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Home Front Detective #3
Five Dead Canaries
1916. As thousands of Brits are fighting on the Front Line, a new breed of fiercely independent and fiery-spirited women emerge to hold the Home Front together. Among this raucous group of munitionettes, or 'canaries', is Florrie Duncan whose birthday celebrations are tragically cut short when a brutal explosion kills all but one of the party.
Unconvinced it's the work of a German spy as Scotland Yard surmise, Detective Inspector Harvey Marnion and Sergeant Joe Keedy believe something more complex and sinister is at play. Suspicion is rife and as the pair begin to piece together the lives of the women, they unearth a tension simmering between many of the locals and the canaries. Marmion and Keedy must work fast to uncover the murderer before more canaries are turned to dust ...
Unconvinced it's the work of a German spy as Scotland Yard surmise, Detective Inspector Harvey Marnion and Sergeant Joe Keedy believe something more complex and sinister is at play. Suspicion is rife and as the pair begin to piece together the lives of the women, they unearth a tension simmering between many of the locals and the canaries. Marmion and Keedy must work fast to uncover the murderer before more canaries are turned to dust ...
381 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2013
25 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Edward Marston
239 books466 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston
Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.
Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston
Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.
Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 10, 2015
The murderer walked into the story on page 430 and the mystery was solved on page 435--really????
January 28, 2016
Another excellent example as to why Edward Marston is so good at writing historical fiction within a crime genre. This is the third in his Homefront Dectective series and we have reached 1916 with the spotlight on the dangerous work of women in factories making shells and ordinance for the Western Front. These Munitionettes worked with hazardous chemicals such as TNT and without adequate personal protective equipment and prolonged exposure to sulphuric acid these women's skin turned yellow. Although doing important work in the War effort they were not uninversally appreciated.
Therefore when 6 young women from a local factory hired an outbuilding at a popular public house many of the regulars resented their attendance. What no-one expected was the heartless murder of 5 of these women celebrating a birthday. The police leading the investigation, Detective Inspector Harvey Marnion and Sergeant Joe Keedy, soon find they have a number of potential persons of interest. The book allows the author to show the inpact the deaths have on the individual familes at a time when many had already lost so much and had men away at the front.
A book that is both shocking and everyday in its reflections of this period. I liked learning some of the historical information, particularly with men away many of the women formed football teams in really competative games. Interesting that all these years later many still maintain certain jobs isn't women's work and football is a man's game. I also enjoyed the incidental aspects of the use of a telephone and the difficulties getting around the country. The relationship between the two policemen is another quality of this series; especially as Joe is engaged to Harvey's daughter Alice who has followed her Dad into the Police and has her own difficulties. With a subplot about the troubles in Ireland this is an interesting and well researched book that should appeal to most readers of the crime thriller, police procedural novel.
Therefore when 6 young women from a local factory hired an outbuilding at a popular public house many of the regulars resented their attendance. What no-one expected was the heartless murder of 5 of these women celebrating a birthday. The police leading the investigation, Detective Inspector Harvey Marnion and Sergeant Joe Keedy, soon find they have a number of potential persons of interest. The book allows the author to show the inpact the deaths have on the individual familes at a time when many had already lost so much and had men away at the front.
A book that is both shocking and everyday in its reflections of this period. I liked learning some of the historical information, particularly with men away many of the women formed football teams in really competative games. Interesting that all these years later many still maintain certain jobs isn't women's work and football is a man's game. I also enjoyed the incidental aspects of the use of a telephone and the difficulties getting around the country. The relationship between the two policemen is another quality of this series; especially as Joe is engaged to Harvey's daughter Alice who has followed her Dad into the Police and has her own difficulties. With a subplot about the troubles in Ireland this is an interesting and well researched book that should appeal to most readers of the crime thriller, police procedural novel.
March 9, 2015
Initially I wondered what intrigue could be centred around the killing of five little birds but then I realised that the 'Canaries' are ladies who work at the munitions factory and are nicknamed thus because of the yellow pallor that they develop in so doing.
