The Unseen Hand

Home Front Detective #8

by Edward Marston, Gordon Griffin (Reading)

1917. The Lotus Hotel offers sanctuary for its exclusively female clientele, attracting the cream of London's society. But a dead body found in one of its rooms is hardly good for business, and when it is discovered that the woman was neither a guest nor a member of staff, the Lotus's reputation as a safe haven is cast in doubt. Inspector Marmion and Sergeant Keedy are dispatched to look into the events at the hotel and soon suspect foul play. Tangling with a forgetful widower, a wily competitor and the haughty hotel owner, the pair will have to delve into the past to solve this crime in the present.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Historical Mystery, British Literature, Thriller

Audio CD

First published June 20, 2019

About the author

Librarian 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

Reviews

[Nori Fitchett · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is a known and often mocked trope with mystery novels that the resolution is only revealed in the final chapter and there were little to no clues in the rest of the novel to what it could be.
This is The Unseen Hand.

Though the main cast were on the whole enjoyable, particularly Alice, but it didn’t make up for the lack of actual story and ending which read like teenagers first attempt at writing. (I should know as I was that teenager)

I’ve heard other books in this series are decent but this one is definitely not.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

felt this book in the series was the weakest yet and the ending seemed rushed

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m beginning to prefer the home front series to the railway detective series and this book is a good example of why. Much better character development, less repetition of basic character setting, and above all really enthralling plot lines. This story has lots of twists and turns and just when you think youve got it sussed it takes another turn. I love that there are smaller story lines which may or may not be linked to the main ‘who done it’ plot because they add depth to the story telling and offer false leads as well as routes into vital main plot clues. All in all another really good story.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid read

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Marston is the master at flitting from one character to another throughout his novels and in 'The Unseen Hand' he does it as seamlessly as always and the story loses nothing from such action. However, the final outcome of this mystery is rather rushed and almost unbelievable, although the build-up to the denouement does suggest something of the kind, but is never thought to be so by Inspector Marmion's superior officer Superintendent Chatfield.

The setting for the story is the Lotus Hotel, catering for women (only) of London's high society. The owner Mrs Griselda Fleetwood prides herself on the service that she offers and is devastated when a body is discovered in one of the bedrooms. And she is even more upset when she discovers that one of her rivals, a Mr Buchanan of a nearby establishment, disparages the Lotus and even goes so far as to issue a handbill saying so.

Inspector Marmion and Sergeant Keedy do all the leg-work in investigating what has happened by interviewing all those associated with the action and while they are doing this, there are a couple of entertaining sub-plots going on that help bolster the tale.

Despite setbacks along the way Marmion and Keedy eventually reveal, in a rather Hercule Poirot way with all the suspects gathered round, who and how the deed was carried out and in the very last sentence of the book, the identity of 'The Unseen Hand' is revealed!

[Deborah Makarios · Rating 2 out of 5]

The opening setup really intrigued me, but I found it hard to get into after that. Possibly in part because we are frequently told what characters feel, rather than seeing or hearing them express that - it's hard to connect.

Some of the characters seemed inconsistent, such as the detective who is outraged at the mere suggestion that another copper might join a union, but who is modern enough to say that they shouldn't judge how others choose to live their lives, and that he and his colleague are hampered by not being able to see things from a woman's perspective. Or the allegedly devout Catholic convert who is also a cocaine addict and conducting an adulterous lesbian affair with an ex-nun. Or the ex-nun, who for reasons unexplained is still wearing the ring which symbolizes her union with Christ (while shooting up with her married lover). Little or no attempt is made to explain these glaring contradictions, which could have been interesting.

And in the end the revelation of whodunnit didn't seem to be set up enough to be believable. Such a thing might happen, but is this character the kind of person who would do something so extreme? We know little of him, and what we know doesn't seem to suggest so.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all the previous titles in this series and enjoyed them. This one, although I enjoyed it as a read, I found overall a bit disappointing. There are several overlapping stories two for the two detectives to resolve, one featuring Alice and one featuring her mother. The actual murder story was a bit rambling I felt and having got to the last page it felt to me as if the writer had run out of steam and just wanted to finish it. The strength of the series for me is the ongoing development of the main characters lives outside of whatever criminal plot features in the story. I felt that was lacking in this book. I didn't feel we were any further forward with any of the threads left hanging from the last book. Perhaps it was the slightly unsatisfactory telling of the tale that made me notice the clunkiness of the dialogue. Had the other books been similar? I also felt there was an insertion of historical bits and pieces that was a tad heavy handed. I'm a big fan of historical settings for novels but I don't like the history to be too didactic. Having said that I'll still be looking out for number nine in the series.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short snappy historical crime fiction, a great read! Police procedural set in 1917 London, newest entry for Marston, a prolific writer, in his The Home Front Detective Series. Solid characters and style, storyline is engaging: a murder in a posh hotel just for women, ladies of the upper crust only, think money. A woman is found dead in a room, and she is not a guest of the hotel, identity unknown but the name of the guest listed in the register belongs to a woman who died four years earlier. Inspector Marmion and Sergeant Keedy are on the case in short order dealing with the irate hotel owners, shifty night watchmen, rival hotel owners and possible suspects. There are wartime measures, missing sons, air raid sirens and daily life setting the scene, along with suffragettes, women police, stalking, many topical issues evergreen. Marston is a terrific storyteller using authentic dialogue and economy of words to move the plot along to a successful end. I shall read him again, next time trying his Railway Detective series.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. Not as good as the previous one (which is my favorite of the series so far) but still quite good. Plenty of twists and turns and some quite shocking (especially for the time period) behavior of a few people. We have a couple of side plots that I thought were good and added flavor to the book. I like how Marston does that with his books.

The ending has a nice twist and one that I didn’t see coming. I WS sure it was somebody else who’d committed the murder. As another person pointed out the ending did seem a bit rushed and I think could’ve been another 20 pages or so longer to flesh out the ending.

Four out of five stars for this one. I’d suggest reading them in order so you’re aware of the things going on in the policemen’s personal lives.

[Leon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was looking for a good detective story, this however, was not it!
I feel it is popular fiction - and looking at the spacing of the words in the pages - should have been a warning to me that it was- the 300 or so pages could have been reduced just over 150 pages.
The story line rambles a bit and not much detective work involved. I guess the publisher likes this type of writing as somehow it sells - but for me it is not an Agatha Christie.

Will not read this author again
I read it in two days - must admit I had to struggle to finish it off - not a great page turner

Thankfully I got it from the Library - where it is going back tomorrow -
one star because the page cover artwork was good (and the seller as the publisher knows)

[Steven Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

1917. The Lotus Hotel offers sanctuary for its exclusively female clientele, attracting the cream of London's society. But a dead body found in one of its rooms is hardly good for business, and when it is discovered that the woman was neither a guest nor a member of staff, the Lotus's reputation as a safe haven is cast in doubt.
Inspector Marmion and Sergeant Keedy are dispatched to look into the events at the hotel and soon suspect foul play. Tangling with a forgetful widower, a wily competitor and the haughty hotel owner, the pair will have to delve into the past to solve this crime in the present.

[James Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Edward Marston writes a very clever story which twists and weaves all over the place. He also paints a good picture of what it was like in the days of WW1. There was still crime to keep the police busy, and detectives Marmion and Keedy have their work cut out when the body of a young woman is found murdered in a upper-class hotel exclusive to well-to-ladies. Like I say the plot twists and turns in a most entertaining way but there are also underlying stories of the main characters and their families. Good stuff Mr Marston!

[Robert Hepple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 2019, 'The Unseen Hand' is a mystery novel set in WW1 London and is the 8th in the 'Home Front' series by the author. As usual, characterisation is wafer thin, with surprising little character development to show for the the 4th chronological year of the series. Surely Sergeant Keedy should be showing some of the benefits of experience gained by now... Easily the weakest of the series so far, but readable nonetheless.

[Anne Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading, set a century ago. In some respects, we’ve changed a lot and their attitudes made me smile, in others, eg not complaining about attempted rape, we haven’t changed that much. Quite a convoluted and interesting tale, not a polished as the Railway series by this author. Police characters not as well developed or interesting. An OK read.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining... I'd definitely pick up another Edward Marston mystery. The police--female and male--are professional and dogged and smart. I was expecting a resolution totally different than the one I got, but it was absolutely satisfying and right. Nothing extraordinary about this, but solid detecting and a credible world crafted in colorful detail.

[Stuart Haining · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10 12%. A fun and easy read with WW1 detectives pursuing the villains of the day in the closing period of the war. Not much of a plot but I didn’t guess the ending. Worth trying more by the author if I fancy a quick read.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

and 1/2
# 8 in the series and whilst I have read them all out of order they are still a good fun easy read.
Any tit bits of information about their personal lives that each book relates is EASILY picked up as we are not talking intellectually challenging books but just a fun read.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic!!!!

[Annette O'grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyable book this author has really good imagination

[Nicola Royan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh! I cannot believe this is the 8th in the series. I was prepared to cut it some slack thinking it was the second. Disappointing.

[Annie Weatherly-Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book and really like the main characters. The lady at the hotel is quite formidable. Tangled web of murder and the who dun it was terrific.

[Zosia Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this series of the 'Home Front Detective'. I do hope the author writes some more. Excellent read.

[Ken Bruss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair mystery set in London during WWII involving murder of one woman and disappearance of another.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great old school detective story/series.

[ANDREW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read recommend it highly

[Rebecca Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, a little too slow moving for me.

[Paige Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending felt rushed but I loved the rest

[Gayle Turner]

The characters in this series continue to develop, and the plots are always intriguing.

[Sam Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good crime novel from the Home Front detectives. A great storyline and lots of different perspectives made this book an enjoyable read.