A dead chef. A ruined gala. And the ghosts didn’t see a thing.As Oxford’s new Head of Ceremonies, Natalie Payne’s first task is to organise St Margaret’s autumn gala. However, her plans are dashed when she finds their famed chef dead in the kitchen.And then a centuries-old cat informs Nat she has her own magical legacy… and responsibilities. A murder in the halls is a sure sign that something … halls is a sure sign that something has gone wrong with Oxford’s magical protections.
Now Nat has to solve the murder, find a new chef for the gala, and figure out why Oxford’s magical defences are down. With the help of Oxford’s magical Eternals and some new friends, Nat has a chance.
But can she do it before St Margaret loses its connection to the magic of Oxford?
If you like cozy mysteries where ghosts walk the halls, paintings come to life, creatures play, and magic seems within reach, the Oxford Key Mysteries are sure to delight.
Readers love Murder at St Margaret!
“This is a must-read for lovers of light paranormal cozies. Morrison has a way with smart characters, witty dialogue, and settings, and she sets the stage for a wonderful series to come.” – Tara Lush, author of Grounds for Murder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Morrison cleverly makes the genre-crossing work. Harry Potter fans with a taste for classic whodunits will be pleased.” – Publishers Weekly
“If you are a fan of Harry Potter, magic, magical creatures, and murder, then the Oxford Key Mystery series by Lynn Morrison is a must read for you!” – Cozy Mystery Book Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Lynn Morrison takes the alluring and in-depth history behind Oxford and adds another level of charm to it through magical and ghostly elements. Natalie is introduced to the mysterious underbelly within Oxford which brings its history and secrets alive. The plot is humorous and lighthearted with dialogue that’s clever and moments that will have you laughing.” – Readers’ Favorite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This is a book you’ll want to read snuggled up with a cozy blanket and a cup of hot tea. I cannot wait to read more from this author.” – Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The author has created a wonderfully written cozy mystery which takes the reader into a believable world of magic at Oxford. It’s “down to earth” and magical at the same time. I already have the second book and can’t wait to venture back to Oxford!” – Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Surprisingly entertaining!
I have to admit I steer clear of ghost, witches, or occult books. When I read the description of this book I was hooked on the Oxford location and the promise of a delightful, fun read. It didn’t disappoint and quite a few laugh out loud moments.” – Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Snappy dialogue and lush descriptions of the college campus (Oxford!) make this the perfect cozy mystery to cuddle up with during isolation. I jumped into the book knowing nothing about it, but was pleasantly surprised with the thread of magic weaving the characters together. Bonus: It is the beginning of a series, so more mysteries to come!” – Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️more
This is not my first cozy mystery set in Oxford. It should tell you a lot about a place that despite reading several books from another cozy mystery series steeped in Oxford lore, visiting twice and reading some bits about the town, the settings and stories described here were still new to me. The descriptions are also not overdone. They are a perfect mix of informative and relevant to the story.
The characters are delightful. We meet H (short for Humphrey— do not call him that) the wyvern who others see as a cat. He’s pretty much Nat’s pet and sidekick. He’s cute, sometimes sarcastic, acts as her guide of sorts and meddlesome, especially after a stout or four! We’ve also got the other prefects, Mathilde and Kate who complement Nat’s personality and then there’s Harriet, the principal’s secretary at St. Margaret, who is efficient, calm and knowledgeable and provides tremendous support for Nat. Oh, and Edward, a potential love interest despite his seeming snooty, aloof exterior.
The magic element is very interesting. The magic acts more as part of the setting than as part of the mystery solving. Nat may be able to see the magic and help control it but she herself can’t perform tricks, per se. The best she can get is info from the talking portraits! Those portraits are also pretty helpful for providing facts about the history of the university. It is through the eternals… essentially ghosts of people who devoted much of their actual life and affection to Oxford, that the magic system operates. I really enjoyed this part of the story.
The mystery to solve is who killed Chef Smythe, a superior culinary expert but generally horrible person. Given her unkind ways, the suspect list is not too short, although the police are confounded by how the murderer got where they wanted to be. We meet several suspects and each seems to have an alibi or another valid reason to be where they were at the key moment in time. The pacing of the clue dropping is a bit slow but interspersed with the secondary story (and larger series issue) of the wonky magic system and how to fix it. The big reveal is an odd mix of exciting, slightly anti-climactic and even sad. I know… my description there makes no sense but that’s honestly how I felt.
There are a couple of issues I wished for more clarification on e.g. what about the empty chef position and how was that catering feat actually pulled off? Also, given H’s crazy behaviour can be ‘magically unnoticed’, why would a friendship among the prefects really raise eyebrows?
But the story closes on a fantastic note with the grand gala, most superbly organised by Natalie and delightfully described by the author. I wished I could attend!
Murder at St Margaret is not my usual genre, but I absolutely LOVED it. Unlike so many female MCs these days who seem only to be able to be strong and smart if they are also charmingly socially inept, Nat is unapologetically strong and smart–AND confident and hilarious. THANK YOU, Lynn Morrison, for giving us a female main character we don’t have to pity in order to relate to. The clever, unexpected dashes of humor splashed throughout this story were probably my favorite part (the banter between Nat and H, the wyvern, was perfection), though the mystery aspect was well-done too. This is a book you’ll want to read snuggled up with a cozy blanket and a cup of hot tea. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Natalie, “Nat,” starts work at Oxford to plan a gala for St. Margaret, one of the colleges that make up Oxford. She comes to find out that her grandfather’s magical tales were actually based in truth. But, something is wonky with the magic and a person is murdered because of the wonkyness. Yes, I made up the word cause it wasn’t in spellcheck! Lol! With the help of H and Edward, she gets to work solving the murder so that the gala isn’t cancelled.
