Merlin at War takes place after the fall of France; the armistice between Vichy France and Germany is in effect, and the nominal government of France collaborates with Nazi Germany in reprehensible ways.
The book begins, however, in Crete where a team of British soldiers hope to escape and be evacuated. Only one man survives the perilous journey. The survivor carries a letter from his superior officer, but the officer dies before he can definitively designate the letter's recipient.
Ellis depicts a London during the nervous calm after the autumn Blitz of 1940: a young woman dies in a botched abortion; the French emigre doctor who performed the abortion is murdered; a traitor among the Free French delegation operating from London sends messages to the Vichy government with the time and place a young agent is to be dropped into France; there are a connections to Buenos Aires and New York.
Ellis depicts a London during the nervous calm after the autumn Blitz of 1940: a young woman dies in a botched abortion; the French emigre doctor who performed the abortion is murdered; a traitor among the Free French delegation operating from London sends messages to the Vichy government with the time and place a young agent is to be dropped into France; there are a connections to Buenos Aires and New York.
Most of the book is a satisfying mystery with compelling historical elements, but the multiple subplots slow it down a bit. Nevertheless, Merlin at War presents a view of the war from many angles, and Ellis' main characters have depth and dimension.
Read in August; blog review scheduled for Sept. 27.
NetGalley/JKS Communications
Historical Mystery/WWII. Oct. 12, 2017. Print length: 490 pages.
This series looks wonderful. I've bought the first book for my husband. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting series that speaks mostly to how London fared during the war.
DeleteI usually like books set in WWII, but I'm not sure I'd love this one; it sounds really heavy on the war aspects which would definitely slow it down for me. :)
ReplyDeleteMost of the war aspects have to do with London during and after the Blitz, the crime, and in this novel, espionage dealing with betrayals by Vichy infiltrators among the Free French government in exile. It was the multiple subplots that slowed it down a bit.
DeleteI share the same thoughts with Lark (re. heavy on war aspects). Although it sounds interesting, I guess this would one of those books which requires the right mood to read it. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy letter is on its way to you. Sorry it took me a while to reply.
:) The only fighting was the with the escaping Brits and that was to put the letter in play. I found the information about the French government in exile quite interesting. The gambling subplot--not so much.
DeleteYou keep finding some great mysteries that I need to take note of!
ReplyDeleteI liked the first book in the series better, but I like the recurring characters and the London setting during the war. Although I knew, in general terms, about the Vichy government in France, the novel made me curious. I would like to read a nonfiction account about that period. :)
DeleteI must give this series a try. A mystery with a historical aspect and a character with depth is hard for me to resist.
ReplyDelete