Praise “Ashley Winstead’s mordant debut novel, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, is the latest entry in the budding subgenre of 'dark academia,' where the crime narrative takes place on a college campus...At its heart, Winstead’s novel examines what it means to covet the lives of others, no matter the cost.” I’ve been so excited about this book for weeks now—next to For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing (another absolute must-read) it might have been my most anticipated thriller of the year. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes, yes, hell yes! When all your characters have secrets, how do you get to know them? Did you have their failures and alibis mapped out before you began writing, or did you figure out their roles as you went?

One minor quibble I had were the names. For heaven's sake, there are millions of choices for names out there, why oh why name characters with nearly the same names? Caro, Coop, Courtney, and even a Charlie has a role. But in a group of eight people who hang out, to have three of them with such similar names is dumb. Take pity on us poor readers who need to keep characters straight in our heads! But not everyone has moved on from the murder, someone has been compiling evidence long after the police have given up on the case. And they plan to force a confession from the killer and to reveal everyone’s secrets. Even though clearly, I’m capable of imagining those things! I guess my advice is to nurture the flame of your desire, tend to it daily, and become friends with it, so neither of you undermines the other. Jessica is very determined to prove herself the most successful member of the class during Homecoming. Why does she need to prove herself? How do you navigate the dangers of comparing yourself to others, especially people in your graduating class or distant social media friends?Texas Lifestyle Magazine “With her ability to weave multiple, distinct characters into a thoroughly well-crafted mystery that is absolutely full of twists, turns, and surprises, Winstead is without a doubt an author to keep an eager eye on.” Solidly written fast-paced mystery! Definitely had shades of The Girls Are All So Nice Here with the reunion theme and something terrible happening while they were at school. I felt like this novel did more justice to the theme and kept me more intrigued and entertained.

Courtney thinks disdainfully that the East House Seven are all so obsessed with each other that they’re practically in love. How does that level of friendship develop throughout the book? Is it healthy?This is absolutely genius, outstandingly entertaining, extremely heart pounding, absolutely better mash up of Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars than “one of us is lying” installment! IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE starts in a microcosm: a woman, flush with achievement and saturated in desire, on the verge of attending a college reunion. Jess is arresting, both in her clear, lyrical voice and the way she wants the same things so many of us want, even if we're afraid to admit it to ourselves.

The East House Seven are legends. Their college years were full of fun, parties, friendship, and memory making moments…until someone stabbed Heather Shelby seventeen times in the chest with a pair of scissors.

What consequences would you expect for Dr. Garvey when his affairs came to light? How does tenure work against students in cases like Garvey’s?

As the story—which alternates between past and present and is narrated at one point by many of the friends—unfolds, secrets will be revealed, grudges will be unearthed, and old scars will be reopened. Those carefree days of college, where they felt on top of the world, were also some of the worst days for some of them. I wanted to reread this book as soon as I finished. That feeling almost never happens these days. I could not put this book down and resented when I had to; this book is that good. And that ending! Wow! For a second I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but then I thought how it made sense with the breadcrumbs that were scattered throughout. I loved it. Obviously. The gender stereotypes in this felt a little dated to me. The women were catty, shallow, and jealous, competing fiercely over looks, clothes, guys, and which sorority was the best. It seems like so many of favorite books share the same releasing day! Happy book birthday to this stunning, smart thriller!🥳📚Beautiful writing, juicy secrets, complex female characters, and drumbeat suspense—what more could you want from a debut thriller? I'm Ashley Winstead's new biggest fan. If you liked Marisha Pessl's Neverworld Wake or Laurie Elizabeth Flynn's The Girls Are All So Nice Here, trust me—you will love this." A] captivating debut...Winstead does an expert job keeping the reader guessing whodunit. Suspense fans will eagerly await her next." — Publishers Weekly