Murder most definitely!

Fascinating foray into murder, the antiquarian book trade and counterfeiting, all set in Soho during the war years. Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Cradock are London detectives looking into bookseller and runner Samuel Bellamy who’s been shot dead. Bellamy’s death seems open and shut until it isn’t. The life and world of a runner is quite fascinating.
Along the way we meet some doubtful, some colorful characters who inhabit this part of London, and the talented Jazz singer, Ethel Rae.
The plot centers around the everyday workings of D. I. Jago’s methods of investigation, ably supported by his D.C. Cradok, and Jago’s philosophy on life and the war, with occasional glimpses of the woman in his life American journalist, Dorothy.
A rather dry tone that’s entirely suitable for a London Inspector during the Blitz whose experiences of this war are highlighted by his experiences during the First World War.
The underneath running commentary on life makes this murder mystery an interesting read.

A Allison & Busby ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I wish I had discovered this series sooner!

In 1940's London, it's almost the end of another year and the bombing continues to destroy homes and lives. As one young woman is sitting in the rubble of what was her business, Detective Inspector John Jago has the unenviable task of informing her that her husband is dead. Not as a result of the bombs, however; he was shot in their Soho home and it's up to him to get to the bottom of things.

This is a terrific mystery with so much going on that I think I put every single character in the frame at one time or another. I do enjoy domestic wartime fiction and this is a cracking read. I'm a bit annoyed with myself not to have found it sooner but I certainly intend to try and read the earlier books. If you enjoyed Foyle's War, then I would suggest this for you. 4.5* and my recommendation to all lovers of a good mystery!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

The Soho Murder by Mike Hollow is a most enjoyable book that had me completely absorbed until the final paragraph. This is the third book that I have read by him. I read the first two and bought the third and fourth but read this one, his eight because I got it from netgalley.co.uk.
It's December 1940. New Year's Eve draws closer, but crowds will not be gathering on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate. After a quiet Christmas, the area has suffered London's most devastating air raid since the start of the Blitz and waves of incendiary bombs have burnt the heart of British book publishing to the ground.


Detective Inspector John Jago finds a desolate woman sitting among the ruins of her family business and must break the news - her husband's been found shot dead at their home in Soho. An antiquarian bookseller, he'd just acquired a mysterious volume which is priceless - and missing. Did someone covet it enough to kill for it?


Obsessive collectors and unscrupulous dealers haunt Jago's descent into Soho's underworld, where he finds criminals are branching out in the shadows of the blackout.

Following my reading of this marvellous book which is so well researched I suppose I'll have to now read the third and fourth ones which I bought.
I strongly recommend this book. Thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the ARC.

A historic cozy crime series, The Soho Murder (2024) by Mike Hollow features police Detective Inspector John Jago during the 1940 bombing blitz of London. The discovery of a man shot in his flat leads to DI Jago notifying his wife of the death whilst sorting through the debris of her bombed bookstore. A methodical, if meandering investigation amidst the streets of Soho as the police team interviews those who knew the victim. In trying to determine the motive for his murder, the antiquarian book trade, forged one-pound notes and money lending all come under scrutiny. This is a standalone review given no prior experience of this ninth book in the Blitz Detective series, which is an enjoyable three and a half stars rating historical police procedural. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Allison & Busby publishers and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

The Soho Murder is the ninth book in Mike Hollow’s Blitz detective series, featuring his series detective, DI John Jago, with his ever-hungry sidekick, DC Peter Cradock. Samuel Bellamy, a Soho bookseller has been murdered but, while some people say he was friendly, others paint a different picture. He was an honest businessman, although competitive, but, Jago is told, Bellamy really really disliked being cheated. As the book progresses, we see several other people’s perspectives of Bellamy and not all of them show him as that friendly honest person who abhorred cheating. In fact, the reader starts to wonder whether any of the characters (and, by extension, anyone in the real world) is ever perceived in the same way by everyone who knows them.

