OXFORD EXIT: A KATE IVORY MYSTERY [Hardcover]

Veronica Stallwood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 1995

Novelist-sleuth Kate Ivory returns in the sequel to Death and the Oxford Box to track a thief in the Oxford Library system and soon uncovers murder and a novice crime writer who may not be writing fiction.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Another amateur sleuth, novelist Kate Ivory, goes undercover to find out who has been stealing books from Oxford-area libraries and erasing the catalog records from the computer. Kate soon discovers that the thefts may also involve murder. Friend Emma, meanwhile, suspects one of her students may be a murderer. From the author of Death and the Oxford Box (LJ 1/94).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

At first glance, this may seem to be a mystery only a librarian could love, what with its liberal sprinkling of library acronyms and jargon. But Stallwood's spunky, sassy heroine, Kate Ivory, is charming, and the plot is so well conceived and original that even nonlibrarians will find the story entertaining. Kate's in the middle of writing one of her popular historical novels when her friend Andrew, a member of the security committee at Oxford's Bodleian Library, asks her to help unmask a clever book thief. Andrew and his committee suspect the thief is an ingenious computer hacker who deletes records from the library's online catalog to hide the theft of some of the collection's most valuable books--which could generate big bucks on the library black market. At the same time, Kate's friend Emma discovers a frighteningly dark "creative" streak in one of the students in her beginning writing class. The two plots seem unrelated until Kate's investigation runs head-on into the disturbed writer. Nicely understated humor and excellent writing make this one an "A-list" choice. Emily Melton

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (March 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684197294
• ISBN-13: 978-0684197296
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,063,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The second and best of the three Kate Ivory books!, February 23, 2001

By 

"mfshermantank" - See all my reviews

This review is from: OXFORD EXIT: A KATE IVORY MYSTERY (Hardcover)

In Death and the Oxford Box, the first Kate Ivory mystery, Stallwood did an able job of introducing a likeable writer/amateur sleuth, although the plot wasn't particularly compelling. In the third installment, Oxford Mourning, Stallwood adopted Rendell/Vine narrative techniques -- to solid (albeit amateurish) effect. In this, the second of the three Kate Ivory mysteries, however, character, plot, and technique coalesce to wonderfully entertaining result. Don't be put off by the crusty library setting; it is, in fact, one of the most intriguing aspects of the mystery.

The antics and volume of her neighbors are preventing Kate from concentrating on her manuscript. Worried that the advance will run out before she has finished the work, she reluctantly accepts friend and former lover Andrew's offer of a job tracking down the culprits in a series of Oxford library thefts. Excerpts from the troubling submissions of one anonymous student in a in a creative writing class parallel Kate's trail through the libraries of Oxford to California and back. How are these dark self-revelations related to Kate and the disappearance of rare books?

Alas, Stallwood's mysteries are now out of print. To feed your taste for the writer/English professor-turned-sleuth genre, then, seek out Joanne Dobson's Karen Pelletier mysteries, Edith Skom's Beth Austin series, and -- most recommended -- Amanda Cross' Kate Fansler books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting and poignant mystery, November 30, 2004

By 

Meredith Burton "Bookworm" (Lynchburg, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: OXFORD EXIT: A KATE IVORY MYSTERY (Hardcover)

"Oxford Exit" is the first Kate Ivory mystery that I have read. Written by Veronica Stallwood, this book tells the story of Kate Ivory, historical romance novelist as well as amateur sleuth. Her friend, Andrew, (a security officer at an Oxford library,) enlists Kate's help in tracking down a computer hacker who is stealing valuable books and deleting the archive records so that the thefts will be undiscovered. In the process, Kate learns of the murder of a library trainee, Jena. She wonders if there could be a connection with the book thefts.
Along with Kate's investigation, the books every other chapter contains essays written by the hacker and potential murderer. Although the reader gets a clear sense of the perpetrators voice and personality, Ms. Stallwood does not reveal the name of the culprit. This allows the reader to have the unique experience of becoming acquainted with the villain in the story without knowing his true identity. This method was both eerie and refreshingly different.
Veronica Stallwood uses superb characterization in this book. All of the characters are portrayed extremely well, and Kate is shown as a woman with needs as well as a sense of humor and a strong determination to right wrongs. This mystery is a truly wonderful story, and a must-read. Please give it a chance. Happy reading!