Having cleared that little conundrum up, it was down to the plot. And very early on five of these munitionettes, another name that they gathered, were brutally killed when a bomb explodes in the outhouse of the public house in Hayes where one of the girls was holding a birthday party. But there were six girls invited and one of them left the party just before the bomb exploded. Was it by chance, or had she some involvement in the destruction?
Detective Inspector Harvey Marmion and his sidekick Detective Sergeant Joe Keedy are detailed to investigate, They find a complex background in that the girls' families all have different views on what happened and what relationships were going on between the girls and their boyfriends at the time. And as for Maureen Quinn, the girl who left the party early with illness, she felt guilt at escaping and could not bring herself round to discuss the matter coherently with the police.
Initially it was thought that German spies were responsible but Marmion and Keedy quickly rule that out. But this gets them no nearer finding the perpetrator. A number of suspects are identified and a number of family secrets are revealed and they all need examining to see what their relevance is and this proves a difficult job for the twosome.
As the investigation develops more threads are brought to life thus increasing the range of suspects but Marmion and Keedy are nothing if not persevering and with a great amount of effort, and near tragedies for them in their quest, they eventually work out what has happened and a startling ending follows.
Edward Marston usually turns up with a winner and once again he has not disappointed with the third episode of the Home Front Detective.
Having cleared that little conundrum up, it was down to the plot. And very early on five of these munitionettes, another name that they gathered, were brutally killed when a bomb explodes in the outhouse of the public house in Hayes where one of the girls was holding a birthday party. But there were six girls invited and one of them left the party just before the bomb exploded. Was it by chance, or had she some involvement in the destruction?
Detective Inspector Harvey Marmion and his sidekick Detective Sergeant Joe Keedy are detailed to investigate, They find a complex background in that the girls' families all have different views on what happened and what relationships were going on between the girls and their boyfriends at the time. And as for Maureen Quinn, the girl who left the party early with illness, she felt guilt at escaping and could not bring herself round to discuss the matter coherently with the police.
Initially it was thought that German spies were responsible but Marmion and Keedy quickly rule that out. But this gets them no nearer finding the perpetrator. A number of suspects are identified and a number of family secrets are revealed and they all need examining to see what their relevance is and this proves a difficult job for the twosome.
As the investigation develops more threads are brought to life thus increasing the range of suspects but Marmion and Keedy are nothing if not persevering and with a great amount of effort, and near tragedies for them in their quest, they eventually work out what has happened and a startling ending follows.
Edward Marston usually turns up with a winner and once again he has not disappointed with the third episode of the Home Front Detective.
September 21, 2019
I didn’t finish this book.
How has this guy got multiple books out? The writing is really shit. Enough said
How has this guy got multiple books out? The writing is really shit. Enough said
July 16, 2017
This is the second book in this series that I have read and as always with Edward Marston books it is very well researched and sets the scene of the period it is set in.
This was a real quandary as to who could have wanted to blow up five women who were having a birthday party in a pub outhouse.
The suspects are few and far between and as the book progresses more suspects appear and are then ruled out.
There are enough clues for you to be able to work it out and the reveal is very nicely done.
This was a real quandary as to who could have wanted to blow up five women who were having a birthday party in a pub outhouse.
The suspects are few and far between and as the book progresses more suspects appear and are then ruled out.
There are enough clues for you to be able to work it out and the reveal is very nicely done.
September 10, 2021
Really enjoyed this, also didn't predict the ending. Definitely recommend.
January 27, 2016
It is 1916. The Great War, the one that would only last a few months, grinds on taking its toll on human life not only in the trenches but also on the home front. Enter Inspector Marmion and Sergeant Keedy. Author Edward Marston's precise retelling of the period is sound. His plot is interesting. Five female factory workers, colloquially known as 'canaries' due to their skin being turned yellow having worked with sulphur whilst filling bombs, are, ironically blown up whilst celebrating in local pubs outhouse. Marston's knowledge is commendable. The story lights no fires but then again its audience, easy reading enthusiast, seek nothing more. This series, better than the Railway detective in my opinion, would make a fine TV show. Think Foyle's War set twenty years earlier and you get the picture.
