Colin Wade is a bit of an aspiring writer’s dream come true. Formerly a payroll manager for the NHS, then a project manager for the police (where he no doubt honed his knowledge of police procedural), Colin then beavered away as a writer, publishing his first crime novel in 2019. And he’s subsequently written and published a book a year ever since.
He’s set his seventh – yes seventh – thriller in his home town of Oxford, and for those of you who like a bit of interaction with their reading, it features a mystery trail that you can follow via a QR code on the Colin app. (I just love the fact that Colin has an app).
The clues are suitably cryptic but with a bit of brain power and local knowledge, ultimately solvable. In case you can’t work them out - well you just have to read the novel to find out the answers.
So, to the story…It all kicks off with the mysterious Walter who has been abducted – or is having some weird kind of fever dream. Either way, he wakes up hungover in a clinical bedroom with barred windows to a sinister spear-wielding woman who isn’t answering any of his questions.
Next we are with the people of Oxford, who are becoming gripped by a locally based mystery trail. Fifty thousand pounds is up for grabs to the first person who can finish the game. The local police are struggling to control the growing crowds who’ve been whipped up into a social media driven frenzy.
Rachel Keen, a theatre nurse, teams up with her friend Kaley at first and gets swept up in the excitement as she endeavours to solve the clues to claim the prize. There are letters released with each clue solved that go towards making up a mysterious code word, and there is also the curious hashtag #whereswalter being bandied about. You get the feeling Walter is going to meet a sticky end.
Rachel is suspiciously befriended/hit on by the slimy Abigail, who pops up everywhere like a wannabe stalker. She then crosses paths with the obviously dodgy John Bamford, a police officer with a raging gambling addiction. They quicky team up, and their Scooby Doo endeavours lead them to a spooky mansion deep in the Oxfordshire countryside which, it turns out, apparently belonged to the family of Rachel’s presumed dead ex-girlfriend Lucy. The Plot Thickens…A body is discovered and Rachel and John are put in the frame by the bungling DCI Yin, tasked with untangling the forensic mess to puzzle out who-actually-dunnit.
Indeed, all of Colin’s characters seem to have significant psychological flaws. And if there is the occasional misstep when grappling with female vernacular and queer culture, you do get amusing little hints about what makes his characters tick. They certainly make some disastrous decisions because of their dubious logic and poor personal choices.
Oxford is obviously a great setting for a whodunit. With his local knowledge, Colin makes the city come alive in a different kind of way. Rather than relying on a Morse-like academia based atmosphere as his backdrop, you get a sense of what the real Oxford might be like for people who actually live and work there.
The story clips along at a brisk place, even if there is the odd cheesy metaphor, and Colin places his clues via the game bit by bit, to keep the reader guessing. The plot meanders through red herrings and dead ends, with every chapter adding a new clue, and the chapters are short enough to keep you turning the pages. There are plenty of cliffhangers to keep you hooked, and the story wraps up with a satisfying ending. Colin loves throwing in misdirection, so you’ll probably change your mind a couple of times about the culprit more than once before the big reveal.
The Oxford Mystery – my first Colin Wade read – is a decent crime mystery that’s worth your time on a cold rainy evening or even a good beach read if you’re lucky enough to get away for a little winter sun. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of British mysteries or just looking for something to entertain, this book delivers. Grab a copy, settle in, and enjoy the ride through the twists and turns of Oxford’s dark and secretive streets.
The Oxford Mystery by Colin Wade (The Book Guild, September 2025) is available to buy from bookguild.co.uk.
Find out more about Colin, who is also co-founder of the Oxford Independent Authors Group, at colinwade.com where you can also follow the Oxford Mystery trail for yourself.
(image shows detail from cover)