When Jago hears about a couple of counterfeit pound notes that apparently circulated through Bellamy’s shop; and the antagonism between Bellamy’s acquaintances of Italian and Greek extraction is uncovered, it appears that this murder is just one facet of a highly complex and dangerous mess.

As always, Mike Hollow brings his characters to life with evocative descriptions such as “[…] a young woman in glasses, with her hair drawn back from her face and wearing a heavy home-knitted cardigan. A strong smell of paraffin came from the portable stove beside her.” Also, his detailed descriptions of routes through London, invoking well-known street and shop names, give verisimilitude to the narrative of WWII.

I enjoyed this book. The plot is constantly progressed; the dialogue is pacy; there are red herrings and surprises; and the mention of counterfeiting in wartime Britain hints at a much bigger crime.

#TheSohoMurder #NetGalley

I have been enjoying Mike Hollow's Blitz Detective series. These novels read like "golden age" mysteries, though with somewhat fewer of the stereotypes and biases. The series takes place in London during the Blitz. Detective Inspector John Jago gets called in to Soho (not the best of neighborhoods during that era) to investigate the murder of a cantankerous, never-fully-successful antiquarian book dealer, Samual Bellamy. Jago is aided by the much younger and less experienced Detective Constable Peter Cradock.

At the book's opening, London is waking up from a particularly destructive round of bombing. But the damage has missed Soho and a rather-more-successful antiquarian book dealer is arriving for a meeting with Bellamy. At first he thinks Bellamy has stood him up, but when he enters Bellamy's office, he finds Bellamy lying on the floor, apparently killed by a gun shot to the chest.

As the tale spins out, readers are introduced to an interesting mix of characters and communities. Besides book collectors, there are also jazz clubs and jazz aficionados; a jazz club owner of Greek extraction, along with his wife and his aging uncle; an Italian cafe owner who can no longer use his own name as the restaurant's because Italy has just joined Hitler and declared war on the allies and business is tough enough as it is.

Suspects abound: Bellamy's oddly distant wife, his violent brother-in-law, the aforementioned jazz club owner, and several book dealers and collectors. There are also several threads leading to the heart of the mystery: counterfeiting, gambling and the debts that accompany it, as well as a young jazz singer who may be a love interest.

Hollow's Jago is a direct, no-nonsense sort of guy. He works hard, daily covering significant distances across London, parts of which are no longer accessible to vehicles. He keeps Cradock from theorizing to soon or too imaginatively and sees that the young fellow regularly gets something to eat.

If you enjoy detective and/or WWII fiction, you'll enjoy the Blitz Detective series, and—good news!—you don't need to read the titles in order, so when you spot one, pick it up. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

I loved the concept, historical mystery book set during the blitz. Book seller Samual Bellamy was shot and killed in his house, found by his landlord. Detectives Jago and Cradock must talk to his friends and colleagues to find out why he could have been murdered. The story fell flat for me, it took about half the book to finally make some progress and even that was not much. They talk to a lot of people but the information coming is so slow going and doesn’t offer up much. I didn’t love the writing style, it was dry and rather boring. I finally was able to finish it, but it took me a while to as I just wasn’t that interested

This is another of Mike Hollow’s Blitz Detective series which follows the fortunes of Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Craddock whilst they investigate the murkier side of London in the early 1940’s.
This time it is the murder of a Soho bookseller that they are investigating. The writing is great, this book is a really good example of a police procedural and the reader can easily follow and gather the necessary information to make an informed decision as to who committed the crime.
Great characters, great plot and well crafted background setting made me feel fully immersed in wartime London. Highly recommended.

The consistently entertaining Blitz Detective series reaches book number 9 with The Soho Murder which is another hugely enjoyable outing for DI Jago.

Set in late 1940 and early 1941 Jago and his assistant are challenged with finding the murderer of a local bookseller but not everything is as it seems.

