I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
About The Book
Summer, 1942.
The Second World War rages on but Britain now faces the Nazi threat with America at its side.
In a bombed-out London swarming with gangsters and spies, DCI Frank Merlin continues his battle against rampant wartime crime. A mangled body is found in the Thames just as some items of priceless art go mysteriously missing. What sinister connection links the two?
Merlin and his team follow a twisting trail of secrets as they investigate a baffling and deadly puzzle.
My Review
Dead In The Water by Mark Ellis, the fifth in the DCI Frank Merlin series of books set in wartime London is an intricate, complex and multi-layered novel. Set against a backdrop of Nazi art theft, espionage and political manoeuvring, Merlin is tasked with investigating some suspicious deaths whilst trying not to upset Britain’s allies. I love historical fiction set in and around World War 2, and love crime fiction but had never read anything which mixed the two before so was really intrigued by this book.
Although this is the latest in a series, it is the first book by this author that I have read and it can definitely be read as a standalone. Ellis scatters references to previous cases into the narrative to provide context and to entice new readers into searching out the previous four books. I certainly didn’t feel that I was on the backfoot at any point not having read any of the prior books and enjoyed the smattering of information and context.
Ellis builds an expansive world, creating a wartime London where what is happening at The Front is never far from the character’s minds, and the Grand Alliance between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union is causing headaches for Merlin and his colleagues. There is a lot of world-building in the first third or so and a huge cast of characters who all seemingly have key parts to play. I have to admit to finding it a little difficult to keep track and struggled a little, but I was so pleased that I persevered because suddenly the pieces start to fit together and I was rewarded with a very clever mystery indeed.
It’s clear that Ellis has done his research, as the setting and societal aspects felt steeped in facts. From the treatment of women to the methods of policing, I felt transported to WW2. I really liked the setting and there is a lot to be said for policing in a time before technology and good old Detective work. As the reader, I felt I was alongside Merlin trying to unpick the knot of mystery and intrigue which I always enjoy in a crime book, even if I usually get it wrong!
Complex and assured, this is a clever mystery which kept me intrigued. It does require close reading but you will be richly awarded for it.
About The Book
My thanks to Ellen Whitfield at Books Forward for arranging a copy of the book for me to read and review.
Dead in the Water by Mark Ellis out now from Headline Accent and can be purchased by following the links beneath.
Beverley Has Read 