This took me a bit to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. Well-plotted and paced, I always enjoy a good mystery! WWII readers will enjoy this one.

Even during a world war, the often-mundane routines of daily life continue for those not directly involved in the fighting. This idea has fascinated me since, as a junior officer in the US Navy, sitting on the sidelines of Operation Desert Storm prompted serious thought about what happens beyond the battlefield. Crime also continues, often because conflict provides new opportunities for criminals to ply their trade.

Set in 1942 London, "Dead in the Water" is the fifth entry in the Detective Chief Inspector Frank Merlin series of mystery/thrillers from Mark Ellis. The Blitz is over and the Yanks have started to arrive, but Merlin and his team have scant time for optimism as a brief moment of relative calm is ended by the discovery of a body. And then another.

Although this is the fifth book of the series there is no need to have read the others first. The story stands on its own with any references to earlier cases or events described quickly and completely. This review is based on a copy provided through NetGalley for that purpose. The ebook is available now and the paperback will be available in early 2023.

I feel the need to address two points. First, the story develops at a measured pace; there is a lot of backstory and detail in the first third of the book as the author creates plot threads which may or may not play into the solution (those that don’t may, I suspect, factor into later entries in the series). A somewhat logical follow-on to this is my second point: the cast of characters introduced during this scene-setting is large. So much so that I created a cheat sheet to help me keep track of who’s who – a first for me. Stalin, Eisenhower and Field Marshall Goering make appearances.

Once the first victim appears the pace quickens as Merlin methodically examines and discards plot threads until all is revealed in a conclusion I didn’t anticipate. The story as a whole is immersive and the prose highly readable, so my advice is to find a comfortable spot to read and just enjoy the ride. The destination is worth making the trip.

It's hard to imagine that Dead in the Water represents DCI Frank Merlin's fifth adventure. Where does the time go?

I remember the first book as if it was yesterday and there's absolutely no doubt that the second world war is Mark's era - he captures everything about that period so well and tells an evocative tale from beginning to end that effortlessly captures the real struggles of that dark time in conflict!

Mark Ellis has been consistent throughout the series with well developed characters who have grown with each adventure, delivering solid plot after solid plot. Each time I've picked up one of Mark's books I am immediately transported to that era and once again find myself in a complex and intricate thriller. With a huge cast, Dead in the Water does take a little time to make sense but stick with it as you are well rewarded with another highly successful addition to the Merlin stables. I cannot recommend this series highly enough. (Dead in the Water can be read as a standalone)

This is the first book by Mark Ellis that I have read, so I haven’t read the earlier books about DCI Frank Merlin, but this book can easily be read as a standalone.

The summer of 1942 has American soldiers arriving in the UK and the Russians swapping sides, both of which create issues for the Scotland Yard detectives. As a fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed the historical details included in the story.

There are a number of overlapping stories in this book including spies, stolen art, gangsters, dead bodies and the domestic life of DCI Frank Merlin. It does take a few chapters to get to grips with the different stories, but I was quickly hooked by the crimes being investigated and found myself reading late into the night to find out who the culprit is.

Happy to recommend to readers of my book review blog. I look forward to reading more by Mark Ellis in the future.

A complex, fascinating, and gripping thriller set during WWII. It was the first I read by this author and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The solid plot, the well developed characters, and the vivid historical background make it a very interesting read.
It's strongly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ellis has certainly done a lot of research to write this book. The descriptions of London are well crafted and the story is interesting. I have a good deal of difficulty with books that skip around from one character to another or from one time period to another. This book has a lot of characters and I found it difficult to keep track of who they all were. I would just get one character straight and suddenly the story shifted to another character/country/plot and I would have to start all over again. I felt that if I could have spent longer periods of time with some of the characters, they would have felt more real. I plowed through the first 100 pages and then skimmed the remainder.
This book was too disjointed for me; perhaps the author crafted it that way on purpose to give a view of the times in Europe - a disjointed period after WWII.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I was not compensated for my review which contains all my own opinions.

Very complex police procedural set in WW11 that is another episode in a series but can be read as a stand-alone story. However the long list of characters is hard to place in the many sub plots some of which drift on and on seemingly going nowhere. The descriptions of wartime London are excellent and the atmosphere of the time and its attitudes with toffs and spivs all appearing. A difficult read but worth it in the end.

I very much enjoyed this writers previous books :and I was very pleased to have the pleasure of reading his latest one. It was so good I was disappointed that I could only give him five stars and not any higher award!

In the Summer of 1942, the Second World War rages on but Britain now faces the Nazi threat with America at its side.
In a bombed-out London swarming with gangsters and spies, DCI Frank Merlin continues his battle against rampant wartime crime. A mangled body is found in the Thames just as some items of priceless art go mysteriously missing. What sinister connection links the two?.

