I like the setting, the characters and especially the wild Wilkins not so much, a bit over the top and so much stearing that it became tiresome. I must admit at the beginning I found Ryan a character that stretched credulity as he dressed in trackies and a baseball cap worn backwards, arriving from Wiltshire under a dark cloud, rude and aggressive in his questioning of suspects and witnesses, with strong anger management issues, but he grew on me, and I found I was more than willing to suspend my sense of disbelief.

This is a terrific crime nov el, with a startlingly original protagonist we're going to see a lot more of.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.

In fact, this introductory book, in what aspires to be a series, is much about how different these two guys are and less about the crime or even Oxford as a location. Each is, in its own way, well considered and I found it an involving and in places an exciting read. Believable characters, and interesting plot, two detectives with interesting personal lives and some info on college life in Oxford. Boken är förvisso välskriven, med fina miljöbeskrivningar och mestadels runda karaktärer (stereotypiseringen är tillräckligt medveten för att inte kunna kritiseras) - men det är ju ingen "ren" fyra.And for good measure, I thought I’d give Ryan an unlikely partner, the suave and sophisticated Ray, London-Nigerian graduate of Balliol College and boxing blue of the university. I agree with other reviewers that maybe little Ryan is a bit advanced for his age though I have met one very articulate two and a half year old.

The photographer worked for one of the ‘lads mags’ then very popular, and he mainly photographed undressed women. There are riots in the Leys (a child has been killed by the police) whilst in Barnabas College, the Provost is trying to lure an Arab sheik to finance a project. Honestly if you loved inspector Morse books, a flawed and poor and tough genius police officer this book is one for you, it’s almost like Morse has reversed into a young tough chap, with a past that is brutal and trying to make sure his kid lives the best life he can. 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.The plot kept me interested (it involves not only murder, but also the theft of a rare, valuable book) and I laughed out loud a number of times. I also agree that Ryan the elder is slightly over the top - it really is hard to see why he was allowed to stay in the police for five minutes, never mind becoming a DI - on the other hand it makes for an entertaining read. The highlight for me was the developing relationship between Ray and Ryan as they worked the case that seemed impossible initially. But it’s convenient because I live here and know it better than any other place, with the possible exception of Sheffield, where I grew up.

A decent crime thriller but a little too stereotyped in its character portrayals to be an instant classic. The Oxford Uni backdrop seems coincidental, the crime and motives even more so, and the social commentary, mostly through Ryan's story and "approach to policing", is too crude to be believable, even in the realms of fiction.Simon Mason sets his crime novel amidst the dreaming spires of Oxford, depicting the contrasting picture of the city, the sharp divides in social class with those that inhabit the entitled, privileged, wealthy academic circles at the fictional Barnabas College, and the more socially deprived parts with riots taking place amidst the notorious council estates of Blackbird Leys. Overall I found this a lively entertaining read and I thoroughly enjoyed suspending disbelief over the characters. 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.