A compulsively entertaining historical YA novel that playfully blends dark academia with scandal, murder mystery and queer romance – like If We Were Villains meets Lex Croucher.
In Regency England, Cascabel Gray dreams of freedom – and disguises herself as a boy to secure a place at Oxford University. After all, she’s as comfortable in breeches as she is in ballgowns.

Her plans are upended, however, when she receives a blackmail letter from Charles Lafleur, a member of infamous secret society the Rogues Club, threatening to expose her.

But when Lafleur is found dead, the plot thickens… and Cascabel becomes a prime suspect in his murder. She joins the Rogues Club to conduct an investigation of her own, and her life soon begins to spiral out of control.

To survive, she must switch between her male and female personas, attracting 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 – perfect for fans of Agency for Scandal, Laura Steven and Lex Croucher.
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, with a vibrant, modern sensibility and a sensitive handling of prejudice.
Joe’s first novel, The Rules of Seeing, won the Romantic Novelist Association’s Debut Novel Award.