Thanks to Joffre Books and Netgalley for a review copy of this eBook. The views expressed are my own.
This is a slick whodunit murder mystery with a standout amateur detective, Jenny Starlight who is also a professional cook. It is set at an Oxford University college during summer recess when the college does a steady business hosting conferences. Jenny is hired to do the catering for the summer conferences, and later it develops she has some sleuthing talent.
The first conference is a group of taxidermists, the Greater Ribble Valley & Jessop Taxidermy Society. It is run by Maurice Raines who early on is found dead by Jenny in a deserted conference hall, stabbed in the throat. The police are called in and find there's several potential murderers. Maurice was not well regarded and had a penchant for chasing women while away from his wealthy wife. She and her boyfriend are targets of the police investigation. Jenny's reputation as an amateur detective is soon discovered and Detective Inspector Trevor Golder reluctantly decides he cannot ignore her talents. It's a complicated investigation, with numerous red herrings to occupy Inspector Golder and his sergeant, but with perseverance and Jenny's assistance the killer is identified.
Jenny is the star of the show, a witty and assured person, who skillfully manages to help the police without provoking their ire for interfering in their work. The police characters are benign, readers don't get to know about their personal lives at all; the story is not about them unlike some police procedural novels. However, they are competent and pleasant officers. Readers learn a little about each of the suspects, but their backgrounds do not dominant the story. The portrayal of the college's bureaucrats is hilarious, and an accurate.sendup of organizational management. It's essentially a story about the crime and the search for the killer, without a lot of drama, social or political commentary. Norman the chameleon is a good touch of whimsy too. It's the fifth of a series, but can easily be read as a standalone. RECOMMENDED: It's a smoothly written whodunit mystery story that is easy to read and enjoy.

An entertaining mystery. Engaging characters, a plot with lots of twists and turns, and a great setting make for an entertaining read. The fact that it was a taxidermy convention made it delightfully quirky.
I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this cosy mystery but I think Jenny Starling is becoming a little predictable as she assists the police to find the murderer of a man at a taxidermy conference in an Oxford College .

Jenny Starling again manages to discover the culprit, which as usual is the last person you and the police suspected. Jenny has taken on a position at Oxford's St. Bede's College for the summer. Her cooking will mainly be for conferences. The first conference is the Greater Ribble Valley & Jessop Taxidermy Society. It begins with a delicious dinner by Jenny. The President of the Society, Maurice Raines, is clearly a lady's man. His wife, Laura, who has all the money in the family is disillusioned with her marriage, and has met a very attractive younger man, Simon, who is recently divorced. While her husband is at St. Bede's, Laura has asked Simon to join her at a hotel at the beach.

The next morning, Maurice Raines arranges for everyone to leave the hall for a free lunch after his lecture where he presents a large stuffed bear. Shortly thereafter, Jenny finds his dead body with a knife sticking out of his neck. She calls for the police, answered by Detective Golder and Sargeant Trent. They are soon told the Jenny has been asked to keep her eye on the investigation and to keep the Bursar informed. Meanwhile, Simon, had received a text to meet Laura at St. Bede's, and isn't sure whether Laura had set him up while Laura is worried that Simon might have murdered her husband.

The police become convinced that Simon, the man seen leaving St. Bedes is a murderer (there have been other major suspects as well). At the end, Jenny has to tell the police what really happened.

Jenny Starlings priority is food the more people to feed the better. Murder comes second. Jenny is enjoying her summer job as cook at the Oxford College of St Bede’s. A conference of taxidermists creates a hot bed of intrigue. Maurice Raines was well known as a ladies man but was that any reason for murder.
Jenny becomes the liaison between the college and the police. You will enjoy Jenny’s reading of people and events to always be one step ahead.
This is a who done it you will be glad you spent an afternoon with.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Oxford Myster was 1st publish under a different title "DeadlyStuff" and under her pen name Joyce Coto, and it is not a Hillary Greene novel which are brilliant., This is a Jenny Starling novel and by all accounts, not the first one, but It's the first one I have read. I would describe it more of a cozy mystery more the Murder She Wrote as Jenny Starling is a wandering cook and in this novel, she has taken on the job of the cook during the summer months of the university which is open to any clubs that want to do promotions during the times when the school terms are not being used to make extra money.. The story is well thought out good dialect but I do wish they would not make idiots of the police, it does seem that because an explanation is wanting it seems to make the police inadequate. Having read this it did make a change from the usual thrillers but still prefer the Hillary Greene although the author has retired her.so they won't be anymore. Like all of this author, these books can be read as a stand-alone.

