Death in a Blackout

A WPC Billie Harkness Mystery #1

by Jessica Ellicott

The first in a brand-new WWII historical mystery series introduces WPC Billie Harkness - a female police officer who risks her life to protect the home front in the British coastal city of Hull.

1940. Britain is at war. Rector's daughter Wilhelmina Harkness longs to do her duty for her country, but when her strict mother forbids her to enlist, their bitter argument has devastating consequences.

Unable to stay in the village she loves, Wilhelmina - reinventing herself as Billie - spends everything she has on a one-way ticket up north. Hull is a distant, dangerous city, but Billie is determined to leave her painful memories behind and start afresh, whatever the cost.

The last thing Billie expects on her first evening in Hull, however, is to be caught in the city's first air raid - or to stumble across the body of a young woman, suspiciously untouched by debris.

If the air raid didn't kill the glamorous stranger, what did? Billie is determined to get justice, and her persistence earns her an invitation to the newly formed Women's Police Constabulary. But as the case unfolds, putting her at odds with both high-ranking members of the force as well as the victim's powerful family, Billie begins to wonder if she can trust her new friends and colleagues . . . or if someone amongst them is working for the enemy.

DEATH IN A BLACKOUT is a perfect pick for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen and Susan Elia MacNeal.

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

249 pages, Paperback

Published December 27, 2022

About the author

Jessica Ellicott loves fountain pens, Mini Coopers, and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Death in a Blackout” is the first in a new series featuring WPC Billie Harkness.

The year is 1940, WW11 is raging, and Great Britain is suffering regular bombing raids. This was something that Billie Harkness hadn’t encountered in her home village of Barton St Giles in Wiltshire. However, after the sudden death of her mother, she decides to take up an invitation to stay with her cousin Lydia in Kingston upon Hull in the North of England.

Hull became a prime target for bombing due to it being an industrial centre and a strategic port, which meant that Billie experienced war on the home front for the very first time.

After only a few days in her new home, Billie is hired as only the second female Constable in Hull.
She’s assigned to work with Special Constable Peter Upton, but after a bad start, they have to learn to work as a team. One case that Billie is determined to solve is that of a young woman named Audrey, who Billie discovered in a bombed out cafe - Audrey’s injuries didn’t appear to be the result of an air raid!

Well written historical fiction, with Billie and Peter making interesting and relatable protagonists. Billie had previously led a very sheltered life in Wiltshire, but she has all the makings of an excellent WPC, and is determined to change the minds of those who believe that women have no place in the police force. “Death in a Blackout” is a promising start to this new series.

*My thanks to Severn House for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review*

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 3 out of 5]

EXCERPT: When the rumors about women on the force had started to fly about, he had understood that they would be relegated to desk duties such as filing and typing. Perhaps they would be allowed to occasionally operate the switchboard when the police messenger boys were on their tea break. Everyone had assumed that the sort of woman who would be appointed to such a role would be an entirely benign, accommodating and compliant person who faded in the background, much like a desk lamp or filing cabinet. She would be the sort of woman who would cheerfully make pots of tea and offer round plates of biscuits when the troops seemed to be flagging.

She would certainly not be the type who boldly confronted one with wild imaginings in the midst of a crisis. How on earth did a newcomer from some backwater in Wiltshire end up as only one of two women on the constabulary of an important port city like Hull?

ABOUT 'DEATH IN A BLACKOUT': The first in a brand-new WWII historical mystery series introduces WPC Billie Harkness - a female police officer who risks her life to protect the home front in the British coastal city of Hull. 1940. Britain is at war. Rector's daughter Wilhelmina Harkness longs to do her duty for her country, but when her strict mother forbids her to enlist, their bitter argument has devasting consequences. Unable to stay in the village she loves, Wilhelmina - reinventing herself as Billie - spends everything she has on a one-way ticket up north. Hull is a distant, dangerous city, but Billie is determined to leave her painful memories behind and start afresh, whatever the cost. The last thing Billie expects on her first evening in Hull, however, is to be caught in the city's first air raid - or to stumble across the body of a young woman, suspiciously untouched by debris. If the air raid didn't kill the glamorous stranger, what did? Billie is determined to get justice, and her persistence earns her an invitation to the newly formed Women's Police Constabulary. But as the case unfolds, putting her at odds with both high-ranking members of the force as well as the victim's powerful family, Billie begins to wonder if she can trust her new friends and colleagues . . . or if someone amongst them is working for the enemy.

