Firing Line

4 and 1 / 2 stars

In the midst of yet another air raid on London in 1940, a light is seen in a window. They need to tell the householder to turn it off or shut their blackout curtains. No one answers the door. A fireman breaks in and he and the air raid warden with him discover a body of a young woman. 

Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Cradock are called to the scene. It looks like she was strangled with a nylon stocking. At this juncture in time, they are only available in the US. In the woman’s purse, they find an identity card in the name of Joan Lewis. They also find a sailor’s cap under the bed.

The autopsy shows that the woman was indeed strangled with the stocking. DI Jago mentions to the pathologist Dr. Anderson that the killing reminds him of the Soho Strangler. He killed four women in 1935 to 1937 and was never caught. Then, Dr. Anderson agrees. The last thing that Dr. Anderson tells Jago and Cradock is that the woman was about twelve weeks pregnant. 

They go to the address on the identity card, for it is not the one at which she was found, and meet Joan’s mother-in-law. She thought very little of Joan. There they learn that Joan was married and that her husband has been missing in Germany or France for six months. They meet her sister, who also works at the cinema where Joan worked. She identified the body for the mother-in-law refused to do it. While at the cinema, the manager told them that their safe was broken into. The thief or thieves took the whole weekend’s receipts. 

They discovered a friend of Joan’s. When they go to talk to her, she gives them a suitcase that Joan has asked her to keep for her. Inside is some kind of green costume. 

When they show it to the mother-in-law she claims it belongs to her. But she won’t say any more about it. They visit the sister-in-law who doesn’t know about the suitcase, but tells them of a sailor who was in the pub selling stockings. On their way to track him down, they stop at the cinema to question the man on duty the night they were robbed. DC Cradock has a theory. 

They re-visit their witnesses; the people who knew Joan or were related to her in some way. Slowly, they begin to get a better picture of Joan and what was going on in her life. They discard the idea of the Soho Strangler. 

Along the way to solving the murder, Jago and Cradock solve the robbery at the theater. The clue to solving it comes from an unexpected source. The father of the baby is an oh, oh moment. Solving Joan’s murder was a little more tricky. It was a rather surprising outcome. 

This is a very well written and plotted novel. It takes the reader through a thorough police investigation, without all the bells and whistles that we have today. They only have their eyesight, intuition and finger prints to go on. So it’s necessary to question the witnesses very carefully. The tension in this story begins immediately and continues as the reader follows the painstaking police search for answers. I’ve read all of Mr. Hollow’s books, and I really like them. I like the back-and-forth between Jago and Cradock. Mr. Hollow has a talent for dialogue. Cradock is getting better at ferreting out sensible questions of his own. I am looking forward to reading the next Jago and Cradock novel in this series. 

I want to thank NetGalley and Lion Hudson Ltd/Lion Fiction for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read and enjoy.

**This book is not on Goodreads yet.

Book#4, in The Blitz Detective series

The London Blitz may be the background for this story but the murder mystery could have been staged anywhere and could have taken place in recent years. In this 4th installment Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Cradock are called to the scene where a young woman was murdered, strangled with a nylon stocking and near her they found a sailor’s cap. 

I love how the author drips slowly clues to Jago in his investigation to keep the tension going and our interest at its peak. The plot is very well written to takes us through the investigation without any fluffs, it is simple and to the point. Questioning witnesses is the key to a thorough investigation and the story does not shy away from doing a lot of it. A good murder case has its moment of emotional strain evidently we see how Jago and Cradock face those moments while searching for answers. Why stay with only one case, on a second front and during the painstaking search the inspectors stumble into a robbery at the theater that need also their full attention. What excels in this mystery is the interrelation between the two protagonists, how they communicate and complete each other. Mr. Hollow knows how important good dialogue is. We are well served with a good dose of excellent exchanges. 

To sum up:

“Firing Line” is a well-plotted storyline with excellent narration and dialogue played out by two wonderful protagonists and great secondary characters….what’s not to love. I am looking forward to book #5.

Thank you Net Galley. This was my introduction to the author and the series and I enjoyed it.  i like historical mysteries. They add to the fantasy feel.  I am looking forward to reading the back list and future novels.

Firing Line is a superb historical mystery set against the backdrop of WWII.  I can easily imagine the story being made into a BBC miniseries. The characters are well developed and believable and the surroundings are clearly portrayed, bringing the blitz to life for the reader.


When a young woman is discovered strangled in her flat by an air warden and a fireman, Detective Inspector Jago and his constable first believe it might be the work of the Soho Strangler.  It is easy to assume that Joan was on the game, but Jago isn’t one to accept the easy solution. The only clues are a pair of nylons and a sailor’s hat. As Jago digs into Joan’s life and family, he finds things are much more complicated than he expected.  Family conflicts, a domineering mother in law, greed, and long hidden secrets all play a role.


I liked Firing Line a great deal and look forward to reading more of the Blitz Detective series.


5 / 5


I received a copy of Firing Line from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

During a night of bombing in London a young woman is found dead in a West Ham bedroom -- and it’s immediately clear that the shells didn’t kill her.  Detective Inspector John Jago and his cohort Constable Craddock are soon on the job, and it rapidly becomes a tale of muddled identity; was she “on the game” or not?  Was she the victim of a serial killer?  These questions and more arise and are eventually answered, albeit caught up in the sad tale of lives and families disrupted by war, and not necessarily on the firing line itself.  The clues and the truths and untruths begin piling up, and it’s up to Jago and Craddock to separate what is real and what isn’t.

However, it's the story within the story that takes precedence in this, the fourth book in the series.  The mystery almost fades in the background as the author opens up Detective Jago's personality and future plans as he expresses more and more about what Dorothy, the American journalist who has become part of his life, means to him.  These thoughts and ideas, outlined in fine prose, make Jago even more engaging of a character.  I just don't want to see his changing perceptions get the best of him.  That would muddle up my appreciation of future stories.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy ahead of publication, in exchange for an honest review.

Firing Line by Mike Hollow is part of the The Blitz Dectective series. It's a police procedural following Detective Inspector John Jago as he investigates murders in London's East End during the Blitz, those months in 1940 when the Germans were routinely bombing British cities, especially London.

As is almost expected with a murder mystery, Firing Line opens with the discovery of a body. Joan Lewis has been strangled, but her body is found behind a locked door. How? Was her assailant known to her? Where did the Navy uniform hat come from? And the hard-to-get American nylons?

The novel also addressed some of the political issues of the age, such as boy's clubs, greenshirts, and Social Credit (a political party I never understood, and understand even less now I know what it is).

Firing Line is the fourth novel in Mike Hollow's Blitz Detective series, but only the second one I've read (I reviewed Enemy Action a few weeks ago). It's a standalone mystery, so it won't matter if you haven't. I did find I appreciated some of the subtle humour in the interactions between Jago and Detective Constable Craddock all the more for having read one of the earlier books. I do enjoy the dry British humour. 

Firing Line is a good read for mystery lovers. Recommended.

Thanks to Lion Fiction and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Ok Mike Hollow it is your fault I lost sleep for two days!! I could NOT put this book down. Kind of inconvenient for a cook/barista that needs her mind on the job, but worth it. I loved the book and can't wait to read more.

Firing Line is the fourth novel in the excellent Blitz Detective series by Mike Hollow. Set during the days of the London Blitz, this historical mystery/police procedural proves that crime does not stop for war. Smart and well-researched, this novel is perfect for those who love the classic mystery genre. Recommended.

DI John Jago is called in for another murder discovered in the aftermath of the nightly bombings ravaging London. Along with his wonderfully-written assistant, DC Craddock, he doggedly investigates the twisting-turning case that involves greed, jealousy, and political intrigue. I loved the historical touches that Hollow uses to achieve an authentic feel. Nightly trekkers, air raid wardens, Anderson Huts, and the bombing debris around every corner give the reader a glimpse into what it must have been like to be a Londoner at this terrifying time. And while the Germans threatened from the skies, criminals don’t take a holiday. Robbery, blackmail, and murder don’t seem to be affected by the turmoil of war. Jago is a consummate professional and uses all the resources of the time plus his intuition and insight to uncover just whodunit.

Jago’s character develops over the course of this series as he reflects on his service in the Great War and his experiences since. The newest world war causes him to explore questions of justice, fairness, hope, and the need to know and be known. The book is not Christian fiction, per se, but does bring up questions that only God can answer. For those who may find it offensive, there is a bit of adult language.

Firing Line proved to be a great read. The mystery was not easily solved by Jago or this reader 😉 , but its conclusion was both credible and satisfying. While it is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. But I recommend you begin with book 1, The Blitz Detective, to follow the interesting cases and the intriguing main character John Jago.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.