The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies (Oxford Guide #1)

Name: The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies (Oxford Guide #1)
Brand: Minotaur Books
SKU: 9781250424105
Price: 34.80 USD
Availability: InStock

$34.80

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Review Quotes:

Advanced Praise for The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies

"A cracking good debut." - Kirkus Reviews

"Gin and Sidney are an appealing pair involved in a nicely paced, cleverly constructed puzzle. For fans of Anna Lee Huber and Ashley Weaver." - Library Journal

"A delightful take on espionage fiction, laced liberally with wit, mystery, romance, and a bit of Muriel Spark." - firstCLUE

"A delightfully fresh take on historical mystery, done with cleverness and style. . . Ginevra and Sidney are some of the most likeable characters I've met in a long time." -Kristen Perrin, New York Times bestselling author of the Castle Knoll Files series

"A feminist romp. . . effervescent style and also significant substance." -Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series

"Espionage, opposites-attract romance, and plenty of zinging banter make this a wonderfully absorbing read." -India Holton, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

"A thrilling romp. . . Westbury deftly blends academia, spies, and romance, and the result is a page-turning mystery with a cast of compelling characters." -Julia Seales, National Bestselling Author of A Most Agreeable Murder

Biographical Note:
KATE WESTBURY 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.

Publisher Marketing:

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.

Review Citations:

Library Journal 06/01/2026 pg. 64 (EAN 9781250424105, Hardcover)
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2026 (EAN 9781250424105, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Westbury, Kate
KATE WESTBURY 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.