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The Blitz Detective #3
Enemy Action
Fifty people squashed into a stinking public air-raid shelter all night - babies screaming, old ladies crying, no beds, not even a light to see by. When the all - clear siren sounds, people disperse to home and work. But one man remains. He's Paul Ramsey, a young teacher, and he's dead - stabbed through the heart. DI Jago quickly establishes that the victim was a pacifist, desperate to avoid military service. Why, then, was he carrying a loaded revolver in his pocket? Did he have enemies? Was he intent on harming someone - or even himself? Jago discovers that Paul isn't the only pacifist whose convictions have been challenged. For some, anger and violence lie just below the surface. And despite Ramsey's moral stance, it seems there were dark shadows in his life. In fact, more than one person might have had a motive for murder...
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2017
33 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Mike Hollow
20 books55 followersI first got into print when I was eleven. A boys’ comic published a feeble limerick I’d sent them and paid me five shillings, a fat sum at that age. But the postal order was nothing compared with seeing my words in print.
After that I kept writing – teenage poems for a late-1960s “underground magazine”, then grown-up poems, and later a happy mix of copywriting, journalism, editing and translating. All ways of getting paid for playing with words.
My CV? I was born in 1953 in the Essex County Borough of West Ham – home of the Blitz Detective – on the eastern edge of London. I grew up mainly in Romford and went to the Royal Liberty School, then studied Russian and French at Cambridge University.
My first job was translating for the BBC, and I did various jobs there for sixteen years before moving to work in communications for development agency Tearfund, travelling widely in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In 2002 I went freelance as a writer, editor and creative project manager. Now I earn a living by translating and spend the rest of my time in the cellar of my house in Hampshire chronicling the adventures of the Blitz Detective.
Why write detective novels? Because I enjoy reading them and I love to create entertaining stories. Why set them in that place and time? Because overnight the Blitz turned everyday existence into a life-and-death struggle for ordinary people – and some of them were my family.
After that I kept writing – teenage poems for a late-1960s “underground magazine”, then grown-up poems, and later a happy mix of copywriting, journalism, editing and translating. All ways of getting paid for playing with words.
My CV? I was born in 1953 in the Essex County Borough of West Ham – home of the Blitz Detective – on the eastern edge of London. I grew up mainly in Romford and went to the Royal Liberty School, then studied Russian and French at Cambridge University.
My first job was translating for the BBC, and I did various jobs there for sixteen years before moving to work in communications for development agency Tearfund, travelling widely in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In 2002 I went freelance as a writer, editor and creative project manager. Now I earn a living by translating and spend the rest of my time in the cellar of my house in Hampshire chronicling the adventures of the Blitz Detective.
Why write detective novels? Because I enjoy reading them and I love to create entertaining stories. Why set them in that place and time? Because overnight the Blitz turned everyday existence into a life-and-death struggle for ordinary people – and some of them were my family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 2, 2017
Book# 3, in The Blitz Detective Series
Book # 3 is as great as the previous installments and is just up my alley: a mix of historical events during WW11 and a dazzling murder mystery. Oh yes, people are squashed into stinking public air-raid shelters and when the all clear is heard, they disperse to go home and work……but in “Enemy Action”, Paul Ramsey…… is found stabbed and is definitely dead. DI John Jago and DC Peter Cradock are the lead investigators and we follow them in their mandate every step of the way.
The plot is very well constructed and captivating from start to finish, definitely a page turner. I love how the author depicts his protagonists: they are very sensitive, have an excellent relationship and complement each other in their views. The rich cocktail of secondary characters are well-drawn: we have a victim so called pacifist and more than one person who have a motive for murder……To top it all; we have some funny doings at the municipal level, kickbacks and blackmail, all of this is exciting to read. Seems things never change……Although a fiction this story is so realistic it feels you are there at the heart of the action. This is simply a fascinating read set against the backdrop of the air raids on East London. Mike Hollows has obviously paid great attention to details to bring both the characters and the environment alive. Excellent read…..I am looking forward to see what Mr. Hollows has in store for Jago and Cradock next…
I received this ARC from the publisher Lion Hudson Plc via NetGalleys for exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Book # 3 is as great as the previous installments and is just up my alley: a mix of historical events during WW11 and a dazzling murder mystery. Oh yes, people are squashed into stinking public air-raid shelters and when the all clear is heard, they disperse to go home and work……but in “Enemy Action”, Paul Ramsey…… is found stabbed and is definitely dead. DI John Jago and DC Peter Cradock are the lead investigators and we follow them in their mandate every step of the way.
