Nameless

Toby Whitby #3

by Eileen Enwright Hodgetts

Solicitor Toby Whitby’s new client cannot remember his real name and calls himself Buddy. He was evacuated to Canada at the beginning of World War 2 carrying luggage belonging to a boy named Edward Powley but when he returns twelve years later he soon discovers that Edward Powley is the name of another boy; a boy who did not go to Canada. When Buddy is accused of murdering his own mother and stowing away on the boat to Canada, Toby must discover what really happened on the night the ship sailed and Buddy’s house was bombed by the Luftwaffe. As Toby digs into the past a new threat emerges and once again Toby finds himself at the center of a plot to prevent the Queen's coronation.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2020

About the author

Eileen Enwright Hodgetts is a much traveled writer. Brought up in England and Wales, she has also lived and worked in South Africa and Uganda. Eileen and her husband, Graham, now make their home in Baden, PA. Eileen’s life experiences allow her to use exotic backgrounds for her novels and to understand how an adventure can begin with just one small incident. For ten years she directed a humanitarian mission in East Africa as an employee of Christ Church at Grove Farm in Sewickley, PA. and her whole family continues to be involved in Uganda through the Ugandan Gold Coffee project bringing coffee to the United States and returning the profits to Uganda to be used for drilling water wells. She writes historical fiction from Arthurian sagas to World War Two murder mysteries. The major movie "Unsinkable", currently in production, is based on her national award-winning stage play "Titanic to all Ships". Her latest work "The Girl on the Carpathia - A novel of the Titanic" reflects over twenty years of research into both the US senate hearings and the British inquiry into the sinking.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

August 1952 Brighton. Toby Whitby has a new client. Twelve years ago 8 years old Edward Powley was sent to Canada as a refugee. Now he and his foster parents, the Stewarts, want to find his mother so that they can legally adopt him. But can a simple and innocent question such as 'Who am I?' create so many problems and expose long held secrets.
An interesting and enjoyable well-written historical mystery. Another good plot of a story in this series with its cast of delightful characters
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author.

[Mary Standard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent episode in the harried life of Toby. He can't seem to live the calm and dignified life his employer and wife Carol would probably like him to. But oh the adventures he has and the crimes he solves with little thought to the dangers he will encounter has the reader galloping swiftly through the pages of this book to see the conclusion only to long for the next episode!

[Daniel Shindler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining book.

Whitby and Slater once again find themselves involved in a puzzling case that develops national implications. The book vividly depicts England in the aftermath of World War 2. The plot has many of the “ happy coincidences “ of a Victorian novel. This is a fun read..Daniel S

[Hope Gerhardstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is he?

Fast paced. Thoroughly engaging. Great read! Takes place in England in 1952 with remembrances of events that occurred during WW2. An 8 year old is sent to Canada but returns to England 12 years later to figure out who he is. Toby Whitby and Detective Slater are on the case and to provide national security.

[Buttercupp77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy and his parents arrive in the UK in hopes of locating Buddy's birth parents in order to proceed with a formal adoption. As a child, Buddy was evacuated to Canada during the war, and was never reclaimed. But there's more to Buddy's history than most know, and it will take the all the wits of Toby Whitby to help his client.

I can't express how much I enjoyed reading this novel! I'm usually someone who shies away from reading about WW2 topics, but Toby is such a strong, likeable character that I can't help but be drawn in.

The world-building, pacing, and character development are all excellent. I found the prose to be refreshing and engaging.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My comments are posted under the first Toby Whitby mystery- AIR RAID.

[Tony Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, an intriguing and exciting murder mystery from post-world war two England. Toby Whitby takes on the case of a young man who was evacuated to Canada at the height of the blitz. In 1952, he comes back to England together with his adoptive parents to find out who he really is and to obtain the necessary papers to complete his adoption. One of the problems is that, not only did he not have any papers with him on arrival in Canada, he has forgotten his real name.

This is a beautifully written novel, and one which keeps you guessing most of the way through. The reader, along with Toby and Slater, eventually come to understand more and more of the events which lead up to this situation by way of memories of the various people involved gradually building up a complete picture. Recommended.