A well done mystery set during the Blitz. What really happened to Madeline? Someone killed her, but who? This has all the atmospherics you want combined with a mystery that's twisty enough to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

During a bombing raid, Madeline Fairfax is caught in her kitchen whilst cooking for her husband and children. She becomes trapped in the rear of her home, but regains consciousness just in time to see a familiar face, offering hope of rescue. But instead, Madeline is strangled to death. As a dangerous murderer, uses the Blitz to cover their crime, local detective Jamie Barton enlists the help of Madeline's sister, volunteer firefighter Penny Fairfax, to help. Now, caught in a web of uncertainty and mistrust, a grieving Penny must find the truth and do whatever it takes to protect those she loves most.

Madeline Fairfax was making a Christmas pudding when a bomb hots near her home, she's flung across the kitchen and loses conscious for a few minutes. When Madeline comes round and sees a familiar face, but Madeline does not get rescued, she gets strangled instead. The police thought she has been killed by the bombing, but the marks around her neck were discovered at the morgue.

Although this story is set during the Blitz, it's more a murder investigation than a war story. We have two crimes being solved by local Detective Jamie Barton - a jewellery shop robbery and the murder of Madeline Fairfax. Madeline's sister, Penny, is helping solve her sister's murder. We learn some historical facts in this twisted and well-plotted read. This is a quick and enjoyable read.

Published 4th July 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #PamLecky for my ARC of #UnderALightningSky in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with reading WW2 historical fiction that takes place in England. The words of authors are the only way I will be able to understand what my relatives went through, survived and, in some cases, thrived. That being said, I usually don't read crime drama. That is until now. I absorbed the story, excited for the crimes to be solved. So thrilling. So exciting.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. I was sucked into the numerous crimes that had to be investigated by the New Scotland Yard. There were so many twists, I didn't think they would have discover who was involved. The interrogations had me wanting to know more. I wanted to help solve the crimes. I needed to know who was involved and why.

Making the inspectors job more challenging was the bombs that the Germans were dropping. Evidence was being buried with debris. Suspects could disappear in the rubble. Suspects could not always provide alibis. After all how many people are watching from the same roof.

This story gave me such detail of what may have happened in the city during the bombings. I am still shocked that one could be driving a long and a building, maybe more than one, could come down. Freaking scary!!!! I don't think I will ever look at a pothole the same way.

I can't believe how naive I have been. I never thought about the gangs taking advantage of bombings. Silly me, thought that the people of England stood together against those trying to destroy others. To think that some took advantage and took everything they could from others breaks my heart. This was definitely an eye opening story.

A family split by war: death, infidelity and terror. There are gang wars, murder, indomitable spirit and love during the London Blitz. The story starts with the seemingly motiveless murder of an innocent woman caught in the Blitz one night. Then there's a theft from a locked jeweller's safe. Are the two linked? Detective Inspector Jamie Barton, coping with an upturn in crime due to the war, certainly thinks so. Auxiliary Fire Officer Penny Fairfax agrees. Together they try to solve the crime and grow to respect each other and perhaps something more. A strong cast of characters and a good storyline that whips along make this a great read.

During the London Blitz, Madeline Fairfax becomes trapped in her home after a bomb detonates nearby. When her body is found the next morning, it first appears that Madeline is just another victim of the relentless bombing. Soon Detective Jamie Barton is called to the medical examiner’s office only to be told Madeline was murdered. Barton quickly connects Madeline to the victims of a recent robbery. Are these two events connected?

Suspects abound and Jamie enlists the help of Madeline’s sister Penny, a volunteer firefighter doing her part for the war effort, to help. They discover that not many people liked Madeline, but which one didn’t like her enough to kill her?

Pam Lecky’s “Under the Lightning Sky” is a twisty mystery with many clues and lots of misdirection. Just when you think you’ve figured out who the killer is, another clue is revealed and you have to take a step back and reassess. It’s a page-turner that immerses the reader in wartime London.

“Under a Lightning Sky” is great for those who enjoy WWII historical fiction and historical mysteries.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Avon Books UK, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. Pam Lecky does a great job of painting a picture of what life must have been like. Her characters and the story are very well written.

