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Museum Mysteries #3
Murder at the Ashmolean
1895. A senior executive at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is found in his office with a bullet hole between his eyes, a pistol discarded close by. The death has officially been ruled as suicide by local police, but with an apparent lack of motive for such action, the museum’s administrator, Gladstone Marriott, suspects foul play. With his cast-iron reputation for shrewdness, formed during his time investigating the case of Jack the Ripper alongside Inspector Abberline, private enquiry agent Daniel Wilson is a natural choice to discreetly explore the situation, ably assisted by his partner, archaeologist-cum-detective Abigail Fenton.
Yet their enquiries are hindered from the start by an interfering lone agent from Special Branch, ever secretive and intimidating in his methods. With rumours of political ructions from South Africa, mislaid artefacts and a lost Shakespeare play, Wilson and Fenton soon find themselves tangled in bureaucracy. Making unlikely alliances, the pair face players who live by a different set of rules and will need their intellect and ingenuity to reveal the secrets of the aristocracy.
Yet their enquiries are hindered from the start by an interfering lone agent from Special Branch, ever secretive and intimidating in his methods. With rumours of political ructions from South Africa, mislaid artefacts and a lost Shakespeare play, Wilson and Fenton soon find themselves tangled in bureaucracy. Making unlikely alliances, the pair face players who live by a different set of rules and will need their intellect and ingenuity to reveal the secrets of the aristocracy.
347 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2019
62 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Jim Eldridge
160 books152 followersJim Eldridge is the author of many books for children, including titles in the My Story series, the Warpath books, and How to Handle Grown-Ups. He has had 250 TV scripts broadcast in the UK and internationally for children's and teen television, and is also the creator and writer of Radio 4's long-running comedy-drama series, King Street Junior.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 24, 2022
4 ⭐ = Good.
This is the third in the series that I've read and this had been my favourite so far. I like a Victorian setting and my only criticism would be that, at times, it feels like it is set in present times, due to the dialogue.
A detailed plot, but not so complicated that it becomes difficult to follow.
This is the third in the series that I've read and this had been my favourite so far. I like a Victorian setting and my only criticism would be that, at times, it feels like it is set in present times, due to the dialogue.
A detailed plot, but not so complicated that it becomes difficult to follow.
May 22, 2021
3.75*
Very easy read. The premise of always featuring a famous museum as the setting works rather well. I do like museums :0) My problem is usually with the fact that the two leads are a bit anachronistic - way too modern in their beliefs and behaviours. Still, it is not that big of an issue. The plot in this one was also better than usual, with some very interesting developments.
Very easy read. The premise of always featuring a famous museum as the setting works rather well. I do like museums :0) My problem is usually with the fact that the two leads are a bit anachronistic - way too modern in their beliefs and behaviours. Still, it is not that big of an issue. The plot in this one was also better than usual, with some very interesting developments.
February 16, 2020
This one has enough references to previous details that it's really necessary to read the series in order.
I wasn't sure about whether I cared if this might be the final book at one point; it was filling time, but the plot just wasn't grabbing me. However, there are a couple more forthcoming titles, which I intend to read. Problem may have been that these were seeming a bit like modern characters in a Victorian setting I suppose. The Oxford police inspector was such a cool guy that it's a shame there likely won't be more books set there!
Change of narrator was nearly seamless.
I wasn't sure about whether I cared if this might be the final book at one point; it was filling time, but the plot just wasn't grabbing me. However, there are a couple more forthcoming titles, which I intend to read. Problem may have been that these were seeming a bit like modern characters in a Victorian setting I suppose. The Oxford police inspector was such a cool guy that it's a shame there likely won't be more books set there!
Change of narrator was nearly seamless.
August 21, 2021
I enjoy this series.
As a British mystery series this is better than most. It is well-written, with intelligent, likable characters, well-conceived plots and plenty of excitement.
I particularly enjoy the relationship between Daniel and Abigail. They swap the roles normally played by making Abigail the one who is hot-headed, stubborn and often taking foolish risks to catch the bad guys, and Daniel the calm, thoughtful, cool-headed one who exercises control and keeps his partner from doing something likely to get her killed . . . usually.
