Biographical Note: R L Heber is the author of three previous novels and has been selected as a WHSmith Fresh Talent. She is a comms strategist, and runs her own business, Words With Bex. She lives in London. Review Quotes: 'Sex, lies and academia all come crashing together in this dark thriller. You won't be able to put it down. Faculty of Liars is a gripping look behind the scenes of a powerful institution with twists that don't let up.' Asia Mackay Review Quotes: 'A stunning, scandalous thriller about power, reputation and the secrets hidden behind the walls of an elite institution.' Ellery Lloyd Review Quotes: 'The premise of this novel is enticing…a good read for anyone who enjoys a thriller that goes in depth into lust, power, and uncovering the truth.' BookList Publisher Marketing: Only the elite get away with murder

Anatomy of a Scandal meets The Maidens in this seductive dark academia thriller, an intoxicating, high-stakes tale of desire, betrayal, and the dangerous cost of power

When a woman's affair ends in murder, it threatens to expose a scandal at the heart of one of America's most powerful universities

Elizabeth Harker has a secret.

On the day she hears the news that her husband is to be the President of one of the most prestigious universities in New England, she is in the arms of another man.

Then, on presidential inauguration day and just moments before Elizabeth is due to step on stage and deliver a speech to be broadcast around the world, she learns her lover has been brutally murdered.

As the university closes ranks, Elizabeth is forced to grieve in silence whilst protecting a secret that could destroy everything. But the harder she tries to contain the affair, the more she begins to see what lies behind the university's immaculate façade: a world where power is absolute and any threat to the institution is buried without hesitation.

Because this was never just an affair.

And this was never just a murder.