The Bridget Hart Oxford Murder Mystery Series by M.S. Morris

I’m currently on the third book of the series, but I’ve read enough of M.S. Morris to happily recommend the entire series, which follows the adventures of D.I. Bridget Hart, a recently promoted Oxford Detective Inspector, determined to prove to her boss, herself and her smug ex-husband that she’s got the bona fides to successfully lead murder investigations . . . while also trying to balance being a single mom of a teen-age daughter and stepping back into the dating game for the first time in a decade. Suffice it to say, her plate is full and her life a relatable stew of determination and guilt, regrets, anxiety, successes and missteps both at work and at home. The cast of supporting characters is great, offering both amusement and poignancy in perfect measure. And I have yet to figure out ‘who-dun-it’ before the final chapter! The twists and turns are exquisitely crafted, leaving the reader mulling clues right along with the detectives until the final hint is dropped — moments before the pieces fall into place.

Another series by the husband-and wife writing team of Margaret and Steve Morris (hence the M.S.), worth checking out is THE TOM RAVEN YORKSHIRE MURDER MYSTERY SERIES (The Landscape of Death, Beneath Cold Earth, The Dying of the Year, Deep into That Darkness, Days Like Shadows Pass, Vigil for the Dead, and Stained with Blood), which I also highly recommend. In both series, the settings are as much characters in the story as any of the people — beautifully painted and integrating tidbits of history and fun facts that will have you jotting down travel goals as you read. Check them out and let me know what you think!