I wasn’t sure what this one would be like, but decided to give it a go. And? It was a really enjoyable read with a decent storyline and characters., so wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it to others.

This is the third in a series featuring newspaper crime reporter Robert Lynnford in the early 1950s. I read the first in the series a couple of years ago and thought that it was a good mystery albeit witha lot of plot but didn't do the best job at explaining some of the background and details (sort of the reverse of an info dump problem!) but didn't realise that when I requested it from NetGalley. Still it was nice to drop in again to see what's changed.

And actually there are some similar issues here - the plot is very complicated, with a big cast of characters that can get a bit confusing because there's not a lot of detail to differentiate them from each other. But the underlying mystery is interesting and I wanted to see who did it. This is definitely going more towards the adventure-mystery end of the genre, with plenty of car chases and more than a few fights.

Under Admiralty Arch has a fast-moving, exciting mystery/espionage plot with some well-developed characters. It is a good read. I would never have known that it is the third in a series featuring Robert Lynnford, and shall certainly be catching up on his first two investigations. However, I do remember 1950s London, and the city described in this novel in no way resembles the fairly grimy, sooty and occasionally smoggy place still littered with the odd bomb site that I recall. Apart from a couple of news items, this book might have been set in any post-war decade up to the advent of the mobile phone. Rounded up to 4 stars.

What a hoot! A really fun read but I couldn't get rid of the character actor's voices from the BBC radio series Paul Temple. Seemed to fit like a glove.
It's a four from me for fun and simplicity.

I didn’t realise that this was the third in a series but it was fine as a standalone. Set in 1953 in London, it involves an investigative journalist, MI5, MI6, Scotland Yard, the Russians and some Polish gangsters, In places I was reminded of Dick Tracy stories, lots of running around in Morgan cars, getting across London in twenty minutes ( those were the days). A pleasant enough story, cosy and easy to read. I could picture most of the action as I lived in central London for many years.

A little bit noir in feel, this is a terrific work of historical fictional intrigue. I loved the atmosphere of post-war London and the turmoil of different cultures learning to live with the past and with one another. It had a real old-timey detective feel which was fun to get lost in, especially when you consider how policing worked in the times before computers. A welcome escape into a fascinating case.

I realise that I read this book sometime ago and have not yet sent a review. SJT Riley is a new author to me and a great find. This is a book of many twists and turns with a good range of characters. The author is obviously very intelligent with a intimate knowledge of London and the way the investigative services work (probably worked, past tense as this is set in post war London.)
I had not realised that this is a third in the series. I intend to go to my library and hopefully access the first two books so as to get more of the backstory, and presumably other mysteries, involving Robert Lynnford.
This book, although a recent writing, has a classic, old type mystery style. I don't usually warm to that but somehow this author has hit the right notes and his writing is appealing and interesting.

Crime journalist Lynnford is on the case again attempting to solve the deaths of two young female croupiers from a club in London. His editor transfers him temporarily to the Parliament beat much to his distaste but leaves him also with the crime file. Fortunately he is able to combine the two and with the help of newspaper colleagues and his all-most fiance, Victoria, figure out who killed the girls, solve a couple other murders, remove foreign agents from England, and hand the Parliamentary file back to the woman who was temporarily away.
The action moves quickly and it kept my attention. Each of the main characters was well developed, even the "baddies" so I could tell what their motivations were. The intervention of MI5 added an additional level of intrigue.
This is the second Riley book I have read and I will continue to enjoy this author's work.