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The Dangerous Stranger

DI Wilkins, Book 5

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The Dangerous Stranger

By: Simon Mason
Narrated by: Matt Addis
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'This is absolutely first class' Stephen Fry
'Simon Mason has created crime fiction's most entertaining double act in decades' Mick Herron
'Move over Morse' Val McDermid
'My favourite UK series' M W Craven

On a warm and pleasant evening in Oxford, gentle city of poets and scholars, rioters outside a hotel full of asylum seekers set a young refugee on fire. The city - the country - convulses in shock. Is this who we are? It's international news of the very worst kind, and the Chief Constable demands immediate and exemplary action in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The detectives leading the investigation fill him with misgivings, however: DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), Thames Valley's detective pantomime horse, one Oxford-educated, the other Oxford-trailer park. He doesn't understand why they work together. 'Do they even get on?' 'Somehow that doesn't seem necessary,' their Superintendent replies.

Who burned the boy alive? Was it a far-right extremist? Was it an ordinary person who had simply gone along to watch and got caught up in the emotion? Could it even be one of the children who were there? Deploying a range of investigative skills, some standard, some unconventional and some frankly nuts, the Wilkinses do what they do: results with chaos. But when they discover that the victim was not an asylum seeker after all, or even a resident of the hotel, the whole investigation kicks into a completely different configuration.


READERS ARE LOVING RYAN AND RAY:

'Loved it, what a wonderful read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Really, really enjoyed and was sorry to finish it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Have really enjoyed the whole series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you like Slow Horses, either the books or the Apple series, this book is for you' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Set in present day Oxford, England, it is Morse times two' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Can't put these books down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A real un-putdownable page turner . . . A tremendous read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐©2026 Simon Mason Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedurals Thriller & Suspense
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Critic Reviews

A terrific writer (Peter May)
An electrifying read replete with feints and false leads.
Excellent . . . DI Ryan Wilkins, the unlikely Sherlock in a shell suit, is an enduringly brilliant creation
One of the highlights of the genre . . . impressive as well as highly entertaining, and has real depths of emotion
What makes The Dangerous Stranger so addictively readable is the vividly delineated characters, and despite it being the fifth in the series, the narrative unspools like a standalone thriller . . . there is a curious layer of black-humour that makes the narrative sparkle and pages turn with impatience - because little is what it seems
Startling . . . Mason is an exceptional storyteller, basing ingenious plots on events that mirror life
Mason is becoming a master of the modern British police procedural and his double act is one for the connoisseurs
Brilliantly complex characters and plot laden with twists and turns
Mason is a superb storyteller, accurately depicting the deprivation that coexists with Oxford's dreaming spires
One of the genre's outstanding new writers . . . his funny, thoughtful books are gems
A highly topical and enjoyable page turner
Mason's Oxford-based detective duo, spanning the social spectrum, is one of the best characterised since Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe
No wonder Mason is now compared to Colin Dexter
All stars
Most relevant
A unique detective series, with characters you care about. Gripping stories with lots of laughs too.

Love these characters

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Fabulous twists and turns mixed with humour. Really enjoyed the character interaction and the narration was excellent. I couldn't stop listening.

Engrossing

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Love this series, I think the narration is superb and the way he’s fleshed out Mason’s characters is top notch. Can’t wait for the next!

Another outstanding read

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It’s unusual for detective stories to have this amount of entertainment. By that I mean, humour, excitement, suspense and emotional content. These are all woven through the story in the precise amounts giving the reader an all around experience. The narrator is excellent. Well done to the author. I can’t wait for the next one.

So entertaining

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Unique and well written - often humorous and good plot. Main characters develop as series expands. Well narrated and entertaining. Was delighted to discover this new British crime procedural set in Oxford, but not the Oxford of Morse!

Great series - improves with every new book

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