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.

This uses the wartime element in this murder mystery perfectly, I was invested in what was going on and enjoyed the overall story being told. It uses the historical element in a way that worked overall and that the characters felt like they were supposed to. Mike Hollow has a great feel for the genre and the writing shows that. I was invested and wanted to read more.