‘Sprightly and elegantly written mystery’ The Daily Telegraph

‘A marvellous literary thriller’ Clare Chase

‘A clever and refreshing take on the mystery novel’ Jo Silva

?In post-war Oxford, secrets lie behind every door.

In 1947, with rationing still biting and the black market thriving, university don C.S. ‘Jack’ Lewis finds himself pulled into a mystery straight from one of his friend Dorothy Sayers’ novels. Susan Temple, his brightest student, has hidden herself away at Rake Hall – a hostel for unmarried, outcast mothers – and hasn’t been heard from since.

With no experience beyond catching the occasional student plagiarist, Lewis is hardly a detective. But when Susan’s absence continues to haunt him, he teams up with her concerned friend Lucy and together they delve into the disturbing rumours of a nasty racket at Rake Hall. Can Lewis’s nose for the truth separate fact from fiction?

In  The Mystery at Rake Hall, Maureen Paton – whose mother lived at the real-life Rake Hall while pregnant with Maureen – brilliantly recreates a post-war Oxford world, as well as imagining an alternative life for one of its most famous residents.

RAVE READER REVIEWS

• ‘An homage to post war Oxford … an entertaining read with a mystery to solve’
• ‘Blends historical authenticity with a compelling “whodunit”‘
• ‘Very easy to read, a page-turner and a real sense of Oxford’
• ‘I loved this mystery .. the author brought to life the time beautifully ? I cannot wait to see what she offers for her second book but this one will be hard to top’
• ‘An enjoyable, atmospheric and very cosy read’
• ‘A famous real-life writer solving a mystery ? I really enjoyed it’

‘Sprightly and elegantly written mystery’ The Daily Telegraph

‘A marvellous literary thriller’ Clare Chase

‘A clever and refreshing take on the mystery novel’ Jo Silva

?In post-war Oxford, secrets lie behind every door.

In 1947, with rationing still biting and the black market thriving, university don C.S. ‘Jack’ Lewis finds himself pulled into a mystery straight from one of his friend Dorothy Sayers’ novels. Susan Temple, his brightest student, has hidden herself away at Rake Hall – a hostel for unmarried, outcast mothers – and hasn’t been heard from since.

With no experience beyond catching the occasional student plagiarist, Lewis is hardly a detective. But when Susan’s absence continues to haunt him, he teams up with her concerned friend Lucy and together they delve into the disturbing rumours of a nasty racket at Rake Hall. Can Lewis’s nose for the truth separate fact from fiction?

In  The Mystery at Rake Hall, Maureen Paton – whose mother lived at the real-life Rake Hall while pregnant with Maureen – brilliantly recreates a post-war Oxford world, as well as imagining an alternative life for one of its most famous residents.

RAVE READER REVIEWS

‘An homage to post war Oxford … an entertaining read with a mystery to solve’

‘Blends historical authenticity with a compelling “whodunit”‘

‘Very easy to read, a page-turner and a real sense of Oxford’

‘I loved this mystery .. the author brought to life the time beautifully ? I cannot wait to see what she offers for her second book but this one will be hard to top’

‘A famous real-life writer solving a mystery ? I really enjoyed it’