If you enjoy British mysteries set during the period when the aristocracy still got away with murder - literally! - and when the police had to be very clever to catch criminals, this may be a series you enjoy. I would definitely read other books in this series. It is an entertaining, dependably enjoyable mystery series.
As a British mystery series this is better than most. It is well-written, with intelligent, likable characters, well-conceived plots and plenty of excitement.
I particularly enjoy the relationship between Daniel and Abigail. They swap the roles normally played by making Abigail the one who is hot-headed, stubborn and often taking foolish risks to catch the bad guys, and Daniel the calm, thoughtful, cool-headed one who exercises control and keeps his partner from doing something likely to get her killed . . . usually.
If you enjoy British mysteries set during the period when the aristocracy still got away with murder - literally! - and when the police had to be very clever to catch criminals, this may be a series you enjoy. I would definitely read other books in this series. It is an entertaining, dependably enjoyable mystery series.
September 29, 2024
Wilson and Fenton are on the trail of a killer, but was there more to the murder than is first thought? The Museum Administrator call the pair in to investigate, and Abigail finds evidence or forgery when pieces in the Egyptian section of the museumare found to be fake. Is there a connection between the two? There is also a colleague of Wilson's from Special Branch to consider. Is he here on official business or something else entirely? Why is the Secret Service involved?
This is a new author to me. I really enjoyed it. The couple are a good fit and, as this is the third in the series, appear to have developed well. A good whodunnit with a few twists and turns. I shall go back to the beginning and read 1 and 2 before carrying on with the others.
This is a new author to me. I really enjoyed it. The couple are a good fit and, as this is the third in the series, appear to have developed well. A good whodunnit with a few twists and turns. I shall go back to the beginning and read 1 and 2 before carrying on with the others.
February 16, 2020
"Murder at the Ashmolean" by Jim Eldridge is the third in his Museum Mysteries series and like the other one I’ve read (Murder at the British Museum), this one starts off with a bang (literally)—but, remember, these books are murder mysteries and, of course, a body or two is a prerequisite. Remember too, that these are thrillers, not museum guides!
It’s 1895 and Jack the Ripper time, so naturally citizens become alarmed when another murder is discovered. Set in Oxford (a short distance from London), the usual staid academic city of renown, we have lots of brains working on the case. The body found at the Ash is a member of the museum’s staff—at first glance it looks a suicide (ruled so by the coroner) but when the museum’s administrator isn’t convinced (he has the reputation of the museum to consider, too!), he calls in noted private inquiry agent Daniel Wilson to investigate. Wilson, and his archeologist friend Abigail, accepts, but it’s not so easy, of course, to solve this case, with a myriad interruptions and hindrances from various sources (Special Branch being one of them) the case becomes more and convoluted. Eldridge doesn’t forget to include other elements of late 19th century England to make the setting even more complete, tossing in the troublesome South Africa problems and there’s even a missing Shakespeare play.
Eldridge is quite prolific in his prose, from children’s books to his Museum Mysteries, in which he’s published five. One of the elements that caught my attention is that I’ve visited, repeatedly, the Ashmolean and the Brit Museum, so these settings were like “family” to me. The author’s style is sharply focused, not pedantic, and moves quite well; his characters also seem created well for this type of setting and plot. I look forward, some day, of finishing this series.
It’s 1895 and Jack the Ripper time, so naturally citizens become alarmed when another murder is discovered. Set in Oxford (a short distance from London), the usual staid academic city of renown, we have lots of brains working on the case. The body found at the Ash is a member of the museum’s staff—at first glance it looks a suicide (ruled so by the coroner) but when the museum’s administrator isn’t convinced (he has the reputation of the museum to consider, too!), he calls in noted private inquiry agent Daniel Wilson to investigate. Wilson, and his archeologist friend Abigail, accepts, but it’s not so easy, of course, to solve this case, with a myriad interruptions and hindrances from various sources (Special Branch being one of them) the case becomes more and convoluted. Eldridge doesn’t forget to include other elements of late 19th century England to make the setting even more complete, tossing in the troublesome South Africa problems and there’s even a missing Shakespeare play.
