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DI Ryan Wilkins #5
The Dangerous Stranger: the latest instalment in the pacy, Oxford-set DI Ryan Wilkins series
'This is absolutely first class' Stephen Fry
'Simon Mason has created crime fiction's most entertaining double act in decades' Mick Herron
'Move over Morse' Val McDermid
'My favourite UK series' M W Craven
On a warm and pleasant evening in Oxford, gentle city of poets and scholars, rioters outside a hotel full of asylum seekers set a young refugee on fire. The city - the country - convulses in shock. Is this who we are? It's international news of the very worst kind, and the Chief Constable demands immediate and exemplary action in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The detectives leading the investigation fill him with misgivings, DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), Thames Valley's detective pantomime horse, one Oxford-educated, the other Oxford-trailer park. He doesn't understand why they work together. 'Do they even get on?' 'Somehow that doesn't seem necessary,' their Superintendent replies.
Who burned the boy alive? Was it a far-right extremist? Was it an ordinary person who had simply gone along to watch and got caught up in the emotion? Could it even be one of the children who were there? Deploying a range of investigative skills, some standard, some unconventional and some frankly nuts, the Wilkinses do what they results with chaos. But when they discover that the victim was not an asylum seeker after all, or even a resident of the hotel, the whole investigation kicks into a completely different configuration.
READERS ARE LOVING RYAN AND
'Loved it, what a wonderful read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Really, really enjoyed and was sorry to finish it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Have really enjoyed the whole series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you like Slow Horses, either the books or the Apple series, this book is for you' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Set in present day Oxford, England, it is Morse times two' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Can't put these books down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A real un-putdownable page turner . . . A tremendous read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Simon Mason has created crime fiction's most entertaining double act in decades' Mick Herron
'Move over Morse' Val McDermid
'My favourite UK series' M W Craven
On a warm and pleasant evening in Oxford, gentle city of poets and scholars, rioters outside a hotel full of asylum seekers set a young refugee on fire. The city - the country - convulses in shock. Is this who we are? It's international news of the very worst kind, and the Chief Constable demands immediate and exemplary action in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The detectives leading the investigation fill him with misgivings, DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), Thames Valley's detective pantomime horse, one Oxford-educated, the other Oxford-trailer park. He doesn't understand why they work together. 'Do they even get on?' 'Somehow that doesn't seem necessary,' their Superintendent replies.
Who burned the boy alive? Was it a far-right extremist? Was it an ordinary person who had simply gone along to watch and got caught up in the emotion? Could it even be one of the children who were there? Deploying a range of investigative skills, some standard, some unconventional and some frankly nuts, the Wilkinses do what they results with chaos. But when they discover that the victim was not an asylum seeker after all, or even a resident of the hotel, the whole investigation kicks into a completely different configuration.
READERS ARE LOVING RYAN AND
'Loved it, what a wonderful read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Really, really enjoyed and was sorry to finish it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Have really enjoyed the whole series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you like Slow Horses, either the books or the Apple series, this book is for you' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Set in present day Oxford, England, it is Morse times two' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Can't put these books down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A real un-putdownable page turner . . . A tremendous read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- GenresCrime
387 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 12, 2026
111 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Simon Mason
57 books248 followersSimon Mason was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, on 5 February 1962. He was educated at local schools and studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. 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.
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. He has also written three adult novels.
Simon lives in Oxford with his wife and two children.
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. He has also written three adult novels.
Simon lives in Oxford with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 12, 2026
A very good series featuring the mismatched Oxford detectives, Ray and Ryan Wilkins. This one is a long chase after a frightened young refugee, on the run after a race riot in which a man, who is not what he appears, dies. Also, international criminals, right wing crazies, oddball Oxford “types” (one of whom should keep his trap shut), and a beguiling French detective. It’s also about work and the tick box culture of blame shifting bosses and HR procedures which are a disguised form of punishment. It’s also about family and the two Wilkinses difficult fathers. As always, Ryan and his young son Ryan Jr. are a delight. There is a very good twist at the end.
March 21, 2026
This is the latest outing for British CriFi’s most unlikely partnership – Wilkins and Wilkins. Detective Inspector Ryan, of that kin is scruffy and, to be blunt, dresses and talks like a chav (remember them?) His partner Ray is Nigerian – London, handsome, public school educated, urbane and, before he was paired with Ryan, a rising star of Thames Valley police. They are based on Oxford. The book begins, however, in London, where an ageing criminal, known, as Dogs, is hunted down by a violent former associate called Head Hunter, and forced to take on another job.
