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Robert Macdonald #4
Death on the Oxford Road
In Death on the Oxford Road, E.C.R. Lorac crafts a compelling whodunit that captures the suspense and intellect of a classic British mystery. Set against the backdrop of England's iconic Oxford Road, the story unfolds with a chilling crime that disrupts the tranquility of the countryside.
When a body is discovered on the historic Oxford Road, the initial assumptions of an accident are quickly dispelled by the astute Inspector Robert Macdonald. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and logical deductions, Macdonald delves into the lives of the victim and those connected to them. The investigation reveals a labyrinth of motives—greed, jealousy, and long-buried secrets—all of which point to someone with a calculated and dangerous intent.
Lorac's vivid descriptions of the rural English landscape provide a rich atmosphere, contrasting the beauty of the countryside with the dark undercurrents of human ambition and betrayal. The novel's intricate plotting challenges even the most seasoned mystery readers, as red herrings and unforeseen twists keep the tension high until the final revelation.
This illustrated edition brings the story to life with captivating visuals that enhance the experience of Lorac’s masterful storytelling. Fans of classic detective fiction will appreciate the depth of character development, sharp dialogue, and the satisfying resolution of justice served.
Death on the Oxford Road is a must-read for lovers of Golden Age mysteries, offering an engrossing tale that highlights Lorac’s skill in blending intellectual puzzles with emotional depth.
When a body is discovered on the historic Oxford Road, the initial assumptions of an accident are quickly dispelled by the astute Inspector Robert Macdonald. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and logical deductions, Macdonald delves into the lives of the victim and those connected to them. The investigation reveals a labyrinth of motives—greed, jealousy, and long-buried secrets—all of which point to someone with a calculated and dangerous intent.
Lorac's vivid descriptions of the rural English landscape provide a rich atmosphere, contrasting the beauty of the countryside with the dark undercurrents of human ambition and betrayal. The novel's intricate plotting challenges even the most seasoned mystery readers, as red herrings and unforeseen twists keep the tension high until the final revelation.
This illustrated edition brings the story to life with captivating visuals that enhance the experience of Lorac’s masterful storytelling. Fans of classic detective fiction will appreciate the depth of character development, sharp dialogue, and the satisfying resolution of justice served.
Death on the Oxford Road is a must-read for lovers of Golden Age mysteries, offering an engrossing tale that highlights Lorac’s skill in blending intellectual puzzles with emotional depth.
226 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
42 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
E.C.R. Lorac
74 books177 followersEdith Caroline Rivett (who wrote under the pseudonyms E.C.R. Lorac, Carol Carnac, Carol Rivett, and Mary le Bourne) was a British crime writer. She was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now London). She attended the South Hampstead High School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 19, 2025
A new-ish author for me as I meander my way through golden age mysteries and I’m a fan. This is an early volume in the Chief Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard series - he a plodding, meticulous crime fighter who uses his brains rather than his fists in solving murder mysteries - without becoming boring. These books contain solid sets of characters with creative plots/crimes/mysteries. My only issue here is the story become overly complicated with too many characters and a few too many twists.
Still - if you’re looking for a very good golden age series/author - you’ve found one.
Still - if you’re looking for a very good golden age series/author - you’ve found one.
January 24, 2025
4 Stars for this very early mystery from a favorite Golden Age writer, E.C.R. Lorac. Originally published in 1933, it's the 4th book she wrote featuring chief Inspector Robert Macdonald of Scotland Yard.
It was great to meet the younger Macdonald as a work in progress while the author decided what finishing touches he needed. His intelligence is very much in evidence, as is his ability to consider all the angles of a case. His understanding of human nature is solid. However, I was taken aback a wee bit when he donned a disguise (!) to elicit information from a witness; also when the author gave him eyes that twinkled (!!).
For those who have read some of the later books in the series: Lorac is already building the cast of regular supporting characters--Inspector Jenkins has a strong role in this one; young Reeves is mentioned in passing, to name two who appear in many of the later books.
The mystery is very convoluted, with a large cast of characters--I felt I needed a cast list. The basic case involved a man's body which had been dumped late one night on a fairly lonely stretch of the Oxford Road. Macdonald and a journalist friend, Peter Vernon, are driving back to London when the witness the car in front of them run over the body. That driver stops immediately, horrified, and Macdonald takes command of the scene. The name in the clothing of the dead man identify him as one Bert Rodmell, but that identity is soon called into question, as is the time of death, and the cause of death. So now we have the questions that need answers: who is the dead man, who killed him, why was he killed, how is Bert involved, and btw, where is Bert? The answers are very hard to come by.
