THE OXFORD MURDERS (The Miss Clara Vale Mysteries #6) by Fiona Veitch Smith was released on November 5, 2026, by Embla Books.
Between attending her ten-year reunion at Somerville College and preparing for her brother’s wedding, Clara Vale’s return to her family’s Cotswolds estate is already jam-packed with events. The long May Day weekend gets even busier after Clara and her mother find the body of a young woman while visiting the ancient Rollright Stones. Clara was acquainted with the victim—a graduate student at Somerville College and the daughter of the local pastor. Bunny Clayton was researching the ancient Celts, and her murder appears to mimic an ancient Celtic sacrifice. When a second person is murdered in the Ancient Celtic room at the local museum, Clara is on a race against the clock to find the killer and get her brother’s wedding back schedule.
THE OXFORD MURDERS is an exciting addition to the Clara Vale Mystery series. The investigation was intriguing with plenty of suspects, clues, and red herrings. Fiona Veitch Smith includes several famous people and weaves historical events throughout the story, adding to the authenticity of the setting. Clara and her assistant, Bella, are two of my favorite private detectives and I look forward to their next case.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.