The Oxford Detective Society

The Oxford Detective Society #1

by Faith Martin

As the Oxford Detective Society tackle their first case, someone is determined that a long-buried mystery should stay hidden…

Oxford biographer Lyssa Moore is delighted to be commissioned to write about Amelia ‘Monty’ Montrose, the 1960s music icon who died mysteriously at her birthday party in 1966. But as Lyssa delves into Monty’s past, she discovers the wild child portrayed by the press was hiding far more than anyone knew.

And someone is taking a very keen interest in Lyssa’s research. Her flat has been broken into, her phone is acting strangely, and she has a feeling she is being followed. Is Lyssa getting too close to a dangerous truth—was there more to Monty’s death than a tragic accident?

With the help of her cat Bibbie and her Oxford friends, who form the Oxford Detective Society, Lyssa must uncover what really happened sixty years ago. Because in Oxfordshire’s country houses and picture-perfect gardens, the past refuses to stay buried…

The Oxford Detective Society starts a brand-new, incredibly gripping murder mystery series.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Crime, British Literature

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2026

About the author

Faith Martin is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton, who is best known for her popular detective series, starring Detective Inspector Hillary Greene.

As Joyce Cato, she writes more classically-inspired 'cosy' murder mysteries, such as the Monica Noble mystery series.

As Maxine Barry, her latest romance novels are now available from Corazon Books.

As Jessie Daniels, her 'spooky' crime novel, The Lavender Lady Casefile came out in November 2017.

Reviews

[Brenda]

Lyssa Moore was an author and when she was approached to write the biography of wealthy 1960s music icon, Amelia ‘Monty’ Montrose, she was thrilled. She loved the music from that era, and knew - from past accolades of her biographies - that she could do Monty justice. But as she dug deeply into the past, she discovered much about Monty that saw her moniker of "wild child" justified. Having died at her own birthday party, not long after her lover had also died, the media had a field day. There was much written; now Lyssa just had to find it. Her research saw her interviewing relatives of the people connected, who had long since died, but would they know anything?

When strange things began happening to and around Lyssa, she became worried. Was she stirring a hornet's nest? Were there people out there who would stop at nothing to avoid the past being known now? She needed to speak to the woman who had commissioned the book...

The Oxford Detective Society is the 1st in a new series of the same name, by popular, well known author Faith Martin and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lyssa is a gentle, but determined young woman, with a few good friends who mostly lived in her apartment complex, and had her back. I've loved this author's work, especially the DI Hillary Greene series, and it's especially good to get back into some more murder mysteries by her. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for my digital ARC to read and review.

[Marcie Reads]

🕵️ 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺.

Kristin Atherton's narration was easily the highlight of this audiobook. Her distinct voices and accents brought so much personality to the characters that she elevated the entire experience.

The mystery kept me interested, but I never really connected with the characters. The pacing was slower than I usually enjoy, and the descriptive writing often lingered longer than necessary. Even the final reveal wrapped everything up neatly rather than delivering the "wow" moment I was hoping for.

If you enjoy slow, atmospheric British mysteries, this may be right up your alley. Unfortunately, it just wasn't the right fit for me.

Thank you to Faith Martin, Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Watchdogg]

Intro -

Oxford biographer Lyssa Moore is delighted to be commissioned to write about Amelia ‘Monty’ Montrose, the 1960s music icon who died mysteriously at her birthday party in 1966. But as Lyssa delves into Monty’s past, she discovers the wild child portrayed by the press was hiding far more than anyone knew.


My takeaway -

I can easily understand the reasons behind the rather high rating for this debut series mystery. There are plenty of clues discovered everywhere Lyssa turns. Nonetheless, my standards are somewhat different and account for my 3-star rating. For me to really enjoy and highly rate a mystery, it has to be believable. That is, the investigation has to take a normal course of reveal and disappointment with only an exceptional coincidence or two that seemingly might occur under normal circumstances. However, in this nonfiction writer's investigation turned mystery there are just too many investigative leads that go beyond my stretch of imagination to make it believable. Furthermore, the first third of the book seemed to me a tutorial on researching for writing a biography.