Merlin and his team follow a twisting trail of secrets and lies as they investigate a baffling and deadly puzzle .

The characters are all very richly drawn and I am reminded of the Inspector Troy books by John Lawton The details of the story are fascinating and give an insight into life at this time with all the difficulties over the rationing of food. The plot with many dramatic twists and turns is very vivid and knowledgeable and the widely diverse scenes kept me transfixed until the last page.

I found particularly fascinating the way Merlin directs his fellow detectives into different lines of enquiry and in some cases different crimes but keeps a gentle but thorough oversight of the whole department when the detectives report their findings to him.

Merlin’s tough exterior is softened when he is with his Polish wife in the few times he has time to spend with her as he spends almost every waking hour at Scotland Yard .

This absorbing , atmospheric and brilliantly plotted and historically well researched story drives forward to the gripping conclusion. Frank Merlin is a lovely creation and totally convincing with some historical details added which show how careful the author was in his preliminary research . Merlin is the English-born son of a Spanish migrant who decided to change his surname from 'Merino' to that of one of his favourite Arthurian legends.

Mark Ellis is a thriller writer from Swansea and a former barrister and entrepreneur.
He is the creator of DCI Frank Merlin, an Anglo-Spanish police detective operating in World War 2 London. His books treat the reader to a vivid portrait of London during the war skilfully blended with gripping plots, political intrigue and a charismatic protagonist.

I lost myself once again in this thriller; this was a superb entertainment and I look forward to reading this brilliant writers future books which no doubt will be as imaginative as this one. Very strongly recommended.
(Free Review Copy Supplied By The Publisher via netgalley.co.uk In Exchange For Fair Review)

Dead in the Water by Mark Ellis is an interesting, complex and satisfying read. I heartily recommend it to lovers of suspense as well as murder-mystery/police-crime.
The sales blurb doesn’t do the book justice. The story, set in World War 2 London, follows DCI Merlin and his staff as they try to find a murderer. In doing so they are attempting to save a black US serviceman who has been hastily tried for and convicted of the murder and then sentenced to death by the US military based in the UK. DCI Merlin is sure the convicted man is innocent, but time is precious as the hanging is scheduled in just a few days.

The victim is a Russian spy, recently arrived from neutral Portugal. Merlin’s associate in MI6 reveals there is also a Nazi spy involved.

Meanwhile a wealthy Dutch immigrant is trying to sell 2 valuable pieces of art to an ultra-wealthy collector back in Portugal. The complexity of the sale drags in more unsavoury characters, including a corrupt businessman who happens to be the Nazi spy. The sale will resolve the immigrant’s immediate financial difficulties and allow him to keep his son and daughter living their comfortable lifestyles. His son wants money to establish a literary magazine; his daughter wants a more expensive residence. His daughter’s boyfriend hatches a plan to steal the artworks and on the night of the robbery, the girlfriend’s father is murdered, found the next day floating in the Thames.

Merlin must unravel all of this to find the Russian spy’s real murderer in time to save the wrongly-convicted US serviceman.

There are many suspects and all are well-developed characters in the story who relate well enough to create character-led plot twists that flow naturally. I enjoyed keeping track of the characters’ relationships and the suspects’ testimonies, alibis, and dubious behaviours.

World War 2 London is an intriguing setting. While normal life is suspended, many people tried to continue to live their lives despite black outs, rationing and the fear of Nazi invasion.

My only criticism of the book is that Merlin and his staff seemed too squeaky-clean. I like the authenticity of characters who are at least a little flawed, although maybe this is overdone - not all detectives have to be alcoholic, brooding and divorced so it was a pleasant change to read about Merlin’s happy home life, shepherd’s pie and the occasional bottle of ale.

A thoroughly convoluted plot, plenty of suspects, intriguing setting, well-paced suspense, and a cleverly-constructed conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and happily recommend it to lovers of murder mystery and suspense.

This was a good story which I did enjoy, I loved the setting and the way the story unfolded. I did find it a little hard to get to grips with the large cast of characters and felt there was probably one sub plot too many! Still not sure I could explain them all to someone else after reading it!!

A very compelling thriller I could not put down! The numerous characters might seem a bit confusing at the beginning, but it all comes into place as one reads on. Murders, spies, are they intertwined? This time, the topic revolves around art, stolen (or not?) of da Vinci's drawings which had disappeared in Vienna in 1938, when the Nazis took over. The reader is taken to Portugal, Russia and London, all very interesting. I enjoyed Merlin and his police team, a bunch of good people getting on well with each other and respecting each other! Highly recommended!
I read this thriller as an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

As I fancied something a little different from the norm and quite enjoy a book which is not from the present day, I thought I would give this one a try. Unfortunately, I found it a little hard to get really into and the more I read I still couldn't really enjoy it unfortunately.
t's one of those books, you either enjoy or you don't and for me it had to be the latter.