The Mystery at Rake Hall

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 been hidden away at Rake Hall — a hostel for unmarried, outcast mothers. But beneath the respectable façade, something sinister festers. With no experience beyond catching the occasional student plagiarist, Lewis is hardly a detective.

Yet, his curiosity piqued and his moral compass tugged – and alongside Susan’s friend Lucy, the daughter of a college servant – he delves into the unsavoury secrets of Oxford’s underbelly…