The Oxford Murders

Los crímenes de Oxford #1

by Guillermo Martínez, Sonia Soto (Translator)

Two mathematicians must join forces to stop a serial killer in this spellbinding international bestseller

It begins on a summer day in Oxford, when a young Argentine graduate student finds his landlady - an elderly woman who helped crack the Enigma Code during World War II - murdered in cold blood. Meanwhile, a renowned Oxford logician receives an anonymous note bearing a circle and the words "the first of a series." As the murders begin to pile up and more symbols are revealed, it is up to this unlikely pair to decipher the pattern before the killer strikes again.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, British Literature, Spanish Literature

197 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Guillermo Martínez is an Argentinian novelist and short story writer. He gained a PhD in mathematical logic at the University of Buenos Aires.

After his degree in Argentina, he worked for two years in a postdoctoral position at the Mathematical Institute, Oxford.

His most successful novel has been The Oxford Murders, written in 2003. In the same year, he was awarded the Planeta Prize for this novel, which has been translated into a number of languages.

Reviews

[TXGAL1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent challenging read…like an Easter egg hunt.

Math, inexplicable murders, Pythagorean Brotherhood, Fermat’s theorem. This diabolical tale had me scratching my head as I tried to stretch my brain and parse the clues.

Definitely a special murder mystery!

[Mohammad Hrabal · Rating 3 out of 5]

ناگهان پرسید «چرا ریاضی‌دان شدی؟»
گفتم «نمی‌دونم شاید اشتباه کردم. همیشه فکر می‌کردم رشته‌های علوم انسانیو ادامه می‌دم. شاید حقیقتی که تو قضیه‌های ریاضی می‌دیدم منو جذب خودش کرد، حقیقت فرازمانی، ابدی، متکی به خود و ضمنا کاملاً دموکراتیک. شما چرا ریاضیاتو انتخاب کردین؟»
سلدم گفت «چون به کسی آزار نمی‌رسونه. چون دنیاییه که هیچ ربطی به واقعیت نداره...» صفحه ۸۵ کتاب
انسان چیزی نیست غیر از رشته‌ای از فعالیت‌هایش. مث همه بچه‌ها کلمه‌ها رو دربست قبول کردم و آدما تو نظرم شدن یه مشت شکل موقتی و ناقص. یه مشت شکل کامل‌نشده که هیچ‌وقت نمی‌شه کامل فهمیده شون. متوجه شدم اگه آدم چیزی نباشه جز یه سری، که از کاراش تشکیل‌شده، تا نمیره نمی‌شه تعریفش کرد. یعنی فقط یه کار، آخرین کار، ممکنه تمام وجود قبلیشو پاک کنه و با همه لحظه‌های زندگیش در تضاد باشه. صفحه ۱۲۹ کتاب

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed that I forgot to include on my currently reading shelf. This paperback book was originally published in 2005, (translated by Sonia Soto) but still feels refreshing to read 20 years later. Interestingly enough, this book, was also made into a movie in 2007, starring, Elijah Wood and John Hurt.

It is about an Argentine man who shares his story of when he was a 22-year-old university student at Oxford in 1994. Of, how he was renting the basement of a brownstone owned by a Mrs. Eagleton who currently lived with her granddaughter Beth, and, once served on the Enigma Code project in WWII.

One day, when coming home from school with his second month’s rent, the student bumps into well-renowned Oxford logician, professor of logic, Arthur Seldom who is also lingering outside the door of his landlady. When no one answers, they decide to open the unlocked door and enter, and immediately find Mrs. Eagleton dead.

Who could have killed her and why?

With careful observation of the setting, questions ensue making readers wonder if someone could be following along with Seldom’s mathematical book’s clues and symbols about serial killers? Or could her death have something to do with Mrs. Eagleton’s past work on the Enigma Code? Who is leaving the cryptic clues and why?

The mix of mathematics and murder makes for an interesting premise, especially when the author holds a PhD in mathematics. As readers follow along, the solution may be unexpected, yet logical and surprising at the same time. (No spoilers from me.)

This is an easy-to-read, page-turning, thoughtful, cozy that should be pleasing to those who enjoy puzzle type mysteries.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel has more red herrings than a communist fish market.

But that's OK because I like novels that throws you off and keeps you guessing. Even if some of the herrings are obvious, there are always a few that swim by when you are not expecting them. The Oxford Murders is a nifty mystery about two Oxford academics that are trying to solve a murder and if it seems a little...well...academic. it's because it is. Martinez mixes a nice share of mathematics, Wittgensteinian philosophy and even some mythology to make a very different tale of murder. It may be the most fun book I ever read that involved mathematics professors, and we all know mathematics professors can be real party animals....or not.

