DCI Frank Merlin Series – serie

THE INSANELY GRIPPING AND CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FOURTH INSTALMENT IN MARK ELLIS' DCI FRANK MERLIN SERIES'[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___________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.___________An excellent read by an author who clearly knows his subject . . . highly recommended - Alex J Book ReviewsSuspenseful and plot driven, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout - Rachel Read ItA vivid and often surprising portrayal of wartime London - The Western MailVivid descriptions of the era provide ideal background for the charismatic and likeable Merlin - Buzz Magazine

Vividly atmospheric and brimming with suspense, Mark Ellis presents this insanely captivating wartime thriller of classic espionage.The third instalment in the Frank Merlin series, following on from Stalin's Gold. Previously published as Merlin at War.PRAISE FOR THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DCI FRANK MERLIN SERIES:'A richly atmospheric, authentic, and suspenseful detective series' - Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author'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'A mammoth read with a Dickensian plethora of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in . . . meticulously researched . . . deliciously complex' - CARAMEROLLOVESBOOKS___________Violent deaths. French double agents. Daring fraud.DCI Frank Merlin sets out on his most complex case yet...War rages across Europe.France is under Nazi rule. Britain has its back to the wall.In London, Scotland Yard detective Frank Merlin investigates a series of disturbing events - a young girl killed in a botched abortion, a French emigré shot in a seedy Notting Hill flat, a mysterious letter written by a British officer recently gunned down in Crete.With action spanning Buenos Aires, New York, Cairo and occupied France, Merlin and his team are plunged into a dark world of espionage, murder, love and betrayal.

Previously published as Stalin's Gold.PRAISE FOR THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DCI FRANK MERLIN SERIES:'A richly atmospheric, authentic, and suspenseful detective series' JOSEPH FINDER, NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR'Masterly . . . compelling . . . one of the most attractive characters to emerge in recent detective-thriller fiction' ANDREW ROBERTS, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR'Against the backdrop of Blitz-hit London, this stylish thriller sees Scotland Yard's Frank Merlin investigate a tangled conspiracy' SUNDAY MIRRORAs the Battle of Britain rages above, DCI Frank Merlin and his officers investigate the sudden disappearance of Polish RAF pilot Ziggy Kilinski - while battling the looting unleashed by the chaos and destruction of the Blitz.Unbeknownst to Merlin and his team, Russian spies have also been set loose on the city - instructed to retrieve Stalin's lost gold.Kilinski's fellow pilots, a disgraced Cambridge don, members of the Polish government in exile and a ruthless Russian gangster are amongst those caught up in Merlin's enquiries.Sweeping from Stalin's Russia to Civil War Spain, Hitler's Berlin to Churchill's London, a compelling story of treasure, treachery, and murder unfolds.

'A real page-turner...juicy enough to devour in one sitting, you'll immediately want to order the next in the series.' DAILY MAIL'Detective fiction at its best and a real treat' PHIL CRAIGThe first instalment in the Frank Merlin series. Previously published as Prince's Gate.When a brilliant emigré scientist is killed by a hit-and-run driver and the body of an American embassy is washed up in the Thames, DCI Frank Merlin and his team are called to investigate.Merlin's investigations soon ruffle feathers at the Foreign Office - the American ambassador, Joseph Kennedy, is a well-known supporter of appeasement, and has gained many powerful and influential friends in the pursuit of a negotiated peace settlement with Hitler.The death of yet another embassy employee leads Merlin deep into the seedier quarters of wartime London, until his investigations are hampered by interfering superiors fearful of disrupting international relations. As Merlin is drawn into a web of secrets, what will the truth cost him - and Britain?PRAISE FOR THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DCI FRANK MERLIN SERIES:'This is to my shame the first Mark Ellis book I've read. If the others evoke a vanished London so impressively, are graced with such complex plots and deep characterisation, and, above all, are written so well I shall have to read them all.' THE TIMES'Masterly . . . compelling . . . one of the most attractive characters to emerge in recent detective-thriller fiction' ANDREW ROBERTS, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR'Against the backdrop of Blitz-hit London, this stylish thriller sees Scotland Yard's Frank Merlin investigate a tangled conspiracy' SUNDAY MIRROR'A richly atmospheric, authentic, and suspenseful detective series' JOSEPH FINDER, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR'Unputdownable' ROBERT LYMAN'An intriguing, masterly juggling of an intricate plot and an enviable command of detail.' JOHN LAWTON'Extraordinarily atmospheric and compelling...a wonderfully intelligent and complex story' CHRIS LLOYD, HWA Gold Crown Award winner.'...historical noir at its best. Mark Ellis's talents as a writer are many; finely embroidered plotting, a meticulously researched historical context and place, and rounded characters whose lives and capers become real for a reader' GARY DONNELLY'An atmospheric, compelling evocation of war-torn London in the wake of the Blitz, where DCI Frank Merlin fights against a tidal wave of crime' GEOFFREY WANSELL, Crime and Thriller Reviewer, DAILY MAIL'A historically astute, skilfully developed crime drama.' KIRKUS REVIEWS