We meet the local gentry, the newcomer Rodmell family, various villagers, railway station people--each with a piece of the puzzle. His efforts to interview the elder Rodmell brothers (Bert's father and brother) gave Macdonald a headache, but were fun to read, as the brothers were capable of lying with a friendly, helpful face.
Peter Vernon does some sleuthing of his own, results of which he shares with Macdonald. (I think Lorac planned for him to become a regular member of the continuing cast. I know she made use of him in These Names Make Clues).
By the end, Macdonald had figured it out. I'm glad he had the whole picture, because I was still a few pieces shy of putting it all together. The author gave us a nice wrap up scene wherein Macdonald explains all to Vernon.
Now, a note about this particular softcover edition: The publishers obviously photocopied an old edition, page by page, then printed it with a white border around the photocopied pages, which showed as black print on gray background. Thank goodness I have a strong reading lamp, because the book was almost unreadable otherwise. The original edition's font was not very bold, so the black letters seemed to melt into the gray pages. Even with good light I still ended up with a headache if I read for too long. However, I appreciated their efforts, else it's unlikely I would have had a chance to read this story.
It was great to meet the younger Macdonald as a work in progress while the author decided what finishing touches he needed. His intelligence is very much in evidence, as is his ability to consider all the angles of a case. His understanding of human nature is solid. However, I was taken aback a wee bit when he donned a disguise (!) to elicit information from a witness; also when the author gave him eyes that twinkled (!!).
For those who have read some of the later books in the series: Lorac is already building the cast of regular supporting characters--Inspector Jenkins has a strong role in this one; young Reeves is mentioned in passing, to name two who appear in many of the later books.
The mystery is very convoluted, with a large cast of characters--I felt I needed a cast list. The basic case involved a man's body which had been dumped late one night on a fairly lonely stretch of the Oxford Road. Macdonald and a journalist friend, Peter Vernon, are driving back to London when the witness the car in front of them run over the body. That driver stops immediately, horrified, and Macdonald takes command of the scene. The name in the clothing of the dead man identify him as one Bert Rodmell, but that identity is soon called into question, as is the time of death, and the cause of death. So now we have the questions that need answers: who is the dead man, who killed him, why was he killed, how is Bert involved, and btw, where is Bert? The answers are very hard to come by.
We meet the local gentry, the newcomer Rodmell family, various villagers, railway station people--each with a piece of the puzzle. His efforts to interview the elder Rodmell brothers (Bert's father and brother) gave Macdonald a headache, but were fun to read, as the brothers were capable of lying with a friendly, helpful face.
Peter Vernon does some sleuthing of his own, results of which he shares with Macdonald. (I think Lorac planned for him to become a regular member of the continuing cast. I know she made use of him in These Names Make Clues).
By the end, Macdonald had figured it out. I'm glad he had the whole picture, because I was still a few pieces shy of putting it all together. The author gave us a nice wrap up scene wherein Macdonald explains all to Vernon.
Now, a note about this particular softcover edition: The publishers obviously photocopied an old edition, page by page, then printed it with a white border around the photocopied pages, which showed as black print on gray background. Thank goodness I have a strong reading lamp, because the book was almost unreadable otherwise. The original edition's font was not very bold, so the black letters seemed to melt into the gray pages. Even with good light I still ended up with a headache if I read for too long. However, I appreciated their efforts, else it's unlikely I would have had a chance to read this story.
December 2, 2021
3 at a push. I’ve really come to love ECRs books over the last year or so, but I have to say I slightly struggled with this one.
While in many of her books the setting takes precedence, it wasn’t so here with plot the master. As such it’s a pretty complex tale, with a fair number of characters and an awful lot going on. I struggled to enjoy the plot.
It was well written for sure, and clever until the ending, which felt a bit of an anticlimax for me.
While in many of her books the setting takes precedence, it wasn’t so here with plot the master. As such it’s a pretty complex tale, with a fair number of characters and an awful lot going on. I struggled to enjoy the plot.