The plot is very well constructed and captivating from start to finish, definitely a page turner. I love how the author depicts his protagonists: they are very sensitive, have an excellent relationship and complement each other in their views. The rich cocktail of secondary characters are well-drawn: we have a victim so called pacifist and more than one person who have a motive for murder……To top it all; we have some funny doings at the municipal level, kickbacks and blackmail, all of this is exciting to read. Seems things never change……Although a fiction this story is so realistic it feels you are there at the heart of the action. This is simply a fascinating read set against the backdrop of the air raids on East London. Mike Hollows has obviously paid great attention to details to bring both the characters and the environment alive. Excellent read…..I am looking forward to see what Mr. Hollows has in store for Jago and Cradock next…
I received this ARC from the publisher Lion Hudson Plc via NetGalleys for exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
February 26, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Lion Hudson Plc Lion Fiction. Thank you.
This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, but the first novel I've read either in that series or by Mike Hollow. The story takes place in the Essex County Borough of West Ham in 1940. This area of London was bombed so heavily during the Blitz because it was located near the shipyards and the German strategy was to disrupt the building of British ships to make the island even more isolated and incapable of fighting the German warships. In previous novels I've read about this horrible time in British history the people who took shelter from the bombs did so in the tunnels of the London Underground. In this story the people shelter in concrete bunkers constructed above ground, actually in the roadway. The author shows what a nightmare these above ground bunkers must have been with no ventilation systems and nothing to do but sit in the dark on a concrete bench or on newspapers on the floor until the all-clear sirens sounded. It's no wonder so many people made the deadly decision to remain in their homes or to go into their own Anderson shelters in their back garden.
When the all-clear is sounded after a night of heavy bombing the body of a man is found in one of the above ground shelters. Police are called and Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Craddock follow the clues to discover the identity of the victim and the motive for the killing. Their investigation leads them to the pacifist movement, the state of the education system for the children remaining in the city and the temptations for corruption in the local governing body.
I learned many new facts concerning this point in the history of World War II and for that I thank the author. I could not seem to become completely engaged with the main characters, but I might be willing to read another book in this series in the future.
This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, but the first novel I've read either in that series or by Mike Hollow. The story takes place in the Essex County Borough of West Ham in 1940. This area of London was bombed so heavily during the Blitz because it was located near the shipyards and the German strategy was to disrupt the building of British ships to make the island even more isolated and incapable of fighting the German warships. In previous novels I've read about this horrible time in British history the people who took shelter from the bombs did so in the tunnels of the London Underground. In this story the people shelter in concrete bunkers constructed above ground, actually in the roadway. The author shows what a nightmare these above ground bunkers must have been with no ventilation systems and nothing to do but sit in the dark on a concrete bench or on newspapers on the floor until the all-clear sirens sounded. It's no wonder so many people made the deadly decision to remain in their homes or to go into their own Anderson shelters in their back garden.
When the all-clear is sounded after a night of heavy bombing the body of a man is found in one of the above ground shelters. Police are called and Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Craddock follow the clues to discover the identity of the victim and the motive for the killing. Their investigation leads them to the pacifist movement, the state of the education system for the children remaining in the city and the temptations for corruption in the local governing body.
I learned many new facts concerning this point in the history of World War II and for that I thank the author. I could not seem to become completely engaged with the main characters, but I might be willing to read another book in this series in the future.
March 25, 2021
Well plotted,interesting characters.New series for me,great find.
July 2, 2017
England. 1940. The Blitz is on and getting uglier every night.
Despite the war day to day life must go on.
