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Oxford University Crime Talks + New British Books This Week
If you’re a fan of crime fiction, we’ve found a lovely - and somewhat old - series of free podcasts/videos from Oxford University that are well worth checking out. There are only three of them, and each is roughly an hour long. The “episodes” are:
Each one offers the option of watching the video or listening to the audio.
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New British Books This Week
The House of Burning Bones by Stuart MacBride
As a scorching summer grips Aberdeen, DI Logan McRae battles a wave of chaos—short-staffed, under fire from the press, and chasing a killer before the city erupts.
Get it: Amazon
Eagle Days by Victoria Taylor
Set across the English Channel and southeast England in 1940, this in-depth account uses newly translated German sources to reveal the Luftwaffe’s true mindset and morale during the Battle of Britain.
Get it: Amazon
Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong
In the Scottish Highlands for a tense family wedding, time-traveling detective Mallory Atkinson uncovers suspicious behavior, an injured wildcat, and a murder that puts her and Dr. Duncan Gray on the hunt for a killer before anyone else dies.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Murder in an Italian Castle by Benedict Brown
In 1929 Tuscany, Lord Edgington and his grandson arrive at a grand castle where a landowner has fallen from the belltower—setting off a twisting murder investigation among heirs, ex-lovers, and shady locals before the killer strikes again.
Get it: Amazon
Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews
In Victorian London, a rebellious Academy-trained agent is sent to bring down a powerful lord—only to clash with a ruthless underworld boss whose plans, like hers, don’t account for falling in love.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien
Written by J.R.R. Tolkien’s grandson, this sweeping historical saga follows a young man from 1929 New York to war-torn Spain as he searches for identity, purpose, and a cause worth fighting for in the shadow of the Spanish Civil War.
Get it: Amazon (available early at a discount via Kindle First Reads)
Twisted Bones by Helen Phifer
When a woman's remains surface near a Lake District cottage, Detective Morgan Brookes uncovers chilling links to a long-missing homeless woman and a vanished schoolteacher—launching a desperate hunt to stop a killer before he claims another life.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Twist of Fate by JL Berg
After losing her mother, Aisling moves to Ireland for a fresh start—only to find herself working for the man who once broke her heart during a whirlwind romance.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
The Woman Who Met Herself by Laura Pearson
When cheerful widow Debbie meets Ruth, a woman with her exact face, both are thrown into a life-altering mystery that challenges everything they thought they knew about themselves.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Secrets at the Aviary Inn by MaryAnn Clarke
When 23-year-old Sophie is stranded in York with nothing but a backpack and a mysterious photo, she takes a job at a rundown inn—uncovering secrets about her mother’s past that may finally lead her to where she belongs.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
The Cornish Castle Murder by Fiona Leitch
When spirited Sophie Fairfax wagers she’ll marry for love, not status, she never expects to be tempted by Lord Rotherby—the very rake who could ruin her reputation... and her resolve.
Get it: Amazon
The Cornish Castle Murder by Fiona Leitch
When Isabel marries the ruthless Lord Seymour and offers refuge to a fugitive shepherdess, both women are drawn into a dangerous web of ambition, secrets, and survival in the shadow of King Henry VI’s divided court.
Get it: Amazon
The Cornish Castle Murder by Fiona Leitch
As World War I threatens a toffee factory in Chester-le-Street, Durham, three women—Anne, Elsie, and Hetty—face love, sacrifice, and buried secrets that could change their lives forever.
Get it: Amazon
“Some of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories.”
Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
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