Eldridge is quite prolific in his prose, from children’s books to his Museum Mysteries, in which he’s published five. One of the elements that caught my attention is that I’ve visited, repeatedly, the Ashmolean and the Brit Museum, so these settings were like “family” to me. The author’s style is sharply focused, not pedantic, and moves quite well; his characters also seem created well for this type of setting and plot. I look forward, some day, of finishing this series.
September 2, 2021
By the time of this third in the Museum Mysteries series, private investigators Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton have established their relationship on a firmer footing and the patter between them develops nicely. Abigail, perhaps surprisingly, is the more hot-headed of the two while Daniel offers a calming influence and it works perfectly.
This mystery begins when one of the staff at the Ashmolean is found shot through the head in his office. It is deemed to be suicide by the police but the boss of the Ashmolean has his doubts and so he calls in our two investigators. But their job is made more difficult with the police view already having been established, so it is very testing for them to prise information from people who might have some knowledge of the dead man and who was likely to be a suspect should it be proved to be more than a suicide.
Special Branch also get involved, wondering whether there was some sort of political plot underlying the death and this, too, causes Daniel and Abigail problems. But the intrepid pair continue and unearth a complicated affair of some missing artefacts from the Museum and the possibility that someone had a lost Shakespeare play to throw into the mix.
The complications mount up and another death does not help matters but eventually Daniel and Abigail come up trumps.
I do enjoy Jim Eldridge's Museum mysteries because the settings are so realistic and the plots well thought out and this one is no different but the ending is not only unconvincing, but also unsatisfying. All that is in its favour is that it comes as a (great) surprise!
This mystery begins when one of the staff at the Ashmolean is found shot through the head in his office. It is deemed to be suicide by the police but the boss of the Ashmolean has his doubts and so he calls in our two investigators. But their job is made more difficult with the police view already having been established, so it is very testing for them to prise information from people who might have some knowledge of the dead man and who was likely to be a suspect should it be proved to be more than a suicide.
Special Branch also get involved, wondering whether there was some sort of political plot underlying the death and this, too, causes Daniel and Abigail problems. But the intrepid pair continue and unearth a complicated affair of some missing artefacts from the Museum and the possibility that someone had a lost Shakespeare play to throw into the mix.
The complications mount up and another death does not help matters but eventually Daniel and Abigail come up trumps.
I do enjoy Jim Eldridge's Museum mysteries because the settings are so realistic and the plots well thought out and this one is no different but the ending is not only unconvincing, but also unsatisfying. All that is in its favour is that it comes as a (great) surprise!
April 8, 2022
Jim Eldridge's Museum Mysteries is one of my go-to series when I want a historical mystery with characters and settings I enjoy and mysteries that take some genuine sleuthing to solve. Murder at the Ashmolean has all this. In fact, it has an interwoven series of three mysteries—or four, depending on how you count them. The novel also includes a young woman trying to succeed in the exclusively male world of crime journalism; I'm hoping she'll appear in future volumes in the series.
January 22, 2022
This is book 3 in the Museum Mysteries series by Jim Eldridge, and, I am really liking them. Sort of getting predictable but still interesting enough to keep me wanting to both either read the rest of the series or listen if I can't find a physical copy of the book.
May 22, 2023
Enjoyed reading this one :)
November 26, 2023
DNF at 50%
I wanted to love it, I just didn't gel with it at all. Much prefer the exploits of Laurie R King's characters and writing in the Sherlock Holmes apprentice stories.
I wanted to love it, I just didn't gel with it at all. Much prefer the exploits of Laurie R King's characters and writing in the Sherlock Holmes apprentice stories.
August 12, 2024
CAWPILE 7.14
4 STARS
Read for Battleathon August 2024.