It was well written for sure, and clever until the ending, which felt a bit of an anticlimax for me.
August 21, 2024
Not quite convinced the over complicated plot worked! 🫤
March 31, 2025
While travelling back to town, Robert Macdonald with his passenger, journalist Peter Vernon, and another car come across a dead man in the road. Dead some hours. Identified as 20 year old Bert Rodmell. Detective Macdonald investigates.
An entertaining historical mystery
Originally published in 1933
An entertaining historical mystery
Originally published in 1933
February 4, 2025
Not a very good ebook copy. Dangly bits. illustrations that have nothing to do with the texts. Illustrations that did come with the original are missing
May 28, 2024
That was my first try with Lorac, and I'm not sold.
The story dragged on and was too muddled for too long.
There were a few funny elements in the interaction between some characters, for instance between the nonplus inspector and some suspects. It helped me persevere.
However, I'll give her another chance, with some that are supposed to be really good.
The story dragged on and was too muddled for too long.
There were a few funny elements in the interaction between some characters, for instance between the nonplus inspector and some suspects. It helped me persevere.
However, I'll give her another chance, with some that are supposed to be really good.
September 15, 2025
The worst novel by this author that I have read so far. The others have rated between 3.5 and 4.5 stars, but this one has all the weaknesses of her other books but none of their strengths.
There are far too many characters, and to make matters worse, several of them have similar names and/or personalities, so that the reader has to keep checking back to see who is who! The plot is incredibly convoluted and relies on a ridiculous number of coincidences, not to mention a few people acting totally out of what little character they've been given. Inspector Macdonald is a very different creature from the one who appears in Lorac's later novels, and I found the silly, jokey, slang-filled conversations between him and journalist Vernon staled very quickly.
Then we have all the stereotypes - the well-bred motherless 'gal' who is beautiful and arrogant but a 'good sort' at heart; the bluff, military father who has no idea of how to parent; the well-bred 'cad' (there are a couple of these); the devoted servant (ditto); the family who are not 'quite out of the top drawer' and who - even worse - look foreign (no, not getting any racist vibes here...) Anyone who is 'foreign' in appearance is 'greasy' and however hard they try, never quite appropriately dressed. Yes, all very much in keeping with the attitudes of the day, and when it just pops up once or twice, you skim over it and read on, but it was far more blatant than usual in this book.
One of Lorac's chief strengths is her sense of place, but even that fails her in this book - she really could be writing about anywhere in England. This one really is only for the completist types who have to read EVERY book in a series. Anyone else can safely leave this on the shelf.
There are far too many characters, and to make matters worse, several of them have similar names and/or personalities, so that the reader has to keep checking back to see who is who! The plot is incredibly convoluted and relies on a ridiculous number of coincidences, not to mention a few people acting totally out of what little character they've been given. Inspector Macdonald is a very different creature from the one who appears in Lorac's later novels, and I found the silly, jokey, slang-filled conversations between him and journalist Vernon staled very quickly.
Then we have all the stereotypes - the well-bred motherless 'gal' who is beautiful and arrogant but a 'good sort' at heart; the bluff, military father who has no idea of how to parent; the well-bred 'cad' (there are a couple of these); the devoted servant (ditto); the family who are not 'quite out of the top drawer' and who - even worse - look foreign (no, not getting any racist vibes here...) Anyone who is 'foreign' in appearance is 'greasy' and however hard they try, never quite appropriately dressed. Yes, all very much in keeping with the attitudes of the day, and when it just pops up once or twice, you skim over it and read on, but it was far more blatant than usual in this book.
One of Lorac's chief strengths is her sense of place, but even that fails her in this book - she really could be writing about anywhere in England. This one really is only for the completist types who have to read EVERY book in a series. Anyone else can safely leave this on the shelf.
April 13, 2024
I don't remember which rabbit hole on the World Wide Web brought me to this author, but I'm thankful for it. The book is a no-frills police investigation into a dead body lying on the Oxford road, and what looks simple has wheels within wheels and a whole lot of comings and goings.
I enjoyed it, but it was also confusing in parts because of the large number of characters, even the names of whom I was getting lost in (Hanton, Hastings, Hodges, Hayward, Harrison...). All the characters also travel a lot over the crucial period in the story, by car, by train, by ship, or walking, and it became difficult to keep track of who was where at what time. I re-read a couple of chapters to understand what was going on because I lost track more than once.