MY THOUGHTS: Although I have taken quite a liking to cosy mysteries in recent times, I found Death in a Blackout just a little too 'vanilla', too bland. The plot allows for far more potential than is delivered, and the characters are all rather one dimensional. I would have liked to have had more of an insight into Billie's personality, whereas the author barely scratches the surface. We know that she is brave, fleet of foot, and has a sharp and enquiring mind. But there is nothing 'personal' revealed about her, nothing to endear her to us. She needs more fleshing out, as does part-time Constable Peter Upton. The most personal thing we know about him is his mum makes good scones. However as this is a new series, perhaps the characters will develop as it progresses.

Although this novel is 'inspired by the extraordinary bravery, stalwartness and community spirit of the people of Hull, the second most bombed city in England in WWII', this spirit doesn't come across and I didn't find enough of interest in Death in a Blackout to entice me to continue with the series.

⭐⭐.5

#DeathinaBlackout #NetGalley

I: @jessicaellicottauthor @severnhouseimprint

T: #JessicaEllicott @severnhouse

#cosymystery #historicalfiction #murdermystery #WWII

THE AUTHOR: Jessica Ellicott loves fountain pens, Mini Coopers, and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Death in a Blackout by Jessica Ellicott for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a tragedy at home, Billie Harkness finds herself needing a new start, so she accepts an invitation from a distant cousin to visit the northern coastal town of Hull. She arrives just before Hull experiences its first air raid in 1940. In the devastation that follows, Billie finds a dead young woman inside a building. Surprisingly, no debris is around her body. In her new job in the newly formed Women’s Police Constabulary, she starts a quiet investigation. Can she figure out what really happened?

This series debut is much like a TV show’s pilot. We get a lot of set up near the beginning. It helps us get to know Billie better, but it does mean it’s a while before the mystery truly gets going. Although we do get some threads of the mystery thanks to Peter Upton, the other third person view point character. Both of these leads are strong, and I enjoyed getting to know them. Once the mystery gets going, it is great with plenty of twists and an ending that caught me off guard. Those familiar with Jessica Ellicott’s other series will note the more serious tone, which is appropriate given the time and place this one is set. I loved how the story brought the history of the era to live; the plot wouldn’t have worked in any other time. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what danger Billie uncovers next.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

All must do their bit!

1940 and the War has been raging. The British are feeling it. There’s a clear call to arms for all. Wilhelmina (Billie) Harkness, the local Vicar’s daughter, wants to volunteer for whichever branch of the auxiliary services that would have her. This puts her at odds with her recently widowed and very conservative mother. A harsh confrontation between the two has BIllie regretting that estrangement. Unfortunately her mother dies before their differences can be resolved.
Billie moves to live with an unknown cousin in Hull. Enroute she’s caught in an air raid, and after the all clear is given, finds the body of young woman in a cafe. The young woman, Audrey, Billie noted previously when she stopped at the establishment for a cup of tea. A Special Constable, Peter Upton is there. An interesting man Peter.
Billie catches the eye of WCP Crane, the woman in charge of employing a new extension of the police force—Woman Police Constables. Billie’s offered a position and she accepts.
The fascinating part is the way the story line has timely interjections from Billie’s past. Billie answers letters from various friends and foes in the village. We begin to see that the Vicar’s daughter has inculcated some of the habits, the niceties, of the Vicar’s wife. Often this is no bad thing, assisting sometimes with Billie’s new role. Ironic even!
Billie, along with Peter Upton is searching for those who might have has something to do with Audrey’s death. But then there’s the mystery of the local priest’s stolen bicycle and a couple of other odd occurrences that are thrown into the meld.
I’m really liking this new series set in the shipbuilding town of Hull at such a time.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley

[Jeannine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first 50 pages of this book. Meeting Billie and Peter separately, knowing they’d meet at some point, gave the first part of the book some momentum. I couldn’t wait to see how two people living so far apart would wind up together. Then, the rest of the book happened.

Suddenly, everything is falling into place Instantly for Billie. She shows up with no notice in Hull, where visitors aren’t allowed. She talks her way through a military check point and gets to a distant cousin’s house. The cousin happens to arrive home and promises a home, money, and a job. Omg, they are also the same clothes and shoe size so wealthy cousin can share her things with poor Billie.

Billie’s character doesn’t make total sense to me. She’s a “country mouse,” afraid of cars and the dark, but also a badass who tackles a thief and confronts killers. We are told Peter notices that she has an educated accent and he assumes she must be from a wealthy family…but her dad was a vicar and it was clear that she never left her little town and had no money. What is going on?

