I'm not sure where I found out about this one but the library had it in stock. It is one of 4 Wartime Classics the IWM published last September.
London, 1942. Flight-Lieutenant David Heron, home in London on convalescent leave, awakes to the news that a murder victim has been discovered in the garden of his boarding house. With a week until his service resumes, David sets out to solve the murder. Drawn into a world of mystery and double dealing, can he solve the mystery before his return to the skies?
An interesting story, first published in 1943, but not a lot of depth to it and although it's 1942, there are very few mentions of the war and everyone seems able to move about in the blackout easily which seemed odd compared to others I've read.
The other 3 wartime classics they published last year are all set over-seas ......... one in Malaya, another in Normandy and the last in Albania. I'm not planning on reading those. There is no mention of more fiction from IWM archives being published but I'll make a note and check up again later this year.
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I'm glad our weather is changeable as I wouldn't want a whole winter like yesterday - it was foggy all day, very dull, damp and gloomy. So just three days of sunshine and frost. The roses that were still in bud in November have opened, all sorts of primula are flowering and the cyclamen and hellebore are colourful too and the grass just keeps growing but much, much too wet to cut. All seems a bit too early.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
It used to be much too early but, certain world leaders to the contrary, climate change is having such an impact on nature now.
ReplyDeleteIt was the same here - not really a very nice day at all. It may have been warmer but it felt colder.
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The sun tried hard to appear after all but then went again.
DeleteAs this book was actually published during the war, perhaps some of the ‘inconvenience’ of war was omitted on purpose. Although everyone was obviously experiencing the hardship and danger, I wonder if this fiction book was deliberately lacking in some real life? I love fiction books set in WWII, but they are written post war and are generally ‘warts and all’ and tell it how it was.
ReplyDeleteI’m waiting for the weather to change, again. But looking at the forecast, for down here, it looks to be staying dismal and then changing to rain!
I agree with Ann. I think of WW2 books were deliberately downplaying the difficult bits in an attempt to keep people's spirits up. It's damp, dark and dismal in Dorset too...
DeleteI hadn't thought of that but I'm sure you are right.
DeleteI liked yesterday. Not too cold either. And whatever happens, climates change, they always have. I don't know why we beat ourselves up about it. The human race is very adaptable and my life wasn't effected by the disappearance of Dunwich into the sea. Nor the extinction of the dinasaur or the dodo.
ReplyDeleteBlimey, I didn't realise you were so old that you were around when the Dodo disappeared!
DeleteWow! Rachel Phillips made a brave statement!
Delete"...climates change, they always have..."
One can be 'set upon,' for voicing such a statement, in many _places_. Bravo for your bravery.
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Although I do admit, I miss my memories of much, much more snow cover, in winter.
DeleteAnd we do our bit, with turning off lights, and not buying unnecessary plastic, recycling, and the like.
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Yes is was a nasty day yesterday, fog nearly all day, so cleaned a cupboard and then crocheted nearly all day and had a long chat on the phone with a friend and my son. The photo from your book reminds me of seeing the bombs when I was a child.
ReplyDeleteHazel c uk
You kept busy out of the fog - I had to go shopping
DeleteI have things flowering in my garden too which feel out of sync with the season.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad when people think that just because climate change isn't affecting them it doesn't matter. No thought for the world at large - polar bears in the Artic especially are having a hard time and so are the wildlife in Australia. Having grandchildren and wondering what their furture might hold possibly puts a different slant on things for some of us.
In any case we are only stewards of this world and we should all want to do our best to take care of it and all the people and animals living on it in the best way possible, whether or not the climate changes.
I love the cover of the WW2 book.
Usually we get frosts which make any late budding roses go brown and fall off, so it's odd to see them actually opening
DeleteIn Dorset, yesterday's weather was just like yours. Unfortunately, same again today :-(
ReplyDeleteYou aren't tempting me to try the IWM reprints, even though I prefer books written at the time to modern novels dealing with the same period but getting so much wrong.
Sounds as if it was foggy nationwide.
DeleteI'm enjoying so many publishers reprinting old books - makes reading much more interesting
Yes there was a lot of thick fog yesterday. Thicker in Wales than in England ... as I couldn't even reading the flashing warning signs in Wales but could just about make them out in England ;-)
ReplyDeleteHope the fog hadn't caused too many problems on the motorways
ReplyDeleteThere were a few near misses, especially one stupid guy in a sporty number that appeared going much too fast behind me and had to swerve over into the other lane to avoid my car.
DeleteI must see whether our libraries have the book in stock, though they don't seem quite as adventurous as whoever stocks your local libraries!
ReplyDeleteWe have a suggestion page on the libraries website - they usually buy things I suggest - although this book wasn't one I suggested. There's also a bit on the website where they list all the new books they've bought which is handy for ideas
DeleteIt's been as dull as ditch water here all day...very uninspiring. I imagine there was 'plenty under the counter' during wartime. I wonder if I would have qualified for any particular favours from anyone during wartime?! x
ReplyDeleteThe sun tried to come through midday - just for a while but was soon gone again
DeleteWe've had the fog too, and the drizzle today. I much prefer the sunshine and frost.
ReplyDeleteI always am drawn to the art work on the covers of books from that war time era. Sorry you were disappointed in the story.
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