So it is that on a Sunday morning, his only day off, Detective Inspector John Jago is called in to investigate a suspicious death in an air-raid shelter. A man has been murdered. He is quickly identified as a local teacher who was an avowed pacifist and conscientious objector. Is that why he was murdered? And why-on-earth would a pacifist have a gun in his pocket?
The resulting murder investigation reveals that no one really seemed to know the murder victim very well at all and many of the suspects have undisclosed connections to one another. Add to that whispers of a possible pay-off scam involving sub-standard air-raid shelters, crooked politicians, a possible budding romance for the Detective Inspector, and, of course, the war... you've got a pretty decent English mystery.
This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, the first one in the series that I've read. It works well as a stand alone but there are many references to things that have happened before that lets you know you probably should've started with book one (as with most series I suppose). The author does a great job of setting the tone of war time England. I thought it got a little sidetracked with the personal demons of several of those who had survived extreme violence and death in the previous war (WWI) just because, in my opinion, it detracted from the ongoing storyline rather than adding an extra layer to it (which I believe is what the author intended). Still, it's a pretty good book that kept my attention throughout.
Enemy Action is smart and well written. While I can't think of any similar books offhand it reminded me of the British TV show "Foyle's War". I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys English mystery with a slight edge to it or historical mysteries.
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book
Despite the war day to day life must go on.
So it is that on a Sunday morning, his only day off, Detective Inspector John Jago is called in to investigate a suspicious death in an air-raid shelter. A man has been murdered. He is quickly identified as a local teacher who was an avowed pacifist and conscientious objector. Is that why he was murdered? And why-on-earth would a pacifist have a gun in his pocket?
The resulting murder investigation reveals that no one really seemed to know the murder victim very well at all and many of the suspects have undisclosed connections to one another. Add to that whispers of a possible pay-off scam involving sub-standard air-raid shelters, crooked politicians, a possible budding romance for the Detective Inspector, and, of course, the war... you've got a pretty decent English mystery.
This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, the first one in the series that I've read. It works well as a stand alone but there are many references to things that have happened before that lets you know you probably should've started with book one (as with most series I suppose). The author does a great job of setting the tone of war time England. I thought it got a little sidetracked with the personal demons of several of those who had survived extreme violence and death in the previous war (WWI) just because, in my opinion, it detracted from the ongoing storyline rather than adding an extra layer to it (which I believe is what the author intended). Still, it's a pretty good book that kept my attention throughout.
Enemy Action is smart and well written. While I can't think of any similar books offhand it reminded me of the British TV show "Foyle's War". I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys English mystery with a slight edge to it or historical mysteries.
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book
June 24, 2017
It's 1940, the middle of the London Blitz, and there is a body in the aftermath of the nightly bombing raids. But this body isn't a victim of the bombs. No. This body was stabbed to death. Whodunit?
The investigation starts with Inspector Jago and his partner meeting all manner of people whose only relationship was that they knew or knew of the victim, none of whom appear to have any motive for killing him. As the story progresses, unexpected relationships emerge between the characters, which leave us with several having both motive and opportunity for the murder.
Yes, there were plenty of red herrings, and the end managed to both surprise me and make perfect sense. That's always the sign of an excellent mystery.
I was impressed by the character voices, about the way I could 'hear' the different accents. I was also impressed with the overall setting and background—the subplot around contract mismanagement, the comments about gender equity, the history in general. It gave the novel a sense of time and place I rarely see in Christian fiction.
And this was Christian fiction, although it's Christian fiction of a more understated variety (as is typical with British fiction). It's clear Inspector Jago is on a spiritual journey, whether he knows it or not. I'll watch that with interest in future books, along with his relationship with the pretty American journalist.
This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, but can easily be read as a standalone novel. I haven’t read the first two in the series, but will be ordering them soon. Recommended for historical fiction lovers, especially those who like police procedural mysteries.
Thanks to Lion Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Mike Hollow at The Blitz Detective website.
The investigation starts with Inspector Jago and his partner meeting all manner of people whose only relationship was that they knew or knew of the victim, none of whom appear to have any motive for killing him. As the story progresses, unexpected relationships emerge between the characters, which leave us with several having both motive and opportunity for the murder.