[Joan]

great read

An interesting story and mystery. Loved the characters. So glad to see this is book #1. Looking forward to more of Lyssa’s story and the Oxford Detective Society.

[Harry]

Hardly a mystery. I learned way more about the clothes character were wearing, what they were eating and their hairstyles in the first 75 pages than anything mysterious. This seems to be chic lit with mystery sprinkled in. Author would be well advised to read S. S. Van Dine's 20 rules of mystery writing.

[Pgchuis]

This was an Amazon Prime First Read. Lyssa is a ghostwriter/biographer, living in Oxford. This is clearly a set up for a series, since the 'Oxford Detective Society' is only jokingly used to refer to Lyssa, her friend Frieda and neighbours Jason and Carter. Lyssa is asked by a descendant to investigate and write the biography of a woman who was the girlfriend of the lead singer of a band in the 1960s, but it seems her client has an ulterior motive.

At times this could be a bit repetitive, and there was definitely a lot for Lyssa to discover, when she wasn't being followed or surveilled or run off the road. Then there was the receipt for a storage unit belonging to her dead husband, which she knew nothing about (I wanted to hear more about this) and mysterious neighbour Neville (who at one point I thought might be a spy - spoiler, he isn't!).

Harmless, but a bit cosy for me.

[Nadine Harris]

Good idea, but very confusing to follow and rather dull. The writing is flat and the characters are too.

[Edie]

The Oxford Detective Agency is a promising start to a new mystery series by Faith Martin. It is best appreciated as a mood read. Nothing about the book stands out as exceptional and yet the overall reading experience is cozy and satisfying. I was never bored. This is the book you pick up when you want to sink into a charming story filled with memorable characters, details, and settings. Honestly, this is probably a three-star book elevated by Kristin Atherton's fantastic narration into a four-star experience. While I appreciate the high of a five-star book, charming, cozy, familiar stories like this are the bread and butter of my reading life. We all need them. Like a lovely cup of tea, they quietly keep me from spiraling on my worst days. Thank you to everyone involved in the audioARC production, including Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley.

[Merry]

A cozy mystery that turned out to be much better than expected! A talented ghost writer is hired to write a biography of a person who had died decades before. The assignment turns out to be rather dangerous, with various "mysteries" to be solved. Of course there are some things that don't really makes sense; nevertheless it was a fun read - and free from Amazon First Reads!

[David Stimpson]

Good new series

A new Series from Faith Martin. This Lady is a very Good Story teller and I like the New Characters and this could turn out to be a Great Series

[Shereadbookblog]

Amanda “Monty" Montrose was the girlfriend of the lead singer of a fleetingly popular rock group in the 60s. Tragically, she died young, her questionable death ruled an accident. During her lifetime, the press relentlessly criticized her. Lyssa Moore, a writer specializing in biographies, is commissioned by a descendant of Monty’s to set the record straight about the young woman. As Lyssa begins researching, it seems there may be people who don’t want her looking into Monty's life. When Lyssa discovers her phone has been bugged, the woman who hired her begins acting strangely, and a man living in Lyssa’s building is tracking all of her comings and goings, her friends bind together to support her, forming what they call The Oxford Detective Society.

I am a fan of Faith Martin’s DI Hillary Green and Ryder/Loveday series and was excited to read this first installment of a new series featuring Lyssa Moore.

With an intriguing plot, red herrings, twists, an Oxford setting, a nostalgic look back at the 60s and good character development, this was an enjoyable read. I like this new main character and the colorful cast of friends surrounding her. I look forward to the next installment, especially since there is a hint of a romance to come.

This is an excellent opportunity to get on the ground floor of a promising new series by a renowned British author.



Thanks to @NetGalley and @AmazonPublishing @ThomasandMercer for the DRC.

