Boken är förvisso välskriven, med fina miljöbeskrivningar och mestadels runda karaktärer (stereotypiseringen är tillräckligt medveten för att inte kunna kritiseras) - men det är ju ingen "ren" fyra. But it’s convenient because I live here and know it better than any other place, with the possible exception of Sheffield, where I grew up. Is it just a coincidence that on the night of her murder the college was entertaining Sheik al-Medina, a Gulf state ruler linked to human-rights abuses in his own country and acts of atrocity in others? There are riots in the Leys (a child has been killed by the police) whilst in Barnabas College, the Provost is trying to lure an Arab sheik to finance a project.

He is the author of the Quigleys series for young readers: The Quigleys (Highly Commended in the UK's Branford Boase Award), The Quigleys at Large, The Quigleys Not for Sale, and The Quigleys in a Spin. As you might imagine, Ray and Ryan have little in common, chalk and cheese, and initially struggle to get on, but slowly they begin to form a bond, Ryan might well be a wild card, but he notices details and is able to make breaks in a complex and intriguing case, where it takes some time to identify the murdered woman, and which involves a valuable stolen Koran, and another death. I liked the fact the two policemen were so completely different, it really added a different tone to the book and made it much more interesting. A Killing in November introduces an unlikely duo from different sides of the tracks in Oxford in a deftly plotted murder story full of dangerous turns, troubled pasts and unconventional detective work.He splits his time between writing at home and a part-time editorial position with David Fickling Books, an imprint of Random House and publisher of his 2011 children's novel, Moon Pie. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. A stunning Oxford-set whodunit featuring two finely drawn detectives, A Killing in November focuses on a University college murder and the visit of a Middle-Eastern sheik notorious for human rights abuses. While the plot itself is interesting enough - a young woman is murdered in the Provost's office while the College is entertaining an Emirati dignitary it is hoping to extract cash from - it is Ryan's relationships with the other two Wilkins that nourish and sustain this book. A very readable debut and clearly the start of a new detective series starring DIs Wilkins and Wilkins.

This town and gown divide is echoed in the two lead detectives, the 30 year old DI Ray Wilkins, a well dressed Balliol College man, from a wealthy Nigerian background, a high flyer, and the more troubled 27 year old DI Ryan Wilkins, who despises the world of privilege, growing up in a Oxford trailer park, a single dad with an adorable young son, Ryan.I agree with other reviewers that maybe little Ryan is a bit advanced for his age though I have met one very articulate two and a half year old. Om inte annat för att jag gav Anne Holt en trea häromsistens - det här är bättre läsning, även om det tar emot att säga som gammalt Holt-fan). Ryan Wilkins was raised in a trailer park, had a violent alcoholic father, his girlfriend died of a drug overdose and left him with a young son. He is teamed in an inspired piece of writing with Ray, the other Wilkins, who is Oxford educated, a boxing blue and completely the opposite of Ryan.

But there are shadows of Morse in Ryan's fierce cleverness, his forensic mind and his relentless pursuit of the truth whatever the personal and professional cost. This moody, atmospheric novel is full of surprises, with subplots about sexual harassment and the impact of the Syrian civil war. The colleges are of course bastions of privilege and power, not just in terms of wealth but – more importantly, in terms of knowledge and influence.I would certainly look forward to reading more about Ryan and the Great Raymundo… I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review. The author does an excellent job of creating two well defined detectives, who each have their own issues to deal with and who complement each other well. Inevitably, with its Oxford setting and its murder in the office of a College provost, comparisons will be made to Morse.