A Murder of Rogues

A compulsive, entertaining historical YA murder mystery full of queer romance, perfect for fans of Lex Croucher, Agency for Scandal and dark academia like The Binding. In Regency England, Cascabel Gray disguises herself as her twin brother Pom to attend Oxford University, where she wishes to study medicine. Her plans are upended, however, when she receives a letter from Charles Lafleur, a member of infamous secret society the Rogues Club, blackmailing her to keep her deception secret... But when Lafleur is found dead, the plot thickens - and Cascabel becomes a prime murder suspect. She joins the Rogues Club to conduct an investigation of her own, and is quickly swept into a life of gambling and vandalism... To survive in Oxford's high society, she must switch between her male and female personas, attracting the attentions of both fellow student William Grenville and a chambermaid known as Mouse - and even attending a ball with an Austrian prince. Can she find a way to balance her double life and clear her name, before she loses everything? This book combines the genius ingredients of cosy crime, queer romance and dark academia, all wrapped up in a fast-paced, entertaining plot. A fierce, determined and irresistible protagonist who slips fluidly between two identities and genders as Cascabel and Pom. All the period-drama appeal of a historical Regency setting, combining a vibrant, modern sensibility with a sensitive handling of prejudice. Joe's first novel, The Rules of Seeing, won the Romantic Novelist Association's Debut Novel Award.