[Cindy]

Lyssa, a ghostwriter, is commissioned to write the story of a young woman who was the muse for a successful 60’s rock band but who died tragically, just a few months after the death of her boyfriend, the band’s lead singer.
To get at the truth, Lyssa starts digging up facts that belie the young woman’s “wild child” image. But some of the locals don’t want Lyssa to know too much. With the help of her cat and her mates, they dub themselves The Oxford Detective Society.
In the hands of Faith Martin, this new cozy mystery series delivers an intriguing and layered plot in an Oxford setting, not unlike the Hilary Greene detective series. However, with the writing and research skills of Lyssa as the focus, the cases should be different and interesting. The audiobook narration is excellent. I look forward to reading/listening to more in this promising new series.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook of #TheOxfordDetectiveSociety for review purposes. It is now available.

[Jack Hance]

I enjoyed this book, particularly the first two-thirds. Lyssa is a strong protagonist, and she has a good supporting cast, though the title was really a minor joke in the dialogue, she works alone. Monty was a tragic presence, misunderstood and maligned by all, and the quest to bring her some Justice was compelling. As often happens in mystery novels, the author got 90% through the book without a resolution, setting off a whirlwind of plot movement to tie things up in a chapter or two. The villains here were pretty superficial, and in the end put up really no fight at all, and were wrapped up in a few sentences of Lyssa’s internal monologue. I liked the tribute to Monty in the epilogue, though.

[Sasush]

Fun read!

[Ian]

Is it possible it enjoy a story without really enjoying the book? In this tale of a writer researching the biography of a woman involved with a 1960s pop group it certainly was for me. It’s an intriguing story with some nice twists and good characters.

There’s nothing really wrong with the writing, it’s clean and free of errors but it never really sparkles. It also feels like it’s trying too hard in places with some slightly jarring word choices. While the plot unrolls at a steady pace with building tension it then goes for a sort of sprint finish with a final chapter that neatly ties everything up in one go.

Slightly disappointing then but I did get it for free on Kindle First Reads.

[Belinda]

What is with the adverbs? I read a few of the Hillary Greene novels and I would swear Martin never used to write like this. Maybe I was less discerning. Adverbs are why I gave up on the Loveday books but I thought perhaps Martin had lost a bet, it was so egregious all of a sudden. Fully 90 percent of all dialogue attributions are modified with an adverb. It’s morbidly fascinating. (Yes, I used one. ONE.) Characters can’t just speak, it has to be quickly, calmly, stoutly, firmly, pathetically, confusedly, obstinately, hungrily or morosely, and that’s one brief conversation! There are other parts of speech that can be used to set scenes and illustrate emotions to greater effect. Three pages in, and every -ly makes me cringe. Judicious use of modifiers can be an enhancement, but this sandblasting approach is horrible pagecraft.

[Yvonne (It's All About Books)]

Finished reading: August 9th 2026


*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

REVIEW

WARNING: it's another unpopular opinion!!

There is just something about listening to cozy mysteries on audio that always seems to hit the spot for me, so I simply couldn't resist The Oxford Detective Society when I came across this new series. The blurb kind of gave me The Thursday Murder Club vibes with the group of friends turned amateur detectives, and I loved that bookish angle with the main character being a biographer. I was also very much intrigued by Monty's story and that 1960s music reference, and I've been looking forward to dive in... But somehow I ended up having mixed thoughts about this cozy mystery instead. I'll try to explain what did and didn't work for me below.

I can't deny that I still like the general idea behind The Oxford Detective Society, and especially the part relating to Amelia 'Monty' Montrose's life and death. The 1960s music scene made for such a great backdrop, and I enjoyed learning a bit more about Monty. I could also appreciate the fact that main character Lyssa Moore is a biographer, as it's not an angle I've seen often before in books and I liked watching the progress of Lyssa investigating her new subject (Monty) and how she tried unearthing new information about her life and about the night she tragically died.

BUT. Unfortunately, I don't think that this book actually delivers what the blurb had promised, because the so-called Oxford Detective Society hardly seems to be involved in the whole investigation at all. Sure, they meet up with Lyssa and casually chat with her, with them being neighbors and friends and all, but they hardly contribute anything to the whole investigation... And this supposed Thursday Murder Club vibe was what had me most excited to read The Oxford Detective Society, so it was quite a disappointment that it simply wasn't there. I found both title and blurb to be quite misleading to be honest; even Wild Thing would have been more appropriate as it's the title of Monty's biography.