I'm working my way through the series- I really like Daniel and Abigail as individuals and as a partnership. I liked this one- the mentions of the Boer war as a contemporary event was really engrossing.
I can't wait for the next one!
4 STARS
Read for Battleathon August 2024.
I'm working my way through the series- I really like Daniel and Abigail as individuals and as a partnership. I liked this one- the mentions of the Boer war as a contemporary event was really engrossing.
I can't wait for the next one!
August 19, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this virtual tour of Oxford in the pursuit of truth and justice. I have stayed in Oxford many times over the past few years, after my son achieved his First Class Degree at Keble College and many of the placed mentioned in this book were more than familiar to me, especially the Ashmolean and the Randolph Hote;.
Gavin Everett is found dead in his office at the Ashmolean on Beaumont Street, opposite the Randolph Hotel. Gavin had been shot. The offisial line is that he committed suicide. Case closed.
However, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are called in to investigate the reason why Everett died. They discover the possibility that his suicide was nothing of the sort and set out to prove their theory.
In the course of their investigations, the private detectives discover the disappearance of a young waitress at a private gentleman's club. They also discover that certain pieces of ancient pottery in the Ashmolean are fakes.
These discoveries lead the investigators into troubled waters. The local police help as much as they are able, but they are all hampered when instructions come from London to stop any official enquiries into the death of Everett.
This fails to deter Wilson and Fenton. They pursue their suspicions to their natural conclusion. As a result, the truth is discovered and a form of justice is reached.
I really enjoyed this story, especially as it is set in one of the most beautiful cities in Britain.
Gavin Everett is found dead in his office at the Ashmolean on Beaumont Street, opposite the Randolph Hotel. Gavin had been shot. The offisial line is that he committed suicide. Case closed.
However, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are called in to investigate the reason why Everett died. They discover the possibility that his suicide was nothing of the sort and set out to prove their theory.
In the course of their investigations, the private detectives discover the disappearance of a young waitress at a private gentleman's club. They also discover that certain pieces of ancient pottery in the Ashmolean are fakes.
These discoveries lead the investigators into troubled waters. The local police help as much as they are able, but they are all hampered when instructions come from London to stop any official enquiries into the death of Everett.
This fails to deter Wilson and Fenton. They pursue their suspicions to their natural conclusion. As a result, the truth is discovered and a form of justice is reached.
I really enjoyed this story, especially as it is set in one of the most beautiful cities in Britain.
February 12, 2024
An enjoyable romp through Oxford disguised as an historical murder mystery.
Blurb:
1895. The Ashmolean Museum is a site of tragedy when a manager is found with a bullet hole between his eyes, a pistol discarded close by. Police have ruled the death as suicide but staff at the museum remain unconvinced.
With his cast-iron reputation, formed during his time investigating the case of Jack the Ripper alongside Inspector Abberline, private enquiry agent Damiel Wilson is a natural choice to discreetly explore the situation, ably assisted by his partner, archaeologist-cum-detective Abigail Fenton.
Yet their enquiries are hindered from the start by an interfering lone agent from Special Branch. With rumours of political ructions from South Africa, mislaid artefacts and a lost Shakespeare play, Wilson and Fenton soon find themselves tangled in bureaucracy as the hunt for a dangerous killer intesifies.
This was a fun read - light, but loved the Oxford detail (it also helped that I used to work at the Ash, back in the dim and distant past). Some of the threads of the plot seemed to be tied off in a bit of a hurry, but this was a good bit of reading for a weekend. I borrowed this from a friend, so very grateful for the opportunity - but I don't think I'll be reading the rest in the series unless I come across them in a charity shop wander.
Blurb:
1895. The Ashmolean Museum is a site of tragedy when a manager is found with a bullet hole between his eyes, a pistol discarded close by. Police have ruled the death as suicide but staff at the museum remain unconvinced.
With his cast-iron reputation, formed during his time investigating the case of Jack the Ripper alongside Inspector Abberline, private enquiry agent Damiel Wilson is a natural choice to discreetly explore the situation, ably assisted by his partner, archaeologist-cum-detective Abigail Fenton.
