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The Oldminster Mysteries #1-5
The Oldminster Mysteries: Books 1-5
If you love unravelling a classic whodunnit, pull up an armchair, pour yourself a cup of tea, and dive into these five bestselling murder mysteries!
Welcome to the sleepy English town of where history haunts the halls and secrets fester behind lace curtains.
Nestled in the heart of rural Oldshire, the cathedral city of Oldminster is all ivy-covered colleges, creaking bookshops, and genteel façades. But don’t be fooled by the charm — beneath the cobbled streets and tidy hedgerows lies a world of intrigue. From ancient family estates like Renfield Hall to the atmospheric lanes of Abbot’s Grayling, this is a place where aristocratic pride clashes with modern ambition, and murder is never far from the tea tray. Because in Oldminster, everyone has something to hide — and someone is always watching.
MEET YOUR DETECTIVES
Inspector Paul French has always been a stickler for order — until the arrival of his baby daughter late in his marriage to Moira turned his orderly world upside down. Always impeccably polite — he knows how to navigate aristocratic pretensions, local feuds, and the labyrinthine ties of old village families, all without ruffling too many feathers. French is the kind of man who drinks strong tea, keeps a dog-eared notebook, and believes very firmly that murder, no matter how genteel its setting, must be treated with absolute seriousness.
Thirty-something Sergeant Glyn Edwards is weathered from years of police work, with a dry humour that’s a hit among Oldminster’s tight-lipped locals. He lives with his wife Sandra, but his home life is anything but blissful. With his marriage slowly derailing, all he has to fall back on is his work. Edwards isn’t one for grand theories, but he sees the small things: the nervy glance, the missing key, the crack in a polished alibi. He’s the one who usually notices something that turns the whole case on its head.
Together, French and Edwards unravel the most tangled of crimes proving that murder cannot hide . . . even in the prettiest villages.
Welcome to the sleepy English town of where history haunts the halls and secrets fester behind lace curtains.
Nestled in the heart of rural Oldshire, the cathedral city of Oldminster is all ivy-covered colleges, creaking bookshops, and genteel façades. But don’t be fooled by the charm — beneath the cobbled streets and tidy hedgerows lies a world of intrigue. From ancient family estates like Renfield Hall to the atmospheric lanes of Abbot’s Grayling, this is a place where aristocratic pride clashes with modern ambition, and murder is never far from the tea tray. Because in Oldminster, everyone has something to hide — and someone is always watching.
MEET YOUR DETECTIVES
Inspector Paul French has always been a stickler for order — until the arrival of his baby daughter late in his marriage to Moira turned his orderly world upside down. Always impeccably polite — he knows how to navigate aristocratic pretensions, local feuds, and the labyrinthine ties of old village families, all without ruffling too many feathers. French is the kind of man who drinks strong tea, keeps a dog-eared notebook, and believes very firmly that murder, no matter how genteel its setting, must be treated with absolute seriousness.
Thirty-something Sergeant Glyn Edwards is weathered from years of police work, with a dry humour that’s a hit among Oldminster’s tight-lipped locals. He lives with his wife Sandra, but his home life is anything but blissful. With his marriage slowly derailing, all he has to fall back on is his work. Edwards isn’t one for grand theories, but he sees the small things: the nervy glance, the missing key, the crack in a polished alibi. He’s the one who usually notices something that turns the whole case on its head.
Together, French and Edwards unravel the most tangled of crimes proving that murder cannot hide . . . even in the prettiest villages.
1035 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2025
448 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Norman Russell
80 books28 followersHello, reader! I hope that all's well with you. I am a graduate of Oxford and London universities, with the degrees of MA and PhD respectively. I served abroad in several regiments of the British Army before training as a teacher, and spending a very happy 26 years as Head of English in a comprehensive school in Liverpool UK. After accepting early retirement, I began a new career as an author, and to date I have had twenty novels published. My current publisher is the brilliant Joffe Books, who have just published the first of my Oldminster series of detective novels - more to follow!
