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The Dangerous Stranger

DI Wilkins, Book 5

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The Dangerous Stranger

By: Simon Mason
Narrated by: Matt Addis
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Summary

 'This is absolutely first class' Stephen Fry
'Simon Mason has created crime fiction's most entertaining double act in decades' Mick Herron
'Move over Morse' Val McDermid
'My favourite UK series' M W Craven

On a warm and pleasant evening in Oxford, gentle city of poets and scholars, rioters outside a hotel full of asylum seekers set a young refugee on fire. The city - the country - convulses in shock. Is this who we are? It's international news of the very worst kind, and the Chief Constable demands immediate and exemplary action in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The detectives leading the investigation fill him with misgivings, however: DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), Thames Valley's detective pantomime horse, one Oxford-educated, the other Oxford-trailer park. He doesn't understand why they work together. 'Do they even get on?' 'Somehow that doesn't seem necessary,' their Superintendent replies.

Who burned the boy alive? Was it a far-right extremist? Was it an ordinary person who had simply gone along to watch and got caught up in the emotion? Could it even be one of the children who were there? Deploying a range of investigative skills, some standard, some unconventional and some frankly nuts, the Wilkinses do what they do: results with chaos. But when they discover that the victim was not an asylum seeker after all, or even a resident of the hotel, the whole investigation kicks into a completely different configuration.


READERS ARE LOVING RYAN AND RAY:

'Loved it, what a wonderful read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Really, really enjoyed and was sorry to finish it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Have really enjoyed the whole series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you like Slow Horses, either the books or the Apple series, this book is for you' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Set in present day Oxford, England, it is Morse times two' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Can't put these books down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A real un-putdownable page turner . . . A tremendous read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐©2026 Simon Mason Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedurals Thriller & Suspense Funny Witty Exciting
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Critic reviews

A terrific writer (Peter May)
An electrifying read replete with feints and false leads.
Excellent . . . DI Ryan Wilkins, the unlikely Sherlock in a shell suit, is an enduringly brilliant creation
One of the highlights of the genre . . . impressive as well as highly entertaining, and has real depths of emotion
What makes The Dangerous Stranger so addictively readable is the vividly delineated characters, and despite it being the fifth in the series, the narrative unspools like a standalone thriller . . . there is a curious layer of black-humour that makes the narrative sparkle and pages turn with impatience - because little is what it seems
Startling . . . Mason is an exceptional storyteller, basing ingenious plots on events that mirror life
Mason is becoming a master of the modern British police procedural and his double act is one for the connoisseurs
Brilliantly complex characters and plot laden with twists and turns
Mason is a superb storyteller, accurately depicting the deprivation that coexists with Oxford's dreaming spires
One of the genre's outstanding new writers . . . his funny, thoughtful books are gems
A highly topical and enjoyable page turner
All stars
Most relevant
Once again Simon Mason doesn’t disappoint. An exciting and interesting story beautifully read. I just love the pair of Wilkins cops.

A really great read

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Spellbound from start to finish. Colon Mace is such an excellent narrator it just makes this whole book one I just didn’t want to finish.

Fabulous read

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Love the well-formed characters, topical and thought provoking storyline and narration. Already looking forward to the next book in the series. I always do. The quality is consistently excellent, one fabulous book after another. Can picture everything as I listen and there’s such brilliant, subtle humour. Would make a great TV series.

Another excellent book in the series

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I love this series. Matt Addis’ narration is superb. And who could fail not to fall in love with the interactions between Ryan and Little
Ryan. Listened to all 5 books back to back. Can’t wait for the next one.

Another DI Wilkins triumph

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Matt Addis is a wonderful narrator who breathes life into the characters who are quirky and very real. I have listened to all of the series and care for the characters more with each book.
The story is timely and well paced.

Brilliant narration

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