There are so many great series to read that I don’t anticipate following this one.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read quite a bit of WWII fiction, especially mystery/crime, set in England, but most of it is set in London. Of course, London does have so many stories from which to draw of that infamous period of history, so I’m deeply interested in all that London has to offer on the theme. I enjoy learning about how the ordinary citizens of England lived and coped and did their bit in the war. Death in a Blackout expanded my knowledge and interest beyond London to Hull, or Kingston on Hull, a northern port city at the confluence of the River Hull and the Humber Estuary. “With ninety per cent of its buildings damaged or destroyed, it was the second most bombed city in England during the war.” (Jessica Ellicott, Author Notes) I knew nothing about Hull’s WWII history going into reading Ellicott’s book, and now I’m in awe of their perseverance and dedication. Death in a Blackout features as the main character one of the newly recruited WPC who began working on the police force in Hull in 1940. Wilhemina/Billie Harkness is the second woman to be hired, as the scarcity of men paved the way for women to finally be admitted to the ranks.

Billie Harkness arrives in Hull the afternoon of Hull’s first night air raid attack. She has come from the bucolic setting of Barton St. Gilles in Wiltshire at the invitation of her cousin after Billie’s mother meets with a tragic accident. Billie’s father, the rector of the local Anglican Church in St. Gilles, is a prisoner of war, and her brother is serving also, but at an unknown location. As Billie and her mother were still living at the rectory with the curate, who had assumed Rev. Harkness’ duties, Billie finds herself living alone in the house with the curate, a situation unacceptable to the town’s moral code. After a hasty and unromantic proposal of marriage from Ronald the curate, Billie takes the first train to Hull.

Lydia, the cousin, is delighted to have Billie visiting for as long as she wants, and Billie is stunned to discover Lydia living by herself in a thoroughly modern-styled house in an upscale housing community. Lydia wants to show Billie a hearty welcome by taking her to the movies and dinner in town that night. But, as the movie is playing, there are thunderous sounds and shaking, and an air attack is announced over the theater’s speakers. Too late to try to reach one of the city’s shelters, Billie and Lydia ride out the air raid in the theater.

When the attack is over, they come out into a wide swath of destruction to the surrounding buildings. Billie notices the tea shop she had stopped in on the way to Lydia’s house had been hit, and upon further inspection, Billie comes upon the body of a young woman in the shop. It’s a customer whom Billie had seen in the café when stopping in for a cuppa earlier. The young woman is dead, but Billie notes that the building is still standing at the time and there’s nothing to suggest the woman has been killed by falling debri. Billie suspects foul play, but before the constable whose attention Billie has caught can investigate or search for any evidence, the café falls in on itself.

Billie’s worries about what kind of work she can find in Hull are somewhat relieved when Lydia tells her that she can accompany her to the library where she works. Lydia knows the information resources center there can use volunteers to help sort out people’s questions they have in need of different services during the war. A mother comes into the library to inquire how she might locate her daughter Audrey, who has gone missing after the air raid. When Billie hears the daughter’s name, she wonders if the young woman she found dead in the café could be the missing daughter, as she had heard the young woman called Audrey. Lydia sends Billie to the police station to talk to the only woman constable in Hull about the possible identity of Mrs. Crewell’s daughter being the dead woman. Avis Crane is impressed with Billie in the connections she’s made in the missing daughter case and the dead woman, and Avis asks Billie to join the police force as the second WPC (Woman Police Constable), which Billie is thrilled to do.

The dead woman is indeed identified as Audrey Chetwell, Mrs. Chetwell’s daughter. Audrey’s father is a powerful city councilor and wants his daughter’s death attributed to the air raid, and so it is. This doesn’t stop Billie from suspecting Audrey was murdered. Meeting up again, now that she is on the police force, with the constable whom she shared the body finding experience, she learns his name is Peter Upton, Special Constable. Before long, Billie and Peter will be investigating the death of Audrey Chetwell on the sly. The twists and turns the investigation takes will have the investigating duo and the reader wondering who is loyal to Britain’s fight against Germany and who is a traitor. The author is never unfair in her clever presentation of multiple possibilities for traitor and murderer; all the possibilities are plausible suspects. In an atmosphere of subterfuge from both sides, a war is an easy place to suspect the wrong person. And, of course, first you must learn to trust the people you’re working with, starting with Peter.