[Susan Atherly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, if you've considered this book, do not do so for the mystery. It is not it's strong point. Also, this is not a palate cleanser book.

On the surface, this looks like very English murder mystery - amateur sleuths, a steely eyed intelligent DCI, a possible serial killer, and a little bit of the occult. That is not what the story is about. The real story is the dark side of human relationships and an exploration of philosophy (which often partners mathematics).

✔️ Dark Academia
✔️ A stranger in a strange land
✔️ A hint of magical realism (our protagonist IS Argentinean)
✔️ Symbolism galore

You may feel you need to Google some of the mathematical/ philosophical concepts.

[babelicious · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnfed at 39%

The way women were described in this book just seemed like a horny teenage boy would. It was like “tits tits tits. Wow. Ass. Hmmm, under that shirt could be some more ass. Tits again.”
The “sexy” talk definitely also seemed like a teenage boy’s fantasy. I didn’t really like it. It took me out of the reading flow.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

اثري در قالب يك داستان معمايي و جنايي كه به مسائل مهم رياضي و فلسفي نيز مي پردازد، درواقع از نويسنده اي كه دكتراي منطق رياضيات داشته و به ادبيات و فلسفه علاقه مند است مي توان چنين رماني انتظار داشت.
#قسمتي_از_كتاب
انسان چيزي نيست جز رشته اي از فعاليت هايش، يك مشت شكل كامل نشده كه هيچ وقت نميشه كامل فهميدشون، در واقع اگه آدم چيزي نباشه جز يك سري كه از كاراش تشكيل شده، تا نميره نميشه تعريفش كرد، حتي يك كار، آخرين كار مي تونه همه ي وجود قبليشو پاك كنه و با همه ي لحظه هاي زندگيش در تضاد باشه.
#جنايات_نامحسوس
#cheshmehpublication #نشر_چشمه #گي_يرمو_مارتنيس #ونداد_جلیلی #ادبيات_اسپانيا #جايزه_پلانه تا #مطالعه_کنیم #كتاب_بخوانيم #رمان_خارجی #premio_planeta

[Labijose · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Los crímenes de Oxford” es una novela que tenía potencial para más. Es interesante, es corta, pero no llega a despegar del todo, quedándose a medio camino. Los personajes tampoco ayudan mucho, pues están mínimamente desarrollados. Es una especie de “Código Da Vinci” que se pierde en disquisiciones que no terminan de funcionar.
Típica lectura veraniega, que a mí no me dejó ninguna huella, pero que tampoco lamenté haber leído.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

ریاضی باشه ریاضی‌دان باشه قتل باشه قاتلم باشه دیگه چی میخوایم؟!
داشتم فکر میکردم با کلی بدبختی مهاجرت کنی از ایران، بری کشور غریب و خیلی ناخواسته و یهویی درگیر فرضیه قتل بشی هیجان انگیز میشه ها نه؟! :)))
اخرین باری که کتابی شامل این عناصر خوندم فداکاری مظنون ایکس بود البته برعکس این کتاب، تمرکزش تماما بر فرضیه قتل بود اما اینجا خواننده ببشتر درگیر سری‌های ریاضی و مباحث فلسفیه تقریبا قاتل از همون ابتدای کتاب شناخته شدست پس فقط می‌تونم بگم باید از مسیر لذت ببرین :)
به عنوان کتاب جنایی‌ای که یه لحظه هم ازش غافل نمونی نمیشه شناختش ولی برای من کتاب شیرینی بود خیلی ازش بدم نیومد.
مثل اینکه یه اقتباس خیلی نافرم هم به اسم the oxford murders داره، امتیاز منتقدینش به شدت کمه!!!!

[Paul Secor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much of a "mystery" - I had it pegged maybe 1/3 of the way through - except for the spin at the end. That would be ok if there were some positives offsetting it. Unfortunately, except for a few graceful passages of writing about Oxford (I've never been there, but what Mr. Martinez wrote felt real to me), there's not much I can say that's positive. The conversations about mathematics were boring and mostly beyond my understanding - not to mention false sounding (real mathematicians wouldn't have to explain basic things to one another.) I wouldn't expect Mr. Martinez to dumb his book down, but he should have found a way to explain the mathematics part of the story in a more believeable fashion. There were too many coincidences, and life's not that coincidental. And the characters either weren't very interesting or were left unexplored.
Would I ever reread this? No, I'd much rather watch an Inspector Morse or an Inspector Lewis video. Would I recommend it to a friend? Not unless I was planning on cutting off the friendship.
So two stars.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched about one third of the film (starring Frodo Baggins and Winston Smith) and I found the story quite good and interesting enough to switch over to the book before being spoiled by moving pictures.