This fifth book in the Jenny Starling series was a bit disappointing for me. Not because of the setting (beautiful Oxford college), or the plot (very nicely found) or the writing (flows nicely) or the characters.
No, I am a bit disappointed because there is just not enough cooking in this book; the emphasis lays clearly on solving the crime. And since we already know that Jenny will always solve the crime, due to her unique way of thinking, there are no surprises.
Jenny goes to work in a beautiful old Oxford college, where during the summer holidays the halls are rented out to different groups of people, mostly for holding conferences. Jenny is a little surprised when the group she will be cooking for consists of taxidermists, but hey, they have to eat, don't they?
But what are they eating? Jenny doesn't do any cooking herself, this time. There is a large staff and all she has to do is keep an eye on things. Although there is a nice recipe for a herb omelette, and a recipe for porridge (mixed feelings), Jenny just wanders around, talking to people and thus solving the murder.
Nice read but I hope that in the next book Jenny does some real cooking again.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this digital copy.

I really enjoyed this book. This is one in a series of Jenny Starling mysteries. It has a great plot, excellent main characters, a wonderful setting and is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book. Thank you to Faith Martin for this wonderful series.

Very enjoyable murder mystery. Part of a series, though reads perfectly well as a stand-alone story.

Oxford and the university proves to be a very atmospheric setting for the mystery - I liked the lead detectives, they added a nice touch of humour - “bloody Morse!”

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Jenny Starling has taken a summer cooking job at Oxford, where groups book the rooms for meetings and conventions when school in not in session. The first group she is to serve is, surprisingly, a group of taxidermists. Some of its members apparently have a few skeletons in their closets, and Jenny is able to figure out what’s going on before the police do, much to their chagrin. The subtitle boldly proclaims this book to be “an absolutely gripping whodunit full of twists.”

This is book 5 in the Jenny Starling series, but can easily be read as a stand alone book.

I have to start by saying that Jenny Starling must be the unluckiest cook in the world as everywhere she goes a dead body is found by her, so be warned if she ever caters an event you are at.

In this book Jenny has traveled to an Oxford College to work over the summer catering for their conferences when she uncovers a dead body and starts to investigate.

The body in question is the President of a taxidermy society, who appears to be hated by everyone , including his wife. This makes the list of suspects really long and Jenny has to start narrowing it down, made all the harder by everyone appearing to have an alibi.

As with the previous books this is a very cosy mystery, with no blood or gore in it and enough twists to keep you entertained and guessing throughout.

Overall this was an easy read, which left me guessing most of the way through.

This series of Jenny Starling books are really fun to read. The mysteries are well written, intriguing and enjoyable, again I had trouble putting it down.
In this one she is cooking for convention of the Taxidermy Society held at Oxford University on term break. With many red herring and an inspector who actually is happy to work with Jenny, the book moves along quickly to a surprise ending.
Enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book - it has a great plot, excellent main characters and is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book.

An author who’s other books I have enjoyed disappointed slightly with this attempt at a vintage style Who Done It story. Unfortunately the “twist” in the plot was evident before the heroine worked it out. Overall not one of her best books

Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for an electronic ARC.
Traveling chef Jenny Starling is in Oxford at St. Bede’s college as an interim chef for the summer months cooking for conferences the college is hosting. The first attendees are a group of taxidermists. Maurice, the club chairman is quite the ladies man and Jenny quickly learns he is none too popular with the other members. Therefore when Jenny discovers his dead body, she is spoiled with choices for a suspect.
I’ve read all the series so far and really enjoy these light breezy books. The author has a light touch with deceptively clever plots. Recommend the entire series.

Jenny Starling has a three month assignment in her job as a traveling cook. She is delighted. She has a prestigious job at a prestigious university and she will be soon serving several taxidermists who are there at a convention. While Jenny is thinking up a choice menu, an unnamed person is plotting murder.

When taxidermy president Maurice Raines is found murdered, Jenny quickly slips into her effective role as an amateur sleuth. With all of the conventioneers having strong alibis, both Jenny and the police definitely have their work cut out for them.

As it is, Jenny is dividing her time between cooking and sleuthing, but this time she also has a romantic interest. In this series to-date, Jenny’s focus has never been directed towards romance. It was a delight to see something blooming in that direction. I am not sure what is next for this series, but I certainly look forward to seeing more of Jenny in the future.

Many thanks to Joffe Books, Books n All Promotions and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Formerly published as Deadly Stuff under Faith Martin’s pen name Joyce Cato.

This is the fifth in the Jenny Starling series however I don't think you need to have read any before. I have read two other books (not in sequence) but the books are very descriptive about Jenny so the background reading didn't add too much.