If reading the book was a challenge, what must an actual investigation of this sort be? Nevertheless, I liked the characters, especially MacDonald, and I liked this author's spare writing style. I'll definitely try a few more of this series (Goodreads lists 46), though not all of them are available now.
I enjoyed it, but it was also confusing in parts because of the large number of characters, even the names of whom I was getting lost in (Hanton, Hastings, Hodges, Hayward, Harrison...). All the characters also travel a lot over the crucial period in the story, by car, by train, by ship, or walking, and it became difficult to keep track of who was where at what time. I re-read a couple of chapters to understand what was going on because I lost track more than once.
If reading the book was a challenge, what must an actual investigation of this sort be? Nevertheless, I liked the characters, especially MacDonald, and I liked this author's spare writing style. I'll definitely try a few more of this series (Goodreads lists 46), though not all of them are available now.
September 2, 2024
An early Inspector Macdonald, and not the best. Some unpleasant racism / xenophobia. Very complicated plot about who was where when, difficult to dredge up much interest in. A good side character in Madeleine Hanton. She was Commandant of a hospital in France during the First World War, and "friends were wont to say that if Madeleine had been a man, she would have had a much more distinguished military career than had her brother, for she had an exceedingly active brain, in addition to a vivid imagination and powers of understanding". She uses an electric wheelchair.
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June 13, 2025I'm not giving this book stars because I need to give it two ratings:
1. For the book itself, 3*. As what is I believe to be Lorac's first mystery, the story is a little muddled, with flashes of the accomplished and entertaining mysteries to come in this series.
2. For the kindle book itself, 0*. Full of sentences that make no sense and illustrated with pictures that have absolutely no bearing on the story, this book is a mess, another example of Amazon publishing anything at all on Kindle, whether from a legitimate publisher or not. Buyer beware.
1. For the book itself, 3*. As what is I believe to be Lorac's first mystery, the story is a little muddled, with flashes of the accomplished and entertaining mysteries to come in this series.
2. For the kindle book itself, 0*. Full of sentences that make no sense and illustrated with pictures that have absolutely no bearing on the story, this book is a mess, another example of Amazon publishing anything at all on Kindle, whether from a legitimate publisher or not. Buyer beware.
November 22, 2025
Interesting. This was like her 4th book in this series - Robert Macdonald - and I have read and enjoyed later books.
Here He was driving down a country road with a reporter friend and they come upon a stopped car which has apparently run over a body on the Oxford Road. The people in the car lie their heads off to him. At least at first. Boy, did they have bad luck for a Scotland Yard man to come up behind them!
Here He was driving down a country road with a reporter friend and they come upon a stopped car which has apparently run over a body on the Oxford Road. The people in the car lie their heads off to him. At least at first. Boy, did they have bad luck for a Scotland Yard man to come up behind them!
February 16, 2025
The solution is just oh so convoluted. If you were hoping to see Macdonald in disguise, this is the book for you. Too many people look too much alike. Then there's some bigamy which comes out of nowhere. It starts off as a bit of a slog and then gets confusing. As I'm writing this review, I'm liking the book less and less. 2.5
June 17, 2025
An early Lorac book, and filled with slang that she dispensed with later in her career - some of which one could figure out, others of which were just annoying. I did not enjoy the "illustrations" of this edition which were mostly irrelevant 1920s posters. Enjoyed it, but not her best effort.
July 10, 2024
The earliest Lorac I've read so far from the early 30s. A dead body is found on the Oxford Road near Wycombe.A very complex plot with lots of deception. Enjoyable but not as honed as her later books.
January 5, 2025
Big fan of E C R Lorac but this book definitely not one of her best in my opinion. Convoluted, complicated
March 19, 2025
Confusing but logical. Many red herrings and a lot of characters with their own stories.
April 20, 2025
Too many people pretending to be other people and too many secrets to keep it all straight. I'm glad this isn't the first E. C. R. Lorac book I read.
May 27, 2025
Death on the Oxford road
Another good book with inspector. Macdonald at the helm. Bread reading of very old mysteries. I hope more are republished.
Another good book with inspector. Macdonald at the helm. Bread reading of very old mysteries. I hope more are republished.
