The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury immediately caught my attention because, as a teacher, I’m always looking for books set in schools and universities. There’s just something about an academic setting that pulls me in. Add Oxford University, spies, espionage, murder, and a little romance, and this sounded like exactly my kind of book.
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From the publisher: 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.
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
Published: September 1, 2026
📚 Judi’s Report Card:
🎓 Premise & Setting: A-
Oxford University, spies, espionage, murder, and romance? The premise immediately grabbed my attention. I loved the idea of all that secrecy and scandal playing out against the backdrop of Oxford. One day, I would love to visit Oxford just to see some of the places mentioned in this book.
👩❤️👨 Main Characters: B+
Gin and Sidney were easily my favorite part of the book. I liked both of them and enjoyed their relationship and the scenes they shared. I actually wished they were together more throughout the story. You could tell right from the start that there was going to be some type of relationship between them. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel nearly as connected to the rest of the characters.
🔎 Mystery & Suspense: C
This is going to be controversial because so many other readers loved the mystery and suspense of this story. It really does have an Agatha Christie feel to it. For me, however, it fell a little flat. There wasn’t much of a lead-in to the librarian before he was murdered (this happens at the very beginning), so I never felt very invested in finding out what happened to him. I wanted the mystery to pull me in more than it did.
🐢 Pacing: C
The beginning caught my attention, but the middle struggled to hold it. There were stretches where I just wasn’t that anxious to get back to the story. Thankfully, the ending picked up and added some much-needed tension. I found myself much more interested in what was happening the last few chapters. I just wish that same energy had been there throughout more of the story.
🎧 Audiobook Performance: A-
The audio performance by Ell Potter saved the story for me. It was very well done. It took me a little while to adjust to the British accent, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. Since the story takes place at Oxford University, the accent actually added to the atmosphere and gave the book more character. I found myself wanting to listen to the book more often than read it, and that doesn’t happen very often for me.
⭐ Overall Grade: C+ (3/5 Stars ★★★☆☆)
The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies had so many ingredients that should have worked for me. It had Oxford University, espionage, murder, romance, and two main characters I genuinely liked. Unfortunately, it lost my interest through much of the middle, and I never became invested enough in the murder mystery. The stronger ending and enjoyable audiobook helped, but overall, this one landed right in the middle for me.
📝 Extra Credit Reading:
If the Oxford setting was what first pulled you into The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies, here are three more books from my bookshelf that offer interesting settings, suspense, secrets, or a little espionage of their own.
- The Teacher’s Pet by M.A. Hunter | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why? Like The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies, this one takes place in a school setting, which I always like after spending more than thirty years in education. It also has secrets from the past and a mystery at the center of the story. I gave this one three stars too, but the familiar school setting kept me interested.
- A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why? If you wanted more suspense and tension from The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies, this is a good one to try next. A Dead Draw has a much stronger cat-and-mouse feel, characters I became invested in right away, and a second half that really picks up the pace.
- Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why? If the espionage side of The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies interested you, Hold Strong takes that element in a very different direction. Set during World War II, it includes a highly classified U.S. code-breaking team along with a powerful historical fiction story. This was a five-star read for me.
Disclosure: Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, Kate Westbury, and Ell Potter for my advance copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
Click to learn more about Kate Westbury!
Let’s Chat:
Are you more likely to pick up a book because of its setting? I’m always drawn to stories set in schools or universities. What kind of setting grabs your attention?
I would love for you to leave a comment!