Overview

'Satisfyingly violent' The Times, Best Crime Fiction of 2025 So Far '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'

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Reviews

'A marvellous literary thriller, steeped in the atmosphere of post-war Oxford – immensely enjoyable!' - Clare Chase, author of Murder on the Marshes 'Unique yet nostalgic. Such a fabulous and interesting premise - to imagine C.S. Lewis as an unlikely detective. The Mystery at Rake Hall is a clever and refreshing take on the mystery novel. I couldn’t put it down' - Jo Silva, award-winning author of The Edge of the World Detective Agency ‘The rarefied world of the Oxford College is authentically portrayed in this new novel by Maureen Paton, but there is a very dark underbelly beneath the soaring spires and Paton's new detective, Oxford don, C.S. Lewis finds himself drawn into this sinister world’ - J.C. Briggs, author of the Charles Dickens Investigation series 'The dog-eat-dog world of backstreet crime and the don-eat-don world of academia start to collide with satisfyingly violent results' - The Times, Best Crime Fiction of 2025 So Far ‘The sympathetic portrayal of life there gives a tangible emotional undertow to this sprightly and elegantly written mystery’ - The Daily Telegraph 'Brings academic circles and post-war Oxford to vivid life ... ‘Jack’ Lewis and Lucy make for a determined sleuthing duo. A good start for a new series' - Crime Time 'Brilliantly reimagines the story of C.S. Lewis' - Woman's Own ‘Debut novelist Maureen Paton, has done a fine job in introducing Lewis to the world of the investigator … Very well-written with wryly amusing observation. The historical context of postwar austerity Oxford is excellent’ - Historical Novel Society 'Paton has assembled all the finest elements of the detective genre - a fascinating protagonist, a rich set of subsidiary characters, a central moral conundrum, and an intricate and skilfully resolved plot. A richly satisfying read' - Michael Arditti ‘An entertaining distraction that transports you to the dreaming spires of the university city and the fascinating, clashing cultures of “town and gown”’ - Church Times

'A marvellous literary thriller, steeped in the atmosphere of post-war Oxford – immensely enjoyable!' - Clare Chase, author of Murder on the Marshes 'Unique yet nostalgic. Such a fabulous and interesting premise - to imagine C.S. Lewis as an unlikely detective. The Mystery at Rake Hall is a clever and refreshing take on the mystery novel. I couldn’t put it down' - Jo Silva, award-winning author of The Edge of the World Detective Agency ‘The rarefied world of the Oxford College is authentically portrayed in this new novel by Maureen Paton, but there is a very dark underbelly beneath the soaring spires and Paton's new detective, Oxford don, C.S. Lewis finds himself drawn into this sinister world’ - J.C. Briggs, author of the Charles Dickens Investigation series 'The dog-eat-dog world of backstreet crime and the don-eat-don world of academia start to collide with satisfyingly violent results' - The Times, Best Crime Fiction of 2025 So Far ‘The sympathetic portrayal of life there gives a tangible emotional undertow to this sprightly and elegantly written mystery’ - The Daily Telegraph 'Brings academic circles and post-war Oxford to vivid life ... ‘Jack’ Lewis and Lucy make for a determined sleuthing duo. A good start for a new series' - Crime Time 'Brilliantly reimagines the story of C.S. Lewis' - Woman's Own ‘Debut novelist Maureen Paton, has done a fine job in introducing Lewis to the world of the investigator … Very well-written with wryly amusing observation. The historical context of postwar austerity Oxford is excellent’ - Historical Novel Society

Author Information

Maureen Paton is a freelance journalist specialising in arts, showbusiness and women's issues. She is the author of two works of non-fiction, and is a former committee member and former newsletter editor of the campaigning organisation Women in Journalism. The Mystery at Rake Hall is her first novel.

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