The story is told through the eyes of Billie and Peter, so we get two perspectives and character revelation. Billie is much more solidly developed, as her background is so informative of who she is and what she wants. Of course, the contrast between who Wilhemina was and who Billie is shows a giant leap of growth. Peter gets a good set-up ` of who he is, too, but his thoughts and motivations aren’t as clear as Billie’s yet. That Billie and Peter can come together as working partners is an important step for both them personally and the future of the police force. I think the author did well to include Lydia, who is easy-going and pivotal in Billie’s establishing a new life. Lydia is the breeze coming through the room when it gets too hot.

Death in a Blackout was such a satisfying read for me, taking me places I hadn’t been before in one of my favorite time periods of history and learning parts of the WWII story in England I was wholly unfamiliar with. Ellicott has created a many-layered story with fascinating connections, filling in historical blank spots for me with a compelling narrative and characters who seemed to leap off the streets of history into the story. Showing once again that stories can powerfully relate the events of the past to us through the lives of those who lived them, making them more than just dates and names. The danger and suspense are palatable in Ellicott’s storytelling, and her research is evident throughout the flow of the story. I didn’t realize just what I was missing in my WWII reading, and I’m grateful to Jessica Ellicott for bringing it to my attention. I am so glad that the WPC Billie Harkness’ narrative will continue, and I’ll get to read more about this independent-minded, resourceful trailblazer.

Thanks to author Jessica Ellicott for sending me a copy of Death in a Blackout that I won on the Jungle Red Writers Blog.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting start to a new series. Wilhelmina ( Billie) was a brave, resourceful and determined character. She was well suited to her job as one of the first women police constables. Peter Harkness also worked as a special police constable and their first meeting was contentious to say the least. However, as they worked together, their respect for each other grew. There was the prejudice from some regarding women constables, and a murderer to uncover. As this was wartime, the devastation it caused was explained. This kept me guessing until the end and and had some surprise elements to it. I will read more in this series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilhelmina Harkness is the 22-year-old daughter of a rector in a small town in Wiltshire, England. It is 1940 and her chaplain father is a POW and her brother Frederick is missing in Europe. At the invitation of a cousin she has not met she moves to the port city of Hull in Yorkshire. Her cousin Lily works at the library and asks Wilhelmina to work there, However, Wilhelmina and her cousin are separated during an air raid bombing and she finds a body in a tea shop. It is here that she meets dock inspector and wartime constable Peter Upton. She thinks the death of the woman is not from the bombing but done before and he just wants her out of a burning building although he does notice there is no debris around the body. Wilhelmina finds herself working as the second Woman Police Constable in Hull under Avis Crane and faces some hostility to her position and not just from her male colleagues. As she dives into the position, she is partnered with Constable Upton part of her time, and they reach an understanding and appreciation of each other's talents. Wilhelmina has reason to suspect several people of spying, murder, and/or spreading Nazi propaganda. The author is good at presenting wartime Great Britain and the lead characters are appealing. I hope there is a book two. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the first book of a cozy mystery series. The setting is in England during World War Two. It was a very difficult time because women were looked upon as second class citizens. The protagonist is a young woman who has recently become employed by the Kingston Upon Hull Constabulary. Of course, this was a time when many did not believe that women were capable of working at such a position. Billie Harkness proves that she is most qualified for her job!

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Death in a Blackout. All opinions and comments are my own.

A Rector’s daughter wants to do her part in the WWII war effort as Death in a Blackout begins, and she finds a most intriguing way; she becomes a WPC -- Woman Police Constable -- in this, the first in a new series by Jessica Ellicott.

Travelling to Kingston-Upon-Hill, Wilhelmina Harkness – soon to be using her nickname, Billie, meets an amazing cousin, quite the feminist for the day. This persona comes in handy, as readers will see. Billie explores the city a bit, gets offered a job at the library, thinks she’s settling in, sees a glamorous woman at a café. This becomes important later. There’s an air raid, and that’s when the author has Billie “meeting” our other character, (part-time) Constable Peter Upton, when she finds a dead body. It’s the woman from the café. They clash immediately (of course) as the café goes up on flames. Billie’s pretty sure the woman was murdered, but there won’t be much chance of proving it now. Or is there....

Then the chance to be a WPC comes up, and Billie takes it. It’s made clear that situations where woman and children are involved are going to be the primary focus of her duties, but hey, since when will that stop WPC Harkness from trying to solve a murder.

Peter’s working on a case involving a stolen bicycle, and far be it from me to tell you how this all ties together. And how Audrey, the dead girl, was involved, with a bunch of art students. And how everyone seems to have a heck of a lot of secrets, there being a war on and all. Someone else is murdered, and events take quite the turn. We find out why Audrey was in the café after hours. And how appearances can be deceiving, and oh so fatal.

The plotting in Death in a Blackout was the standout of the book. However, I didn’t really get a sense of either main character. Right out the gate they were very bland to me. Perhaps because the author also writes the Beryl and Edwina series, who are very active and fully-developed characters, I’m comparing Billie Harkness and Peter Upton to them, which perhaps I shouldn’t. Perhaps they’re meant to develop in future books. One can only hope.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

DEATH IN A BLACKOUT, the first book in the WPC Billie Harkness series by Jessica Ellicott, introduces readers to Wilhelmina Harkness, the daughter of a country rector in 1940 England.

With World War II in full swing, Wilhelmina is looking to do her part for the British war effort. Her brother is off fighting the war and her father is a POW. But her ultra-strict mother refuses to let her enlist in any of the services that would let Wilhelmina help aid the cause. This leads to a bitter argument and later to an unforseen tragedy.

With her small-town life in upheaval, Wilhelmina takes up the invitation from a distant relative to visit the city of Hull. Having led a somewhat sheltered life, she doesn't realize that Hull is a big target for the Germans but off she goes anyway.

What she couldn't know is that on her very first night in Hull, there is an air raid attack. Wilhelmina and her cousin Lydia end up staying in a shelter until the next morning when the attack is over. As she surveys the shocking (at least to her) damage inflicted, Wilhelmina makes her way to the cafe she visited the day before. She soon discovers a body in the debris, but quickly notes that the young female victim appears to have been killed by something other than the air raid.

But her observation is interrupted by constable Peter Upton. After initially suspecting her of looting and then possibly having killed the young woman, he drags her out of the cafe before the place collapses. It's disdain at first sight for the two of them.

Later, in her new job at the library, Wilhelmina crosses paths with a woman trying to find her daughter and comes to realize that the dead woman is likely the woman's daughter. As she reports the news to the police, she meets the only female constable on the force, Avis Crane. Impressed by her observational skills, Avis offers her a job as a constable. Looking to do her part, Wilhelmina accepts the job, uses the nickname Billie and is sworn in as the 2nd female constable for Hull.

But while the goal is to free up more men to fight in the war, those left behind aren't exactly happy to have women on the force. And that includes Peter Upton. Faced with disdain and outright hostility, Billie forges ahead and soon finds herself looking into her suspicions about the death of the young woman. But a city councilor who is against women serving as constables tries to ruin her before Billie can even get started. The victim was his daughter and he's worried more about appearances than what might really have happened to lead to her death. When his wife approaches her to keep looking, Billie will have to step softly if she wants to keep her job.

Teamed with Peter Upton, the two start to unravel what really happened to the victim. There are plenty of suspects and the duo have to sort out just who is lying to them, why they are lying and just what the truth is. But when it starts to look like the murder might have ties to the war, the stakes are raised and Billie will need to solve the case before any potential danger from the Germans can be visited on Hull.

I was intrigued by the way Jessica Ellicott built this first installment in the series. From the chapter opening letters from Billie to people back in her hometown (and elsewhere) to the way the plot develops. At times, the story moves quickly but then it slows down to go more in-depth with a particular plotline.

While you might sometimes wish they could simply Google the answers, the step-by-step tracking down of both clues, answers and eventually the reveal of just whodunnit, the mystery kept me involved and trying to figure out the answers alongside Billie and Peter.

Each character in the book is quickly shown to have a number of layers that would promise plenty of development as the series progresses. And while the male constables aren't all that keen on serving with women, they do grudgingly show respect when Billie (and Avis) demonstrate just how valuable they could be beyond making tea and typing reports. I loved one small scene where Billie is treated with disdain by an older woman even after helping her out, just because of how she accomplished providing that help.

Peter was interesting enough for his own series as well. Working a day job as a dock inspector, then working a night shift as a constable would wear anyone down but he is dogged at both jobs and his subplot investigation relating to a stolen bicycle was a nice way to give some insight to how valuable they were during WWII. As for Avis Crane, she's going to be a big key player in the series I'd say. Definitely a lot of layers with her and most of them are ones you are just going to have to discover for yourself.

If anything, the only real issue I had with the story was how the actual stakes, along with any perceived stakes that arose from the succession of clues uncovered, ended with kind of a whimper. I realize that in 1940s England, the resolution wasn't going to involve some kind of Dirty Harry confrontation but the way the killer was revealed seemed just a bit too underplayed for my own personal preferences.