Yes, there were plenty of red herrings, and the end managed to both surprise me and make perfect sense. That's always the sign of an excellent mystery.
I was impressed by the character voices, about the way I could 'hear' the different accents. I was also impressed with the overall setting and background—the subplot around contract mismanagement, the comments about gender equity, the history in general. It gave the novel a sense of time and place I rarely see in Christian fiction.
And this was Christian fiction, although it's Christian fiction of a more understated variety (as is typical with British fiction). It's clear Inspector Jago is on a spiritual journey, whether he knows it or not. I'll watch that with interest in future books, along with his relationship with the pretty American journalist.
This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, but can easily be read as a standalone novel. I haven’t read the first two in the series, but will be ordering them soon. Recommended for historical fiction lovers, especially those who like police procedural mysteries.
Thanks to Lion Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Mike Hollow at The Blitz Detective website.
January 10, 2023
This murder mystery is set in 1940 in London during the blitz. It's number 3 in a series about the exploits of Detective Inspector Jago. This is a police procedural, and not a whodunnit, as the culprit is only introduced very late in the book. Suspects are interviewed and re-interviewed, and this is sometimes a bit heavy-handed and dreary. At 400 pages the book would have been improved by tighter editing (I'd rate it 3.9). Obviously the author did some research on the policing and general life of the period, e.g. the Divisional Detective Inspector rank which was in use at the time.
I didn't feel the author truly captured the feel of this period, everything seemed to flow too smoothly. In addition, the dialogue is somewhat stilted and does not capture the idiomatic variations one would expect from the diverse characters. Having said that, certain idiomatic phrases are scattered throughout the book. I didn't detect any glaring anachronisms.
Certain characters are given the opportunity to rant about political arguments, such as pacifism, so readers may learn a little about the thinking in Britain at the time. DI Jago and DC Cradock are reasonably well-developed characters, each with their own life threads and love interests.
The author does round off the personal relationships to some extent in the closing chapters after the murderer has been identified.
I didn't feel the author truly captured the feel of this period, everything seemed to flow too smoothly. In addition, the dialogue is somewhat stilted and does not capture the idiomatic variations one would expect from the diverse characters. Having said that, certain idiomatic phrases are scattered throughout the book. I didn't detect any glaring anachronisms.
Certain characters are given the opportunity to rant about political arguments, such as pacifism, so readers may learn a little about the thinking in Britain at the time. DI Jago and DC Cradock are reasonably well-developed characters, each with their own life threads and love interests.
The author does round off the personal relationships to some extent in the closing chapters after the murderer has been identified.
November 26, 2024
Three and a half stars.
The third book in a series set during WW2 focusing on a police detective DI John Jago, based in West Ham (one of the poorer areas of London).
In this instalment, a young lad looking for shrapnel after the all-clear is sounded finds a dead body in a public air-raid shelter. The victim turns out to be an English teacher and a pacifist, yet he was found in possession of a gun.
As John unravels the mystery of the murder his investigation is crossed by several pacifists, a love triangle, profiteering, and a budding romance for his sidekick PC Cradock. And let's not forget Cradock's first ever solo investigation - looking into a rogue trader who took a £5 deposit from one of DDI Soper's golf buddies to build an air raid shelter but never came back.
I thought I had uncovered the identity of the murderer. I was wrong. I enjoyed the mystery, I could complain that everyone seemed connected (and arguably they might never have connected the dots without a few coincidences) but then suburbs of cities are often like villages with everyone being connected in some way, so I'll let it slide.
However, I did find the lengthy discussion about god and belief a bit irritating - hopefully since I have read a later book which didn't dwell on religion this was just a one-off.
Anyway, off to read the next book.
The third book in a series set during WW2 focusing on a police detective DI John Jago, based in West Ham (one of the poorer areas of London).
In this instalment, a young lad looking for shrapnel after the all-clear is sounded finds a dead body in a public air-raid shelter. The victim turns out to be an English teacher and a pacifist, yet he was found in possession of a gun.