'A must-read for murder mystery lovers' DAILY MAIL'Ellis conjures up an immersive, authentic world in this evocative series' FINANCIAL TIMES'Gripping...expertly combining a crime mystery with a wartime thriller....a potent mix which has produced this excellent novel' ALEX GERLIS***BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL 2025 - BLOODY BARNES CRIME FESTIVAL******AN ASPECTS OF CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR*** London. Spring 1943. While Europe continues to suffer under the iron fist of Nazi occupation, Britain remains battered but unbowed.DCI Frank Merlin, already contending with a booming wartime crime wave in the capital, is confronted with a baffling case: the brutal murder of a respected doctor.Following a puzzling trail that leads him into the hidden corners of clubland - and which appears to be linked to the disappearance of both British and American officers - Merlin must untangle a dark web of shocking secrets.'A beach read that will make your holiday' DAILY MIRROR'An outstanding historical mystery, with richly described period detail, vivid characters, and a great detective in Frank Merlin' JOSEPH FINDER, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR'A pitch perfect example of a police procedural' ASPECTS OF CRIME'An immersive and authentic-seeming tale of criminality in WWII London. I can't wait to read the rest!' ROBERT J. LLOYD'A gripping mystery with a wartime setting so redolent that you wonder where your ration book is. A great read!' DOUGLAS SKELTON'Very well paced and plotted, ably written and with a good cast. Richly deserves to do well' THE CRITIC'A truly remarkable historical mystery series' TOM MEAD'A lead character with a deep well of integrity together with a hugely evocative portrait of WWII London make this compelling and absorbing historical crime fiction' TIM SULLIVAN'Well paced and intriguing murder mystery...well drawn characters that jump off the page...Ellis has really made his mark as a crime writer' ASPECTS OF HISTORY'A terrific book with pace, colour and drama aplenty. DCI Merlin is turning into one of the great literary detectives' PHIL CRAIG'Fantastic...Merlin is a really authentic, interesting and attractive character...the way in which Ellis creates the context of wartime London is really superb.' ROBERT LYMAN'Quite how Ellis stays in control of the twists and turns, manages his cast of characters, and unravels the knots and tangles of the plot are nothing short of miraculous' SHOTS MAGAZINE'A satisfying read for anyone who likes a World War Two whodunit' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETYPraise for Mark Ellis:'This is to my shame the first Mark Ellis book I've read. If the others evoke a vanished London so impressively, are graced with such complex plots and deep characterisation, and, above all, are written so well I shall have to read them all.' THE TIMES'Masterly . . . compelling . . . one of the most attractive characters to emerge in recent detective-thriller fiction' ANDREW ROBERTS, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR'Against the backdrop of Blitz-hit London, this stylish thriller sees Scotland Yard's Frank Merlin investigate a tangled conspiracy' SUNDAY MIRROR'An atmospheric, compelling evocation of war-torn London in the wake of the Blitz, where DCI Frank Merlin fights against a tidal wave of crime' GEOFFREY WANSELL, Crime and Thriller Reviewer, DAILY MAIL'Unputdownable' ROBERT LYMAN'Mark Ellis delivers diamonds - an intriguing, masterly juggling of an intricate plot and an enviable command of detail.' JOHN LAWTON'Extraordinarily atmospheric and compelling... a wonderfully intelligent and complex story' CHRIS LLOYD, HWA Gold Crown Award winner.'...historical noir at its best. Mark Ellis's talents as a writer are many; finely embroidered plotting, a meticulously researched historical context and place, and rounded characters whose lives and capers become real for a reader' GARY DONNELLY