I enjoyed this cosy murder mystery and I like that Jenny doesn't spell out who the murderer is however this story it was just too obvious who the murderer was. The only one who had no alibi! I was really hoping for a bit more from Faith Martin.

I probably would read another Jenny Starling book as I do enjoy them however this wasn't my favourite in the series,

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

This is the fifth in Faith Martin's series featuring the shrewd and intelligent freelance cook and amateur detective, Jenny Starling. This was originally published as Deadly Stuff, and it has Jenny taking on a summer assignment at the prestigious Oxford college of St Bede's earning extra revenue by attracting conferences such as the one currently taking place of a taxidermy society. It's society president is Maurice Raines, really not a nice man and a womaniser. On the first day of the conference he is discovered dead with a knife piercing his neck. This is a complicated case as everyone is at lectures or at various other events that provide them with alibis. However, there are a host of suspects given the nature of Maurice's character from an ex-lover and a wife who was conducting her own affair. Jenny's reputation for successfully solving murders has her well placed to investigate this latest twisted case. This is an entertaining read with Jenny at her latest location in this murder mystery, shot through with humour.

THE OXFORD MYSTERY is the fifth in the Faith Martin series featuring Jenny Starling. In this novel, Jenny has accepted a summer position as head cook for an Oxford University that opens its doors during the summer to groups and organizations for retreats and conferences. The school’s idea is to add much needed funds to their coffers, the organizations like having the prestige of meeting in a well respected institution and Jenny’s idea is to have a confirmed place to live and guaranteed income for a few months. None of them are planning for a murder, but that’s what they get.
Maurice Raines, president of a taxidermy society Jenny dubs “The Great Jessies”, is murdered on the first day of the conference. The murder occurs in the main hall where the group meetings are held and when classes are in session the students and faculty assemble for meals, meetings, etc. Because the hall had been emptied of people either rushing to enjoy an unexpected buffet set up by Maurice or attendees participating in other lectures or demonstrations, the question arises as to who other than Maurice was in the hall. With everyone seeming to have a solid alibi, the police are stumped.
Once again, Jenny is plunged into the middle of an investigation, and once again she encounters a reluctant Detective Inspector and his Sergeant. This time, the bursar of the college has gotten wind of Jenny’s previous successes in solving murders and he is focused on as quick a resolution as possible to save the college any embarrassment. He quickly pushes Jenny into the middle of the investigation, telling the staff to take any suspicions they have directly to her. While the detective’s on the case aren’t enamored of Jenny’s help, her reputation has grown enough for them to realize she may be of some assistance. Their goal is to discover the perpetrator before Jenny, a feat their colleagues have been unable to accomplish.
Possible murderers range from a jilted lover to a jealous spouse. Who would want Maurice dead? He was pompous and often saved the plum assignments and lectures for himself, but was that any reason to murder him? Sure, he had engaged in his share of extra marital affairs, but was his wife, who was having an affair of her own, resentful enough to have murdered him? What about the wife’s lover? Did he get rid of Maurice in order to clear the way for his relationship to become more than an affair? Did one of the other taxidermists want to do away with Maurice in order to further their career?
From the beginning, there are some clues that stand out as being important, however, no one other than Jenny seems to know how they fit together. As in the previous novels featuring the junoesque cook, nothing is quite as it seems until she explains everything to the authorities. Then the reader, along with the detectives, may be sitting there wondering “How did I miss that?”
As in the other books in the Jenny Starling series, this mystery stands alone. Jenny is the only recurring character and there is only a brief reference to her earlier exploits. The mystery is well crafted, both with clues and red herrings, although I had reached the correct conclusion about the murder and other events, it was still enjoyable to read how Jenny reached her solution.
My thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. The opinions stated her are entirely my own.

Thank You Net Galley, Joffe books and Faith Martin for a chance to review this book.

I would really like to thank Linda Strong for having led me to Faith Martin coz it was her reviews in Good Reads that made me check it out and I am glad for once to have read such a beautiful and simple mystery and by simple it is by no accounts elementary or child's play. But when there's so much of bewitching of minds and ensnaring of our senses like Snape would say by the plethora of psychological thrillers out there, it was quite pleasant to read this impressive mystery by Faith Martin.
The Oxford Mystery is Book 5 in the series but it can definitely be read as standalone as I had no trouble in following the trails of Jenny the traveler cook and amateur detective. Jenny has accepted a summer job in St Bede's college for a team of taxidermists but unfortunately lands up with a dead body in her hands. Maurice Raines is not liked by any of his fellow society members but who had reason enough to murder him? I loved Jenny's character and her no-nonsense approach to things and look forward to catching up with other books in this series. (Sigh) There are so many good books out there!