An emergency call sends the Ws out to a budget hotel, now housing asylum seekers. An angry mob of locals, incensed by the recent murder of a local girl by an apparent immigrant, is laying siege to the property and, amid the chaos, a young African man is murdered while trying to escape the hotel. What this has to do with the events in London remains to be seen. To add to the already fraught relationship between Ryan and Ray, the Superintendent attaches a young Detective Constable, William Huber to the Ws team. He is unlikely to gel with Ryan, as William is a ‘posh boy’, enthusiastic, earnest and plummy of voice. The Ws have home lives that seem different, but neither resembles any kind of utopia. Ray is, as they say, ‘happily’ married, but life with wife Diane and their twin sons is frequently fractious. She is a professional woman, and is determined that Ray do more than his hair share of parenting, in spite of his unpredictable working hours. Ryan lives alone in a seedy rented flat, while his four year old son is brought up by his sister. He tries to be a good dad but, again, his job and what it sucks out of him, make him an imperfect father.
As the case progresses, it transpires that the man killed in the hotel protest may have been a wealthy and well connected French citizen but, clearly some things simply do not add up. The case takes a grim turn when a twelve year-old boy who attended the riot with his father is found to have concealed a knife and an empty canister under his bed. Hidden with them is his mobile ‘phone, on which is a video of the burning man. The two big questions are: what was the Frenchman doing in the asylum hotel, and what became of the migrant for whom he was mistaken? Further grit is thrown into than less than well-oiled mechanism of the investigative team by the arrival of a prominent French police officer to “help” with enquiries. As the story progresses, Simon Mason leaks clues into the narrative, a drop or two at a team, as to the connection between Oxford and the world of Dogs and Head Hunter.
Mason endows Dogs with a noirish quality as if he had just walked in from the streets of one of Derek Raymond’s ‘Factory’ novels.
“Really, he was only happy in London. Old Rotherhithe, those shabby, mean places of his youth.He was shabby and mean himself and always would be, thank God. All his life he’d lived in the weeds; he resented it and loved it, they were his weeds. It was the way he was made.”
Ray has his demons, but on Ryan’s back is the terrifying specter of his abusive father, now a broken man in an ex-offender’s institution.
“He thought of the person his father had become, a pathetic figure, shrunk and feeble, sick-looking, an animal that needs putting down.But buried very deep in Ryan, like a disgusting secret, was something he didn’t understand and couldn’t bear to think about: he was still frightened of this person.”
The joy of crime fiction is that its best writers make us believe in the improbable. Mason presents us with Ryan Wilkins, in his scuffed trainers and awful trackies, forever twitching with facial tics caused by God knows what family history. He is off the social scale in terms of lifestyle. His clapped-out Peugeot is always on the cusp of breakdown, and how he maintains the trust of his little son is little short of miraculous. And yet, and yet. He has instincts and insights that his more ‘civilised’ partner Ray can only dream of. I don’t want this series to end but, going forward, could Ryan ever mature into a seasoned institutional copper. What would he be like aged 50? Thankfully, that is a conundrum to which I will not have to provide a solution. The Dangerous Stranger is an absolute peach of a crime novel, and will be be published by Quercus on 12th February.
An emergency call sends the Ws out to a budget hotel, now housing asylum seekers. An angry mob of locals, incensed by the recent murder of a local girl by an apparent immigrant, is laying siege to the property and, amid the chaos, a young African man is murdered while trying to escape the hotel. What this has to do with the events in London remains to be seen. To add to the already fraught relationship between Ryan and Ray, the Superintendent attaches a young Detective Constable, William Huber to the Ws team. He is unlikely to gel with Ryan, as William is a ‘posh boy’, enthusiastic, earnest and plummy of voice. The Ws have home lives that seem different, but neither resembles any kind of utopia. Ray is, as they say, ‘happily’ married, but life with wife Diane and their twin sons is frequently fractious. She is a professional woman, and is determined that Ray do more than his hair share of parenting, in spite of his unpredictable working hours. Ryan lives alone in a seedy rented flat, while his four year old son is brought up by his sister. He tries to be a good dad but, again, his job and what it sucks out of him, make him an imperfect father.
As the case progresses, it transpires that the man killed in the hotel protest may have been a wealthy and well connected French citizen but, clearly some things simply do not add up. The case takes a grim turn when a twelve year-old boy who attended the riot with his father is found to have concealed a knife and an empty canister under his bed. Hidden with them is his mobile ‘phone, on which is a video of the burning man. The two big questions are: what was the Frenchman doing in the asylum hotel, and what became of the migrant for whom he was mistaken? Further grit is thrown into than less than well-oiled mechanism of the investigative team by the arrival of a prominent French police officer to “help” with enquiries. As the story progresses, Simon Mason leaks clues into the narrative, a drop or two at a team, as to the connection between Oxford and the world of Dogs and Head Hunter.
