The Blitz Detective

The Blitz Detective follows Detective Inspector John Jago as he tries to resolve a murder despite the interruptions and destruction of the blitz bombings.. The character development is good as are the relationships between characters. It's a really good murder mystery with a bit of a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. There were so many people who it could have been that I didn't guess. It was so good to read about those during WW2 who had a history of WW1, I've not read anything that's really covered that aspect before so found it interesting. This was a really good read.

This is the first Mike Hollow book I've read and I'm definitely going to seek out his earlier Blitz-inspired books. What a fun, smart, easy-to-read crime caper. I loved the detail of London and life during the war - and the plot was clever and engaging. I think the sensitivity with which Hollow writes about war, it's impact on people, and the First World War especially is really important. Jago is a great character and I've got to admit to loving the frisson of romance in the book too.

Can't wait for the next instalment!

352 pages

5 stars

Detective Inspector John Jago has a new partner. His old, reliable previous partner was recalled to the service when WWII broke out. This new guy is a DC named Pete Cradock. He seems bright but Jago likens him to a puppy. Cradock tries very hard is it is easy to like him.

A man has been murdered. Jago and Cradock respond to the scene and quickly examine the body and remove his identification. The air raid sirens go off and as they run to safety, the van in which the dead man was sitting tiik a direct hit by a bomb. The man's name was Villiers and he was a part-time magistrate who owned a printing company.

At the same time, Jago's boss calls him into his office and says he must make nice with a visiting American foreign correspondent named Dorothy Appleton. A complication Jago really doesn't need. He discovers to his surprise that he likes the woman.

The investigation barely gets underway when another man is murdered. His name was Cooper. He and Villiers knew one another. This ratchets up the tension in the case. Jago and Cradock interview the men's wives, employees and acquaintances. They discover that both men were up to no good. They make good progress in the cases, but something is still puzzling them.

The identity of the murderer is not a huge surprise, but all the fun was in getting there. The killer's motive was understandable. But, of course that does not excuse their behavior.

This book was very well written and plotted. The transitions were flawless and the primary characters were likable: Jago, Cradock, Tompkins and Rita. The new man Cradock acquits himself well during the search for the killer. Sergeant Tompkins is priceless, not only for his knowledge, but also for his odd sense of humor. To add additional tension to the story, Mr. Hollow has Jago and Cradock – and everyone else in London - dodging bombs during the blitz of London while investigating the cases. I have read all of Mr. Hollow's DI Jago novels and I have rarely enjoyed an historical mystery series as much as I do this one. I very much look forward to reading the next in this series.

I want to thank NetGalley and Allison & Busby for forwarding to me a copy of this very fine book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Mike Hollow brings us a tale which will take us back to the era of the largest massacre of modern history, the era of second world war. With Nazis riding the peak of their power, a wave of fear sweeps the streets of London, with posters all over the city in favour of the British army and allied forces there is no man better than Detective John Jago who understands that no good can ever come out of the war. How could he not? The first world war took his friend away and now his understudy Clarke. But crime does not consider war and Jago finds himself dragged into once such murder mystery in mid of havoc and destruction caused by Nazi bombing on the city, will he be able to catch the culprit?

The book is well-plotted. I liked the setting and the protagonist, but the thing I liked the most about this story is the detailed description of life in London back then. With mesmerizing narration and wonderful character development, this book is a sweet pick. And after reading The Four Symbols I was looking for more WW2 stuff and this surely satisfied me.
I would gladly recommend this book.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Allison & Busby, in return for an honest review. As the first book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. If you like the show ‘Foyle’s War’ or are interested in WWII London, this is definitely a book for you. Detective Inspector John Jago survived his time in WWI and returned to his West Ham working class section of London as a changed man. As a result, he became a police officer to protect those around him. The book opens at the end of the ‘Phony War’ phase of WWII and the beginning of the London Blitz.
DI Jago and his new assistant, Detective Constable Cradock, are notified of a man’s body in a car. They find that he either stabbed himself and cut his own wrists or it was done to him. Unfortunately, all the evidence is blown up in a German bombing run. So, what do you do when there’s no body, no photos, no evidence? Luckily, they’d gotten his name from his identity card. They start tracking down his life and the hunt begins. In the meantime, DI Jago must also contend with a visiting American journalist who’s been assigned to him to learn about every-day-life in London.
The author fills the story with clear characterizations that give you several possibilities for villains as well as detailing the stories of people whose lives are upended by the bombings. He’s written a well-crafted tale and does an excellent job of setting the scene, the place and the time. Happily, the author has a second book in the series and I’m looking forward to reading it and future stories about DI Jago and company.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book, liked the storyline and the characters. Not what I would normally choose but glad that I did.

Detective Inspector John Jago reminds me of some of the police characters in Agatha Christie’s novels - intelligent, shrewd and perceptive. I wasn’t sure how the story was going to be woven all together and I had an inkling of whodunnit, but it was nice to see the resolution.

The Blitz Detective is the first book in a new series by Mike Hollow

Set in 1940 in West Ham it captures the time well with the constant threat of German bombing raids a background to a murder investigation.

The main characters DI Jago, Sargeant Tomkins and DC Craddock are well formed and interact off each other to keep the story moving along and the reader entertained.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading future stories in this series

First book I’ve read by this author I love discovering a new to me author whose books I will be seeking out.So well written the story nthe atmosphere dew me right in.#netgalley#theblitzdetective.

In The Blitz, Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Cradock attempt to solve a murder in East London during the Blitz.

The novel is very well written. I personally enjoy the history of London so this was an enjoyable book all around. This could well be made into a TV series as it was very atmospheric and the characters' descriptions and dialogues were vivid.

The Blitz was previously published as Direct Hit, and is (was?) the first in a book series which you may be familiar with already. I definitely enjoy the new book cover better than the previous one and find it more marketable, so hopefully success will follow.

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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Mike Hollow's The Blitz Detective is an old-school police procedural set in East London during, of course, the blitz. It's people with inscrutable characters whose real selves emerge very gradually. The two police at the story's center are and interesting pair: an old-time bachelor detective with more than twenty years on the force and a young, new officer trying to please, sometimes with success, sometimes falling short. The blitz plays a key role in the story—obliterating a corpse at the start of an investigation. What I liked most about this novel was the effective way in which the author kept WWI present within the WWII setting. The England being bombed is an England still recovering from the violence and loss of live in the earlier war, and that fact shapes many characters' decisions. Reading The Blitz Detective is like watching a classic movie: deeply satisfying and engaging both intellectually and emotionally.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Allison & Busby for an advance copy of The Blitz Detective, the first novel to feature wartime detective DI John Jago, set in 1940 in the East End of London.

A body is discovered in a parked van but before Jago and his assistant, DC Cradock, can get the investigative wheels moving both van and body are destroyed by a bomb. With all evidence destroyed it is fortunate that Jags recognises the man as local Justice of the Peace, Charles Villiers.

I enjoyed The Blitz Detective which has an interesting plot and strong historical detail. It Is told from various points of view and while this can be distracting in some novels, in this case it adds to the read with each character having a different take on events and thus adding to the picture of a country pushed to its limits.

This is a difficult novel to discuss without spoilers so all I will say is that the motive is rooted in both wars. I think it is easy for us modern types to forget that there was only 21 years between the end of one and the start of the next so Jago fought in the First World War as did many of the characters over 40. I think for most soldiers it was a traumatising event and the author does a brilliant and sensitive job of explaining both the horrors of it and the trauma it caused. He does an equally good job of describing the Blitz and its effects on everyday life. This is an extremely atmospheric novel.

I was less impressed with the dialogue which seems clunky in places and doesn’t quite capture the era in the same way as it seems a bit modern. I also couldn’t be doing with the philosophising and deep conversations between Jago and his potential love interest, American journalist Dorothy Appleton. Again, it seems out of context and too modern.

The Blitz Detective is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This was surprisingly fun! I'm on something of a war novel kick and I've always loved mysteries so this seemed like a logical request. Matthew Rhys doing the lead anyone?

Thank you to Netgalley and Allison and Busby for the ARC of The Blitz Detective.

Always a bit of a sucker for historical fiction and particularly stories set in the war, this one overall was a very enjoyable read. It took me a few chapters before I was comfortable with the main characters but once they hit their stride it was a great read.

I like to judge detective stories on if I can work out who the murderer was, with this one I failed miserably not having the foggiest throughout until caught!

The detail is fantastic and well researched, and offers a great insight into detectives working through the Second World War.

I’d highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading that next in the series

Thank you, Allison and Busby, and NetGalley for a copy of The Blitz detective by Mike Hollow. He is a new author for me and I’m sure to look out for the other book in this series.
It’s the night of Saturday 7th September 1940 in West ham, East London. A body is found in a van. Detective John Jago and is new partner DC Cradock quickly get to the scene and examine the body and they recognize him as the part time magistrate and printing company owner Charles Villers. Suddenly a bombing raid occurs, and the body and the evidence go up in smoke when a bomb hit.
As he returns to his office, he is given the task to show American correspondent Dorothy Appleton around. Showing the real Britain and what is going on in the war. While he does this, he seems to form a bond with her. Then another body is found which has connects with Villers, Detective Jago knows he has a serial killer on his hands.
I really enjoyed The Blitz detective. With it’s story line. The author really created the atmosphere of being in London in that time. It had a great plot which flowed easily and kept my attention throughout to the last page. But also, as it was historical fiction and a crime novel rolled into one which is two of my favorite genres. 5 stars from me.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This isn't the normal genre that I read, however I really enjoyed it.

I loved the character Detective Inspector John Jago - perceptive and intelligent.

What makes this book differnt is how it paints the picture of the everyday life for Londoners during WW2. I really enjoyed the detail when it described the bombings and it heightened my senses.

I usually judge a book by whether I can sus out who the killer is...but I had no idea and was kept guessing right to the end!!

I am fascinated by the Blitz and how London coped under constant bombardment and Mike Hollow’s debut gives a brilliant introduction to policing during the era of blackouts and air-raid warnings.

1940 East London and veteran of WWI, DI John Jago has spent twenty years policing as part of West Ham CID. With his former DS called back into action his replacement is wet behind the ears DC Peter Cradock who gets a rapid introduction to the job when they attend a deserted van containing a murdered man. Jago suspects the killer was hoping to pass off the murder as suicide but recognises it for what it is and is surprised to discover that he also recognises the victim as local Justice of the Peace and businessman Charles Villiers. Before the medical examiner can even arrive to assess the body a direct hit from a German bomb on both man and van obliterates all evidence. Nevertheless they soon discover the victim had numerous enemies and was perhaps not quite as honourable as he was keen to appear. This is not the only murder in the story and as the investigation branches out from Villier’s printing factory to a shady villain profiteering from the war effort the plot is both coherent and involving, evidencing both the effects of WWI and the reality of the nation facing a second brutal war.

In all honesty the crime element of the novel is pretty straightforward but importantly the motivations behind the crimes are credible and entrenched in both the Great War and WWII and hence very compelling. The overhang of WWI and the traumatic effects on a generation are both recognised and depicted with sincerity and empathy and in DI John Jago, a man that served on the Western Front, Hollow has crafted a sympathetic and realistically jaded detective who is relatable. Told from varying perspectives rather than one I found the result deeply satisfying and appreciated understanding the motivations of those driven to break the law. Given the novel is relatively compact I was impressed at how well drawn the secondary cast were and the Blitz’s effect on the morale of the sleep deprived Londoners is portrayed with clear-eyed honesty. The novel is rich in period detail and mentions some factual events including the Agate Street school bombing tragedy.

DC Cradock becomes more involved and confident as the investigation unfolds and Jago and retired but brought back into service desk sergeant Tompkins ‘educate’ him with wisdom and humour respectively. I did feel the inclusion of American journalist (and possible love interest) Dorothy Appleton shadowing DI Jago added little to the novel. Their deep and meaningful conversations detracted from the more interesting aspect of the crimes, slowed the novel down and on several occasion went over my head! The ease with which Jago, a WWI veteran, discusses his emotions with a woman he barely knows never quite rang true either.

Atmospheric and emotionally involving, The Blitz Detective proved a rewarding and educational novel and I look forward to reading DI John Jago’s future outings and more of this series.

Set in the Second World War, this book does just what you expect - evoke life during the Blitz in London, as a detective endeavours to solve a murder or two.

The characters are generally well portrayed, and while Jago is perhaps a little too smooth, overall he is believable and endearing, particularly when the reader learns more of his experience in the previous conflict. Some of the outliers are a little one-dimensional, and you would like to have known more of their back story to understand why they acted as they did.

The story bowls along, and the reader is left guessing to the end to find out what has really been happening to cause the deaths. Meanwhile there is the background of relentless bombing and shortages, plus the counterpoint of the journalist staying at the Savoy. It was interesting to think that murders were sometimes hidden if the Luftwaffe co-operated and bombed the body to oblivion before it could be investigated!

Overall it was entertaining and enjoyable, and I hope to read more about this character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How do you solve a murder when all the evidence is destroyed by a bomb from above? That's the question for John Jago and Peter Craddock, our intrepid detectives struggling to figure out who killed Charles Villiers. It's the Blitz. Luckily, to be honest, at least they had a look at Villiers before the bomb landed so they knew they had a victim. As is usually the case in this sort of novel, more than one person had a reason to dislike (but kill?) Villiers. Jago, a WWI veteran, and Craddock, a newbie, make a good team. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a reissue of the first in a series of novels and it makes a fine start.

War makes a police officer's job much harder! Detective Inspector John Jago, a WW1 veteran with PTSD is just trying to do his job when he and PC Peter Craddock are summoned by an air raid warden to a gruesome scene, a man sitting behind the steering wheel of a cargo truck with his wrists slashed. DI Jago recognizes the man, but before the coroner can be summoned the crime scene is bombed and all the evidence is destroyed. To add to his frustration he's given the task of escorting an American journalist, Dorothy Appleton around London. As the case develops, there are more bodies and Jago learns that Dorothy has her own war experience from her time in Spain in the 1930's and his opinion of her begins to change.

After a series of twists Jago solves the case, but there's justice and there's tragic misunderstandings, and the murder victims had unknown connections. This is the first in a new series and I look forward to the next installment and what the war brings Jago and Dorothy. The story moves fast, it's filled with great characters and the descriptions of London's East End (which suffered greatly from German bombing) really bring the era and people to life. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Reading this was like stepping into the film noir. So beautifully written. The characters took a while for me to really engage with them but the plot was well paced. A nice change from contemporary settings.

As the name suggests, this is set during the bombing of London in 1940. DI Jags and D.C. Cradock have a struggle on their hands, to solve a suspicious death, when the body and crime scene have been destroyed in a bomb blast. Further air raids disrupt their investigation, and hamper their enquiries into whether it’s suicide or murder.

The Blitz Detective is a gentle, enjoyable story, moving along steadily, similar to the character of DI Jago himself! The fate of his new hat, damaged beyond repair in an air raid, made me chuckle, and his general demeanour is pleasant and likeable. The interaction between him and his subordinate Cradock, worked well throughout and hopefully the pair will appear in other stories, either still in the Blitz or afterwards.

Good story, with the historical details of the air raids and the lives and losses of the general population of London adding interest. Lookzing forward to reading more Mike Hollow books in the future.

The Blitz Detective is the first book in a new series created by Mike Hollow. It's set in 1940 in West Ham. It wonderfully portrays the time period well, with the constant threat of German bombing raids as the background to a murder investigation. The main characters, DI Jago, Sargeant Tomkins and DC Craddock are intelligent, well formed and interact well with each other, which keeps the story moving along and the reader entertained. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading future books in this new series. I definitely recommend it!

I would like to thank mike hollow, Allison & Busby and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.