A Killing in November: The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month (DI Wilkins Mysteries)

Product Information

The other characters don't have much substance yet and the plot isn't up to much but the book is a gripping enough read to make me want to read the second book in the series.

The writing is sharp and full of atmospheric, beautiful images like this simile describing "the grey edge of the city, sprawling in the distance like a blanket left out in the rain," and "He had a face like an old gardening glove, seamed and cracked. They’re highly exaggerated characters and I’d have preferred more subtlety in their dialogue and behaviour. The highlight for me was the developing relationship between Ray and Ryan as they worked the case that seemed impossible initially. The two sides of Oxford are well portrayed, there is some pretty good characterisation and Ryan’s relationship with his 2-year-old son is especially well painted, I think.With many thanks to Quercus Books via NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this very entertaining novel. He is one of the youngest detective inspectors on the Thames Valley Force, and passed out top of his class in his training programme. I loved that characters and the contrasts between quicksilver, slightly mad Ryan in his trackies and black, smartly dressed, well-behaved Raymond. One small criticism I have is I found the topography of the college interiors incredibly confusing and in the end I don't think it was terribly important to the plot. As a young Detective Inspector, he’s lost none of his disgust with privileged elites – or his objectionable manners.

I'm a die hard Morse fan so probably very blinkered when it comes to the Oxford crime scene but with this novel Simon Mason has put a fresh up to date slant on life in the elitist educational capital bringing it right into the 21st century with a bang. Add to this the idea that Ryan, a CID Inspector, would turn up to investigate a death in an Oxford college wearing tracksuit bottoms and a baseball cap on backward, tell the Provost to “calm the [copulatory obscenity] down” and so on and it sounds utterly preposterous.He’s a good detective though, with an eye for detail and the character is further redeemed by Ryan’s relationship with his toddler son. An unusual crime thriller set in Oxford featuring two policemen, both with the surname Wilkins, Ryan and Ray.

A very readable debut and clearly the start of a new detective series starring DIs Wilkins and Wilkins.

At least, I‘m curious enough to find out if and how the characters will be developing in the second book. Also it's clear that his Dad is some kind of super bright young man so it makes sense that his son might be a little above average.