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The Custom House Murder

'A-Grade crime fiction' LEE CHILD
Series: Blitz Detective
4.06 goodreads logo

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( 368 ratings, 33 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Custom House Murder by Mike Hollow is a gripping tale set in World War II-era London, where Detective Inspector John Jago confronts a mysterious murder at the Custom House docks. As wartime pressures mount, Jago threads through a web of deception and hidden motives, racing to uncover the truth amid the mounting chaos. The story intricately blends historical setting with suspenseful crime-solving.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you enjoy diving into intricately woven mysteries set in wartime London, this crime and thriller novel may captivate you. The author crafts a compelling narrative with vivid historical details and a gripping plot, making it perfect for fans of well-developed characters and classic detective stories.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

When a pacifist is found murdered, questions are raised: why did the man have a loaded revolver? Did he have enemies? As DI Jago digs deep into the man's past, it seems like more than one person might have had a motive for murder.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

September 1940 is finally drawing to a close. With London having endured the Blitz for nearly a month, people are calling for vengeance: Britain should retaliate even harder with their own bombing campaign in enemy territory. But once again, the night heralds more destruction.

At Custom House, anxious residents dutifully head to the nearest public air-raid shelter as the warning siren wails. When dawn brings the all-clear, people disperse, but one man remainsβ€”he's dead, stabbed through the heart.

As Detective Inspector John Jago begins his investigation, he discovers that the victim was one of a minorityβ€”a pacifist. But why, then, was he carrying a loaded revolver in his pocket?

The Custom House Murder by Mike Hollow explores this intriguing mystery set against the backdrop of war-torn London.

Series: Blitz Detective

View all
  • The Soho Murder
    December 1940. New Year's Eve draws closer, but crowds will not be gathering on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate. After a quiet Christmas, the whole area has just suffered London's most devastating air raid since the start of the Blitz and waves of incendiary bombs have burnt the heart of British book publishing to the ground. Detective...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Blitz Detective
    Saturday 7th September, 1940. The sun is shining, and amidst the good weather, Londoners could be mistaken for forgetting their country is at warβ€”until the familiar wail of the air-raid sirens heralds an enemy attack. The Blitz has started, and normal life has abruptly endedβ€”but crime has not. That night, a man's body is discovered in an unmarked van in...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Camden Murder
    As dawn breaks on a chilly morning in November 1940, a car is found ablaze in an abandoned builder's yard a stone's throw from the Regent's Canal in Camden Town, north London. In the burnt-out vehicle, police find the charred remains of a body. The victim is Les Latham, a commercial traveller for the Barings confectionery company. He liked to...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Canning Town Murder
    September, 1940. As the Blitz takes its nightly toll on London and Hitler prepares his invasion fleet just across the Channel in occupied France, Britain is full of talk about enemy agents. Suspicion is at an all-time high and no one is sure who can be trusted. In Canning Town, rescue workers are unsettled when they return to a damaged...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Covent Garden Murder
    December, 1940. Christmas is coming, but the season of goodwill is overshadowed by the death and destruction of the Blitz. In London's Covent Garden, where the glamour of theatreland rubs shoulders with the bustle of the capital's biggest fruit and vegetable market, the war has closed the theatres and ruined the market trade. When a daylight air raid hits the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Custom House Murder
    September 1940 is finally drawing to a close. With London having endured the Blitz for nearly a month, people are calling for vengeance: Britain should retaliate even harder with their own bombing campaign in enemy territory. But once again, the night heralds more destruction. At Custom House, anxious residents dutifully head to the nearest public air-raid shelter as the warning...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Dockland Murder
    November 1940. Darkness descends, and another anxious night begins for those tasked with guarding the industrial heartland of London from enemy attack. As a policeman patrols the Royal Albert Dock, something catches his eyeβ€”a man is sprawled awkwardly across a nearby barge, a dagger lodged in his back. The Dockland Murder follows Detective Inspector John Jago of West Ham CID,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Pimlico Murder
    A young man, Terry Watson, has been found in an Anderson shelter, battered about the head and with two white poppies in his pocket. As the investigation delves into Watson's background, Jago and his assistant DC Craddock find themselves knee-deep in Pimlico's shady underworld, and connections with Mosley's fascist party. It will take all their skills to uncover the truth...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Stratford Murder
    October, 1940. Bombs are falling on Stratford when air-raid warden Sylvia Parks sees a house with a light shining like a beacon to the enemy aircraft overhead, violating the strict blackout regulations. With no answer at the door, she manages to break in, only to discover the body of a young womanβ€”and she's been strangled with a stocking. For Detective...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Camden Murder
    As dawn breaks on a chilly morning in November 1940, a car is found ablaze in an abandoned builder's yard a stone's throw from the Regent's Canal in Camden Town, north London. In the burnt-out vehicle, police find the charred remains of a body. The victim is Les Latham, a commercial traveller for the Barings confectionery company. He liked to...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Custom House Murder by Mike Hollow has received praise for its engaging portrayal of historical settings and well-crafted mystery. Reviewers appreciate the book's authentic atmosphere and intricate plot, which keeps readers guessing. Some highlight the vivid character development and the way Hollow captures the essence of the era, making it a captivating read for fans of crime and historical thrillers.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780749026929

Publisher: Allison & Busby

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 December 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Allison & Busby

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Mike Hollow was born in West Ham, on the eastern edge of London, and grew up in Romford, Essex. He studied Russian and French at the University of Cambridge and then worked for the BBC and later Tearfund. In 2002 he went freelance as a copywriter, journalist and editor. He's a published poet, and nowadays when not writing about the Blitz Detective he makes his living as a translator.

Also by Mike Hollow

View all
  • The Soho Murder
    December 1940. New Year's Eve draws closer, but crowds will not be gathering on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate. After a quiet Christmas, the whole area has just suffered London's most devastating air raid since the start of the Blitz and waves of incendiary bombs have burnt the heart of British book publishing to the ground. Detective...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Blitz Detective
    Saturday 7th September, 1940. The sun is shining, and amidst the good weather, Londoners could be mistaken for forgetting their country is at warβ€”until the familiar wail of the air-raid sirens heralds an enemy attack. The Blitz has started, and normal life has abruptly endedβ€”but crime has not. That night, a man's body is discovered in an unmarked van in...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Camden Murder
    As dawn breaks on a chilly morning in November 1940, a car is found ablaze in an abandoned builder's yard a stone's throw from the Regent's Canal in Camden Town, north London. In the burnt-out vehicle, police find the charred remains of a body. The victim is Les Latham, a commercial traveller for the Barings confectionery company. He liked to...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Canning Town Murder
    September, 1940. As the Blitz takes its nightly toll on London and Hitler prepares his invasion fleet just across the Channel in occupied France, Britain is full of talk about enemy agents. Suspicion is at an all-time high and no one is sure who can be trusted. In Canning Town, rescue workers are unsettled when they return to a damaged...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Covent Garden Murder
    December, 1940. Christmas is coming, but the season of goodwill is overshadowed by the death and destruction of the Blitz. In London's Covent Garden, where the glamour of theatreland rubs shoulders with the bustle of the capital's biggest fruit and vegetable market, the war has closed the theatres and ruined the market trade. When a daylight air raid hits the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Dockland Murder
    November 1940. Darkness descends, and another anxious night begins for those tasked with guarding the industrial heartland of London from enemy attack. As a policeman patrols the Royal Albert Dock, something catches his eyeβ€”a man is sprawled awkwardly across a nearby barge, a dagger lodged in his back. The Dockland Murder follows Detective Inspector John Jago of West Ham CID,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Pimlico Murder
    A young man, Terry Watson, has been found in an Anderson shelter, battered about the head and with two white poppies in his pocket. As the investigation delves into Watson's background, Jago and his assistant DC Craddock find themselves knee-deep in Pimlico's shady underworld, and connections with Mosley's fascist party. It will take all their skills to uncover the truth...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Stratford Murder
    October, 1940. Bombs are falling on Stratford when air-raid warden Sylvia Parks sees a house with a light shining like a beacon to the enemy aircraft overhead, violating the strict blackout regulations. With no answer at the door, she manages to break in, only to discover the body of a young womanβ€”and she's been strangled with a stocking. For Detective...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Camden Murder
    As dawn breaks on a chilly morning in November 1940, a car is found ablaze in an abandoned builder's yard a stone's throw from the Regent's Canal in Camden Town, north London. In the burnt-out vehicle, police find the charred remains of a body. The victim is Les Latham, a commercial traveller for the Barings confectionery company. He liked to...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

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