UNCOVER THE VERY BEST IN CRIME AND THRILLER WRITING
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December 1941.
On a bright Sunday morning in Hawaii, Japanese planes swoop down and attack the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. America enters the war and Britain no longer stands alone against Hitler.
Conditions on the home front remain bleak. In a city pulverised by the Blitz, with rampant crime and corruption and overstretched police resources, life for Scotland Yard detective Frank Merlin continues as arduous as ever.
In the week of Japan’s aggression, the shattered body of beautiful film star Laura Curzon is found on the pavement beneath her Mayfair apartment, an apparent suicide. A mile away, the body of a strangled young girl is discovered in the rubble of a bombed-out building.
Merlin and his team investigate, encountering fraudulent film moguls, philandering movie stars, depraved Satanists and brutal gangsters as they battle through a wintry London in pursuit of the truth.
On a bright Sunday morning in Hawaii, Japanese planes swoop down and attack the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. America enters the war and Britain no longer stands alone against Hitler.
Conditions on the home front remain bleak. In a city pulverised by the Blitz, with rampant crime and corruption and overstretched police resources, life for Scotland Yard detective Frank Merlin continues as arduous as ever.
In the week of Japan’s aggression, the shattered body of beautiful film star Laura Curzon is found on the pavement beneath her Mayfair apartment, an apparent suicide. A mile away, the body of a strangled young girl is discovered in the rubble of a bombed-out building.
Merlin and his team investigate, encountering fraudulent film moguls, philandering movie stars, depraved Satanists and brutal gangsters as they battle through a wintry London in pursuit of the truth.
Reviews
[A] stylish thriller
A mammoth read with a Dickensian plethora of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in . . . meticulously researched . . . deliciously complex
A marvellous addition to this wonderful series
A richly atmospheric, authentic, and suspenseful detective series
A rollercoaster ride
A truly spellbinding page turner that keeps you hooked right to the end
A vivid and often surprising portrayal of wartime London
An excellent read by an author who clearly knows his subject . . . highly recommended
Brimming with action...complex, addictive and highly entertaining . . . I cannot wait to read more books by Mark Ellis
Brimming with authentic details . . . A compelling tale of crime fiction
Mr. Ellis comprehensively explodes that persisting myth of unalloyed wartime togetherness . . . an eye-opener
So immaculately nuanced they genuinely feel like they belong in the cannon of mid-20th century thrillers . . . Another belter!
Suspenseful and plot driven, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout
This exciting, very well plotted and historically evocative story drives forward to its gripping conclusion
This latest novel in Mark Ellis's DCI Merlin series goes way beyond the familiar clichés . . . satisfyingly complex
Vivid descriptions of the era provide ideal background for the charismatic and likeable Merlin
Wow! Well just as I think I've completed my Outstanding Books Of The Year list, up pops another book that will be on the list