Yet their enquiries are hindered from the start by an interfering lone agent from Special Branch. With rumours of political ructions from South Africa, mislaid artefacts and a lost Shakespeare play, Wilson and Fenton soon find themselves tangled in bureaucracy as the hunt for a dangerous killer intesifies.
This was a fun read - light, but loved the Oxford detail (it also helped that I used to work at the Ash, back in the dim and distant past). Some of the threads of the plot seemed to be tied off in a bit of a hurry, but this was a good bit of reading for a weekend. I borrowed this from a friend, so very grateful for the opportunity - but I don't think I'll be reading the rest in the series unless I come across them in a charity shop wander.
March 12, 2025
Murder at the Ashmolean by Jim Eldridge was a thrilling and well-crafted historical mystery! The plot had me hooked from the beginning, filled with suspense, unexpected twists, and plenty of surprises. The setting at the Ashmolean Museum added a fascinating layer to the story, and Eldridge did an excellent job of blending the historical backdrop with the unfolding mystery.
I really appreciated how the suspense grew with every chapter, keeping me guessing about what would happen next. The way the clues were revealed was clever, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was another twist to keep me on my toes.
If you love historical mysteries with plenty of tension, intrigue, and unexpected surprises, Murder at the Ashmolean is definitely worth picking up!
I really appreciated how the suspense grew with every chapter, keeping me guessing about what would happen next. The way the clues were revealed was clever, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was another twist to keep me on my toes.
If you love historical mysteries with plenty of tension, intrigue, and unexpected surprises, Murder at the Ashmolean is definitely worth picking up!
November 24, 2022
A vast improvement to the second book! I enjoyed reading this one far more, the murderer wasn't as obvious for the main plot which kept things more mysterious. While the other side stories might have been a touch obvious the link between them all was nicely concluded at the end.
The romance between Abigail and Daniel is really cute, being nicely developed over the books. Speaking of Abigail, her character was nowhere near as annoying as the last book - yes while the mention of her carer and knowledge into Egyptian history does crop up from time to time its ten times better then being shoved down your throat as the last book was.
A much better and easier read that I rate a 4/5!
The romance between Abigail and Daniel is really cute, being nicely developed over the books. Speaking of Abigail, her character was nowhere near as annoying as the last book - yes while the mention of her carer and knowledge into Egyptian history does crop up from time to time its ten times better then being shoved down your throat as the last book was.
A much better and easier read that I rate a 4/5!
June 3, 2024
Book 3 of the Museum Mysteries and I'm still interested! Each story is very different and approached differently which I appreciate. In this one Daniel and Abigail are asked to investigate a murder that is staged as a suicide of one of the directors of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The reputation of the Ashmolean is at stake especially when the dead man is suspected of being a double agent working for the Boers which brings an agent from Special Branch to shut down Daniel & Abigail's investigation. As a side problem, Abigail discovers that artifacts are being copied and the real item was sold to private collectors. There's also a rediscovered Shakespeare play. As always, red herrings galore, some important, some not but all cleared in the end. Enjoyable audio book to listen to.
April 14, 2025
I just finished the 3rd book in this series! this will be the last one I read! I'm so irritated with the Abigail he created! she is a self absorbed irritating person! she has become all knowing in how to detect even more than Daniel who has been a detective of renown for many years! i believe a woman has her place of importance as a man but for heavens sake she has no sense of what she can't do as far as her own safety!! Abigail has no humility ... always talks about Egypt and how she is capable of everything!!
February 1, 2020
It’s rare for me to start a book and not finish it. It’s even rarer for me to start a book, finish two other books in a day each, and read the first one a few chapters at a time.
Finally, I ended up skipping to the end, something I almost never do with mysteries. The characters are engaging enough but a bit anachronistic, the dialogue labors to be arch, and the setting mentions just enough local color to be “Oxford-y” without really giving the reader an immersive experience.