My fiction leans towards the 'cosy' genre, though there are plenty of thrills and cunning plots to be found. I like to produce rounded characters who exist in their own right, rather than as just movers of the plot. My interests are mainly literary and academic, though I have plenty of time to observe the world as it is, and the countless wonderful people who inhabit it. If you like Agatha Christie, PD James and Catherine Moloney, then I think you'll like my work.
My fiction leans towards the 'cosy' genre, though there are plenty of thrills and cunning plots to be found. I like to produce rounded characters who exist in their own right, rather than as just movers of the plot. My interests are mainly literary and academic, though I have plenty of time to observe the world as it is, and the countless wonderful people who inhabit it. If you like Agatha Christie, PD James and Catherine Moloney, then I think you'll like my work.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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January 30, 2026Excellent!
This was my first encounter of Norman Russell and of the Oldminster Mysteries, and I have to admit that although I hoped for the best, I was nevertheless quite prepared to be disappointed.
BUT... 'Au contraire', as Del Boy was sometimes prone to saying...each and every one of the five books was truly addictive and full of twists (as the publicity blurb says!)...I found the characters entirely believable, the dialogues elegantly and intuitively constructed, and the plots very credible, with obviously well researched backgrounds and situations...all in all, a most enjoyable read!
This was my first encounter of Norman Russell and of the Oldminster Mysteries, and I have to admit that although I hoped for the best, I was nevertheless quite prepared to be disappointed.
BUT... 'Au contraire', as Del Boy was sometimes prone to saying...each and every one of the five books was truly addictive and full of twists (as the publicity blurb says!)...I found the characters entirely believable, the dialogues elegantly and intuitively constructed, and the plots very credible, with obviously well researched backgrounds and situations...all in all, a most enjoyable read!
July 30, 2025
A very good set of mysteries.
I loved these five books about two private detectives,some police officers and a legal eagle. The characters were fascinating and well crafted. Each of the books had a well written case, and each one was very different from the others. I liked how they were full of red herrings and twists, which left me perplexed right up to the end.
I loved these five books about two private detectives,some police officers and a legal eagle. The characters were fascinating and well crafted. Each of the books had a well written case, and each one was very different from the others. I liked how they were full of red herrings and twists, which left me perplexed right up to the end.
August 30, 2025
The stories are all interesting, with some unexpected twists. I liked all the principal characters - all good at their jobs, but not infallible; all the kind of people I enjoyed getting to know. Wish there were more books in the series.
October 24, 2025
Good, Interesting Plots
While I do think these books could use some proofreading, the plots were fun and interesting. I enjoyed the regular characters and many of the novel-specific characters and the descriptive writing was definitely evocative.
While I do think these books could use some proofreading, the plots were fun and interesting. I enjoyed the regular characters and many of the novel-specific characters and the descriptive writing was definitely evocative.
January 13, 2026
Good stories
This collection was interesting, different from most. Mr. Russell kept me guessing as to whodunit. Living in the US with very little out of country travel made these stories educational as well as interesting. I did find them a little " wordy" but still good reads.
This collection was interesting, different from most. Mr. Russell kept me guessing as to whodunit. Living in the US with very little out of country travel made these stories educational as well as interesting. I did find them a little " wordy" but still good reads.
August 15, 2025
Excellent!
I wish there were more in this series. I liked them so much. They are original, with interesting and believable characters and the mysteries, all so good.
I wish there were more in this series. I liked them so much. They are original, with interesting and believable characters and the mysteries, all so good.
September 21, 2025
These 5 stories kept me entertained and intrigued - I particularly liked the secondary characters who had continuing roles throughout the series.
November 27, 2025
Enjoyed these stories and the way the murders were solved not just by the police but with outside help.
January 18, 2026
I thought the stories started out slow but they were great as they went along and hard to stop reading until they done. I didn't find any more to read next.
January 28, 2026
Excellent Who Done It's. Well written, great characters, fabulous plots. Highly recommend
February 4, 2026
Enjoyable and entertaining
The books were all cleverly written, with excellent plots and relatable characters. I enjoyed them all. I certainly recommend them.
The books were all cleverly written, with excellent plots and relatable characters. I enjoyed them all. I certainly recommend them.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews