Murder in wartime London

Edward Marston has written a number of crime/mystery series set in different places and eras. There is one set in Elizabethan England (see here), one on the ocean going liners of the turn of the twentieth century (see here), one set in Norman England (see here) and a series set on Victorian railways (see here). I quite like his books. They are quick and easy to read with interesting plots, although his characters and dialogue are often a bit wooden.

Orders to Kill is one of this author’s series set in the London police force during WW1. I’ve read most of this series and this is a slightly later volume, although I don’t think that it matters if they are read out of order.

The main characters of this series are two police officers – an Inspector and his Sergeant. The Sargent is engaged to the daughter of the Inspector who is herself one of the first police female police officers. All the police characters have bosses who are difficult in different ways. The book has story lines for the two main characters and another for the female police officer as well as including events in the personal lives of all of them.

The main story involves a doctor who is killed in a particularly gory manner. Initially it looks like the murder can’t be explained until investigations show that the surgeon was not the fine, upstanding man that he first appeared. It also seems that there may be other victims. There are lots of red herrings and plenty of possible suspects and overshadowing all of this is the war and its effects on how people live.

I enjoyed the story of this book. I liked the various sub-plots and insights into the social history of the time – the mistrust of female police officers and a character with mental health issues because of his service. The pace never flags and it’s a satisfying read.