There are several aspects of this series that I am enjoying: the historical setting that appears to be well researched; the credible plots; the well fleshed characters, and the side stories involving these characters.

This really is a series which needs to be read from the beginning, well worth the effort. ( )

Title: Enemy Action (The Blitz Detective #3)
Author: Mike Hollow
Pages: 318
Year: 2017
Publisher: Lion Fiction
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
This is a series that is right up my alley! It is British, historical (WWII era) and police procedural. This is one of my favorite genres and I am glad I have found a new author! This is the third book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in order as there are references made in this book to prior events that occurred in the other two books of the series.
The air raid siren announces the need to take shelter. People head to the concrete bunkers built in the middle of the road that are supposed to be protection from the bombs dropped by the Germans. Tell that to Jack Ramsey who winds up dead in one and not from a bomb, but from a stab wound. He is murdered and discovered by a local 13-year-old boy who is out collecting shrapnel to trade. Not much is known initially about the man, but it is soon discovered that he is a conscientious objector. Feelings run high against someone labeled a “conchie”, so did someone kill him for his stance against the war? Inspector Jago and Constable Cradock are on the case. As they pursue clues, more suspects emerge with hidden ties to one another. Who took the final step to murder?
I really like the setting of this series. I have learned about various aspects of WWII that I didn’t know before including about the deplorable conditions of these shelters, how the war effected the educational system in London and how these bombings effected lives. I think it is an important reminder for this generation about the awful effects of war and what our great-grandparents or grandparents experienced. The two characters of Inspector Jago and Constable Cradock work well together, with Cradock providing some lightness when needed and Jago reigning the younger man in when needed. The potential romance of Inspector Jago and an American female journalist an interesting side story. I look forward to the next mystery Jago and Cradock encounter next! ( )

Just going to get this out of the way at the beginning: as a former fan of Mad Men, I got a giggle from the name of one of the main characters here. There. Now then.

This is the tale of a man found dead in a bomb shelter the morning after an air raid in WWII London. The enemy action that killed him wasn't German, though – it was much more local than that, and it's up to Inspector Jago to find out who did it, preferably before he takes on the new assignment that unexpectedly lands in his lap.

It's a bit of an odd story, this. It begins with a long section from the point of view of the boy who finds the body, out for a bit of illicit not-quite-looting – and then the boy is barely heard from for the rest of the book. The suddenly imposed time limit felt strange, too, like an attempt to inject urgency into the plot which ultimately didn't really do it.

Another odd thing is the tendency of quite a few characters to do kind of a lot of speechifying to total strangers. At the most innocuous question, suddenly someone is giving a rather high-flown monologue about duty, or their life story, or their dreams and aspirations. Now and then might have just been the author loosing his inner poet or philosopher, but it happens frequently throughout.

All of the writing felt a bit self-conscious. There were moments where I could see what the author intended, but which did not quite come off as he wished. Certain moments were built up with little or no pay-off – they just dried up like shallow streams in a drought. Some character motivation was muddy as well; one character lies to the police with no reason that made sense except to extend the plot with their obstruction. There's also a deal of superfluous repetition and recapping.

It just felt fragmented, like there was no real anchor for the plot. I was never sure whether I was really supposed to like the characters, or whether they liked each other, or why characters behaved the way they did, or, honestly, why I was supposed to care. I appreciated the concept of "the Blitz detective", and the idea that it's hard to invest much time and effort into the murder of a single individual in the midst of carnage. I'd love to read the story I thought this was going to be, with all the terror and tension of London under constant threat of horrific bombing raids. But it didn't connect. I didn't feel it.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review. ( )

Book# 3, in The Blitz Detective Series

Book # 3 is as great as the previous installments and is just up my alley: a mix of historical events during WW11 and a dazzling murder mystery. Oh yes, people are squashed into stinking public air-raid shelters and when the all clear is heard, they disperse to go home and work……but in “Enemy Action”, Paul Ramsey…… is found stabbed and is definitely dead. DI John Jago and DC Peter Cradock are the lead investigators and we follow them in their mandate every step of the way.

The plot is very well constructed and captivating from start to finish, definitely a page turner. I love how the author depicts his protagonists: they are very sensitive, have an excellent relationship and complement each other in their views. The rich cocktail of secondary characters are well-drawn: we have a victim so called pacifist and more than one person who have a motive for murder……To top it all; we have some funny doings at the municipal level, kickbacks and blackmail, all of this is exciting to read. Seems things never change……Although a fiction this story is so realistic it feels you are there at the heart of the action. This is simply a fascinating read set against the backdrop of the air raids on East London. Mike Hollows has obviously paid great attention to details to bring both the characters and the environment alive. Excellent read…..I am looking forward to see what Mr. Hollows has in store for Jago and Cradock next…

I received this ARC from the publisher Lion Hudson Plc via NetGalleys for exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ( )