Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Death of an Officer by Mark Ellis

The most recent book in the fine World War II historical mystery and police procedural series featuring DCI Frank Merlin and an inadequate London police force was released in the UK on May 29. It is available now in the US in ebook but the paperback won’t be available here until September. The vagaries of the international publishing world continue to confound me.

Fortunately I received an ARC so I didn’t have to wait to read about Merlin and his team’s latest struggles with the crime wave that overtook the metropolis while most of the force was on the front lines. In May 1943 the tide was just beginning to turn against Hitler with the decisive loss to the Allies in North Africa late the previous year. The fighting was still heavy in Europe and the home front in Britain was still working hard just to exist from day to day.

Merlin is called to the bloody scene of a homicide, an Indian gynecologist who was battered to death with a jade statue of Ganesh. The physician lived alone, his wife was a long-term patient in a mental hospital in the country. What looks to be a likely robbery gone wrong unfolds into something far more complex. The seemingly blameless doctor led a shady social life and at least one patient questioned his professionalism. The omnipresent issue of racism as a potential factor is always in the back of Merlin’s mind. In the end the killer was not even on my radar.

In a surprisingly involved plot Ellis delivers an absorbing story that showcases a positive cornucopia of crime: murder, kidnapping, embezzlement, blackmail, burglary, prostitution, and treason. Each member of his team has the spotlight as the chapters shift focus from one investigative thread to another. Bernie Goldberg, the US military liaison who appeared in earlier books, is here again and the groundwork is laid for his ongoing involvement in future stories. The organized crime perspective is well represented, adding a general aura of thuggery.

A strong historical setting rich with authentic details about the daily lives of ordinary people during the war and a competent police investigation replete with period elements. Highly recommended.

 

·         Publisher: ‎Headline Accent

·         Publication date: ‎September 2, 2025

·         Language: ‎English

·         Print length: ‎336 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎1035427028

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1035427024

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3FBZh5S

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.