The City in Flames by Michael Russell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An enthralling historical crime thriller set primarily in London during the Blitz, featuring Irish detective Stefan Gillespie.

In the fifth in the series, set in autumn 1940, Stefan finds himself suspended from Special Branch, ostracised by his colleagues and the community at large. Currently helping his father on the farm in Wicklow, they are both suspicious when a local man is found dead and his death deemed a suicide. Stefan’s interference is not welcomed by the local constabulary and he has little time to explore his suspicions, as he is whisked away to London on the orders of his superiors.

Meanwhile, German agents are dispatched to the UK, seeking IRA support to undermine Ireland’s position of professed neutrality, while one of the agents has her own hidden agenda. First, she journeys to London, evading British intelligence services. From there, she will continue her journey to Ireland.

Enlisted in an undercover mission, Stefan takes up a job as a barman, having left Ireland under a cloud. Under the threat of German bombs, he soon finds romance to while away the time, unaware that this draws him closer to a nefarious murder plot with potentially devastating political ramifications. Between the dangerous streets of wartime England and the hills of rural Ireland, Stefan wades through the darkness and subterfuge in his continual quest for the truth.

Seamlessly blending local, national and international crime and intrigue, ‘The City in Flames’ gives an insight into life during the Second World War from multiple perspectives. I have eagerly devoured each entry in this series since the first novel; this, the fifth, is another intricately plotted and well-written chapter, packed with imagery that evokes the daily danger and uncertainty of wartime London, but also the human resolve to continue with everyday life against this bleak, unforgiving backdrop. Behind the scenes, the machinations of German, British and Irish intelligence services influence and direct events. One of the strengths of the series is its depiction of historical context and how this weaves with Stefan’s own story and those of the crimes he investigates. Real-life characters also feature, while the politics of multiple countries and the horrors of war and prejudice constantly lurk in the background.

Deeply absorbing and slow-burning, combining elements of police procedural, espionage and political intrigue, ‘The City in Flames’ is another superb entry in Michael Russell’s high-quality series; which continues with the sixth novel, ‘The City Under Siege’.



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