Why a Booktrail?
1939: First in the DCI Frank Merlin Series
Princes Gate
Why a Booktrail?
1939: First in the DCI Frank Merlin Series
What you need to know before your trail
When a brilliant emigré scientist is killed by a hit-and-run driver and the body of a female employee of the American Embassy is washed up in the Thames, DCI Frank Merlin and his team investigate. Merlin’s investigations soon ruffle feathers at the Foreign Office as the American ambassador, Joseph Kennedy is a well-known supporter of appeasement, and many powerful and influential Britons favour the pursuit of a negotiated peace settlement with Hitler. The death of another embassy employee leads Merlin into some of the seedier quarters of wartime London. His investigations are hampered by interfering superiors fearful of their impact on Anglo-American relations. This at a time when, to many, America represents Britain’s only hope of salvation. Capturing the atmosphere of Britain in January 1940 Princes Gate is an enthralling detective novel.
Locations
Reset- England - London
- A: Princes Gate
- B: Foreign Office
- C: American Embassy
- D: Downing Street
- E: Marble Arch
Travel Guide
Explore and BookTrail wartime London with Mark Ellis
Princes Gate is the first in a new series of crime thrillers that involve DCI Frank Merlin. These atmospheric books are set in wartime London mixing historical and fictional characters and featuring a charismatic and intriguing half-Spanish detective.
The setting here is the Foreign Office and the American Embassy so the diplomatic world is interesting to see behind!
The atmosphere of wartime London before the bombings is very well done. You get a sense that life in the capital was pretty quiet compared to the rest of the world but the danger is omnipresent. The author places you heart and soul into the setting of wartime London via fine details such as Merlin’s shoes and the music of the era. There’s a bigger picture drawn by including the geopolitical debates of the time.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Princes Gate
Destination/location: London Author/guide: Mark Ellis Departure Time: 1939
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