I also struggled considerably with the pace, which was slower than expected and meandering feel of the plot didn't really help either. The fact that a lot of the investigating consists of Lyssa interviewing elderly characters didn't really help either, as there of course wasn't much excitement to be found here. Sure, things did get better in the second half when certain events start taking place, but part of the plot was surprisingly dull for such an interesting topic. I wasn't sure what to make of the characters either, as I felt that they simply weren't developed enough to stand out beyond stereotypes.

I do have to give credit where credit is due, and the audiobook itself is fantastic. I think I've found a new favorite narrator in Kristin Atherton, because her performance in The Oxford Detective Society was absolutely brilliant. She made this audiobook almost feel like listening to a full cast audio, because she gave every single character a distinctive voice... Using different tones and accents successfully to make it extremely easy to keep them all apart, and switching between the different voices even within the same conversation. Her performance was definitely one of the main reasons I ended up enjoying this book despite its flaws! I cannot recommend this format enough if you want to try this book.

[John Barberio]

When commissioned to write a biography of a long dead 60's girl, Lyssa finds herself embroiled in a mystery over her death. Was it suicide, accident or murder? Many of the people from the time have died or very old. It all revolves around the dead girl and her lover,lead singer of group famous at the time. Are there any documents? Lyssa has to track it all down.

[Jan Madole]

A Fun Read

The story was fun and kept my interest for sure. The writing is smooth and easy to read. The characters feel like friends.

[Ken the incredible]

By a complete coincidence I read two books in succession based on the concept of a biographer investigating the life and circumstances of the deceased, whose death may be unnatural. This book is far better than the one I read immediately before. These stories are always a degree implausible because otherwise there wouldn't be a plot but this story handles the mysteries very well.
The deceased death is set in the 60s, which allows considerable latitude in procedures of the time. The narrator and biographer, Lyssa Moore, her friend Frieda and neighbours Jason and Carter, form the 'Oxford Detective Society' which is basically a support group for Lyssa and not, at this point, an amateur sleuthing society.
A descendant of the deceased, Elizabeth, contracts Lyssa to write a biography about Amanda Montrose (Monty) who was the wealthy girlfriend of the lead singer of a short lived rock group in the 60s performing under the highly unlikely name of "Lucky Cuckoos" whose output completed with the Rolling Stones, Kinks etc. but the snippets of lyrics show it to be rather more balladic and tragic. Monty was mercilessly criticised in the media during her life. She died tragically in her 20s, at her own birthday party, by falling into and drowning in a pond. Her death declared accidental by the coroner but there were several who thought that she had been murdered motivated by jealousy. Lyssa is commissioned to use a biography to set the record straight and properly attribute her with human values that motivated her charitable activities.
As soon as Lyssa commences research she becomes aware of malevolent, mysterious interest. There are people who don’t want her to uncover certain facts which are not detailed until quite late in the book, when these facts are indeed discovered.
Lyssa suspects that her phone and laptop are being bugged. Discovering whether this is true adds considerably to the complexity of the plot. As Lyssa uncovers information, her commissioner begins acting strangely. A man living in Lyssa’s building is suspected of tracking her and there are various cars spotted behind her at points in the narrative. Whether these are sinister or not, is another interesting diversion.
The story generates an enormous number of characters, dealing with the members of the pop group and their families at the time, and at least two generations following. I found it difficult to keep track on who they were and how they were related, particularly if I put the book down for an hour to perform necessary activities like sleeping. So I completed the book very quickly!

[Debra Jo Reads]

I really enjoyed The Oxford Detective Society. This isn’t a traditional investigative mystery, which was actually one of the things I liked most about it. The main character is an author hired to write a biography, and through her research she begins uncovering information that could completely change what has been believed about a sixty-year-old crime.

I loved the Oxford setting and the atmosphere had just the right tone. This isn’t an especially dark story, but it certainly isn’t light and cheerful either. There’s a subtle, underlying sense of something ominous running through it, particularly as we learn more about the young, vivacious woman whose life was cut far too short.

