Author Mark Ellis has been on the blog before with articles featuring the world of police investigations during 1940s wartime England and the complications involved with American troops stationed in that country and an article on writing historical fiction. Those two posts shared news about Mark’s novels Merlin at War (renamed The French Spy) and Dead in the Water along with his recurring character Detective Chief Inspector Frank Merlin, a senior police officer working in Scotland Yard.

Today’s post is my review of Mark’s latest novel Death Of An Officer.

Mark Ellis has always been fascinated by WW2 and in particular the Home Front and the fact that while the nation was engaged in a heroic endeavour, crime flourished. He explores that part of the war’s history in his DCI Frank Merlin detective series.

The story begins, like many detective novels, with a murder. In this case, it’s the murder of a well-respected gynaecologist discovered by a cleaning woman. But hang on a moment – we soon discover that an American officer stationed in England is missing. Are the cases related and if so, how? Frank Merlin already has a heavy workload but this is wartime so he is assigned to both cases.

DCI Merlin and his team soon discover connections to gangland crime, a secretive club that moves locations with every meeting, unusual masks, and suspicious motivations.

Are the crimes connected? Is the missing American officer dead or alive? What secrets was the gynaecologist hiding?

One aspect that sets the novel apart is the spectre of WW2 that hangs over London. Mark Ellis deftly weaves military action and historic events into the story to add another layer of interest.

Mark Ellis also creates compelling characters who are critical to the novel’s appeal. They include British and American military personnel who are sometimes at odds and at other times cooperative, influential members of the aristocracy who as always expect special treatment, respected members of the medical community (another group impressed with their status and reluctant to expose a fellow physician), members of the criminal underground (a ruthless bunch), and, of course, Frank Merlin and his team.

The suspense is high. When combined with many twists and turns Death Of An Officer is a compelling, page-turning, wartime thriller. Highly recommended.

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M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel THAT WAS THEN is a contemporary thriller. Mary’s other novels, THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE, PARIS IN RUINS, TIME AND REGRET, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from  Amazon ,  Nook ,  Kobo ,  Google Play  and  iTunes . She can be contacted on  Facebook  or on her website  www.mktod.com .

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