The story moves along at a good pace with a number of twists and turns along with a few red herrings and the pages definitely keep turning.

Definitely recommended.

December 1940. Property developer Eric Thompson on visiting one of his tenants, Samual Bellamy, finds him dead, shot. But why would anyone kill a bookseller. D.I. John Jago and D.C. Peter Cradock investigate but what will they uncover.
An entertaining historical mystery with its cast of interesting characters. It can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

historical-mystery, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, London, Scotland Yard, murder, investigations, antiquarian-books, atmospheric, culture-of-fear, 1940, due-diligence, thriller, suspense, war, air-raids, blackouts, counterfeit-money*****

Against the background of the near constant bombings and the fears about this next war with The Hun, D.I. John Jago and D.C. Peter Cradock work the streets of London's Soho. There are always the senseless crimes and murders, but who would shoot dead an antiquarian bookseller? and why?
As they work the tangle that includes counterfeits of many kinds and Hitler's inroads, they do their best to keep their part of England safe. It works well as a stand alone.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Allison & Busby via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Nov 21, 2024 #TheSohoMurder by Mike Hollow #Blitz DetectiveBk9 @AllisonandBusby #NetGalley

333 pages

5 stars

This book is a wonderful example of a superb police procedural. Detective Inspector John Jago and his partner young Craddock investigate the murder of a bookseller in the Soho district of London.

It is 1940 - 41. The near nightly bombing overshadows everyone’s lives. Times are tough and the war does no one any favor.

Jago and Craddock interview the man’s wife of just a few years. She is also a bookseller. They learn that the victim had a sister and loved jazz music. Jago and Craddock interview the relatives, acquaintances and friends of Samuel, the victim.

Threads of acquaintances spread out to nightclubs, restaurants and other interesting venues.

Before long, the case spreads its tentacles wider to include an aspiring jazz singer, a sad bookstore clerk, the well-to-do and dodgy banknotes. Could it be a German plot to devalue England’s currency?

I have read several of Mike Hollow’s novels and have loved them all. This one is just as entertaining as the rest, but with perhaps a little added twist. Very well written, this book wastes no words. The plotting is linear and one event follows another flawlessly. I truly enjoyed this novel and will continue to read Mike Hollow’s books.

I want to thank NetGalley and Allison & Busby for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

It's December 1940, and the bombings are becoming worse. The war is in the background throughout the book. Samuel Bellamy, used book dealer, is found shot dead in his Soho home. Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Cradock are on the job to find his killer. They soon find that he had received a very valuable book recently, but don't know where it came from and what happened to it. They make many trips to Soho to talk with Bellamy's wife, a man he worked with selling books, the woman who runs his book store, his sister and her husband as well as someone who has been buying his books. This is not a simple case, and the the police have to work very hard and keep coming back. They find out a lot about Bellamy including that he may have been passing counterfeit money, and gradually, they finally solve the crime.

This is a very good series, and it does not need to be read in any particular order. I thank Netgalley and Allyson & Busby for the ARC allowing me to read the book before publication.

Book #9 of Blitz Detective series

In a few words:

London, December 1940

In this latest Detective Inspector John Jago finds a desolate woman sitting among the ruins of her family business and must break the news that her husband, an antiquarian bookseller, had been shot dead at their home in Soho. He had acquired a priceless volume recently…was this mysterious volume the reason he was killed…..Detective Inspector Jago and DC Peter Cradock will get to the bottom of this mystery.

My thoughts:

No worries if you pick up this series at this stage, the mystery reads well on its own but it is a plus to know a bit more in the personal life of this wonderful character. To situate us the author didn’t overwhelm us with too many details just enough for us not to be lost.

From the start the book has a great atmosphere, fear and determination are in people minds. The darkness of the blackout, restrictions and details of bomb damage situate us in the era. But don’t be misled, this story is not about the Blitz nor is it of the war, although it is there in the background. Instead, we find ourself into an interesting crime investigation with various motives, several suspects with motives and of course a few red herrings to spike to story has the drama dramatically builds and the evidence brings the whodunit to confess and everything is neatly wrapped up.

This is a fast read that grabs attention from the start. The perfect blend of events with police procedural executed by a competent and wonderful protagonist. I also add that the support staff played their roles to perfection and definitely were an asset in this mystery.

Mike Hollow style is clean with straight forward language making reading an easy one.

I thank NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an advance reader copy of “The Soho Murder.” All opinions and comments are my own.

The bombs are crashing in 1940 -- soon to be 1941 -- London, but that’s not what’s caused the death of middle-aged bookseller Samuel Bellamy. That's the bullet hole in his chest. In "The Soho Murder," Inspector John Jago and Constable Peter Cradock have a complicated case on their hands, with no obvious suspects, no obvious clues and apparently no reason for his murder. Well, come to find out, no kindly bookseller, he, as Jago and Cradock find out in the course of their investigation, with a nightclub singer, shady business practices and there’s even a hint of a threat to the realm thrown into the mix (with more information about that discussed in the author’s Acknowledgements). It’s all conveyed in Mike Hollow’s “just the facts, ma’am” style, which leaves readers plenty of room to do their own detecting.

As he combs streets littered with burnt-out buildings and bomb holes, Jago has time to reflect on “that other war,” the one that for him will never go away. There’s a lot of meditating going on here, a reflection of the times. Luckily, there’s Dorothy, the American journalist from earlier books (this is the ninth in the series), to help him along. They are growing closer together, a good sign. Jago and Cradock make an excellent team, and their partnership continues to bring results. Author Mike Hollow knows how to bring the past alive. “The Soho Murder” is another fine example.

I really throughly enjoyed this book! Maybe my favorite of the series. The murder takes place during the beginning of 1941 in Soho with the back drop the Blitz. The book brings the devastation that both this war and the great war had on the main character Detective John Jago. The author really brings to life the nitty gritty characters that call Soho home. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

This is the ninth book in the series, I hadn't read any of the others and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the plot.

Detective Inspector John Jago and his trusty sidekick are called to disreputable Soho where an antiquarian bookseller has been found shot in his own flat. The man, only fairly recently married (ie last few years), owned a bookshop and his wife owned an ecclesiastical printing business and bookshop.

Investigating the murder will take John deep into Soho, exploring the jazz clubs which tip off their (male) customers, and the underground card games which sucker in losers.

This was a well-written and fast-paced detective story, set against the backdrop of the Blitz. On the strength of this book I have downloaded the first two in the series (which are currently available on Kindle Unlimited if anyone wants to try before they buy).

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

A perfectly entertaining, intriguing and informative historical mystery. The setting is SOHO London at the end of 1940. A bookseller has been murdered and it is up to DI John Jago to investigate and find the killer.
The investigation takes a reader through the shadows of the German blitzing of London.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Special thanks to Allison & Busby, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

This was excellent! I did not know the author, but will definitely read all his books! The setting of this murder investigation is the Second World War. However, this remains in the background. The focus is the murder! I found this book extremely interesting as it is about book, antiquary books collectionners as well as bookshop. I learned a lot about the buying and selling which I was not necessarily aware of. What I also greatly enjoyed is the fact that our main police characters are first and foremost policemen, their private (past and present) life not overwhelming the novel. On top of this fact, I learned a great deal about a few topics through the dialogues between the police and their witnesses. That was fascinating ! Good characterization, realistic occurrings and an intricate plot. Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

Thanks to Mike Hollow, Allison & Busby, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent.

This book is number nine in a series and takes place in London during the blitz. The detectives, who brought Endeavour and Inspector Morse to mind, work the Soho part of London to solve a murder. The dialog is spot on, the pacing good, and the story was enjoyable. Highly Recommended.