The pacing is slow and deliberate, but it never felt as though the story was dragging. It suited the way the mystery unfolds through research, conversations, and small discoveries about a crime that happened decades ago. There was always a sense of forward movement, just at a quieter pace, and I enjoyed being able to settle into the story and watch the pieces gradually come together.

The other members of the Oxford Detective Society don’t play a huge role in this first book beyond being friends, sounding boards, and occasionally helping things along, but I liked all of them. They’re each a little quirky and bring some welcome humor to the story without ever becoming over-the-top or obnoxious. Since this is labeled Book 1, I’m hoping we’ll see the group become more involved as the series continues because I’ll definitely be continuing.

I especially enjoyed the way everything came together. The wrap-up and epilogue were extremely satisfying, with the questions answered and the story given a proper conclusion. No dangling threads or lingering questions. Just a really solid ending.

🎧 Narration: Kristin Atherton was a great fit for this story. Her tone matched the atmosphere perfectly, and I particularly liked the way she adjusted her delivery to fit the mood of each scene. The narration never overwhelmed the story, but complemented it beautifully.

A very solid start to a series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Oxford Detective Society gets themselves into next.

[Linniegayl]

This is the first in a series set in Oxford featuring Lyssa Moore, a biography. As the book opens, we're giving a scene from the 1960s in which a young woman, heavily involved with a rock band, dies. Fast forward to the present day, and Lyssa is asked to write the biography of the woman.

As Lyssa conducts her interviews for the book, we're introduced to a lot of characters who are distant relations of people involved with the dead woman. Some of the scenes are told from the POV of the characters, and we learn quickly about people who have ulterior motives. Many have bad intentions directed at Lyssa, seeming to want to stop her from learning more. However, the final solution doesn't occur until very late in the book.

No, there is no official "Oxford Detetive Society." One of Lyssa's friends mentions in an off-handed member that they could be called that. Perhaps they will play a part in future books in the series, but that really didn't bother me.

[P.R.]

I found this a little convoluted, and at times I struggled not to give up. Perhaps the reason was that so much of the plot involved interviews with elderly or not very interesting people? The plot was quite good, the main characters quite likeable, and most people were not hard up for money, to say the least. I had hoped that the Oxford setting would be more intrusive, but it wasn't.

Three stars. Would I read it again? No.

[Marilyn Neve]

Good but not really Great.

This book was good and had some interesting characters that evidently will be brought into the second installment of this series. The main character Lyssa was good at her job but seemed to ignore some very obvious clues and dangers - which was very frustrating! I haven't determined yet if I'm going to read the second book or not. I believe it comes out in April of 2027 so I have some time to decide!

[Franzuas]

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! The characters were easy to like, the mystery kept me guessing, and the Oxford setting made it even more enjoyable. If you like character-driven mysteries with plenty of twists and no graphic content, I definitely recommend giving this one a try. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series and can’t wait to read more by Faith Martin!

[Heather Richards]

🎧 Daisy Jones and the Six, but make it a murder mystery told through the eyes of a biographer researching the death of one of the band’s most famous members.

I thought the audio narration was well done, but the story itself dragged at times.

I received an advanced listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Domino]

Gripping till the last word

A beautiful read with true suspense and twists and turns you don’t see coming. I loved it and can’t wait to read the next installment of the Oxford Detective Society.

[Gill]

Really good read about an author living in Oxford who is asked to write a biography about a wild child married to a famous rock star in the 1960s; they both died young! The story is based around her interviewing relatives and uncovering the mystery behind her death! 4.5 stars 🌟 🤩

[Samantha Morgan]

It was ok: a few editing errors here and there and a few times that I thought, “How convenient that this should happen now…” but it was entertaining and I really didn’t know who the murderer was until the confession, so…not bad! Just not one to set my literary world aflame.

[Rachel Stanley]

Cute and entertaining book! This book was different than other books I have read recently so I enjoyed that fresh change. Was very entertaining and kept me wanting to know what would happen. I also felt like the author did a decent job laying the seeds throughout the book, so that the ending was satisfying.