I stopped reading at 45% because I just couldn’t get into the book. I feel that by 45% in, a plot should be established and there should be some sort of excitement that draws the reader in and keeps them intrigued to finish the book.

Under A Lightning Sky is a gripping mystery set during WWII. I enjoyed the plot and found it interesting that a murder takes place during the Blitz over London. Pam Lecky weaves a tale of suspense, mystery and betrayal, together beautifully.

The Miller family is devastated when their married daughter is killed during an air raid and the ensuing investigation reveals shocking details. The story keeps you guessing about who did it until the end. I would recommend this book as it was a very good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advanced copy of this book.

✨4.5 stars✨

This is my first time reading a book by this author and I really enjoyed this book!

This is a murder mystery set during the Second World War in London during the Blitz. I found this book really easy and quick to read and the investigation into the murder had me invested throughout.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy murder mysteries as this was perfectly executed in my opinion and I am excited to read more from this author in the future!!

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Madeline Fairfax boys have been evacuated to the country, she’s making a Christmas pudding when she’s caught in a bombing raid and doesn’t make it to the streets shelter in time. Madeline can hear the planes getting closer, suddenly there’s a big bang and she feels herself being flung across the room and when she comes around she trapped in the back of her house, Madeline sees a familiar face and she's relieved to be found. Madeline is killed and not rescued, initially the police assume she died in the raid and from the wounds she sustained, until they notice some suspicious marks on her body at the morgue and it’s up to detective Jamie Barton to solve the case.

Penny Miller is Madeline’s younger sister, she works in the family’s jewellery store during the day and as a volunteer firefighter at night. Penny has never liked her brother-in-law Arthur, in fact she told Madeline not to marry the older solicitor and it drove a wedge between them.

The Metropolitan Police have been busy during the Blitz, the bombings and blackout creates the perfect cover and environment for criminals who are involved in gang violence, the black market and stealing from damaged houses. Detective Barton starts by interviewing the people closest to Madeline, her parents, sister and husband, and he finds out she’s rather impulsive and headstrong. He has to consider was Madeline she bored with her life and did she cheat on her spouse, or did she get mixed up with the wrong people and have money problems? Jamie looks at the evidence again and he re-interviews neighbours and Penny gives him a couple of clues.

I received a copy of Under a Lightening Sky by Pam Lecky from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Beginning just before Christmas 1940, I have never read a murder mystery set during the Second World War and it certainly adds to the uncertainty, suspense and makes it harder to solve the crime. Due to evidence being destroyed by the bombing or it changed the scene of the crime, so many people didn’t have a permanent address and it made it harder to follow up alibis and leads.

A narrative full of lots of twists and turns and I didn't guess who the killer was. Mistrust and deceit, uncertainty and secrets are hidden in the story line and I liked detective Barton’s and Penny’s characters (they would make a wonderful couple and this book could be a great way to start off a historical suspense series) and five stars from me and I highly recommend.

“London is under attack, but within the rubble, a greater danger lurks…”

The magic of historical fiction for me is that it truly makes me feel like I’m experiencing life in another era. I’m always excited when I find an author who expertly combines fictional characters with real settings and events and presents it in such a way that makes it all feel visceral.

Lecky creates a rich picture of everyday life in Blitz-weary London.

I stopped and re-read the first chapter a couple of times because I’d never read such a realistic-sounding portrayal of the confusion and disbelief the air raid caused. Of course people would become confused if the nightly raids for the past three months were predictable! I’d never thought of that nor how people would be so focused on (in this case, the pudding needing 10 more minutes to cook) what they were doing and the interruption the raid caused. Perhaps getting to safety wasn’t first and foremost in peoples’ thoughts as I’d imagined. I love a different spin on the familiar.

Where most authors (at least the ones I’ve read recently) focus on the British air defense during the Blitz, Lecky focuses on the civilian victims. She does touch upon the ‘Blitz Spirit’, the stoic acceptance, and the heartwarming human connections that resulted from the disaster but her focus quickly segues to the crimes perpetrated under the cover of the bombings. Lecky capably immerses her readers in a world where detectives had their hands full dealing with the destruction caused and had little time to investigate crime….and shows them the ‘perfect storm’ created for criminals to have a field day.

