A death in Mayfair - Mark Ellis

December 1941.
On a bright Sunday morning in Hawaii, Japanese planes swoop down and attack the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. America enters the war and Britain no longer stands alone against Hitler.

Conditions on the home front remain bleak. In a city pulverised by the Blitz, with rampant crime and corruption and overstretched police resources, life for Scotland Yard detective Frank Merlin continues as arduous as ever.

In the week of Japan's aggression, the shattered body of beautiful film star Laura Curzon is found on the pavement beneath her Mayfair apartment, an apparent suicide. A mile away, the body of a strangled young girl is discovered in the rubble of a bombed-out building.

Merlin and his team investigate, encountering fraudulent film moguls, philandering movie stars, depraved Satanists and brutal gangsters as they battle through a wintry London in pursuit of the truth.

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

Author of the DCI Frank Merlin series, Mark is also a member of the Crime Writer's Association.

He lives in London.

[A] stylish thriller
Sunday Mirror

This
exciting, very well plotted and historically evocative story drives forward
to its gripping conclusion
Euro Crime

A richly atmospheric, authentic, and suspenseful detective series
Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author

A rollercoaster ride
The Yorkshire Herald

So immaculately nuanced they genuinely feel like they belong in the cannon of mid-20th century thrillers . . . Another belter!
Fiona Phillips

A truly spellbinding page turner that keeps you hooked right to the end
Dorset Book Detective

Brimming with action . . . complex, addictive and highly entertaining . . . I cannot wait to read more books by Mark Ellis
The Book Cosy Book Club

Brimming with authentic details . . . A compelling tale of crime fiction
Foreword Reviews

Wow! Well just as I think I've completed my Outstanding Books Of The Year list, up pops another book that will be on the list
Mrs Bloggs: The Average Reader

A mammoth read with a Dickensian plethora of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in . . . meticulously researched . . . deliciously complex
CARAMEROLLOVESBOOKS

This latest novel in Mark Ellis's DCI Merlin series goes way beyond the familiar clichs . . . satisfyingly complex
Shots Magazine

A marvellous addition to this wonderful series
Swirl and Thread

Mr. Ellis comprehensively explodes that persisting myth of unalloyed wartime togetherness . . . an eye-opener
Janet Roger

An excellent read by an author who clearly knows his subject . . . highly recommended
Alex J Book Reviews

Suspenseful and plot driven, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout
Rachel Read It

A vivid and often surprising portrayal of wartime London
The Western Mail

Vivid descriptions of the era provide ideal background for the charismatic and likeable Merlin
Buzz Magazine