarding the identity of the murderer until the very end, and then produces a sublime twist, thoroughly in keeping with the nature of all the characters involved.

The Scholars by MacKenzie Common will be published on 24th September 2026 in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

Author Details

MacKenzie Common is a Canadian author who was born in Newfoundland, spent most of her childhood in North Bay, Ontario and then at 21 moved to the UK where she lived for twelve years. She has a PhD in Law and worked as an expert on human rights issues in social media content moderation. MacKenzie loves swimming, travelling, paddleboarding, good chocolate, bad TV, Mexican food and comedy. As a child, she was frequently called morbid but she seems to have found a market for that. She currently lives in Alberta, Canada with her partner, two children, and one very spoiled pug.