It’s Throwback Thursday, where I reshare an older review, or share a review of an older book. I’ve just finished reading Firing Line, the next book in Mike Hollow’s The Blitz Detective series, so it seems like a good time to share my review of Enemy Action, the third book in the series. This review previously appeared at Suspense Sisters Reviews.
It’s 1940, the middle of the London Blitz, and there is a body in the aftermath of the nightly bombing raids. But this body isn’t a victim of the bombs. No. This body was stabbed to death. Whodunit?
The investigation starts with Inspector Jago and his partner meeting all manner of people whose only relationship was that they knew or knew of the victim, none of whom appear to have any motive for killing him. As the story progresses, unexpected relationships emerge between the characters, which leave us with several having both motive and opportunity for the murder. Yes, there were plenty of red herrings, and the end managed to both surprise me and make perfect sense.
That’s always the sign of an excellent mystery.
I was impressed by the character voices, about the way I could ‘hear’ the different accents. I was also impressed with the overall setting and background—the subplot around contract mismanagement, the comments about gender equity, the history in general. It gave the novel a sense of time and place I rarely see in Christian fiction.
And this was Christian fiction, although it’s Christian fiction of a more understated variety (as is typical with British fiction). It’s clear Inspector Jago is on a spiritual journey, whether he knows it or not. I’ll watch that with interest in future books, along with his relationship with the pretty American journalist.
This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, but can easily be read as a standalone novel. I haven’t read the first two in the series, but will be ordering them soon. Recommended for historical fiction lovers, especially those who like police procedural mysteries.
Thanks to Lion Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Mike Hollow
I was born in 1953 in the Essex County Borough of West Ham – home of the Blitz Detective – on the eastern edge of London. I grew up mainly in Romford and went to the Royal Liberty School, then studied Russian and French at Cambridge University.
My first job was translating for the BBC, and I did various jobs there for sixteen years before moving to work in communications for development agency Tearfund, travelling widely in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In 2002 I went freelance as a writer, editor and creative project manager. Now I earn a living by translating and spend the rest of my time in the cellar of my house in Hampshire chronicling the adventures of the Blitz Detective.
Why write detective novels? Because I enjoy reading them and I love to create entertaining stories. Why set them in that place and time? Because overnight the Blitz turned everyday existence into a life-and-death struggle for ordinary people – and some of them were my family.
You can find Mike Hollow online at:
About Enemy Action
DI Jago quickly establishes that the victim was a pacifist, desperate to avoid military service. Why, then, was he carrying a loaded revolver in his pocket? Did he have enemies? Was he intent on harming someone – or even himself?
Jago discovers that Paul isn’t the only pacifist whose convictions have been challenged. For some, anger and violence lie just below the surface. And despite Ramsey’s moral stance, it seems there were dark shadows in his life. In fact, more than one person might have had a motive for murder …
You can find Enemy Action online at:
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