January 6, 2021
Very like Dance of Death and with the same, this time more egregious, shortcoming, of a far too abrupt conclusion and a real cheat with the identity of the murderer of five young women who worked in munitions (hence the canaries due to their colour), blown up by a bomb at a pub. Various secrets of the women and their families, particularly of Maureen, the sole survivor, lead Marmion and Keely on an entertaining investigation spoiled by too frequent use of first names in dialogue. It's a WWI Foyle’s War-type story marred again by the ending
September 28, 2022
Five Dead Canaries by Edward Marston is the first book I've read in the Home Front Detective series, and I absolutely loved it.
What I loved most were the characters. Each character felt unique, and even characters who only appeared for a short while had their own individual personalities and qualities. Even the murder victims were built into well round characters after death.
I found the ending a bit rushed but on the whole, I loved the characters and the community Marston built. All while reading I was imagining sitting down to watch an adaptation of this on BBC2 on a Sunday night.
What I loved most were the characters. Each character felt unique, and even characters who only appeared for a short while had their own individual personalities and qualities. Even the murder victims were built into well round characters after death.
I found the ending a bit rushed but on the whole, I loved the characters and the community Marston built. All while reading I was imagining sitting down to watch an adaptation of this on BBC2 on a Sunday night.
June 11, 2014
I was a third of the way through this book before I realized it was part of a series. Oh well. As a stand-alone, it worked just fine for me. The plot was well-paced, and I loved Marmion and Keedy's relationship. My only beef with the story was that the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. Regardless, I'm about to start reading the previous two books in the series so I can catch up to where I was before I started this one.
February 1, 2014
I love this new series of books by Edward Marston. Although the ending was a little odd the rest of the story more than made up for it. As an avid fan of the Railway Detective I am delighted to have another detective series I can enjoy.
January 8, 2021
With the ill format of this book, it was a task to read. The murderer doesn’t join the book until late on but the mystery gets solved in just a few pages. All the build up with no big reward at the end.
December 27, 2018
I was really enjoying this book and all along my reading of it expected to give it four stars, but for me the ending was massively disappointing and I now feel like giving it only two out of spite, although will compromise on three. As a whodunit it appeared to be top notch, lots of characters and possibilities with a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. It was easy to read, easy to follow and moved at pace but towards the end I began to realise there would not be time for any more clues to prove that one of possible suspects was actually the murderer, and it transpired the culprit was actually someone the reader had not been introduced to, and even though there might have been suggestions that may perhaps have led to the motive, there were no direct clues that could have explained it fully, it would have had to be a guess at best. I found this very annoying.
I often shy away from periods novels because I’m never sure exactly how accurate the writer’s portrayal of the time or the historical events might actually be, although in general I did enjoy the World War One period this book was set in and the restrictions it placed on the characters and the general back-story they lived in. The author went out of his way to explore the relationship between men and women of the period and rightly attempted to highlight some of the unfairness and injustice of the misogynistic society of the time, but it felt as though he was trying far too hard to right these injustices through his characters rather than portray how the characters would have actually thought and acted at the time. They were too likely to have opinions based in modern understanding in my opinion, although in fairness the novel isn’t supposed to be a highbrow intellectual literary criticism of the social attitudes from a hundred years ago, it is supposed to be an escapist whodunit….but then I refer you to my opening comments.
I often shy away from periods novels because I’m never sure exactly how accurate the writer’s portrayal of the time or the historical events might actually be, although in general I did enjoy the World War One period this book was set in and the restrictions it placed on the characters and the general back-story they lived in. The author went out of his way to explore the relationship between men and women of the period and rightly attempted to highlight some of the unfairness and injustice of the misogynistic society of the time, but it felt as though he was trying far too hard to right these injustices through his characters rather than portray how the characters would have actually thought and acted at the time. They were too likely to have opinions based in modern understanding in my opinion, although in fairness the novel isn’t supposed to be a highbrow intellectual literary criticism of the social attitudes from a hundred years ago, it is supposed to be an escapist whodunit….but then I refer you to my opening comments.