A series of murders in Oxford, seemingly based on a logical sequence of symbols with some Wittgenstein philosopy, Gödel incompleteness and Heisenberg uncertainty added to the mix.

What’s not to like when mathematics meets murder and logical reasoning solves mysteries? Well, finding the one single “truth”, isn’t always that simple and sometimes even Occam’s razor doesn’t cut it right.

Recommended for crime-buffs.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

[Iulia · Rating 3 out of 5]

O lecturã agreabilã, de sezon. O poveste politistã presãratã cu teorii complicate de matematicã (vã mai amintiţi de şiruri de numere, de liniaritate, de Fibonacci, Fermat şi de Pitagora?). N-am înteles de ce în prezentarea cãrții s-a fãcut referire la codul Enigma, doar prima victimã participase în tinereţe la acea descoperire remarcabilã. Crime, matematicã, magie, ceva filozofie şi mult omenesc.

[Zahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

پیشنهاد میکنم عاشقان داستان های جنایی_معمایی مطالعه کنند، استدلال های هندسی و ریاضی به حل معمای قتل خواهند آمد.
آیا ریاضی دان جوان راز قتلهای زنجیره ای را کشف میکند؟
قاتل دقیقا کیست؟؟؟؟
تا پایان داستان راز را نخواهید دانست.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book a few years ago and never picked it up. When I reorganised one of my bookshelves, I came across it and decided to finally read it. I quite enjoyed it because I’m interested in philosophy but most parts about logic and mathematics went straight over my head. The plot is interesting enough, but it is a very short book in which you don’t really get to know the characters.
Overall an enjoyable quick read.

[Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ja vajadzētu īsi raksturot šo grāmatu, sauktu to par intelektuālo detektīvu. Daudz zinātnes, filozofijas, mazāk detektīva darbības. Nekādas slepkavas vajāšanas un cīņu ainas šeit nav atrodamas. Papildus prieks par referencēm uz vēsturiskajiem notikumiem.

[Austra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vairāk filozofijas, nekā izmeklēšanas, bet bija interesanti un patika. Arī noslēgums, kur var turpināt pakavēties pie morāles un motivācijas.

Pirms pārizdošanas gan būtu derējis arī pārlasīt esošo tulkojumu, nevis tikai uzlikt jaunu vāku, lai nepaliek visādi “ģēniji pudelē” un tamlīdzīgi brīnumi.

“Jebkura slepkavība, ikkatra nāve tik tikko liek ievirmoties ūdeņiem un kļūst nemanāma.”

[☆LaurA☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Altro libro letto per condividere (anche se mi sa che qualcuno bara) con mio figlio.
Il suo prof a questo giro si è spinto oltre il classico.
Un bel giallo matematico che, per un liceo scientifico, è la MORTE sua.
Molti rifermenti appunto a matematici e teoremi vari.
Contornato da musica e magia, questa lettura scorre via abbastanza bene.

[Lita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tāds diezgan viendimensionāls klasiska stila detektīvromāns ar matemātisku piesitienu. Ātra un viegla lasāmviela atslodzei, ja patīk šāda žanra darbi. Gribējās vairāk mistērijas un kaut kāda dziļuma, jo ideja šķita intriģējoša. Daļēja vilšanās laikam ir arī tādēļ, ka likās, ka lasu klasisku britu detektīvromānu argentīniešu rakstnieka izpildījumā... un nemanīju īsti nekādas latīņamerikāniskas vēsmas.

[Laura L. Van Dam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayer le decía a mi marido, "qué lindo, después de mucho tiempo, leer una novela en 2 tardes y quedar satisfecha". Parece que ahora la moda es sacar novelas de 600 páginas mínimo, así los compradores saben que hacen rendir su dinero (el contenido da lo mismo).
Esta novela entrega lo que promete: entretenida, agradable de leer, el misterio es interesante y sacando algunos desvaríos matemáticos y filosóficos que le dan cierta verosimilitud a la trama, no es tampoco muy rebuscada. (Aunque tuve que googlear a Wittgenstein, de quien no leí nunca nada). Todo esto en menos de 250 páginas.
Se le podría achacar que hay ciertos momentos donde parece que uno adivina el final, luego que no, nos distraen por acá y por allá, y como al protagonista, nos parece que hay algo muy obvio que no estamos viendo pero que lo vamos a descubrir en cualquier momento. El argumento por excelencia de toda buena novela policial.

No se puede hacer más lento


Como en el truco de René Lavand y que ocupa todo un capítulo del libro, la verdad es realmente simple, y nos han mostrado todos los indicios de manera totalmente obvia.