As John unravels the mystery of the murder his investigation is crossed by several pacifists, a love triangle, profiteering, and a budding romance for his sidekick PC Cradock. And let's not forget Cradock's first ever solo investigation - looking into a rogue trader who took a £5 deposit from one of DDI Soper's golf buddies to build an air raid shelter but never came back.
I thought I had uncovered the identity of the murderer. I was wrong. I enjoyed the mystery, I could complain that everyone seemed connected (and arguably they might never have connected the dots without a few coincidences) but then suburbs of cities are often like villages with everyone being connected in some way, so I'll let it slide.
However, I did find the lengthy discussion about god and belief a bit irritating - hopefully since I have read a later book which didn't dwell on religion this was just a one-off.
Anyway, off to read the next book.
January 7, 2023
Set during the Second World War, the police force have plenty to keep them busy, as crime doesn't stop for air raids or rationing. DI Jago and his trusty helper DC Cradock are drawn into a case when a young boy finds a man dead in a shelter just after the all clear has sounded.
They are drawn into a web of political corruption at local council level, and meet some rather unsavoury characters as they strive to find out who killed the man, a pacifist, and why.
Meanwhile Jago's budding relationship with Dorothy is still at the early stage, and he is unsure whether to pursue her or run away.
The result is an excellent story, accurately portraying life on the Home Front in the War. The author slips in various historical facts, but it doesn't feel at all like a lecture. I enjoyed it very much.
They are drawn into a web of political corruption at local council level, and meet some rather unsavoury characters as they strive to find out who killed the man, a pacifist, and why.
Meanwhile Jago's budding relationship with Dorothy is still at the early stage, and he is unsure whether to pursue her or run away.
The result is an excellent story, accurately portraying life on the Home Front in the War. The author slips in various historical facts, but it doesn't feel at all like a lecture. I enjoyed it very much.
February 3, 2025
Kept me reading
I really enjoyed this novel, with the added bonus of it being set in the area I live in. Occasionally it felt as though the author was 'name dropping' snippets of reference to the area which could be a bit irritating, while at the same time being extremely interesting, but it didn't impede my enjoyment of a good story.
I was left with one unresolved question - obviously I missed something en route to the end of the story- but the rest of the plot had me engaged from beginning to end and the characters grew on me and were not just simplistic characters. It was interesting to read about their various motivations. The style of writing was perfect - not too simplistic but not too contrived either. Yes, this was a good read.
I really enjoyed this novel, with the added bonus of it being set in the area I live in. Occasionally it felt as though the author was 'name dropping' snippets of reference to the area which could be a bit irritating, while at the same time being extremely interesting, but it didn't impede my enjoyment of a good story.
I was left with one unresolved question - obviously I missed something en route to the end of the story- but the rest of the plot had me engaged from beginning to end and the characters grew on me and were not just simplistic characters. It was interesting to read about their various motivations. The style of writing was perfect - not too simplistic but not too contrived either. Yes, this was a good read.
May 7, 2018
“Enemy Action” is the third book in the very enjoyable ‘Blitz Detective’ series featuring DI Jago and side kick Craddock.
One morning after a particularly heavy air raid, a body is found with a stab wound in one of the public shelters. It is up to DI Jago to find out who would want to kill a pacifist and more importantly why would a pacifist be carrying a gun.
As Jago digs deeper he uncovers a web of lies, deceit and corruption at the highest level of local politics.
‘Enemy Action’ was an enjoyable read with some good twists, turns and blind alleys – this is detective fiction with a difference.
April 15, 2021
A 3.5. I did enjoy this book and zoomed through it but I don't think it was quite a polished as the previous books in this series. The main plot seemed to conclude quite quickly but the book didn't end there. A fair bit of time was then spent on other narratives (no spoilers) which didn't interest me as much. There were also a few points that seemed quite preachy but I realise nit every reader will be aware of British history, so maybe the explanations were useful for some. That said, I still liked the protagonists and enjoyed the main plot line.