Full disclosure: I’ve visited Oxford (and the Ashmolean Museum) a few times but am no expert, and I’ve read authors who set mysteries there like Crispin, Sayers, and so on. This book just didn’t give me the right sense of time and place.
And the ending? Unsatisfying.
Finally, I ended up skipping to the end, something I almost never do with mysteries. The characters are engaging enough but a bit anachronistic, the dialogue labors to be arch, and the setting mentions just enough local color to be “Oxford-y” without really giving the reader an immersive experience.
Full disclosure: I’ve visited Oxford (and the Ashmolean Museum) a few times but am no expert, and I’ve read authors who set mysteries there like Crispin, Sayers, and so on. This book just didn’t give me the right sense of time and place.
And the ending? Unsatisfying.
December 31, 2020
3.5 stars. A manager at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is found dead, shot. But the police close the case after only a perfunctory investigation, stating it was suicide, since he was found inside his locked office. So the museum hires Daniel and Abigail to investigate. And they find plenty to investigate — but which trail will lead them to the murderer? Recommended.
January 8, 2021
Having skipped a book this has their relationship more settled in and they are able to banter with each other like any married couple would, although they aren't yet married, which strikes me as rather progressive for respectable Victorians...
This had quite a lot of time spend on misdirection which felt a bit sneaky once we eventually got back to the original theory...
This had quite a lot of time spend on misdirection which felt a bit sneaky once we eventually got back to the original theory...
July 5, 2022
a dead curator, a fraud perpetrated against a museum, a "gentlemen's club" where a young woman was molested - many subjects our team o private investigators discovered -
as for the other books in the series, i enjoyed it a lot -
can't get enough of the series, that's why i'm reading them one after the other - i just love museums
as for the other books in the series, i enjoyed it a lot -
can't get enough of the series, that's why i'm reading them one after the other - i just love museums
May 13, 2023
Enjoyable Victorian era murder mystery. The two main characters are interesting and have plenty of chemistry. Colorful supporting characters come and go and most seem to add to the story. A few blind alleys and red herrings make this a satisfying period tale. I am enjoying this series and found this entry was quite satisfying.
November 5, 2023
First time in reading a book by Jim Eldridge, which was passed to me by my eldest sister. I really enjoyed the book. The characters were very believable as were the ways that the two private detectives and the police inspector found the criminals of the case. A good solid story and I will be looking for the follow up book, Murder at the Manchester Museum.
June 13, 2024
Honestly one of the most British mystery books you can get your hands on. Not a lot of "mystery" when the book reads directly from the brain of the main character who happens to be a world-renowned detective. He acts exactly as a detective would and solves the murder in the same way you'd read in a newspaper if this happened in real life. Not a lot of action or surprise.
March 11, 2025
the story can't decide where it's going and the writing is fairly ropey. are there really likely to be any readers who need several pages of stilted dialogue to know what the Ashmolean is? if i wanted to read wikipedia i'd go and read wikipedia.
it has its moments, and at times i almost felt the desire to read another, but ultimately it just felt like a fun novelty.
it has its moments, and at times i almost felt the desire to read another, but ultimately it just felt like a fun novelty.
February 9, 2022
An enjoyable escape to 19th century England. The characters are likeable, and I especially appreciate that though the book is part of a series, it stands alone (I didn't need to know what happened in the other books to enjoy this one). Might read the other books, too.
April 17, 2022
Absolutely rubbish - predictable, badly written and immensely dull. The dialogue is really uninteresting and basic, and some phrases are repeated word for word throughout the book! The descriptions lack interest and use dull vocabulary. A real waste of time.
May 1, 2022
I'm sorry they changed the narrator of the audiobook, although the new one is good, too.
I liked the story, however the solution was palpable. I still like the atmosphere and will go on with the next in the series!
I liked the story, however the solution was palpable. I still like the atmosphere and will go on with the next in the series!
August 21, 2023
I read that book a couple of years ago during the pandemic, while I had just moved to Oxford myself. Not being able to visit the city I was living in but being able to discover it through this thriller was refreshing. I haven’t read any of the other « murder at » but they are on my list
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews