Review - Merlin at War by Mark Ellis

By Carmen, 15 October 2018
My Copy of the Book

Year Published: 2018

Genre: Crime; Suspense; Mystery; Historical Fiction

Blurb:

War rages across Europe. France is under the Nazi thumb. Britain has its back to the wall. In London, Scotland Yard detective Merlin investigates a series of disturbing events - a young girl killed in a botched abortion, a French emigre shot in a seedy Notting Hill flat, a mysterious letter written by a British officer, gunned down in Crete. With action spanning Buenos Aires, New York, Cairo and Occupied France, Merlin and his team are plunged into a dark world of espionage, murder, love and betrayal.

About the Author:

Mark Ellis is a thriller writer from Swansea and a former barrister and entrepreneur.

He is the creator of DCI Frank Merlin, an Anglo-Spanish police detective operating in World War 2 London. His books treat the reader to a vivid portrait of London during the war skilfully blended with gripping plots, political intrigue and a charismatic protagonist.

Mark grew up under the shadow of his parents' experience of the Second World War. His father served in the wartime navy and died a young man. His mother told him stories of watching the heavy bombardment of Swansea from the safe vantage point of a hill in Llanelli, and of attending tea dances in wartime London under the bombs and doodlebugs.

In consequence Mark has always been fascinated by WW2 and in particular the Home Front and the fact that while the nation was engaged in a heroic endeavour, crime flourished. Murder, robbery, theft and rape were rife and the Blitz provided scope for widespread looting.

This was an intriguing, harsh and cruel world. This is the world of DCI Frank Merlin.

He is a member of the Crime Writers Association.

Connect with the Author:

Facebook: Mark Ellis Facebook

Twitter: Mark Ellis Twitter

Author Website: Mark Ellis Author Website

Buy the Book:

Amazon: Amazon Purchase Link

My Take on the Book:

There’s two or three story-lines going on in this novel - at some point some of these end up meeting; these story-lines focus on historical fiction; crime as well as political situations in the WW2 era. Since I’m not the biggest political buff – there were times when I got a little bit lost in this section of the book, and there was also quite a bit of spying going on. Sometimes it was questionable what sides some characters were on. I ended up giving this book a four star rating and got a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Last Word:

Even though there were times where I got a little bit confused and lost in this book – it was still quite an enjoyable read, and things did become clearer as the book went on. I’ll definitely be reading another book from this author.

Enjoy,
Carmen