Death of an Officer follows DCI Frank Merlin as he investigates two deaths in wartime London. The first is the body of a man dumped in a bombsite to disguise the fact he has been murdered, and the second is the murder of a highly regarded Indian doctor. The investigations lead into a murky world of illicit parties and gangsters, a seedier side of London at the time which is not often portrayed.

This was a decent police procedural and the historical period was well done but it felt a little lacking in depth for many of the characters. Obviously, though, this is part of a series so that may well have been built up more for those that have read the others. The story worked well as a standalone book though and I enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

A good historical murder novel set in WWII London. The latest in the DCI Frank Merlin series does not disappoint.Tasked with investigating the murder of a respected Indian doctor Frank uncovers several strands including a connection to a murdered US army officer. Written in a style contemporary to the era and portraying the social attitudes of 1940’s Britain I found this to be an enjoyable read , the second in the series I have read.

The latest DCI Frank Merlin book takes place in the Spring of 1943. London is in the grip of a crime wave as rival criminal gangs continue to run their operations in the city. The body of a respected doctor is discovered and the police investigation leads them to some very unexpected places. Then another body is discovered leading to even more questions
Death of an Officer has a complex plot with lots of different strands that are conveyed by a wide variety of points of view. It was a bit disorientating at first as the view point changed quite rapidly but all of the different plot lines eventually converged into a really satisfying mystery.
As always, Mark Ellis shows a brilliant grasp of historical facts and uses these and his characters to really ground the story in its 1943 setting.
This is definitely a plot driven novel as there isn’t a huge amount of characterisation. Merlin himself is a fairly rounded character and the AC is also well fleshed out but many of the other police officers are fairly interchangeable with no real identities of their own. I think that there has been more emphasis on the characterisation in the earlier novels and the lack of it in this book made it a little less enjoyable.
Apart from that one issue, this was a very readable and intriguing mystery. Thank you to the publishers Headline, and Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set in London in 1943 this is a twisty, intriguing thriller. DCI Merlin and his team are called to investigate when the body of a doctor is found dead in his own home. As they dig into the doctors' life they discover he was not all he seemed.
Then a body is found on a bomb site. It quickly becomes clear this is no casualty of war, the victim has been killed elsewhere and dumped.
As the team investigates both murders they find themselves looking into some very dark places. They will need to uncover secrets and lies in order to get justice for the two men but with other departments and forces trying to interfere, it’s not going to be easy.

This book was the authors best and most gripping title to date. I thought it very well researched and plotted, This top quality police historic procedural has a unique feature that lifts it above all others, in that it is set in London during May 1943, with the backdrop of World War 2.
The restrictions of the War, both in terms of rationing of food and other necessities of life and the limits on freedom of personal movement give an edge to this historical thriller that is difficult to quantify.
Following a puzzling trail that leads him into the hidden corners of clubland - and which appears to be linked to the disappearance of both British and American officers - Merlin must untangle a dark web of shocking secrets. This exciting , extremely well plotted and historically evocative story drives forward to it's gripping conclusion.

DCI Frank Merlin and his team were called in from Scotland Yard to investigate the death in London of May 1943. While Europe continues to suffer under the iron fist of Nazi occupation, Britain remains alone battered by the bombing from Nazi bombers but not surrendering unlike several European countries.
Merlin must untangle a dark web of shocking secrets. This exciting , very well plotted and historically evocative story drives forward to it's gripping conclusion.
Frank Merlin is a lovely creation but totally convincing . He is the English-born son of a Spanish migrant who decided to change his surname from 'Merino' to that of one of his favourite Arthurian legends. I lost myself in this thriller; this was a superb entertainment and I look forward to reading further books by this very gifted author. Strongly recommended.
Review copy provided free by the author and netgalley.co.uk in exchange for a fair review

Death of an Officer, set in London during World War 2, has a satisfyingly complex plot and cleverly weaves together the strands of 2 separate murder investigations. The story highlights the major criminality that was ever-present in London throughout the war, an historically accurate depiction that will surprise many. The sordid underbelly of the nation’s capital is exposed in a forthright manner. However, I was disappointed that the narrative failed to create a really convincing atmosphere of wartime London despite references to blackouts, bomb sites and the heavy presence of military personnel. I was also disappointed that there was minimal characterisation with various law enforcement characters - be they English, Welsh, Irish, American, etc - all conversing in a strangely stilted, formal manner. The dialogue between members of the criminal fraternity has a more authentic feel. Overall, a decent police procedural.

I'm in two minds about this book. The plot s fine and the pace keeps one interested but there's not much characterisation.

There are a lot of characters but there doesn't seem to be much to distinguish them from one another and it took me a while to remember who was who. When a character is introduced we are told something about them but this is never mentioned again or shown when they appear. For example, there are characters who are Welsh, Irish, and even a Geordie but we get no sense of this when they speak. Not that I want a phonetic rendering of an accent, but a turn of phrase, the rhythm of a sentence, a verbal tic, etc can all help bring a character to life. Apart from Merlin occasionally exclaiming in Spanish, I'm afraid, to me, they all sounded the same.

It kept me reading though, so if plot's your thing, this will do it.

This is a really entertaining series! I enjoyed reading about police procedures at an earlier time (WWII) , where no handies were available, no fast cars (when available anyway because of the war restrictions!), no computers. I find it really fascinating to read about forensics of the time with their limited means. Very atmospheric indeed! The police team is relatable with a pleasant work team. The plot remains complex with an interesting sense of justice... I loved it! A great read I highly recommend!
I have received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

This was the first Frank Merlin police procedural that I have read and it certainly won’t be the last. I always regard book blurbs with suspicion- and sometimes correctly so, but when my favourite author, John Lawton gave the book high praise I was persuaded to try it and my faith was fully justified.

I enjoyed the characters and how various different plots and crimes all came together and the overall pace of the book which kept moving rapidly and helped build and maintain reader interest.

Wartime London was accurately and beautifully portrayed and whilst the book worked just fine as a standalone I will certainly be reading the earlier books in this excellent series.