July 3, 2021
6/10 15%. Not a bad war time mystery and I wrongly guessed the ending but I don’t enjoy this as much as it merited for the simple reason that far from Hollow, Mike jam packs the books with irrelevant history - just because he’s unearthed some oddity of history doesn’t mean it necessarily improves the telling. As an example who knew, or needs to know, the vinyl (faux leather) of the day was called Rexine? Well now you know. It’s put me off buying more in the series which is a shame as they are well written with lots of plot twists. Won’t read again.
October 2, 2021
The 3rd in the series and another set in September 1940 with Jago and Cradock this time investigating the murder of a pacifist teacher in a bomb shelter. It’s an interesting investigation and the Blitz plays its part. The plentiful suspects do provide extensive details of their life stories and their opinions at every opportunity which feels a little bit contrived but the West Ham neighbourhood, council corruption, an affair, a belligerent cousin and further developments in the characters of Jago and Cradock all help an involving diversion. Probably between a 3 and 4 star readIt's p
January 11, 2023
this book is full of unoriginal and regurgitated content. its an ok read but as the author has used material that many authors and authoresses have been using for decades, like a police chief calling in a favor for a golfing friend. also the author is rather ignorant , teachers homes are not neat and tidy, teachers have lots of books, and other items of their profession crammed, stacked and piled high in their personal domain , so the author hasn’t bothered to research for this book
June 29, 2021
Enjoyable summer reading featuring DI John Jago, investigating the murder of a teacher and political corruption set against the backdrop of the early days of WW2 at the height of the London Blitz. Very well written and researched, this is the third in a recently discovered series. Highly recommended.
December 17, 2021
It was sometimes difficult to remember the plot as there were so many detailed historical facts - about trade unions, pay , pacifism, the continuing fallout from WW1, women , teachers, inequality, air raid shelter construction and placement, concrete , casual violence against women, builders, to name a few - that I sometimes thought I was taking part in a long lesson , with a murder.
April 6, 2022
An interesting police procedural murder mystery set in the East End of London during the Blitz. A nicely paced narrative with some well-researched details, believable characters and a intriguing plot equals a very enjoyable read. This was my first reading of Mike Hollow but now, I'm certain it won't be my last.
December 1, 2023
There are several aspects of this series that I am enjoying: the historical setting that appears to be well researched; the credible plots; the well fleshed characters, and the side stories involving these characters.
This really is a series which needs to be read from the beginning, well worth the effort.
This really is a series which needs to be read from the beginning, well worth the effort.
December 18, 2025
The story line of this book was quite good but what let it down for me was the way information about the way of life etc was described in the book. Almost in a way a child's reference book of the second world war might be written. I just found the overall writing of the book a bit 'flat' and won't be rushing to read any more by the author.
February 6, 2022
Brilliant
Once again Mike Hollow transports us back to Britain at war with Nazi Germany, there is the well crafted mystery of the murder, the grim reality of war, ordinary people's fears, hopes and inner conflicts of those who fought in the first world war.
Once again Mike Hollow transports us back to Britain at war with Nazi Germany, there is the well crafted mystery of the murder, the grim reality of war, ordinary people's fears, hopes and inner conflicts of those who fought in the first world war.
March 31, 2022
Really enjoyed this book, this is the first book I have read by this author, and would definitely read more, was informative but unlike other reviewers, I didn't think it was boring or that it overtook the story, I found it to be just the right amount.
December 29, 2023
I like this series, although this wasn’t my favorite. They are taking place in a small time frame, during the blitz. Nice variety of characters. I like the way the books show how everyone was not happy about the war or the preparedness for the war.
November 9, 2017
Loved this book and now a MH fan. Will buy his future books - please keep writing.
Loved the hints of eternal truths in there.
Loved the hints of eternal truths in there.
May 17, 2022
3.5 stars
September 3, 2023
3.5⭐️ a decent continuation of the series
October 21, 2023
Another slow read that just seemed to plod along at its own speed.
Read
November 8, 2023Found these books to be a good read.
January 13, 2024
I love these stories that take place in London during the Blitz. This one was a little slow though.
January 20, 2024
An enjoyable read
February 16, 2024
The first book of the series that I’ve read, and I shall definitely be reading the others!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews