A Bitter Remedy (The Oxford Mysteries, 1)
In 1881 Oxford, women are forbidden admission to university, but they can attend lectures, if suitably chaperoned. At one such lecture, Welsh scholar Rhiannon (Non) Vaughan overhears news of an undergraduate’s untimely death. Barred from viewing the body, Non suggests bringing in Teifi Valley’s eminent Dr. Reckitt, a surgeon and proponent of mandatory autopsies, but the university Principal firmly slams that door, effectively closing patriarchal university ranks. Sidney Parker’s body is extremely emaciated, and his landlady confirms his debilitating stomach complaints. Furthermore, his bedside drawer, full of empty bottles, makes his paregoric and laudanum habit clear. Personal belongings of any kind are absent from the scene, leading Non to believe he had something to hide. As she sets about her investigation, she confers with Professor Basil Rice, who is assigned to protect the university’s fragile reputation, and fend off Parker’s guardian, who threatens to sue them all for neglecting their ‘in loco parentis’ duties.
This is an atmospheric murder mystery packed with detail of late 19th-century historic Oxford. Capped and gowned professors and undergrads pepper the streets, and it’s easy to picture the feisty Non, with her cleverly adapted walking dress, standing hard on the cranks of her rear-steering tandem, to achieve extra speed as she races about the city. Hawkins presents a challenging, complex conundrum, illuminating the overuse of patent remedies, not unlike today’s opioid crisis, university protocol, and attendant male prerogative. The restrictions placed upon the Association for Promoting the Higher Education of Women are explored, giving the plot an extra burst of tension as Non battles conformity. Oxford is familiar stomping ground for books and TV mysteries, the setting of Jesus College (Welsh College) a perfect way to incorporate Hawkins’ vivid writing into her evident love of her home country. She excels at crafting an intriguing, offbeat mystery, as evidenced by her splendidly outré Teifi Valley Coroner series.