The opening scene prepared me for what Lecky had in store and was the ‘carrot’ I needed to keep reading while she prepared the backgrounds for DI Jamie Barton and DS Lyle. I enjoyed the fusion of historical fiction and crime, thought her twists were great, and loved the mystery and ensuing investigation. The possibility of a Fairfax family devotion coming into play and readers’ awareness of Madeline Fairfax’s secret intentions gives plenty to ponder while attempting to solve the crime.

This standalone murder mystery set during the Blitz was a refreshing read in this genre.

I was gifted this copy by Avon Books UK and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is a twisty historical mystery that left me guessing until the end. When a British housewife is murdered under cover of a Blitz bombing, the crime scene is virtually obliterated, then further compromised by search and rescue workers before they even know a crime has been committed?. How can the investigator figure out who the killer is? Especially when he and the entire constabulary are already horribly overworked, dealing with staffing shortages caused by military enlistments, having to handle the aftermath of nightly bombings by Nazi Germany, and criminal gangs taking full advantage of both to create an outright crime spree?

Set in London during WWII and the Blitz of German bombings a murder takes place. Scotland Yard becomes involved and the story becomes a murder mystery with life in London during this historical time as a backdrop.
I really enjoyed reading this book.
Great characters and a great story line.

Entertaining historical crime mystery set during the London Blitz. This was a quick read and I appreciated the sweet romance.

My major critique is that the female protagonist, Penny, is passive. Things happen to her, but she doesn’t do anything to propel the plot forward. I wish more was done with her character and I would have liked her to have had a bigger role in solving the mystery.

A minor critique is that there’s an excessive use of exclamation marks. I’m a heavy user of exclamation points in text messages and work emails, but it was distracting to see so many per page in a novel. For example, one page has 8 exclamation points (and that wasn’t an anomaly). I started to silently sigh to myself every time I saw an exclamation point. I’ve never been so put out by punctuation before. (I know it seems petty to focus so much on exclamation points but I promised NetGalley I’d provide honest feedback in exchange for this ARC so I’m just following through.)

Overall, I enjoyed this book and plan on checking out Pam Lecky’s other books.

This book is set in London during WWII. There has been a murder that was made to look like the results of a bombing. Scotland Yard has the case. This book gives an accurate presentation of what it was like to be a resident of London during this time period. The book was well written with an interesting story line. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

September 1940 London is under attack the Luftwaffe has been bombing continuously the city. While preparing dinner Madeleine Fairfax is caught in her kitchen as a bomb explodes, now trapped under the rubble of her house her only hope is that someone will come to her aid. When she sees a familiar face her prayers seemed to have been answered only to be dashed as she is tragically strangled to death... Detective Jamie Barton and Madeline’s sister Penny Fairfax will find the truth behind the mystery....

Although the London Blitz may be a player here, the story is more a very suspenseful mystery. The author unravels her mystery bit by bit and by doing so she has hooked me 1/3 in and from then on I was more than captivated. The beginning was rather slow to take off I was wondering what happened to Madeleine she seemed to have been forgotten but no ...leaving her behind was the author’s ways to keep us on our toes till Jamie Barton and Penny Fairfax came into play then springs into action the investigation and I was into a suspenseful and very captivating drama. What happened to Madeleine and who killed her was a mystery unveiled at the very end.

Great characters to root for and a delightful mystery to past time with.

Well-said and well-done.

An engaging and interesting mystery set during the London Blitz. I hope this is the beginning of a new series and a new romance.

Exciting and realistic. Well developed characters and I couldn't stop reading it. There were surprises and many tense moments. I felt for the family as they discovered who their daughter really was. I Loved this novel!

I liked this a lot! It is set in London in WWII during the Blitz which is an endlessly fascinating topic to me (I’m a bit morbid, I know). There is a murder almost disguised as the aftermath of a Blitz attack.I love the main characters, Jamie and Penny. He is a cop, and she is the sister of the victim. There was so much going on in this one, that gave a really good viewpoint of things we don’t hear about a lot that happened during the war. I will definitely read this author again.

A great mystery with twists and turns. It takes place during WWII, which I would think would have a hard time solving murders. Well written.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.