Dark academia books to read, including The Secret History, Ninth House and The Cloisters.

Reading lists

The best dark academia books

The Actor

TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, HE MUST SACRIFICE EVERYTHING . . . 
 
 Read most original new thriller, a story of glamour, secrets and obsession 
 
 ‘This compelling psychological thriller set in the acting world is both uncompromising and unsettling, with deeply layered characters and a narrative voice that grabs you from the opening line and won’t let you go’ Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient 
 
 ---- 
 
 Actor Adam Sealey owes his Oscar nomination to mentor Jonathan Dors. It was Jonathan who trained him in the Method: digging deep into personal trauma in pursuit of the greatest performance. 
 
 It gets results. 
 But there’s a price. 
 
 For Adam, it cost him the love of his life. 
 And then there’s what happened twenty years ago. 
 An awful secret he’s buried deep inside. 
 
 Yet as Oscar night beckons, someone is threatening to dig up the truth. 
 Adam is finally in the spotlight that he craved for so long. 
 But it might just mean the world is watching as everything falls apart . . . 
 ---- 
‘A compulsive thriller . . . very, very moving, I adored it’ Abigail Dean 
‘Twisty, compulsive fun’ i 
 
 ‘A barnstorming performance' The Times 
 
 ‘A brilliantly twisted (and twisting) tale . . . I loved it’ Mat Osman 
‘Brilliantly evoked, totally compelling. A first-class thriller’ Daily Mail 
‘Brilliant, dark, immersive, and ultimately hugely satisfying’ Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

Brilliantly evoked, totally compelling. A first-class thriller

This compelling psychological thriller set in the acting world is both uncompromising and unsettling, with deeply layered characters and a narrative voice that grabs you from the opening line and won’t let you go. Fascinating.

The Actor is both a compulsive thriller and a fascinating insight into the world of method acting. Chris MacDonald's writing captures it all, and beautifully: from the glamour of Hollywood to the grunge of 90s Camden. It's also very, very moving, packed with characters both lovable and entirely detestable. I adored it.

Ego and ambition, guilt and redemption collide in this masterfully plotted and beautifully written psychological thriller. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the page.

A darkly dazzling and glamorously wicked thriller. Take a bow, Chris MacDonald.

Brilliant, dark, immersive, and ultimately hugely satisfying

Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

What an incredibly tense, immersive debut. I was completely absorbed by this window into the world of method acting and the dark, twisted consequences of such intense commitment. A bravura performance from MacDonald - I didn’t want it to end.

An intense, absorbing read about the danger of sacrificing everything for your art, with echoes - in its fascinating depiction of the relationship between student and mentor - of The Secret History and Black Swan.

Brilliantly twisting (and twisted) tale of method acting, madness and Hollywood glamour. I loved it.

If you are interested in the world of acting, this is one for you. If you like to be kept at the edge of your seat, this one is for you. If you like classy, unique thrillers with richly-drawn characters at their heart, then, you've guessed it - this one is for you. I loved it!

Emily Koch, bestselling author of If I Die Before I Wake

A blistering story of obsession and where it can lead; a crackling whiplash of a book

An unsettling, all-encompassing read that explores obsession and ambition. So sharp, so visceral, I just couldn't look away.

I was obsessed. Laughing one moment, absolutely speechless the next, I was completely swept away in Adam’s story. This book lives up to expectations – and then exceeds them

Enthralling and unsettling, The Actor will get you wondering how far one would go for recognition and acceptance

A masterful thriller that keeps you guessing until the final twist. Exploring a group of drama students in thrall to a toxic tutor and methodology, it has echoes of The Secret History. MacDonald skilfully treads the line between taut, suspenseful thriller and a layered exploration of method acting, with a very moving ending

Alice McIlroy,  author of The Glass Woman

Chris MacDonald is a novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor, who attended a top UK Drama School whose alumnae include Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender. His debut play Eye of a Needle played at the Southwark Playhouse and as an actor he's worked for the BBC, the RSC and Amazon Studios among others. His screenwriting includes social horror This Merrie Land for Agile and his band Playground Champions have soundtracked the ITV show Buffering.

At long last, Adam Sealey has an Oscar within reach. Working with his controversial former mentor, Jonathan, he's given the performance of a lifetime, and he almost believes it might be worth the cost. 
 
Because Adam subscribes to &quot;the method&quot;. It's the secret that the world's greatest actors swear by - digging into their darkest, most personal traumas to bring a role to life. And Adam's greatest trauma is worse than most. Back in drama school, he had to choose between a girl he loved and the success he craved. What he did that night is his darkest secret. 
 
And then he gets a message: someone knows. And if they tell, everything Adam's worked for will come crashing down.

Chris MacDonald

Chris is the kind of dark storyteller I love. His writing is both intelligent and compelling

No-one writes about fame, obsession and dark secrets quite like Chris MacDonald

A brilliant story… the plot is excellent, the characterisation works well, the writing is well-judged... Well done

Chris MacDonald effortlessly builds a world of glitter and glamour, then peels back the surface to reveal the obsession, deception and darkness underneath. I absolutely love it

When he died, Nërëus Forbes, frontman of The Marshalls, was the most famous rockstar in the world. 
 
40 years after his death, Nërëus' status as an icon is undisputed, but the circumstances around his death remain uncertain. Despite being ruled an overdose by police, fans and conspiracy theorists alike refuse to accept it was purely accidental. 
 
In an attempt to uncover the truth, Winter Harris, an investigative journalist and daughter of The Marshalls guitarist, decides to interview those who knew Nërëus best. But when her father confesses a dark secret, hidden for decades, Winter suddenly has evidence that could bring both of their lives crashing down. . .

Chris MacDonald

Praise for In The Shadows

Chris is the kind of dark storyteller I love. His writing is both intelligent and compelling

No-one writes about fame, obsession and dark secrets quite like Chris MacDonald

A brilliant story… the plot is excellent, the characterisation works well, the writing is well-judged... Well done

Chris is the kind of dark storyteller I love. His writing is both intelligent and compelling

No-one writes about fame, obsession and dark secrets quite like Chris MacDonald

A brilliant story… the plot is excellent, the characterisation works well, the writing is well-judged... Well done

Chris is the kind of dark storyteller I love. His writing is both intelligent and compelling

No-one writes about fame, obsession and dark secrets quite like Chris MacDonald

A brilliant story… the plot is excellent, the characterisation works well, the writing is well-judged... Well done

Books by Chris MacDonald

Articles featuring Chris MacDonald

The best dark academia books

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