Mason endows Dogs with a noirish quality as if he had just walked in from the streets of one of Derek Raymond’s ‘Factory’ novels.
“Really, he was only happy in London. Old Rotherhithe, those shabby, mean places of his youth.He was shabby and mean himself and always would be, thank God. All his life he’d lived in the weeds; he resented it and loved it, they were his weeds. It was the way he was made.”
Ray has his demons, but on Ryan’s back is the terrifying specter of his abusive father, now a broken man in an ex-offender’s institution.
“He thought of the person his father had become, a pathetic figure, shrunk and feeble, sick-looking, an animal that needs putting down.But buried very deep in Ryan, like a disgusting secret, was something he didn’t understand and couldn’t bear to think about: he was still frightened of this person.”
The joy of crime fiction is that its best writers make us believe in the improbable. Mason presents us with Ryan Wilkins, in his scuffed trainers and awful trackies, forever twitching with facial tics caused by God knows what family history. He is off the social scale in terms of lifestyle. His clapped-out Peugeot is always on the cusp of breakdown, and how he maintains the trust of his little son is little short of miraculous. And yet, and yet. He has instincts and insights that his more ‘civilised’ partner Ray can only dream of. I don’t want this series to end but, going forward, could Ryan ever mature into a seasoned institutional copper. What would he be like aged 50? Thankfully, that is a conundrum to which I will not have to provide a solution. The Dangerous Stranger is an absolute peach of a crime novel, and will be be published by Quercus on 12th February.
March 24, 2026
In the gentle city of dreaming spires tempers are running high, and not just because of the balmy temperatures. A riot breaks out in the street fronting a hotel housing asylum seekers. Amidst the violence a young refugee is set on fire - an act so appalling that it sends shockwaves through the whole country.
The Chief Constable is determined that the guilty parties be brought to justice as quickly as possible, but he is filled with misgivings about the detectives in charge of the investigation, despite the support of their Superintendent - DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), an unlikely pairing that somehow seems to produce results, even if their methods are questionable.
Who killed the boy, and why? The Wilkinses are on the case...
DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation) are back in the fifth instalment of one of my absolute favourite police procedural series!
Sedate and scholarly Oxford is reeling from an act of violence that seems too horrific to be true, when a young man is burned to death in the car park of a hotel housing terrified asylum seekers. The resulting media storm brings pressure on the police to solve this case in double-quick time, but as DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation) track down the clues in their less than orthodox manner it seems that the charred-beyond-recognition victim might not actually be who they thought he was. Meanwhile, a dangerous stranger, known only as 'Dogs', lurks in the shadows.
The investigation twists and turns in classic Mason style, as the unlikely duo - Oxford-educated, poster-boy Ray, and chaotic, but inspired Ryan from the-wrong-side-of-the-trailer-park - uncover surprising clues that hint at a very different kind of murder than racist retribution... with the help of a couple of welcome new characters. eager DS Williams and a quirky detective from across the Channel who adds a touch of joie de vivre.
Characteristically, Ryan goes chaotically off-piste into Oxford's underbelly, relying on his local knowledge to get the edge, whilst rubbing up authority-types the wrong way, and doing his best as single-dad to adorable 'little Ryan'. Intriguingly, it is the normally level-headed Ray who loses his cool somewhat in this investigation, under the mounting pressures of his personal life, whilst Ryan comes-up trumps - a heart-warming turn of affairs which I really enjoyed, particularly when it comes to how it impacts the Wilkinses' relationship.
Lots of lovely themes run through this cracking page-turner, especially around the very timely subject of the plight of asylum seekers and the rise of ugly far-right hatred, and complex relationships between father and son, which add so much intelligently employed depth. And the DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation) partnership continues to shine in all its left-of-field, darkly comic glory. Superb!
The Chief Constable is determined that the guilty parties be brought to justice as quickly as possible, but he is filled with misgivings about the detectives in charge of the investigation, despite the support of their Superintendent - DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), an unlikely pairing that somehow seems to produce results, even if their methods are questionable.
Who killed the boy, and why? The Wilkinses are on the case...
DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation) are back in the fifth instalment of one of my absolute favourite police procedural series!