I loved this story! H is so funny! I laughed so much at some of the stuff he said and did. You have got to read the book to see how magical things really are!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It started slow for me because it was written in a tense I don’t enjoy reading. Normally I would stop reading the book but this one really hooked me and I couldn’t put it down. Nat is a strong, smart woman who is assisted by a 400 year old wyvern (who everyone else sees as a cat). I thought Harry Potter at first but this is so much more. There is a murder mystery, with plenty of suspects, and there is a mystery about the disappearing magic, so there’s plenty of action. A fun magical read and I anxiously await the next adventure.
What an engaging and fun read! I thought all the characters complimented each other very well, and it was a spritely whodunit. H was hysterical; Harry was charming and sweet; Edward a complex and exciting addition to the crime-fighting team. But not nearly the MOST interesting. That, you will have to discover for yourself! It is the strength of the protagonist and her naively charming approach to larger-than-life problems that make you want her to succeed. Anyone who loves her wellies as much as Nat does is welcome in my home any time. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
What a charming, original and magical cozy mystery! Lynn Morrison’s debut is excellent, and I can’t wait for the second book.
Natalie Payne is the heroine, and on her first week on the job at the University of Oxford, a dead body turns up. If that’s not wild enough, Natalie learns she has a magical legacy. And a cat that turns into a wyvern (who has a deep love of cheese).
The well-paced story unfolds with rich descriptions of the university campus in all its rainy, moody glory — along with rock-solid characterization and humor. There’s a frustrating and wryly funny potential love interest, too! This is a must-read for lovers of light paranormal cozies. Morrison has a way with smart characters, witty dialogue, and settings, and she sets the stage for a wonderful series to come.
Nat is excited to be the Head of Ceremonies, especially after remembering her grandfather’s stories from her childhood. However, when she finds a body, she will need to discover the untold stories of the magic of St. Margaret. I loved this fanciful tale within the walls of such a prestigious college and the characters whom Nat meets.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was my first Lynn Morrison’s book, and won’t be my last. This is the first book in the Oxford Key mysteries Series. This is an excellent paranormal cozy mystery, filled with magic, and twists and turns. Natalie, the main character, is smart, determined, and capable. The supporting characters are intriguing. I liked Natalie’s friends Kate and Mathilde. The plot is well crafted, and captivating. The storyline is original, and interesting. In addition to the excellent writing, Pearl Hewitt did a fantastic job with the narration. Her range of voices is impressive. This is a great team author/narrator. I enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to listening to Burglary at Barnard, the next book in the series. If you like paranormal cozy mysteries, this series is for you.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Lynn Morrison. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
This review is for the audio book.
Oh wow, I really enjoyed this book. Imagine Harry Potter with the talking portraits and statutes, ghost flying around and weird and wonderful creatures. Now imagine him solving a murder and you would be some way to imagining this book but it is so much more than that. There are two mysteries going on in this book as well as the elaborate party planning and learning of magic, the main mystery (the murder) does get solved but I think the second one (the leaking/disappearance of magic) is going to be an on going event in the series and a good reason to get the next book. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing but it was the characters that I loved, especially H the wyvern and the mischief he gets into with his flame sneezes. Being set in Oxford was also fun, I really felt like I was walking down the halls of Hogwarts but it still kept the English feel about it some how. The party planning even worked and didn’t detract from the mystery investigation. It was just a fun magical cozy mystery and I can’t wait for the next book.
Natalie is about to start her dream job at Oxford university as head of ceremonies but her first day doesn’t turn out to be Disney Land magical. First she finds the chef who is going to be cooking all the gala food for the biggest event of the year, lying dead in the kitchen. Then she touches a key left by her predecessor and learns all the magical stories her grandfather told her about Oxford was true and he should know he worked there for years. She gains help navigating through the magical world that has just opened up to her from H, who everybody thinks is a cat but is actually a four-hundred-year-old wyvern with a taste for dairy and alcohol. If that wasn’t had enough but the murder should never have been allowed to happen, the magic that protects the school seems to be disappearing leaving everybody vulnerable and its her job to restore it. Can she plan the party of the year, find a killer and track down what is wrong with the magic? All in her first week? It’s a lot to do but armed with her lists, a new set of friends and a beginners level of magic Natalie has no other choice.
I liked the narrator. I have heard Pearl Hewitt read a number of audio books by different authors but somehow it always seems like different characters and I never imagine characters from the wrong series in the book she is reading. She is just a talented narrator.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Loved it! One of the best cozy mysteries that I’ve read in quite a while. Event planner Nat stumbles over a dead body on her first day at work. With the help of a grumpy professor, a wyvern who masquerades as a cat, and some resident ghosts, she manages to solve the murder and plan a gala celebration. A ton of fun, and a likeable sleuth.