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The Blitz Detective

The intricate wartime murder mystery
Series: Blitz Detective
3.92 goodreads logo

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( 745 ratings, 132 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 Blitz Detective by Mike Hollow takes readers into the world of 1940 London during the Blitz. It follows Detective Inspector Jago as he navigates the chaos of wartime crime, investigating a murder amidst the bombings. The novel blends historical detail with a gripping crime mystery, highlighting the resilience and determination of its characters against a backdrop of destruction.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2600
Elsewhere:
$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?

You might enjoy this book if you love historical crime novels with a vivid setting. The story immerses you in World War II-era London, weaving a thrilling mystery with the backdrop of the Blitz. If you're intrigued by engaging detective work and richly detailed period atmospheres, this might be your perfect read.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

On the first night of the Blitz, the body of local Justice of the Peace Charles Villiers is found in the back of a van, but a bomb destroys the evidence. As DI Jago does some investigations, it appears that many people may have wanted Villiers dead.

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

Saturday 7th September, 1940. The sun is shining, and amidst the good weather, Londoners could be mistaken for forgetting their country is at war—until the familiar wail of the air-raid sirens heralds an enemy attack.

The Blitz has started, and normal life has abruptly ended—but crime has not. That night, a man's body is discovered in an unmarked van in the back streets of West Ham. When Detective Inspector John Jago is called to the scene, he recognises the victim: local Justice of the Peace, Charles Villiers.

The death looks suspicious, but then a German bomb obliterates all evidence. War or no war, murder is still murder, and it's Jago's job to find the truth.

The Blitz Detective captures the grit and resilience of wartime London, deeply embroiling readers in a unique historical mystery where even amidst the chaos, justice must prevail.

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 tomorrow
  • 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 war—until the familiar wail of the air-raid sirens heralds an enemy attack. The Blitz has started, and normal life has abruptly ended—but crime has not. That night, a man's body is discovered in an unmarked van in...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • 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 tomorrow
  • 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 eye—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 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 woman—and she's been strangled with a stocking. For Detective...
    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 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 Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780749026721

Publisher: Allison & Busby

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 July 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 tomorrow
  • 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 tomorrow
  • 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 eye—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 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 woman—and she's been strangled with a stocking. For Detective...
    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 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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