Sedate and scholarly Oxford is reeling from an act of violence that seems too horrific to be true, when a young man is burned to death in the car park of a hotel housing terrified asylum seekers. The resulting media storm brings pressure on the police to solve this case in double-quick time, but as DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation) track down the clues in their less than orthodox manner it seems that the charred-beyond-recognition victim might not actually be who they thought he was. Meanwhile, a dangerous stranger, known only as 'Dogs', lurks in the shadows.
The investigation twists and turns in classic Mason style, as the unlikely duo - Oxford-educated, poster-boy Ray, and chaotic, but inspired Ryan from the-wrong-side-of-the-trailer-park - uncover surprising clues that hint at a very different kind of murder than racist retribution... with the help of a couple of welcome new characters. eager DS Williams and a quirky detective from across the Channel who adds a touch of joie de vivre.
Characteristically, Ryan goes chaotically off-piste into Oxford's underbelly, relying on his local knowledge to get the edge, whilst rubbing up authority-types the wrong way, and doing his best as single-dad to adorable 'little Ryan'. Intriguingly, it is the normally level-headed Ray who loses his cool somewhat in this investigation, under the mounting pressures of his personal life, whilst Ryan comes-up trumps - a heart-warming turn of affairs which I really enjoyed, particularly when it comes to how it impacts the Wilkinses' relationship.
Lots of lovely themes run through this cracking page-turner, especially around the very timely subject of the plight of asylum seekers and the rise of ugly far-right hatred, and complex relationships between father and son, which add so much intelligently employed depth. And the DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation) partnership continues to shine in all its left-of-field, darkly comic glory. Superb!
March 24, 2026
Another great Wilkins story and kept me page turning. Oh for more authors like this were I cant put the book down. The duo are again up to their usual chaos paired together reluctantly. The star thread of the story has to be Ryan castle building with his son while he competes with the baker mom making a castle out of a cake, the electrician dad who is busy with fairy lights and a host of other more skilled castle people builders. The actual plot of the story was quite fragmented or so it seemed but with twists and turns it all came together in a satisfying finale. Apart of course from some cliffhangers for the next in the series.
March 18, 2026
These are a superb and original series of Police procedural crime novels, underpinned with the 2 Ryans, the wonderfully written stories with light touches of subtle humour and pathos enliven the narrative.
This one revolves around a murder during an anti immigration riot at an asylum hotel in Oxford and the various reveals are surprising and unexpected.
The French detective certainly put a twist and turn for one of the Ryan's along with a storyline that has become incredibly enjoyable about fathers and sons.
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
This one revolves around a murder during an anti immigration riot at an asylum hotel in Oxford and the various reveals are surprising and unexpected.
The French detective certainly put a twist and turn for one of the Ryan's along with a storyline that has become incredibly enjoyable about fathers and sons.
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
March 19, 2026
The two mismatched detectives return to tackle a new case as race riots erupt in Oxford and a man is set ablaze. Once again, the author delivers a fast paced, gripping police procedural. The story is smart and gritty, yet filled with plenty of humour, and both DI Wilkins are interesting characters. As with the other books in the series, Ryan's relationship with his son is adorable, and in this book Ray is struggling with fatherhood. Excellently narrated by Matt Addis who brings the characters to life.
March 20, 2026
This is a great series, and I love Simon Mason's writing. Every book maintains the quality of the story, and every new title contains news surprises (as this one does).
I love the growth and change evident in these characters, and I love the fact that Mason lets different characters be heroes in their own way. Every book has a moment that makes me want to stand up and cheer. Hurrah for the Ryan WIlkins series!
I love the growth and change evident in these characters, and I love the fact that Mason lets different characters be heroes in their own way. Every book has a moment that makes me want to stand up and cheer. Hurrah for the Ryan WIlkins series!
March 26, 2026
This was pretty topical - opening with rioting outside a hotel being used to accommodate asylum seekers. I enjoyed this for all the usual reasons, although Ryan perhaps behaved better than Ray in this instalment. There were plenty of good twists and the sense of place is as strong as ever.
March 18, 2026
Better than ever
This book has everything.Action,humour and emotion.An up to date story with amongst others a brilliant little four year old.Daddy! And "Don't sweat Daddy!"
This book has everything.Action,humour and emotion.An up to date story with amongst others a brilliant little four year old.Daddy! And "Don't sweat Daddy!"
March 19, 2026
Great book, excellent narration!
March 22, 2026
back on track
This book in the series seems to be back on track with good writing, Humour and a good case. I didn’t feel the last book was so good but pleased to see this one is.
This book in the series seems to be back on track with good writing, Humour and a good case. I didn’t feel the last book was so good but pleased to see this one is.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews