92. The Night Climbers by Ivo Stourton

Arriving at Tudor College, Cambridge, James Walker feels that he doesn’t fit in with the rest of the college students. He spends most of his time in his room, alone, until one night someone knocks on his window and wants to be let in. The college student outside is Michael and he is part of a secretive group at Cambridge called the Night Climbers. The Climbers are a small circle of wealthy students who climb college towers and gargoyles during the night for thrills. James soon becomes part of the Night Climbers and starts traveling in their luxurious circles. When the group’s leader, Francis, is cut off from his wealthy father, Francis makes the group commit a crime to obtain money so he can keep his wealthy lifestyle. This crime and its aftermath continues to haunt the group years after they commit it.

It is hard to believe from the excellent plotting and writing style that this is a debut novel from Stourton. This will inevitably be compared to Donna Tartt’s first novel, which I did find similar in that they both deal with a small group of wealthy college students caught up in a crime. With lots of adventure, elegant writing, and a complex plot, this is a terrific first novelist to watch.