
My Review (4 stars out of 5)
In 1940s Britain, Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington faces a seemingly impossible case when an unidentified corpse turns up at the mortuary. Clues lead to an aerodrome where Mason suspects members of the RAF may be hiding something. With an old mystery hanging over his head and Superintendent Smythe haranguing him over a counterfeiting case, can Mason untangle the mystery of the dead man?
This is the first book I’ve read my MJ Porter, being the second in the Erdington Mysteries series. I really liked the setting and the atmosphere of the story, and the main character of Chief Inspector Mason is what the English used to call a ‘good sort’. The book is very much of the ‘cosy mystery’ type with enough quirky characters to keep me reading. Having said that, the pace is occasionally a little slow and there’s a lack of tension in the plot. While the author’s use of language at times feels a bit jarring (with several words that surely wouldn’t have been in use at that time), it is nevertheless an enjoyable romp with lots to recommend for lovers of historical crime fiction.
Author Bio
MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, as well as three twentieth-century mysteries. Raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author’s writing destiny was set.
Social Media Links
NB This post first appeared as part of the Book Birthday Blitz The Automobile Assassination, via Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources.
Hi Colin, thanks for this review. I like that you are always honest and reliable with your reviews.
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You say all the right things, Robbie 😉
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