[Anni · Rating 4 out of 5]

SLEUTHING BY NUMBERS

This is a deceptively easy page-turner and more challenging than it first seems. The intriguing links between mathematics, magic and crime-solving make for a tongue-in-cheek take on the traditional cosy English murder mystery. What's more, the reader can enjoy the added bonus of painlessly absorbing some interesting philosophical concepts along the way.

Extract:-
'The mechanism for corroborating the truth that goes all the way back to Aristotle and Euclid, the proud machinery that starts from true statements, from irrefutable first principles, and advances in strictly logical steps towards a thesis - what we call the axiomatic method - is sometimes just as inadequate as the unreliable, approximative criteria applied by the law.'

P.S. There is a film based on this novel starring John Hurt and other notable actors. I haven't seen it but it got very poor reviews - so probably best to avoid!

Reviewed for www.whichbook.net

[Arash · Rating 3 out of 5]

آدم وقتی به یه جهت نگاه کنه، همه ی جهت های دیگه از دیدش بیرون میره. وقتی از یه راهِ ممکن جلو بره، تو زمان واقعی پیش میره و شاید دیگه فرصت تغییر مسیر نداشته باشه. به پیترسن هم گفتم، من از این نمی ترسم که اشتباه کنم، بیشتر از همه از چیزی می ترسم که همه ی عمرم اتفاق افتاده : که چیزی که تو فکرمه به بدترین شکل اتفاق بیفته.
#جنایات_نامحسوس روایت قتلهاییست سریالی که در آکسفورد رخ میدن و به نظر میاد قاتل از کتاب یک ریاضیدان نابغه استفاده میکنه تا قتلها رو با تستفاده از نمادها و ریاضیات انجام بده.
داستان خیلی روی بخش جناییش متمرکز نیست، بیشتر به توصیف نظریه های ریاضی و فلسفی میپردازه. کتاب خیلی سرگرم کننده ای نیست ولی راحت میشه خوندش اگر به جنایت و از جمله ریاضیات علاقه دارین.

نشر چشمه هم تازگیا طرح جلدهاش خیلی خوب و متفکرانه و مرتبط با محتوای کتاب شده که خیلی بهتر از قبله.

[Daria Fujino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Не очікувала нічого від цієї книги - оцінка на Гудрідз до того й спонукає, але це виявився на диво непоганий детектив про молодого математика, який приїздить на стажування до Оксфорду і мимоволі стає учасником детективного розслідування.
● написано у стилі класичного англійського детективу
● гарний переклад
● цікаві математичні дискусії (і таке буває)
● загадкові вбивства дії одного маніяка, чи все складніше ніж видається на перший погляд

[LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

First Sentence: Now that the years have passed and everything’s been forgotten, and now that I’ve received a terse e-mail from Scotland with the sad news of Seldom’s death, I feel I can break my silence (which he never asked for anyway) and tell the truth about events that reached the British papers in the summer of ’93 with macabre and sensationalist headlines, but to which Seldom and I always referred – perhaps due to the mathematical connotation – simply as the series, or the Oxford Series.

An Argentinean graduate student comes to Oxford taking a room within the house of an elderly lady who had helped decipher the Enigma Code during WWII. He meets Arthur Seldom, a renowned logician who is an idol of his. When the student finds his landlady murdered in her parlor, he learns Seldom had received an anonymous note containing a symbol and indication that this was only the first murder to come.

I must confess that math and puzzles of logic are a foreign language to me so many of the discussions in this book were beyond me. As a mystery, it didn’t have much to offer.

Normally, I love books set in England. Here, it didn’t really matter as there was no real sense of place. There was also little character development, including the fact that we never new the name of the narrator nor had any real reason to care about any of the characters.

The book read very flat. There was nothing to draw me in; no suspense, no fascinating characters, no strong sense of place, and event the murders were uneventful. The worst was that I identified the killer almost immediately and, in spite of the twists which ended up being rather silly. I found the ending totally unsatisfying.

The best thing is that the book was short and enables me to move on to my next book very quickly. Mathematicians or logisticians might enjoy this book. I recommend mystery lovers give it a pass.

THE OXFORD MURDERS (Ama. Sleuths-Argentine student/Arthur Seldom-England-Cont) – Poor
Martínez, Guillermo – Standalone
Penguin Books, 2005, Trade paperback – ISBN: 014303796X

[Cititoare Calatoare · Rating 4 out of 5]

O poveste cu mister, matematica si crime, scrisa elegant si usor de citit. O lectura agreabila, dar comparatia cu Codul Enigma din prezentare mi-a ridicat asteptarile mai mult decat ar fi trebuit. Finalul surprinde, dar nu zguduie.

Gasiti recenzia completa pe pagina mea de instagram @reading_on_my_way

[♡ Martina ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Se non siete amanti della matematica e della filosofia ve ne sconsiglio la lettura!
Il romanzo tratta di una serie di omicidi commessi negli anni 90 a Oxford in cui i simboli matematici sono sia il filo conduttore sia la firma dell'assassino che sfida l'illustre matematico Arthur Seldom a venire a capo del rompicapo da lui congeniato, accompagnato da uno studente argentino (il cui nome è talmente impronunciabile da non essere menzionato nel libro).
Lo stile è molto lento e prolisso in cui le spiegazioni di matematica, logica e filosofia si intrecciano tra di loro permeando l'intera storia, non lasciando alcuno spazio alla caratterizzazione dei personaggi, principali e secondari, e alle descrizioni facendo risultare il tutto piatto ma allo stesso tempo interessante riuscendo a catturare il lettore nonostante gli argomenti ostici.

[Esther (La ingeniosa hidalga) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5.
Muy, muy, muy aburrido. Hace mucho tiempo... No, miento, NUNCA me he echado a la cara una novela de misterio tan soberanamente aburrida como esta. He escuchado el audiolibro y tenía que hacer unos esfuerzos sobrehumanos para concentrarme.
Lo único que merece la pena es la resolución del caso, que es bastante interesante y logra sorprender un poco (un poco, eh) al lector, pero todo el recorrido es tan aburrido e insustancial que cuando llegas al final lo único que quieres es que termine ya.
Escuché este audiolibro porque había otro del autor que me llamaba la atención, "Los crímenes de Alicia", en el que aparece el mismo protagonista y pensé en leer este primero por si había similitudes en la trama o algún detalle que necesitaba conocer, pero visto lo visto se me han quitado todas las ganas de leer nada más de este señor. Y encima esta novela se llevó el Premio Planeta Argentina. Vale que en general el Planeta es un premio del que no se esperan grandes cosas pero lo de este libro es sangrante.
La estrella y media se la lleva sobre todo por el final y por una frase que a mí me ha parecido tremendamente iluminadora: "la repetición crea deseos, y el deseo crea obsesiones".

[Ele0n0ra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segunda vez que lo leo y qué bueno poder disfrutar de releer una historia que me tuvo enganchada desde la primer página y sorprendió el final, la primera vez, por inesperado pero en esta, sabiéndolo, pude encontrar cosas que antes habia pasado por alto.
Un placer cada una de sus historias y una película pendiente desde hace muchos años.

[مِستر کثافت درونگرا · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتابیه متشکل از ایده های فلسفی تعدادی فیلسوف و بازی با ریاضیات و فیزیک در قالب داستانی جنایی و کمی پر کشش
همین :)

[Gary Guinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My actual rating for The Oxford Murders is probably about 3.5 stars because Guillermo Martinez is a good writer. But I would describe this book as a novel written by a mathematician for mathematicians. Almost all the characters, except for the detective, are either professional or amateur mathematicians--including the first victim. And a significant percentage of the 197 pages of the novel consist not of story, but of one mathematician talking to another mathematician about some other mathematician or about some theory of mathematics. Short sections of narrative action, with just enough occasional romance and a little sex, are interspersed like small oases in a desert of cognition.

This may sound worse than I intend it to. I did enjoy reading the novel, though its brevity is probably a good thing. And the ending is an interesting twist. And it does have Oxford as a setting, after all. I give the novel a qualified recommendation. It's hard to escape the reality that any crime drama set in Oxford is just asking to be compared to Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series (and, of course, the Inspector Lewis spin-off and the Endeavor spin-off on the telly). Not an easy thing to live up to.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like watching Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis. (Okay, for Inspector Lewis it's because I like Hathaway, but still). I liked Numbers for a bit.

I didn't like this book.

Sometimes I don't mind when you can figure out the solution by page 30. The Blood Doctor is somewhat like that but it is still a good read because of the characters.

Not interesting characters here.

And boy, did I mind.

And the book is like Numbers but after the first season and a half, you know when it got stupid (Honestly, Charlie has to tell the FBI, including a profiler, that they should negoiate!!) and then every single storyline Charlie is alway right and never, ever wrong because he's like God or something.

And math people wouldn't explain all that stuff to each other. Honestly, they really wouldn't. And I'm sorry, the guy becomes so smart about murder because he read crime novels? Novels mean fiction. He should be reading real accounts. I hope that was a translation issue. I hate Miss Marple (unless its Rutherford; she's just grand).