After the Mourning

Francis Hancock #2

by Barbara Nadel

In the dark days of the Blitz, crime goes undercover...

Undertaker Francis Hancock has seen the worst that humanity can do to itself. Why then does the murder of a young gypsy girl in Epping Forest move him so much? Travellers, gypsies, the homeless, deserters and German spies inhabit this stretch of open ground that was once her home. Francis knows it's not wise to delve into this human melting pot, but he is drawn to the exotic customs of the gypsies, their music and magic. But as he investigates the girl's murder further, the death toll rises and Francis uncovers a much bigger conspiracy, at the heart of which lies something even Adolf Hitler is prepared to kill for...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Historical Fiction, World War II

342 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 3, 2006

About the author

Barbara Nadel is an English crime-writer. Many of her books are set in Turkey. Born in the East End of London, Barbara Nadel trained as an actress before becoming a writer. Now writing full-time, she has previously worked as a public relations officer for the National Schizophrenia Fellowship's Good Companion Service and as a mental health advocate for the mentally disordered in a psychiatric hospital. She has also worked with sexually abused teenagers and taught psychology in schools and colleges, and is currently the patron of a charity that cares for those in emotional and mental distress. She has been a regular visitor to Turkey for more than twenty-five years.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good novel which depicts life in wartime London during the Blitz as well as those who are on the margins of society in the East End of London, Undertaker Francis Hancock investigates the cruel murder of a young Roma girl. In a place filled with the bombed out refugees from the blitz, the homeless, Roma, and others.
Corrupt police, and people who are not what they seem to be abound, My favourite character being Frank's girlfriend, a warmhearted Jewish prostitute by the name of Hannah,

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice easy read. The setting in the East End of London in the second world war was different because it was included in the story in such a way as to make you realise not just the terror of being bombed night after night but also the day to day inconvenience and depression. The characters were a real mix, from the Indian undertaker's family, who were Catholic, the large number of Jewish people living in the area to the Romany people who were the victims of discrimination and intimidation. There were no moments where I held my breath or felt truly surprised by the plot so in that way the book could have been a little more exciting but overall a good yarn. I was very interested in the culture of the Romany people and the author had obviously done a lot of research into their traditions.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

After wandering about in the wilderness for well over half the book the story died slowly and painfully in the third quarter.

[Liliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second Nadel book, my first re Francis Hancock. I liked it. The characters are well developed and beleivable. I liked the fact that Francis is not a conventional 'hero' but a human being like the rest of us.

[Eri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't often read paperbacks with bewildering plot lines, but when I do, they come from the lending library at work and still have a sticker on the cover reading "£1.99 each or any 3 for £5".

[Judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A terrible book, especially compared to Barbara Nadel's other crime novels. The character development was awful and the plot so slow, it almost stopped.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1940. It is London, and the town is being bombed by Hitler. This is a story about an Anglo/Indian who is an undertaker in London. His mother is from India, and his father met his mother while serving in the Army in India. The undertaker tells his story, from first person, he has suffered greatly from fighting in the trenches in WWI in the Somme. The bombs keep falling, but he is a good man, a kind man, and has friends from all walks of life. Life is not easy being from two different cultures at this time, and he has friends of many races and religions, some being Romani. During this period Romani's are thought, to have the sight, and at an early age, most English children learned the nursery rhyme below. I remember when the gypsies were Romani, when there were the beautiful carts with lovely paintings, being pulled by horses. I remember the wagons being pulled on the heath, the fires at night, and the stories the mum's and grandma's told about the the Romani. I remember always buying hand made clothes pins from the young girls that came around the house, buying the bundles of lavender, and always, to be in by dark, why, because, goodness, girls had been known to run off with those gypsy boys! When the gypsies were on the heath, bring in animals, take your washing in, and say a blessing as they pass. I remember in the 1950's when a Romani Queen died and how her possessions were all burned, and her beautiful painted cart went up in smoke. Today, I am not sure that the "travelers" who are considered todays gypsies carry any of the true Romani DNA, many seem to be tinkers with Irish background. But once, once they had the sight. I grew up with many memories of the gypsies, how we interacted, what to do, what to believe, and how to treat them. But there again, I come from a family with the sight! On with the review.

Old English Nursery Rhyme.
My Mother said, I never should
Play with the gypsies in the wood.
If I did, she would say; 'Naughty little girl to disobey!

Your hair shan't curl and your shoes shan't shine,
You gypsy girl, you shan't be mine!
And my father said that if I did,
He'd rap my head with the teapot lid.

