Gentlemen & Players – Joanne Harris

Description

Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris is a gripping psychological thriller set within the cloistered corridors of a traditional boys’ grammar school in northern England. St Oswald’s has long prided itself on its reputation and tradition, but change is afoot. As modernisation threatens its old-world charm, Latin master Roy Straitley—a curmudgeonly yet beloved institution in his own right—faces the prospect of retirement. Yet it’s not just technology or bureaucracy unsettling the school this year.

Unbeknownst to staff and students alike, someone has infiltrated St Oswald’s with a vendetta carefully nurtured over thirteen years. As the past resurfaces with chilling intent, the institution’s polished veneer begins to crack. Harris weaves a cleverly layered tale of deception, revenge, and hidden identities, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. With wit, atmosphere, and a perfectly rendered setting, this novel explores the tension between tradition and change, and the price of secrets left to fester.

Gentlemen & Players is an ideal read for fans of literary thrillers, dark academia, and intricately plotted suspense that keeps you second-guessing every character.