Direct Hit By Mike Hollow

ISBN: 9781782641278 
$14.99 | Paperback
Lion Fiction

About the book: The jagged blast of high explosives rips through the evening air. In the sky over East London the searchlights criss-cross in search of the enemy.

On the first night of the Blitz, a corpse is discovered in a van in the back streets of West Ham. Detective Inspector John Jago recognizes the dead man as local Justice of the Peace Charles Villers. But then a German bomb obliterates all evidence.

Villers was not a popular man, both powerful and feared. As the sirens wail, the detective must start matching motive to opportunity--and it doesn't help when his boss foists an intrusive American journalist on him.

Jago soon discovers the dead man held many secrets, some reaching back to World War I. A lot of people wished Villers dead--and an air raid is a good time to conceal a murder.

My thoughts: This is not a fast paced action novel. The style is a bit plodding and yet very readable and one that makes the reader want to read on. The way the story is written, characters drawn and fleshed out, and the setting of London during the Blitz all lend authenticity and readability to Direct Hit.

Students of World War II history will recognize the Blitz as a major event in Hitler's war on Europe and England. London is a city beset with the life-toll of shortages, air raid sirens blasting, fear brought about by their involvement in WWII. Also running through society at this time is the strong under-current of brooding and breeding communism.

Amidst war and social unrest, life goes on for Detective Inspector Jago who is embroiled in finding who murdered Mr.Villers. During his investigation he uncovers a variety of criminal situations.

As a reader that enjoys historical fiction, it was a good read to see how Mike Hollow described London during these treacherous days. This story only covers a short period, but each day is eons long as the clock of war charts their course.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy by Kregel Publishing to facilitate this review. Opinions herein are mine alone. I received no compensation for this review.