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This has done nothing to change his behaviour, however, which remains crude, coarse and not infrequently offensive. The plot involving an Oxford college, a wealthy Arab Sheik and the murder of an unidentified woman, rattles along at a good pace and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. This is a terrific crime novel, with a startlingly original protagonist we're going to see a lot more of. This town and gown divide is echoed in the two lead detectives, the 30 year old DI Ray Wilkins, a well dressed Balliol College man, from a wealthy Nigerian background, a high flyer, and the more troubled 27 year old DI Ryan Wilkins, who despises the world of privilege, growing up in a Oxford trailer park, a single dad with an adorable young son, Ryan. Ryan grew up in a nearby trailer park where he was considered “white trash”, dresses sloppily, and is rude and aggressive to almost everyone, except for his two-year old son, whom he adores.He is teamed in an inspired piece of writing with Ray, the other Wilkins, who is Oxford educated, a boxing blue and completely the opposite of Ryan. are superb and his relationship with Ray, a snob with a heart of gold beneath the sharp suit, shows huge potential.
Overall I found this a lively entertaining read and I thoroughly enjoyed suspending disbelief over the characters. Dinner is about to start, the evening is fraught with tensions of diverse nature, when the inevitable happens: a murder is discovered.Also it's clear that his Dad is some kind of super bright young man so it makes sense that his son might be a little above average. That such a character could have made it to DI is a nonsense, from which the plot never really recovers. It’s well written and well structured so that I found any implausibilities and familiar tropes perfectly forgivable. The plot was suitably twisty but not absurd but I most enjoyed the characters of the two DI Wilkins and can see them both helping each other to grow and develop as the series progresses. Absolutely brilliant and classic Oxford murder mystery set around topics such as Syrian Refugee crisis, UEA humanitarian rights and ofc money.
His novels have been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the Branford Boase Prize for Best First Children's Novel, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Costa Prize for Best Children's Book, and have won the Betty Trask for Best First Novel and the Crimefest Prize for Best YA Crime Novel.The other characters don't have much substance yet and the plot isn't up to much but the book is a gripping enough read to make me want to read the second book in the series.
Ryan has a genuinely warm and moving relationship with his young son and a tendency to think creatively, which is let down by his inability to control his mouth or his anger. The magazine was keen to use the library, chapel and, if possible, provost’s study, of an Oxford college. Ryan Wilkins was raised in a trailer park, had a violent alcoholic father, his girlfriend died of a drug overdose and left him with a young son.A Killing in November arose out of a story told to me by a friend who had been, for a time, a handyman at one of the most prestigious Oxford colleges. The author does an excellent job of creating two well defined detectives, who each have their own issues to deal with and who complement each other well. He’s a good detective though, with an eye for detail and the character is further redeemed by Ryan’s relationship with his toddler son.
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