That said, I did actually quite enjoy DEATH IN A BLACKOUT overall and I'm looking forward to seeing where Jessica Ellicott takes Billie Harkness (and those of us reading about her) next.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful start to a new series. Billie Harkness is thrust into a new life away from the home she's known, and in the process meets a cousin she never knew about, joins the Constabulary, and finds herself investigating a suspicious death. The female characters in this story/series are wonderfully empowered at a time when women weren't, and in such clever ways. Ellicott's research is impeccable and her joy in the time period and her own characters comes through.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent story about one of the first women in the Hull police force, and the feeling about women being hired. Billie was a good character and logically followed clues to solve the murder with the help of a male constable.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wavering between 2 and 3 stars on this one. I do love a good historical mystery, but this was just so so for me. Things seemed to fall very easily into place for Billie. Still, it was the first in the series, might try another one to fully make up my mind.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start of a series by an author new to me. I really enjoyed this book. The setting, the characters, and the mystery elements all kept me interested from the very start to the end. I look forward to future books in the series. In the meantime, I discovered this author has other books written under this name and others. So I can have fun discovering her other works while awaiting book 2 in the WPC Billie Harkness mysteries.

[Janet Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I love the Beryl and Edwina series from this author. That might be a bit unfair to the author, but there it is.

I didn't dislike the book. There is potential with the setting and the characters. The solution to the mystery was quite unusual and actually interesting. No cookie-cutter construction which is a blessing for those of us who abhor those kinds of books.

The first issue I encountered was the development of the foundation of the series for the reader. Necessary, yes. A bit too long for me, however. If memory serves it took 11 chapters before our two protagonists were in the same town. I understand the requirement to set the scene, but ... This leads to the second issue I encountered; our female protagonist seemed to magically acquire abilities that were not even mentioned previously in development. I have to wonder what might have been edited out just to get the book ready for publishing.

All that being said, I will keep an eye out for the next addition to the series and see if I'm inclined to listen in. Speaking of listening, the audiobook reader did an excellent job, so no issues there!

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the start of a new historical mystery series and I was attracted by the name of the author, Jessica Ellicott, as I love other series she writes.
I expected something a bit lighter but I enjoyed it as the historical background is vivid, the characters fleshed out and interesting, the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Can't wait to read the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel.

Jessica Ellicott was a new author for me and I'm glad to say I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel in a new series. Ms Ellicott has set her historical mystery in a city that doesn't have the name recognition I am familiar with reading about (Hull) as well as putting her characters in occupations that are slightly unusual. Wilhelmina Harkness has lately suffered the death of her mother in an automobile accident, her father is a prisoner of war and her brother is unaccounted for on the battlefield. Wilhelmina, or Billie as she is called in the story, received a letter from a member of the family she knew nothing about with an invitation to come for a visit to Kingston upon Hull while adjusting to the death of her mother. Billie had wanted to sign up for the war effort but now realizes she can't continue to live in the rectory with the bachelor temporary rector taking her father's place, so she whole heartedly accepts the offer from her cousin Lydia Harkness.

Billie Harkness is hired as the second female constable in Hull and assigned to work with Peter Upton, a special constable who works as a policeman after completing his regular job each day along the docks of the port. During a bombing raid Billie finds the body of a woman in a cafe who was dead before the bombing started. She and Peter have to find ways to work together while they solve this unusual murder mystery.

I liked this plot, writing style and unusual circumstances quite a lot. I can see how Billie and Peter can each use their strengths to make a good team when solving crimes. Both are young, in their early 20s (I think) but both also show a lot of good old fashioned common sense which I appreciate. Having the story set in Hull was quite refreshing and added an aspect of interest to the project that makes me want to read the second book when it is released.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Death in a Blackout is the first Billie Harkness historical mystery by Jessica Ellicott. Released 3rd May 2022 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format out 27th Dec 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written mystery set mostly in the North of England during the early days of 1940 as WW2 is really heating up. Protagonist Wilhelmina, Billie, has moved because of the devastating loss of her mother and her father's capture as a prisoner of the war. She joins the police service as a WPC and is soon involved in untangling the death of a young woman in Hull. 

The author is adept at writing the time period believably and the settings and dialogue are immersive and nuanced. The fictional parts are written around a framework of real historical events and the mystery itself is well constructed and engineered. There are some rough spots between point A where Billie is introduced as the strong-willed but relatively poor daughter of a local church rector to point B where she's managed to establish herself in Hull and acquire a position as a WPC in the local forces. Despite the rough start, the story is absorbing and the characters well rendered.