My mother said that I never should
Play with the gypsies in the wood.
The wood was dark, the grass was green;
Here came Sally with a tambourine.

Undertaker Francis Hancock runs the family business. His mum and sisters help him, with his office manager Doris, who is Jewish. Francis mother is in her 70's and is originally from India. It is thought that the Romani's have much Indian blood as well as others. His mum gets along well with the Romani people, and Francis is trusted to take care of their dead. A Romani girl has died and Francis is asked to take care of her funeral. However, from there, things go a little crazy. The Romani sister sees an image, the English, camping in the woods near the Romani take it to be the Virgin Mary, which is not at all what she saw. Clutching at any hope that "Mary" will stop the war, they come believing! This story involves spies, very, very crooked policeman, evil Nazi infiltrators, magic, and faith. Traitors, and a love story, and people who care. A time when one family helped another, and family was strong. A time of war. Thanks Author Barbara Nadel, brought back many memories of growing up in London.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of the author and have read 18 of her 24 police procedural books set in Istanbul and all 8 of her private detective series set in London. This book is written in a very different style and is set in London during the bombing raids in world War 2. The story is narrated by Francis Hancock, an undertaker, who is still suffering from the trauma of the trenches of World War 1. There is a lot of interesting information about Romany people and Nazi sympathisers (ex-members of the British Union of Fascists) but there was too much mystical stuff for my taste.

[AGMaynard · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ish. Ultimately, too many plot threads bog down interesting characters and situations, including shelled London, Roma, murder mysteries. This quote was great: “A person could easily fall into despair. But while an elderly woman is prepared to hide knocked-off chickens against her bare chest, then give one to a man she fancies outside a police station, there has to be some hope.”

[Bev King · Rating 5 out of 5]

confusing

I like these books with Mr Hancock, you get immersed in the time and story. This story got a little confusing in the middle but I plowed on and eventually it became clearer.

[Craftylaurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow.
I'm a little surprised that after all the gratuitous bloodshed, aliens did not show up to add yet another interesting plot development.

[Christine Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not up to this author’s usual standard. It’s very confusing and struggles to come up with a plot really

[Carol Fillmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read.

[Yvonne Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Barbara Nadel fan - even though I haven't read her most famous series yet! I enjoyed this series though.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

mp3

Read by.................. Martin Reid
Abr/Unabr.............. Unabridged
Series Name..............Francis H.
Position in Series.... ..2
# Of MP3 Files......... 8
Total Size.............. 197 MB
Total Runtime......... 9 Hours 36 Mins

Blurb - It is East London during the Blitz, October 1940 and undertaker Francis Hancock is called out to Epping Forest to attend to the corpse of a young gypsy girl who has died suddenly. At the wake, a gypsy named Lily claims to see a vision of the 'Blessed Virgin'. Meanwhile the Military Police are looking for a German gypsy - Martin Stojka - who they believe is a Nazi spy. Then Lily is found murdered. Could it be a crime of passion or cold blooded murder? Is Martin Stojka who he says he is? There is someone lurking in the shadows who will stop at nothing to find what Martin has in his possession...
This is the second novel in the Francis H series, and is every bit as good as 'Last Rights'. Nadel's sense of time and place is outstanding. We really do experience something of what it was like to live through those terrifying days of the London Blitz, and the mystery itself is good also. The sympathetic portrayal of the lives and customs of the Roma people (known as Gypsies) rings true, and all in all this is a most satisfying read.


This second book means that the overall pattern for this series is starting to take shape: rather weak however Francis is likeable within his shell-shocked post-traumatic stress syndrome.

The plotline here was implausible and I will continue with the series but not right now.


3* Last Rights
2* After the Mourning
TR Ashes to Ashes
TR Sure and Certain Death

[Ann Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating lead character in Francies Hancock - anglo-indian, damaged by WW1 experiences, undertaker. And if that wasn't enough, a story of Romany people in London during the Blitz. An original piece of detective story telling.

[Tammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this hoping to learn more about the Roma (Travelers) life in England in WWII. I did not learn too much nor did I really like the book. I would not recommend it.

[Mairi_k · Rating 2 out of 5]

My God. Really daft. Da-Vinci-code-daft.

[Richard Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good like her ww2 books

[Linda Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book in the Hancock series better than the first; the plot was more interesting and seemed more tightly drawn, and moved along more quickly. I'll be moving along to the third book directly.