July 29, 2021
It’s early 1916 and the war is not going as quickly as many would like (although the horrors of the Somme with its mass fatalities are still to come), and as more men are recruited more women are moving into the jobs they previously held – or in this case jobs that have grown in number: munitions. An explosion at a west London birthday party kills five of the six attendees, all munitions workers – ‘canaries’ because the chemicals turn their skin yellow – and DI Marmion and Sgt Keedy are sent as suspicions of a spy ring and bomb are raised.
It turns out to be much more prosaic and despite his obvious skills in the field Marston allows the story to get cluttered, allowing in a moment of textual commentary Marmion to grumble about problems of so many victims suggesting so many motives. This is not a gripe on my part about multiple strands – good examples of the genre do that well – but that the strand that leads to resolution emerges so late in the piece.
Admittedly, I have a bit of a thing about the deus ex machina technique, and Marston is usually better than that. Here he has cast a set of excessively reticent families, a bit of Irish republicanism, a women’s football team, what seems to be financially shifty goings on and more all alongside the continuing domestic narrative arcs made more intense by Marmion’s daughter’s growing relationship with Keedy: it all gets a bit messy even though remains exciting and a well-paced read. But still, not his best form….
It turns out to be much more prosaic and despite his obvious skills in the field Marston allows the story to get cluttered, allowing in a moment of textual commentary Marmion to grumble about problems of so many victims suggesting so many motives. This is not a gripe on my part about multiple strands – good examples of the genre do that well – but that the strand that leads to resolution emerges so late in the piece.
Admittedly, I have a bit of a thing about the deus ex machina technique, and Marston is usually better than that. Here he has cast a set of excessively reticent families, a bit of Irish republicanism, a women’s football team, what seems to be financially shifty goings on and more all alongside the continuing domestic narrative arcs made more intense by Marmion’s daughter’s growing relationship with Keedy: it all gets a bit messy even though remains exciting and a well-paced read. But still, not his best form….
January 12, 2018
Published in 2013, Five Dead Canaries is a murder mystery set mainly near London during The Great War. The canaries of the title are female munition workers, whose work with explosives gave them a yellow complexion and the derogatory nickname of canaries. The plot meanders a bit, but does not qualify to be a who-done-it - it is more of a roundabout tale where everyone has a dark secret to hide. The author's main emphasis here is in highlighting the treatment of women in a period of history in which their 'traditional' role was in a fluid state of transition, the key factor being the importance of women in the workplace. Characterisations are mostly well drawn, although a couple of them seem out of period. As part of a series, the back story of the recurring characters of course is a central element.
April 1, 2021
Enjoyed this easy to read novel though I did feel for the women working in that factory. They were working there because so many men had gone to war. It was a hard and dangerous job for which they were paid much less than the men and which turned any exposed skin and hair yellow, hence their nickname. The way they were treated by some of the folk in the community was dreadful but at that period in history women had little freedom anyway. They were expected to defer to men as a matter of course. Today isn't perfect but at least females have more of a voice now.
February 1, 2023
Enjoyed this for the most part. Like the cops (except Gale Force, who’s a bitch) and all the regular cast. This time around almost all the people connected to the victims (and in my mind the ones that should have been suspects) were quite horrible people. And while the murderer made sense at the end, it really was all at the end that it finally came together.
I was annoyed that we never found out what happened to the rabbit killer, not even in passing. I’m certain the cops would have heard if one of their original suspects had gotten himself a bad beating.
I was annoyed that we never found out what happened to the rabbit killer, not even in passing. I’m certain the cops would have heard if one of their original suspects had gotten himself a bad beating.
February 18, 2024
Well written but the story had a lot of false leads, which I understand is more like real police work, but makes you feel like you've wasted time on all these rabbit holes. The big bad in the end is someone you've never met which is a let down. He IS intertwined with the characters, but we met so many characters in this book, it could have been one of them.
What happened to Joe suggs? Knowing the killers motive, why did he still kill all five? Why did Maureen get away? Coincidence of a completely different story line,nothing intentional
What happened to Joe suggs? Knowing the killers motive, why did he still kill all five? Why did Maureen get away? Coincidence of a completely different story line,nothing intentional
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2024
Edward Marston was recommended to me by fellow travelers on a boat trip. Maybe this isn’t one of his better books, but I am unlikely to read another, I’m afraid.
The story is set during WWI, but somehow the author could’t convince me that this is how people thought, talked and acted at that time. Apart from that it isn’t very good as a detective story with the murder just appearing mor or less out of the blue ten pages from the end. Well, we had some suspicions of his existence but….. Anyhow, long before that I hade lost interest!
The story is set during WWI, but somehow the author could’t convince me that this is how people thought, talked and acted at that time. Apart from that it isn’t very good as a detective story with the murder just appearing mor or less out of the blue ten pages from the end. Well, we had some suspicions of his existence but….. Anyhow, long before that I hade lost interest!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2017
During a birthday celebration for Florrie Duncan at a local pub, a bomb goes off. The blast, intended for six women, ended up killing five as one had left a few minutes earlier as a result of a stomachache. The book was too long for me, and with too many subplots. I didn't anticipate the ending, which was a nice surprise, but the murderer only appeared in the final chapter. It ended up feeling too rushed.
January 1, 2023
1916. As thousands of Brits are fighting on the Front Line, a new breed of women emerges to hold the Home Front together. Fiercely independent and fiery-spirited, the munitionettes, or 'canaries', are easily recognisable with their chemically-stained yellow faces. Among the raucous group of women is Florrie Duncan, who plans to celebrate her birthday in style at the Golden Goose pub. But the celebrations are cut short when all but one are killed in a brutal explosion.
May 24, 2023
An entertaining if disturbing murder mystery, set during WWI in England. An explosion in a local tavern kills five women who work in a nearby munitions factory, a facility whose chemicals have turned their skin a distinct shade of pale yellow (hence the title). Edward Marston is a gifted writer who touches upon the social upheaval and backlash faced by women in the workplace in time of war, and the fallout in terms of its impact on their social lives.
August 21, 2023
This book actually held a grip on me. The story of the 5 women being killed at a time where women were not seen as more than housewifes, it was very fun to read a book about the deaths being looked into.
When buying this book and I hadn't realised that I accidentally bought the 3rd and 8th book in the series 😭. This book was definitely my favourite out of the 2 and I hope i can actually buy the rest of the series and read the rest in order 😭😭
When buying this book and I hadn't realised that I accidentally bought the 3rd and 8th book in the series 😭. This book was definitely my favourite out of the 2 and I hope i can actually buy the rest of the series and read the rest in order 😭😭
August 3, 2024
A bit boring but powered through. I had trouble keeping up with who was who. I didn’t like that the killer was introduced into the last few chapters, kind of seemed unnecessary. Would have made a much better story for me if we had background of the killer or it turned out to be one of the characters we already knew
October 8, 2020
This was a good who dun it but not as good as previous stories in this series. I cannot exactly put my finger on why but it didn't flow. Suffered a bit from two many characters and not enough pace in first half. nevertheless the ending was great.
June 28, 2021
Good mystery but ending makes it 4 stars
A great mystery involves trying to guess who the culprit is among the cast of characters. When the guilty person is none of the above but a new character introduced in the last chapter I feel cheated.
A great mystery involves trying to guess who the culprit is among the cast of characters. When the guilty person is none of the above but a new character introduced in the last chapter I feel cheated.
February 19, 2023
This was a good little book
I was having trouble reading for a few months
My daughter bought this for Christmas for me
I really enjoyed it and am going to get another one as there is a series - hopefully will be as enjoyable
I was having trouble reading for a few months
My daughter bought this for Christmas for me
I really enjoyed it and am going to get another one as there is a series - hopefully will be as enjoyable
May 28, 2017
a very good read
August 14, 2017
I enjoyed this but not as much as the other two. I felt the plot slow and ploddy. many red herrings with the real perpetrator a real disappointment hence only 3*
October 23, 2017
A good well paced crime book set in world war 1 Britain. A good read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews