Thriller set on the Osa Peninsula, COSTA RICA
Crime mystery set mainly in OXFORD in WW2
25th April 2025
Murder in Oxford by Christina Koning, crime mystery set mainly in Oxford in WW2.
It is 1942 in the run up to Christmas and Oxford still feels largely untouched by the war, except that there are more women floating around the city than usual, an unsatisfactory situation according to some. Many of the men have disappeared to serve their country. Brasenose itself has army members billeted in the college, depleting the food resources although some can play bridge very well, so all is not lost. The college ‘.. feels like a world away from the war. So calm and civilised.” It was mooted that Hitler intended to spare Oxford because he thought to use it as his base once he had won the war.
Frederick Rowlands lost his sight in WW1 and now his friend and mentor, Major Sir Ian Fraser – who also has
sight loss but a dog to assist him – has asked Rowlands to join him in the college because there is something that needs investigating. A German spy is mooted to be at the centre of British Intelligence.
And then someone is found stabbed with a German Army Officer’s knife, his final words imploring that the people look for the green file…. And then there is another death.
Rowlands has his work cut out and one line of enquiry takes him out to Blenheim but how can he make sense of the situation and find out who is behind the killings before national security is certainly in jeopardy.
The novel wonderfully and evocatively captures time and place and also there is quite some insight into Rowlands disability as he navigates uncharted territory. The dialogue is very much of the era and the ingrained traditions in Oxford are beautifully laid out as the characters embed in college life. There are several novels in The Blind Detective series (this is no.9), which take the reader to all kinds of locations in England and around Europe.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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