Four stars. Although not at all derivative, fans of Keith Finney's Lipton St. Faith series will likely enjoy this series as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot happens, including major life changes, to the main character, Wilhelmina (Billie) in the first 35 pages. Impetuous doesn't begin to describe the choices she makes that change her life entirely. The readers are rewarded by the character's early decisions as we follow along into a very interesting mystery, not of a simple English village (as seen in the author's Beryl and Edwina series) but a more robust look at city life that is suddenly being transformed by the effects of the start of WWII.

Some chapters are interspersed with the notes of Special Constable Upton. This was a tad disconcerting at times, but did add an additional perspective to what was going on. It was a nice balance to Billie's initial naivety. It will be interesting to see what role he plays in future books in this series.

The plot of what happens in the city of Hull is fascinating, especially to witness people's reactions to the first bombing raid. Billie's eventual work in the police force, and how the war is changing that role in society, is also very interesting. There were some logical leaps that were missed (like how did her uniform appear overnight) but these are relatively minor nits for an otherwise very intriguing new series.

For just a moment, [Billie] wondered if she had made the right decision in joining the police force; there were far fewer pitfalls to tumble into within the walls of the library. … There was no path in life untouched by risk. Surely it was best to immerse oneself in pursuits where the value outweighed the cost.

Billie is growing up fast! But war will do that to you. I look forward to following where Ms. Ellicott takes Billie and her readers in future books in this series. It was interesting to read the author's note at the end of this book, including the fact that, by the war's end, 90% of the buildings in Hull will be destroyed or damaged.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Death in a Blackout" is a mystery set in 1940 in England. It's more of a historical as the first two-thirds of the story didn't focus on the mystery. At that point, newly-sworn-in police constable Wilhelmina and her partner actively asked questions, followed up on leads, and put things together. Historical details provided a distinct sense of time and place, but they were so heavily added that they slowed the pacing. For example, Wilhelmina was supposed to ask questions while a woman did her mending, but instead she watched a sock get mended (in detail) then thought about how people were now encouraged to mend things and why. This could have been cut without changing the story.

The characters were likable but I got little sense of their personalities. We're told a bit about them, but their thoughts and speech patterns were similar and rather monotone. Wilhelmina was extremely observant, focused to the point of not noticing danger, and devoted to justice, but we're never told why she's like this. While the mystery was complex enough that the solution wasn't obvious, this feeling that the characters were stilted and had no real, personality- and motive-forming past beyond the beginning of the book dropped my enjoyment of the story.

There was no sex. There were a couple uses of bad language. Overall, I might recommend this to fans of historical novels that contain a mystery.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Jeanie Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story begins at the early onset of WWII and Billie wants to do her bit for the war effort. She goes and registers with the army office but when her mother finds out, she has a hissy fit and slaps her daughter in public.

Mom then regrets having humiliated her daughter in public and when she fails to return home before dark, her mother goes in search of her. However, in her efforts to find her daughter, and the fact that England is under blackout warnings, she is struck and killed in the dark.

Due to the fact that her father and brother are missing in action, and the only individual is the minister's assistant and the rules of female accompaniment Billie flees her hometown and goes to live with her cousin on her fathers side in Hull.

It is a bustling city and much larger than her hone was, and she decides to accept a position as a female police officer.

She fully intends to make her mark on the city, however, on her first night out with her cousin, the city is bombed and she finds a body of a young girl she saw earlier in the day at the cafe.

She and PC Upton take it upon the wishes of head WPC Avis Crane to investigate her murder and find the guilty party who killed her.

This is a a very good read, although slow moving, it does hold one's attention.+

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Well-done series debut featuring a brand new wartime women's police constable in WWII England. Billie Harkness left her small town home after her minister father and brother went off to war, and her mother died in a shocking accident. Billie ends up staying with her strong and independent-minded cousin with considerably more freedom than she had growing up in a parsonage. She almost immediately lands a job as one of the first female constables, with mixed reception by the public and the male police force.

But Billie, although young, is exceptionally level-headed. And a lifetime of watching her parents minister to her father's flock has made her compassionate and imperturbable. She witnesses a mystery and discovers a body before she is even hired. Is it murder or a bombing raid fatality? The wartime setting is well-drawn and interesting.

