The daily tabulation of my usual activities within the hallowed halls of St. Mildred’s College is not for the faint of heart: The hunt for rationed marmalade at breakfast, the mad dash for the warmest corner of the lecture hall, the wrestling over grammar with my German tutor, Dr. Radcliffe (honorable mention to tipping over other girls’ canoes upon the Cherwell)—for a collection of academically-minded young women at Oxford, we are surprisingly martial in our attitudes.
It does not help that I find myself constantly at odds with a particular young man with whom I have been forced into a tentative partnership. Not romantic—heaven help us both—but a business arrangement, of sorts, in which we are discreetly assisting—
Well, perhaps I shouldn’t say. I can almost hear Sidney Braithwaite lecturing me under his breath about the Official Secrets Act.
I do hate when he starts muttering as though he is far too annoyed to use a proper volume. I suspect it would only irk me if I were able to understand half of what he says in such dire tones, but my imagination supplies the details readily enough. Most of our business together is of a very pedestrian variety, loitering about under the guise of reading the paper or having a chat, all while observing persons of interests. It’s really rather boring, and I don’t see why we can’t be a bit more proactive. What is the point of the Official Secrets Act if we do not attempt a few things that ought to be kept secret?
I digress.
My favorite part of the day falls within the sanctum of my room, the one place I can drop my sword and shield. After a grilling tutorial—or suffering an hour or two of the aforementioned partnership—there is nothing more satisfying than to laze about with tea and biscuits and discuss the latest college drama with my dearest friends. To me, they represent the very best of what Oxford has to offer. An education is all well and good, but I’ve never had friends like these—ones interested in me qua me rather than how much money I might inherit (little) or whom I ought to marry (absolutely not Donald Craddock). Oxford has become home, and I should like to stay forever.
THE OXFORD GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND LIES
Series: A Oxford Guide Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Historical Mystery 1950s
Release: September 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
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Set against the backdrop of post-WWII Oxford University, The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies is the irresistible debut from Kate Westbury that seamlessly layers mystery, romance, and a dash of academia to introduce the Crown’s newest undercover operatives.
Oxford, England, 1951 – The Honorable Ginevra Bishop likes red lipstick, clever retorts, and earning top marks in her tutorials. She’s following her mother’s footsteps by studying at Oxford, eager to prove she’s more than a debutante.
Sidney Braithwaite likes brooding, Latin, and ignoring his nightmares. He’s determined to forge a new life for himself at Oxford, far from his childhood mining village and free from memories of the war.
Though Gin and Sidney have little in common, the British Security Service is keen to unite her charm with his espionage experience: there’s a Soviet spy at the university, and the agent tracking them down was poisoned. MI5 wants Gin and Sidney to pick up the trail and identify the informant before more sensitive information is compromised. As a team, the pair of undergraduates clash in personality, upbringing, and taste––but have a connection neither can deny. Gin and Sidney must unite their respective talents to follow the clues before they’re caught in the traitor’s crosshairs…if the sparks flying between them don’t blow up the operation first.
Meet the author
Kate Westbury (www.katewestbury.com) grew up a voracious reader of detective fiction, and unraveling plot twists became her favorite pastime. She now puts her whodunnit obsession to good use writing historical mysteries. Beyond the page, Kate teaches Latin and dreams of moving to an English village with crimes to solve.