August 21, 2025
Not very entertaining. I've ead Loracs that are better
July 14, 2025
The plot was convoluted, the only interesting character was relegated to a walk-on, and frankly my dear I didn't give a damn.
My general pique was also a result of this edition being published by an entity called 'The dead authors society' which is apparently an initiative of the British Library in conjuction with Amazon and which results in a print to order book, Poorly xeroxed. No old book smell. No old book sensory pleasure. And I wasn't aware of this when I ordered it (yes from Amazon). My apologies to all my favorite independent booksellers everywhere. Mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa.(grumble grumble)
My general pique was also a result of this edition being published by an entity called 'The dead authors society' which is apparently an initiative of the British Library in conjuction with Amazon and which results in a print to order book, Poorly xeroxed. No old book smell. No old book sensory pleasure. And I wasn't aware of this when I ordered it (yes from Amazon). My apologies to all my favorite independent booksellers everywhere. Mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa.(grumble grumble)
February 19, 2013
Mediocre book. The plot's too dull to go into, as are the cast of characters. For the record, the types of character in this book are:
1) decent chaps (includes woman)
[1a)special sub heading: decent chap provoked to murder]
2) decent chaps who are also policemen
3)wayward but essentially decent young gal
4) members of the cad-r-us/nouveau riche/lotterywinners.com
[4a) special sub heading: the female vamp]
5)cads-r-us/independent.com.
6) the criminal element (not part of 4 or 5)
7) assorted deities providing a range of deus ex machina services, to wit: i) provides decent chap (policeman) with expertise in handwriting when the story needs one ii) sends no.6 to pawnbroker in effort to sell stolen early Georgian silverware, but to the only pawnbroker in London who would recognise what it was and has the auction catalogue to prove it iii) Ensures that the hotel madame where so much happens is indeed part of no.4 (a fact we find out at the end when it does so much good.)
That's about it really. Why did I finish it? Because it sparked just enough lukewarm interest to think it churlish not find out the ending. This (and the rest of the book really) were as unsatisfactorily nutritious as the cardboard the characters were made from. The author wrote 71 crime novels, never heard of her? Wonder no more. And, by the way, you don't have to do the work to find out, I've already done it for you. It is sub-sub-Christie, so if you want a thirties detective novel go and read Murder on the Orient Express again.
1) decent chaps (includes woman)
[1a)special sub heading: decent chap provoked to murder]
2) decent chaps who are also policemen
3)wayward but essentially decent young gal
4) members of the cad-r-us/nouveau riche/lotterywinners.com
[4a) special sub heading: the female vamp]
5)cads-r-us/independent.com.
6) the criminal element (not part of 4 or 5)
7) assorted deities providing a range of deus ex machina services, to wit: i) provides decent chap (policeman) with expertise in handwriting when the story needs one ii) sends no.6 to pawnbroker in effort to sell stolen early Georgian silverware, but to the only pawnbroker in London who would recognise what it was and has the auction catalogue to prove it iii) Ensures that the hotel madame where so much happens is indeed part of no.4 (a fact we find out at the end when it does so much good.)
That's about it really. Why did I finish it? Because it sparked just enough lukewarm interest to think it churlish not find out the ending. This (and the rest of the book really) were as unsatisfactorily nutritious as the cardboard the characters were made from. The author wrote 71 crime novels, never heard of her? Wonder no more. And, by the way, you don't have to do the work to find out, I've already done it for you. It is sub-sub-Christie, so if you want a thirties detective novel go and read Murder on the Orient Express again.
January 27, 2025
I like “Lorac” (Carol Rivett) but this one is a mess. An incredibly complicated and unbelievable cover up of a killing that no English jury would call murder if the guilty man had just phoned the police. A fine example of social attitudes in the 1930s with a “greasy, foreign” crime clan complete with slinky vamp, doofusly proper Englishmen, a flighty deb, and a Jewish pawnbroker aggrieved about antisemitism. Macdonald is alternately pedantic while on duty and giddy with his friend Vernon. The latter raises some questions about the life long bachelor…..
Also, as others have noted, this reissue of Lorac’s books is an out of copyright scanning job with irrelevant “illustrations” and a lot of formatting errors. I would recommend buying/reading other editions.
Also, as others have noted, this reissue of Lorac’s books is an out of copyright scanning job with irrelevant “illustrations” and a lot of formatting errors. I would recommend buying/reading other editions.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews