What do you think?
Stefan Gillespie #6
The City Under Siege
The year is 1941. Detective Inspector Stefan Gillespie is ferrying documents between Dublin and war-torn London. When Ireland's greatest actor is arrested in Soho, after the brutal murder of a gay man, Stefan extricates him from an embarrassing situation. But suddenly he is looking at a series of murders, stretching across Britain and Ireland. The deaths were never investigated deeply as dead queers are nobody's priority. And there are reasons to look away now. It's not only that the killer may be a British soldier, Scotland Yard is also hiding the truth about the victim. But an identical murder in Malta makes investigation essential.
Malta, at the heart of the Mediterranean war, is under siege by German and Italian bombers. Rumours that a British soldier murdered a Maltese teenager can't go unchallenged without damaging loyalty to Britain. Now Britain will cooperate with Ireland to find the killer and Stefan is sent to Malta. The British believe the killer is an Irishman; that's the result they want. And they'd like Stefan to give it to them. But in the dark streets of Valletta there are threats deadlier than German bombs...
Malta, at the heart of the Mediterranean war, is under siege by German and Italian bombers. Rumours that a British soldier murdered a Maltese teenager can't go unchallenged without damaging loyalty to Britain. Now Britain will cooperate with Ireland to find the killer and Stefan is sent to Malta. The British believe the killer is an Irishman; that's the result they want. And they'd like Stefan to give it to them. But in the dark streets of Valletta there are threats deadlier than German bombs...
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2020
About the author
Michael Russell
10 books49 followersMichael Russell was born in England. He grew up in one of those English-Irish families where the first stories he heard at his grandmother's knee were about murder, mayhem, Thompson Machine Guns and civil war in Ireland in the 1920s.
Determined to make himself unemployable, so that he could at least attempt to earn a living as writer, he studied Old English, Old Irish and Middle Welsh at Oxford before working for three years as a farm labourer in North Devon. His knowledge of farming (rather than writing) eventually got him a job as script editor on the English soap opera 'Emmerdale', in the days when it was still called 'Emmerdale Farm'. He went on to become a television writer and producer, writing for such programmes as 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Eastenders', 'Between the Lines', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost'.
By the time he decided to write his first novel he was living in Ireland and it seemed inevitable that he would combine a passion for crime fiction with the stories about Ireland between the First and Second World Wars that he had once heard from his grandmother. The result was 'The City of Shadows'.
Source: Excerpt from Amazon author profile
Determined to make himself unemployable, so that he could at least attempt to earn a living as writer, he studied Old English, Old Irish and Middle Welsh at Oxford before working for three years as a farm labourer in North Devon. His knowledge of farming (rather than writing) eventually got him a job as script editor on the English soap opera 'Emmerdale', in the days when it was still called 'Emmerdale Farm'. He went on to become a television writer and producer, writing for such programmes as 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Eastenders', 'Between the Lines', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost'.
By the time he decided to write his first novel he was living in Ireland and it seemed inevitable that he would combine a passion for crime fiction with the stories about Ireland between the First and Second World Wars that he had once heard from his grandmother. The result was 'The City of Shadows'.
Source: Excerpt from Amazon author profile
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 9, 2021
This is the second that I have read from Michael Russell's excellent historical series featuring the Protestant Irish Special Branch DI Stefan Gillespie, a widower whose wife Maeve died 8 years ago, with a young son, Tom living with his parents in Wicklow. It begins in 1939 with Stefan looking over a poor police investigation of the brutally vicious queer murder of 24 year old James Corcoran, a seminarian, but nobody really wants the details to get out or has any interest in finding the killer, least of all the Catholic Church, the government, or the police. Eamon de Valera's Ireland is ostensibly neutral in the war, but there is covert collaboration with the British over Irish Nationalists, and given the pressure the British were under in India, Indian Nationalists too.
Stefan is in war torn London in 1941, ferrying documents between the two countries, when he is asked to help Ireland's greatest actor and theatre director, the gay Michael Mac Liammoir, who has discovered the dead body of a gay Indian nationalist, murdered with the same MO as the Irish Corcoran. It turns there have been other similar queer murders in Britain, but again no real efforts were made in the investigations. However, the pressure to investigate increases when it becomes apparent the killer is a British soldier, particularly when another queer murder with the same MO takes places in a Malta under siege from Italian and German bombs. Stefan and DCI Frank Nugent travel to Malta to identify and arrest a killer, only to find the dangers on the streets of Valleta are far greater than they could have imagined.
Russell's novel explores the terrors and challenges of being gay in this historical period, the huge level of prejudice, the inability to get any form of justice, being despised, abused, murdered, with the need to operate below the radar, living secret lives, viewed as embarrassments, and the target of blackmail by unscrupulous and ruthless forces, with the security forces wanting information on important gay figures too for their own agendas. It is heartbreaking when Stefan sees what happens when someone he admires and respects in Wicklow is picked up, how even if you have had an exemplary long professional career, helped so many in the community, if you are queer, all that is forgotten, you become an object of shame.
This was a dark, wonderfully engaging historical WW2 read, of particular interest to me was Malta and what its courageous people endured in the war, for the island later to be recognised with the award of the George Cross. A brilliant read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Stefan is in war torn London in 1941, ferrying documents between the two countries, when he is asked to help Ireland's greatest actor and theatre director, the gay Michael Mac Liammoir, who has discovered the dead body of a gay Indian nationalist, murdered with the same MO as the Irish Corcoran. It turns there have been other similar queer murders in Britain, but again no real efforts were made in the investigations. However, the pressure to investigate increases when it becomes apparent the killer is a British soldier, particularly when another queer murder with the same MO takes places in a Malta under siege from Italian and German bombs. Stefan and DCI Frank Nugent travel to Malta to identify and arrest a killer, only to find the dangers on the streets of Valleta are far greater than they could have imagined.
Russell's novel explores the terrors and challenges of being gay in this historical period, the huge level of prejudice, the inability to get any form of justice, being despised, abused, murdered, with the need to operate below the radar, living secret lives, viewed as embarrassments, and the target of blackmail by unscrupulous and ruthless forces, with the security forces wanting information on important gay figures too for their own agendas. It is heartbreaking when Stefan sees what happens when someone he admires and respects in Wicklow is picked up, how even if you have had an exemplary long professional career, helped so many in the community, if you are queer, all that is forgotten, you become an object of shame.
This was a dark, wonderfully engaging historical WW2 read, of particular interest to me was Malta and what its courageous people endured in the war, for the island later to be recognised with the award of the George Cross. A brilliant read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
June 14, 2022
felt this was the weakest of the series so far as felt the plot wasn't strong enough and a bit light
March 15, 2021
An outstanding series.
August 22, 2020
A cracking good tale and a terrific series. Waiting for the next one.
June 1, 2021
Excellent. I really enjoyed it. The best of the Stefan Gillespie series so far.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.
June 2, 2023
The author's career in television shouts out time and again, and particularly when the action moves to Valletta. In a television crime drama the cityscapes and scenery would have spoken for themselves, in a novel it all becomes the backdrop to a travelogue. Which is a pity as the story has a lot going for it.
Detective Inspector Gillespie of the Irish Police finds himself increasingly immersed in a violent world of homosexuality, murder and blackmail which moves from Ireland, through London and out to Malta. It was a time when male homosexuality was a criminal offence and, while in some cases it may have been brushed under the carpet or dismissed as typical of theatrical types and perhaps Catholic priests, usually it meant instant dismissal from employment and a possible jail sentence. In such an environment gay life was secretive and perilous for those pursuing it, scorned and despised by those who saw themselves as being pure of mind, body and spirit. Little wonder that criminals saw its exploitation as an easy money-maker.
The story begins with the murder and mutilation of a young gay Catholic seminarian near Maynooth in County Kildare. The sort of place where people can insist violent crimes do not happen and where the Dean of St. Patrick's College has influence with the local police to keep unsavoury things quiet. Nothing much happens until two years later when the story moves to London and, for a reason that reads more like a good idea for a TV show than a necessity in a novel, the author introduces Micheal Mac Liammoir and a cameo appearance of Noel Coward at a funeral. Coward is almost instantly forgotten, there is not even a sign of sharp humour and stinging wit. Mac Liammoir, however, is used to introduce Vikram Narayan in a dodgy piece of plotting which involves Narayan, who is both gay and an active Indian nationalist, attempting to blackmail the actor and soon after getting himself murdered and mutilated. Mac Liammoir is arrested but soon released and one is left wondering why he was there at all. Narayan could have been working the sleazy gay bars picking out random targets, one of which would an otherwise anonymous Irishman, and the sense of the story would not have changed.
Inspector Gillespie happens to be in London at the time, performing courier work for Dublin's Department of External Affairs, and is drawn into the investigation by Mac Liammoir's arrest. In the process he recognises the pattern of wounds on Narayan's body as being very similar to those of his earlier case in Ireland. That is the point where the real story begins. Gillespie is introduced to the enigmatic Chief Inspector Nugent who points out that there have been other related murders in southern England. It seems a serial killer of young gay men is out there and needs to be brought to justice - and then there is another killing, this time in Malta. The murderer must be in the military.
Complexities are added to the plot when Gillespie finds out that Chief Inspector Nugent actually works for Indian Political Intelligence and has some connection with Narayan, and the author brings in details of Gillespie's family life in Ireland, especially his young son Tom. Tom only has a small part but he turns out to be an outstanding little character. His late mother was Catholic, his father is Protestant and to meet his mother's dying wish he has to attend a Catholic school. He is only eleven years old yet has decided he is already a determined atheist, he has almost finished reading Homer's Iliad and has speed-read The Hobbit as if it had been a graphic novel. He is quite clearly going to be a force in Ireland, never mind within his own family. Not too much is made of it, however, and the plot moves on to wartime Valletta.
It is in Valletta that the case reaches its conclusion though much of the tension is taken away by the author's love of describing the city and the terrible hardships facing the people of Malta from the daily bombing raids of the Luftwaffe and Italy's Regia Aeronautica. It sometimes seems as if chasing a murderer is fairly straight-forward and, yes, Gillespie gets punched and Nugent gets stabbed but it's all part of police work. Perhaps that anti-climax leads to the necessity to tag on a final chapter. Who killed Narayan and who was behind the blackmailing? The answer to that is too pedestrian and too forgiving towards the criminals. One of them meets a grisly end due to his own impetuosity but it looks as if the other may get away with it. Perhaps not being gay means that one could avoid hanging? As a final touch it turns out that another important character was gay all along, though it is not a surprise. After a while one gets to recognise the signs.
It is a story in which the Maltese section, the real chase after the murderer, could have been far more intense and exciting. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining and very enjoyable read.
Detective Inspector Gillespie of the Irish Police finds himself increasingly immersed in a violent world of homosexuality, murder and blackmail which moves from Ireland, through London and out to Malta. It was a time when male homosexuality was a criminal offence and, while in some cases it may have been brushed under the carpet or dismissed as typical of theatrical types and perhaps Catholic priests, usually it meant instant dismissal from employment and a possible jail sentence. In such an environment gay life was secretive and perilous for those pursuing it, scorned and despised by those who saw themselves as being pure of mind, body and spirit. Little wonder that criminals saw its exploitation as an easy money-maker.
The story begins with the murder and mutilation of a young gay Catholic seminarian near Maynooth in County Kildare. The sort of place where people can insist violent crimes do not happen and where the Dean of St. Patrick's College has influence with the local police to keep unsavoury things quiet. Nothing much happens until two years later when the story moves to London and, for a reason that reads more like a good idea for a TV show than a necessity in a novel, the author introduces Micheal Mac Liammoir and a cameo appearance of Noel Coward at a funeral. Coward is almost instantly forgotten, there is not even a sign of sharp humour and stinging wit. Mac Liammoir, however, is used to introduce Vikram Narayan in a dodgy piece of plotting which involves Narayan, who is both gay and an active Indian nationalist, attempting to blackmail the actor and soon after getting himself murdered and mutilated. Mac Liammoir is arrested but soon released and one is left wondering why he was there at all. Narayan could have been working the sleazy gay bars picking out random targets, one of which would an otherwise anonymous Irishman, and the sense of the story would not have changed.
Inspector Gillespie happens to be in London at the time, performing courier work for Dublin's Department of External Affairs, and is drawn into the investigation by Mac Liammoir's arrest. In the process he recognises the pattern of wounds on Narayan's body as being very similar to those of his earlier case in Ireland. That is the point where the real story begins. Gillespie is introduced to the enigmatic Chief Inspector Nugent who points out that there have been other related murders in southern England. It seems a serial killer of young gay men is out there and needs to be brought to justice - and then there is another killing, this time in Malta. The murderer must be in the military.
Complexities are added to the plot when Gillespie finds out that Chief Inspector Nugent actually works for Indian Political Intelligence and has some connection with Narayan, and the author brings in details of Gillespie's family life in Ireland, especially his young son Tom. Tom only has a small part but he turns out to be an outstanding little character. His late mother was Catholic, his father is Protestant and to meet his mother's dying wish he has to attend a Catholic school. He is only eleven years old yet has decided he is already a determined atheist, he has almost finished reading Homer's Iliad and has speed-read The Hobbit as if it had been a graphic novel. He is quite clearly going to be a force in Ireland, never mind within his own family. Not too much is made of it, however, and the plot moves on to wartime Valletta.
It is in Valletta that the case reaches its conclusion though much of the tension is taken away by the author's love of describing the city and the terrible hardships facing the people of Malta from the daily bombing raids of the Luftwaffe and Italy's Regia Aeronautica. It sometimes seems as if chasing a murderer is fairly straight-forward and, yes, Gillespie gets punched and Nugent gets stabbed but it's all part of police work. Perhaps that anti-climax leads to the necessity to tag on a final chapter. Who killed Narayan and who was behind the blackmailing? The answer to that is too pedestrian and too forgiving towards the criminals. One of them meets a grisly end due to his own impetuosity but it looks as if the other may get away with it. Perhaps not being gay means that one could avoid hanging? As a final touch it turns out that another important character was gay all along, though it is not a surprise. After a while one gets to recognise the signs.
It is a story in which the Maltese section, the real chase after the murderer, could have been far more intense and exciting. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining and very enjoyable read.
June 16, 2021
Exceptional and tricky.
August 17, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for a review copy of The City under Siege, the sixth novel to feature Inspector Stefan Gillespie of An Garda SÍochána.
Stefan is in London ferrying documents when he is asked to extricate Micheál Mac Liammoïr, Ireland’s greatest actor, from a murder investigation. Mac Liammoïr has found the body of an acquaintance murdered in his home. Stefan sees similarities in the murder to an unsolved case from 15 months ago in Ireland. Chief Inspector Frank Nugent is already investigating four other similar ones in England. Now there is one in war torn Malta and the suspicion is that a soldier is responsible, so Stefan and Frank head to Malta to catch a murderer.
I thoroughly enjoyed The City under Siege, which is an engrossing read centred in the gay community. It’s hard to imagine now the secret, frightened life these men had to lead, but I think the author does a great job of giving the reader an idea of it. Then there is the wartime background with the bombings, blackouts, air raid shelters, secrecy and the politics involved. It all comes together in a dark world of mistrust and differing agendas.
I like the plot, which held my interest throughout. I found it quite compulsive and was surprised time after time by the twists. I felt that I was lulled into following the narrative blindly and then ambushed by the twists. This takes some skill as I am naturally suspicious in my fiction reading. I think the atmosphere created leads the reader to sink into what they are being told, not least because there are so many other things, not germane to the murder investigation, to ponder and wonder about.
I have read a few of the Stefan Gillespie novels over the years and I always enjoy spending time with him. He’s not always the most zealous Garda when prosecuting the letter of the law, preferring his own moral code, so his unwelcome posting to Special Branch isn’t encouraging his zeal in many of his activities.
The City under Siege is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Stefan is in London ferrying documents when he is asked to extricate Micheál Mac Liammoïr, Ireland’s greatest actor, from a murder investigation. Mac Liammoïr has found the body of an acquaintance murdered in his home. Stefan sees similarities in the murder to an unsolved case from 15 months ago in Ireland. Chief Inspector Frank Nugent is already investigating four other similar ones in England. Now there is one in war torn Malta and the suspicion is that a soldier is responsible, so Stefan and Frank head to Malta to catch a murderer.
I thoroughly enjoyed The City under Siege, which is an engrossing read centred in the gay community. It’s hard to imagine now the secret, frightened life these men had to lead, but I think the author does a great job of giving the reader an idea of it. Then there is the wartime background with the bombings, blackouts, air raid shelters, secrecy and the politics involved. It all comes together in a dark world of mistrust and differing agendas.
I like the plot, which held my interest throughout. I found it quite compulsive and was surprised time after time by the twists. I felt that I was lulled into following the narrative blindly and then ambushed by the twists. This takes some skill as I am naturally suspicious in my fiction reading. I think the atmosphere created leads the reader to sink into what they are being told, not least because there are so many other things, not germane to the murder investigation, to ponder and wonder about.
I have read a few of the Stefan Gillespie novels over the years and I always enjoy spending time with him. He’s not always the most zealous Garda when prosecuting the letter of the law, preferring his own moral code, so his unwelcome posting to Special Branch isn’t encouraging his zeal in many of his activities.
The City under Siege is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
March 6, 2021
This is another solid entry in this reliable series. A murderer of gay men is at large in Ireland, England and war-torn Malta. Is a soldier guilty? Is he an Irishman fighting in the British army? Cue Stefan Gillespie, Irish politicians, Indian nationalists and Valetta under siege. At times the guilty man seems clear to behold, but not all is as it seems. A good read.
May 22, 2022
The hunt for a serial killer hiding in the shadows of war.
Journeying between home and London in the midst of the Blitz, Inspector Stefan Gillespie is requested to assist in investigating the murder of an Indian nationalist.
His brutal murder bears startling similarities to murder in Ireland which Stefan himself previously reviewed, as well as to several other murders of gay men in England.
The killer strikes again - this time on the island of Malta, currently suffering attacks from the German and Italian air forces. As the hunt for a killer moves to this island under siege, danger lurks around every corner as well as from the skies above.
'The City Under Siege' is the sixth book in Michael Russell's Stefan Gillespie series of historic crime thrillers set during the Second World War. An immersive, slow-burning police procedural, set in 1941, it captures you from the opening scenes, the narrative woven seamlessly, driven by the investigation into a series of brutal murders. The historical and political landscape of the War share centre-stage with the police investigations in each novel, part of the magic and brilliance of the series. Paranoia, distrust and the shady world of espionage forever lurk in the corners.
Stefan is deeply morally driven, something that may at times be at odds with the desires of his superiors in Ireland's Special Branch. Taking the path for justice is not always the easiest to tread, particularly in times of war, a war in which Ireland is insistent on displaying the face of neutrality. The subplot of Stefan's personal life also continues to develop from previous novels - his son growing up, much of which Stefan is missing. It is through the fleeting glimpses of this family life that we can feel Stefan's distance and dislocation, and his quiet struggle to come to terms with that.
Through the investigation into the murders, attitudes of the period towards homosexuality are explored - attitudes that allow a killer to operate almost unnoticed and avoid apprehension, to go on to kill again. Chillingly, we can recognise some of that culture still unchanged to this day. It was also particularly interesting to explore the perspective of India, which is relatively rarely seen in the context of the War, as well as aspects of the nation's position as a colony of the British Empire, including colonial policing and the nationalist movement for independence.
The depiction of Malta during this period is vivid, conjuring the beauty of the island as well as the terror presented from the skies and surrounding nations, and the dark underbelly of the cities. Well-written, detailed and impeccably researched, the novel does not shy away from the brutality of either the crimes or the ongoing war, all contributing to a tense and sometimes bleak atmosphere, maintaining finely-drawn suspense and a gripping psychological depth that leave you yearning for more. This may be my favourite of the six books so far, though the series is of such high quality it's difficult to make that distinction.
Engrossing and atmospheric, 'The City Under Siege' is historical crime fiction at its finest, a riveting portrait of a time departed, bathed in intrigue and mystery.
The seventh in the series, 'The City Underground', is due to be published this summer, with an eighth also promised!
Journeying between home and London in the midst of the Blitz, Inspector Stefan Gillespie is requested to assist in investigating the murder of an Indian nationalist.
His brutal murder bears startling similarities to murder in Ireland which Stefan himself previously reviewed, as well as to several other murders of gay men in England.
The killer strikes again - this time on the island of Malta, currently suffering attacks from the German and Italian air forces. As the hunt for a killer moves to this island under siege, danger lurks around every corner as well as from the skies above.
'The City Under Siege' is the sixth book in Michael Russell's Stefan Gillespie series of historic crime thrillers set during the Second World War. An immersive, slow-burning police procedural, set in 1941, it captures you from the opening scenes, the narrative woven seamlessly, driven by the investigation into a series of brutal murders. The historical and political landscape of the War share centre-stage with the police investigations in each novel, part of the magic and brilliance of the series. Paranoia, distrust and the shady world of espionage forever lurk in the corners.
Stefan is deeply morally driven, something that may at times be at odds with the desires of his superiors in Ireland's Special Branch. Taking the path for justice is not always the easiest to tread, particularly in times of war, a war in which Ireland is insistent on displaying the face of neutrality. The subplot of Stefan's personal life also continues to develop from previous novels - his son growing up, much of which Stefan is missing. It is through the fleeting glimpses of this family life that we can feel Stefan's distance and dislocation, and his quiet struggle to come to terms with that.
Through the investigation into the murders, attitudes of the period towards homosexuality are explored - attitudes that allow a killer to operate almost unnoticed and avoid apprehension, to go on to kill again. Chillingly, we can recognise some of that culture still unchanged to this day. It was also particularly interesting to explore the perspective of India, which is relatively rarely seen in the context of the War, as well as aspects of the nation's position as a colony of the British Empire, including colonial policing and the nationalist movement for independence.
The depiction of Malta during this period is vivid, conjuring the beauty of the island as well as the terror presented from the skies and surrounding nations, and the dark underbelly of the cities. Well-written, detailed and impeccably researched, the novel does not shy away from the brutality of either the crimes or the ongoing war, all contributing to a tense and sometimes bleak atmosphere, maintaining finely-drawn suspense and a gripping psychological depth that leave you yearning for more. This may be my favourite of the six books so far, though the series is of such high quality it's difficult to make that distinction.
Engrossing and atmospheric, 'The City Under Siege' is historical crime fiction at its finest, a riveting portrait of a time departed, bathed in intrigue and mystery.
The seventh in the series, 'The City Underground', is due to be published this summer, with an eighth also promised!
July 3, 2022
I’m always interested in a murder mystery where the killer leaves “no clues.” The writer is laying down a challenge, to see how long he can hold the suspense without giving us any possibility of relief. This story carries it just a little further than it should, but the characters and the intervening information are interesting enough to keep us reading
High on the list of “interesting” is a complicated triangle of political interactions; during WWII, there were nationalists in both Ireland and India that would have loved to see Imperial England knocked down a peg or two. Some of them even thought they might get a better deal from Germany. This makes for an interesting conflict when the two detectives working on the case are from India and Ireland. Unfortunately, the author seems to think we need a whole lot more background than that, involving too many names and connections that tend to overwhelm, yet have little impact on the action.
These two elements mean the story gets off to a rather slow start, and we keep turning the pages because of our connection with the main character,
However, once the story moves to Malta, everything gets pared down to the essentials. The inter-jurisdictional rivalries are reduced to conflicts of personality against the background tension of the constant bombings, adding up to some very tight suspense.
It’s hard to stay absorbed in a story when the point of view changes. Chapter 3 is taken up by a character we never see again, with a puzzling guest appearance by Noel Coward. At various places, the writer’s focus seems to waver, and we are suddenly looking at the scene from a different person’s perspective. This is not really a complaint, more of a “could have been done better” comment.
A good murder mystery based on an interesting historical perspective, with a pleasant travelogue of Malta thrown in.
High on the list of “interesting” is a complicated triangle of political interactions; during WWII, there were nationalists in both Ireland and India that would have loved to see Imperial England knocked down a peg or two. Some of them even thought they might get a better deal from Germany. This makes for an interesting conflict when the two detectives working on the case are from India and Ireland. Unfortunately, the author seems to think we need a whole lot more background than that, involving too many names and connections that tend to overwhelm, yet have little impact on the action.
These two elements mean the story gets off to a rather slow start, and we keep turning the pages because of our connection with the main character,
However, once the story moves to Malta, everything gets pared down to the essentials. The inter-jurisdictional rivalries are reduced to conflicts of personality against the background tension of the constant bombings, adding up to some very tight suspense.
It’s hard to stay absorbed in a story when the point of view changes. Chapter 3 is taken up by a character we never see again, with a puzzling guest appearance by Noel Coward. At various places, the writer’s focus seems to waver, and we are suddenly looking at the scene from a different person’s perspective. This is not really a complaint, more of a “could have been done better” comment.
A good murder mystery based on an interesting historical perspective, with a pleasant travelogue of Malta thrown in.
August 12, 2021
This is my 5th Stefan Gillespie Irish detective story I've read in a row. A fascinating collection that takes place between 1939 and 1942 as Ireland remains "fiercely neutral", siding with neither the Axis or the Allies. Of course Ireland was really not neutral as 10s of thousands of Irishmen enlisted in the English army and British and Irish intelligence agencies cooperated in rousting the German spies sent to Ireland to stir up the revolution, trying to get the IRA to start a new fight in order to distract the British from the looming German invasion. The invasion and the new Irish insurrection never took place. Faced with another threat, the British were fearful of the Indian uprising and drive for independence. This book in the series takes place in England, Ireland and Malta. Similar to London, Malta is under constant air attack suffering constant bombing. Partnering with a Scotland yard detective, Stephan and Frank go to Malta to track down a murderer-- someone targeting homosexuals, murdering and mutilating their corpses. Identical crimes committed in Ireland, London and then in Malta, which took the detectives there. It was a great read, very engaging, and informative. The scholarly attention to detail and accuracy are impressive, but does not detract from the crime fiction writing. I would recommend this book on many levels.
December 21, 2025
This is a brilliant book that takes the reader from London to Ireland and then on to Malta. Detective Inspector Stefan Gillespie finds himself caught in the middle of a series of deeply troubling murders connected to soldiers who fought in the Second World War. The investigation leads Gillespie from Ireland to Malta, where several gay servicemen have been killed by a member of the Military Police. Astonishingly, this policeman manages to deceive everyone right up until the very last moment. Michael Russell’s research is excellent. Having been to Malta myself, I found that his vivid and accurate descriptions brought my own happy memories of the island back to life.
June 25, 2021
The City Under Siege is a cracking thriller. Detective Inspector Stefan Gillespie is on the hunt for a murderer and the case takes him from Dublin to London to Malta during World War 2. The suspicions are that the killer is a soldier and that complicates his investigation. The plot is intriguing from the beginning. The characters are well defined and the wartime setting compliments the murder mystery.
July 10, 2021
This is the first book I read in this series and found it brilliant.
It's dark, twisty, gripping and very interesting.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and the description of what meant to be gay in the 40s are heartbreaking.
I was fascinated by the vivid and well researched historical background.
I want to read the rest of the series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's dark, twisty, gripping and very interesting.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and the description of what meant to be gay in the 40s are heartbreaking.
I was fascinated by the vivid and well researched historical background.
I want to read the rest of the series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
October 28, 2021
I have read all the books in this series and I can only describe this one as OK.
The events set in Malta were more interesting that what had gone before, as were the descriptions of war time Valetta.
The allusions to British perceptions of Irish neutrality as seen in the relationships with Gillespie gave the novel a possible authenticity. The introduction of the Indian situation and the comparison between Indians and Irish wanting freedom from British influence added another enhancement to the plot but overall, the story didn't hold my full attention throughout.
The personal elements of Stefan's life and family were, however, of interest and grounded the storyline.
I give this 3 stars as I was able to read it to the end and it was minimally interesting.
The events set in Malta were more interesting that what had gone before, as were the descriptions of war time Valetta.
The allusions to British perceptions of Irish neutrality as seen in the relationships with Gillespie gave the novel a possible authenticity. The introduction of the Indian situation and the comparison between Indians and Irish wanting freedom from British influence added another enhancement to the plot but overall, the story didn't hold my full attention throughout.
The personal elements of Stefan's life and family were, however, of interest and grounded the storyline.
I give this 3 stars as I was able to read it to the end and it was minimally interesting.
November 27, 2021
Another outstanding addition to the Stefan Gillespie series.
If you have any interest in Ireland in the period before and during WW2 then this series is a must read.
It is difficult to place the series into any one genre, at times police procedure at others espionage and moving into social comment. What they are, is never less than excellent.
If you have any interest in Ireland in the period before and during WW2 then this series is a must read.
It is difficult to place the series into any one genre, at times police procedure at others espionage and moving into social comment. What they are, is never less than excellent.
Read
November 5, 2022nothing to remember . the plot was promising but the style and the characters have nothing to impress . Slow pace except the chapters revealing the killers . no turns . No tricks . No big discoveries. The two detectives just ask questions and follow people in the streets .
Read
September 4, 2023Interesting twusts
A good plot, Ireland sets a nice domestic counterpoint to the series affairs of state. Plot had some interesting twists, right to the end. I have purchased next in the series, can't wait to start reading it.
A good plot, Ireland sets a nice domestic counterpoint to the series affairs of state. Plot had some interesting twists, right to the end. I have purchased next in the series, can't wait to start reading it.
August 22, 2020
A cracking good tale and a terrific series. Looking forward to the next one.
May 6, 2023
Another excellent book in the series - told convincingly and engagingly, with disturbing insights into how gay people were seen and treated in the war era.
March 25, 2024
I really enjoy this series by MR, another hit for me.
September 28, 2025
Another cracking read in this series. Looking forward to the next one
October 16, 2021
I really enjoyed this crime fiction and liked how it focused on areas of world war 2 history that i feel like is explored less. The writing was done well and i really enjoyed the action and drama in this. The mystery was a little messy in places but it was never that bad that i felt it affected the story too much. I would definitely pick up more in this series as i really enjoy how the crime was presented and how the author touches on social and historical issues.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews