**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.** CF Barrington presents a dark academic thriller in When We Were Killers. Readers follow our perspective character, Finn, upon his admittance to St Andrew's where he is to study Divinity. Finn is quickly swept up into the Clan dal Riata, a group of five friends including himself who are fascinated by pagan holidays of the Celts and Vikings. Nothing holds the attention of Magnus, the supposed leader of the clan, like the Viking Berserkers. Magnus is determined that a substance is responsible for the rage-fuelled aggression and resistance to pain of the berserkers and he is determined to find it. Even though a Clan member has already died in the search. Even though there is a very real threat that more might be next unless the search is stopped. When We Were Killers does for the Viking lore what The Secret History does for the Greeks and what If We Were Villains does for Shakespeare. An absolute mess of toxic friendship and love and lore. This is absolutely the pretention and the isolation of academia accompanied by the camaraderie and misery of research. The writing is sometimes slow and winding, but with a driving pace behind it that seems almost characteristic of the dark academia works that hit hardest for me. Barrington clearly researched the topics well and the cover art is the final nail in the coffin of impact for this book. When We Were Killers stands strong with the pillars of the genre and forges its own place beside them. Is it perfect? Undoubtedly not. But I couldn't ask for more from it. I will absolutely be looking into Barrington's backlist and will be purchasing my own copy of this book.