Billie is an admirable protagonist and I look forward to further adventures. She has a lot of poise for such a young woman, and handles herself well during the investigation. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kidlitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good idea to set a WWII in Hull, that historic but not well known port city and make so much of the story about how a place like that went on working and even thriving in wartime conditions. Having a vicar's daughter from a rural village in the South come to a tough Yorkshire town to find her destiny sets up a nifty North/South tension and Billie Harkness has much growing and living to do to find her way as a volunteer library worker and new recruit to the Women's Police Constabulary. She's young, inexperienced and more than a touch naive but she's also plucky, smart and intuitive and refreshingly, not eager to get romantically involved with anyone. Billie would prefer to focus on her budding careers, her concern for her absent father and brother, both away due to the war, and the loss of her mother (no spoilers as that sets the plot in motion from the first chapter.) Billie can only get more interesting as her live in Hull develops and characters like her glamourous cousin Lily, Chief Constable Avis Crane and most of all PC Peter Upton, reluctant partner to Lily in the force. A good start to a series that promises much.

[Anne-Marie Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great debut for a new series. Wilhelmina Harkness leaves Barton St Giles England to go to a distant cousin's home in Kingston on the Hull in June 1940 after her mother dies when a motor vehicle hits her; Wilhelmina, using Billie as her name, had a row with her mother about enlisting to help in the war and stayed out all night thinking; her mother out looking for her did not see the vehicle. So Billie stays with Lydia and the 1st night is running for cover during an air raid-she finds a dead woman in the cafe she had visited it earlier that day. A constable enters the cafe and takes a look and they both leave as the roof is falling. The woman was declared dead by the crumbling of the roof. Billie can't leave it alone and is soon enlisted to the Woman's Police Constabulary and investigates this "murder"
There are a few other cases investigated that soon relate too each other in a large scheme. GREAT plotting in layers and great character building as once done with this novel I could not wait for more.

[Irene S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting start to a new WWII mystery told from two points of view: Billie, a rector's daughter turned constable and Peter, a volunteer male constable. At first, they clash, but quickly learn to work with each other. I love how Billie is so observant and fearless and how Peter is methodical but willing to take a chance to solve crimes. I also didn't realize that someone like Peter as an essential dock warden couldn't join the military so also volunteered as a constable. This is a story that focuses on the character as much as the mysteries. It's interesting to see Billie as only the second woman constable in the town and also how access to town was limited. I also love that there is more than one mystery to solve. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is a good mystery series that kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to the next mystery in this series.

[Ulrike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was disappointing. It took over 2 hours (of a 9 hour book!) to finally get to the first dead body. The entirety of the plot prior to Billie's arrival in Hull could have been revealed in a single conversation or (better) in the letters she was writing home. Billie's selection as a WPC is completely unbelievable (her qualifications include being completely unfamiliar with the city and having absolutely no training or experience in any related field, the reader also knows that she tried--unsuccessfully!--to sneak through a security checkpoint, so A+ for ethics).

DO NOT take a drink every time someone's DEEPLY furrowed eyebrows are used to telegraph their emotions. You'll die.

I had to speed up the audiobook narrator Elizabeth Sastre's reading. Her voices were fine, but Sastre brought no life to the rest of the text. Three stars for her.

[Ammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

In 1940 Britain, Billie is the Rector's daughter who reinvents herself after a family tragedy. She moves to Hull, a dangerous city during wartime, to live with her cousin. She accepts an invitation to join the Women's Police Constabulary and one of her first cases is a murder.

I always enjoy this time period in historical fiction and am always amazed at the underrated role women played during WWII. I don't read reviews until I finish a book. In this instance, the word I saw numerous times was "bland" which was how I would describe it. I didn't find it suspenseful but greatly admired the indominable spirit of the townspeople as destruction reigned on their city. Apparently this is the 1st book in a series.
2022(25)

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

With her father in a German POW camp and her brother missing in action, Wilhelmina Harkness feels that she should be doing her bit for the war effort. Her mother strongly disagrees. But after her mother's death, an unexpected invitation from her father's cousin Lydia provide her with not only a new opportunity, but a new name — Billie. Living with Lydia in Hull, Billie experiences the first air raid there, and discovers a suspicious death — one it seems the police are racking up to enemy action. But it isn't that simple. Once Billie becomes a WPC, she is given unofficial permission to investigate. This fascinating story of a different type of WW2 home front service is hard to put down. Recommended.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilhelmina Harkness, with both her vicar father and brother off doing their part for the war effort, wants to do something as well. Her mother is very against Wilhelmina taking on a role other that helping minister to those left behind. Ut's 1940 and England is under a lot of stress from constant bombings. A family tragedy leaves Wilhelmina temporarily homeless. Enter Hull, England and cousin Lydia. Thank goodness for Lydia's quick work of turning Wilhelmina into Billie. I was able to truly enjoy Billie's entry into the police force (only one of two women thus far) and how she helps uncover the answer to a dead body found after an air raid.