I quite enjoyed this adventure in which Johnny Hawke gets caught up, unknowingly, in a Cold War espionage ring. The war is over, but Britain is still I quite enjoyed this adventure in which Johnny Hawke gets caught up, unknowingly, in a Cold War espionage ring. The war is over, but Britain is still under strict rationing and life seems pretty bleak at times.
Johnny’s involvement begins when a woman, Frances Clements, hires him to find her husband, Walter. She says that Walter works for a washing machine company and that he is often out of town, but always informs her beforehand. This time, he simply failed to come home without any notice; furthermore, in the morning she found a note slipped under the door that says:
I have to go away for a while. Don’t worry. I am fine. Carry on as normal and do not go to the police. All will be well. W.
As his investigation progresses, Johnny learns Walter was actually employed by the Foreign Office as a junior clerk-type and that he is being paid by Russian agents to give them secret information. When he went to a scheduled meet, British intelligence appears and Walter fled. He knows he is expendable and that the Russians will kill him if they catch him; likewise, he will be arrested and tried for treason if the Brits catch him.
Johnny is determined to find Walter and turn him over to meet justice and he meets lots of spy-types during his investigation. Quite fun!...more
After an iffy start with Book 1, I ended up quite enjoying this little series. Johnny has been mourning Max’s death of course, and during a visit to hAfter an iffy start with Book 1, I ended up quite enjoying this little series. Johnny has been mourning Max’s death of course, and during a visit to her grave, the resident priest hires him to look into the sudden death of a parishioner. A woman was found hanged in her home, so naturally the police assume suicide. Father Sanderson knows she had a secret that caused her murder but he is bound by the confessional. While Johnny is investigating this case, his friend, David Llewelyn, is reliving the most horrifying case of his career: a canabilistic killer that David caught years ago escaped from the asylum where he was held.
Peter is determined to join Johnny in the detective business, and while being treated for an injury, Johnny meets a young Russian woman named Ivana and there are hints that he may have found love again.
I presume this it the final book in the series, and it ends happily with a hopeful note for the future....more
In the last book, Johnny met a nice French girl named Max who is a costumer. Peter is growing up, now 14. They all get along well and Johnny knows thaIn the last book, Johnny met a nice French girl named Max who is a costumer. Peter is growing up, now 14. They all get along well and Johnny knows that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Max, and the sentiment is returned.
Then he gets hired by a man named Brian Garner whose wife had died in a fiery car crash several years earlier. Or so he thought, before he saw her a few days earlier at the South Kensington Tube station. When he called out her name, she ran. Thus begins a challenging mystery that ends with Johnny’s client being murdered - he wasn’t a nice man at all, so no worries there.
Johnny gets involved in a second, and even deadlier, case when he learns Benny has been threatened by some local, and formerly rather benign, gangsters. The thing is, the gang is under new management, and follows the adage that the female is deadlier than the male: a long lost female cousin initiates a protection racket. Johnny isn’t about to allow some criminals put the squeeze on his friend; unfortunately, the ensuing events place Johnny squarely in the gang’s sights. The former petty criminal embraces his inner killer and the book ends quite sadly.
This is probably the best book in the series as far as storyline and writing are concerned. I hate how it ended, though....more
There are two connected mysteries in this one. It starts when Johnny is hired by an unhappy wife to find out if her husband, Walter Riley, is having aThere are two connected mysteries in this one. It starts when Johnny is hired by an unhappy wife to find out if her husband, Walter Riley, is having an affair. He isn’t; he’s a secret transvestite and frequents a club for men of that persuasion. He is murdered right in front of Johnny, the only clue being that the man was in a black Wolesley. Johnny is determined to find the murderer and learns that Walter worked at the War Office.
Meanwhile, an AWOL sociopathic soldier named Harryboy Jenkins picks up a young, innocent girl named Rachel who just arrived in London from her dull home in Wales. Jenkins has murdered a vicar and stolen his car and continues a spree of armed robbery and murder. Johnny runs into them at Benny’s café. During his investigation of Riley’s death, he keeps encountering Jenkins and Rachel and tries to help Rachel.
To complicate matters even more, Peter, the young homeless boy from Book 1, is back in London. He was bullied relentlessly in Devon where he had gone to live and after having cow manure rubbed into his face but his tormentors, he runs away and returns to London.
All ends well, of course, and Johnny comes up with a way for Peter to stay in London with elderly sisters who run a boarding house....more
The second book of the series involves a serial killer who has been strangling prostitutes and British fascists. Johnny Hawke gets involved with the sThe second book of the series involves a serial killer who has been strangling prostitutes and British fascists. Johnny Hawke gets involved with the serial killer hunt when his brother - who is supposed to be with his Army unit on the Continent - is arrested on suspicion of being the killer. Johnny is sure his brother couldn’t be the killer, but his attention is distracted by the desire to trap the fascists and avenge the death of a young Jewish girl he had met....more
In this book, Crispin and Jack are hired by a treasure hunter, Carantok Teague, to accompany him to Cornwall and find Excalibur. There are a couple ofIn this book, Crispin and Jack are hired by a treasure hunter, Carantok Teague, to accompany him to Cornwall and find Excalibur. There are a couple of murders to solve. Kat Pyle shows up with a group of players - she has, um, met Teague before and has treasure on her mind as well. At one point she is kidnapped by Druids to be a sacrifice for their festival and has to be rescued. Oh, and yes, they find Excalibur and Crispin talks to Merlin.
But most importantly for Crispin and Jack, they earn loads of money and Teague actually gives them 2 horses! Treasure, indeed!...more
This is one of the best of the series, IMO. It is dated 1394 by the death of Queen Anne.
I enjoyed the intimate encounters with the king and the Duke oThis is one of the best of the series, IMO. It is dated 1394 by the death of Queen Anne.
I enjoyed the intimate encounters with the king and the Duke of Lancaster, not to mention the meeting with Julian of Norwich. Ms. Westerson does a good job of portraying the religious undercurrents that would eventually become the English Reformation.
In particular, Crispin’s conversations with the Duke are poignant knowing that the Duke would indeed die in just 5 years in 1399. Richard II would also abdicate and be murdered the following year....more
This is a quick, easy read about a private detective in 1940s London. Johnny Hawke had been a police constable when the war broke out. He joined the aThis is a quick, easy read about a private detective in 1940s London. Johnny Hawke had been a police constable when the war broke out. He joined the army but during training he lost an eye in a weapons mishap. He left the army and decided to become a private detective.
Johnny is hired by the parents to find their adult daughter - a young woman who left home for a decidedly less wholesome life. Also there is a young boy who leaves his home because his mother is a prostitute. Johnny keeps running into the boy and befriends him. Other characters are a B-list film star, a sleazy solicitor and his beautiful secretary.
The writing is very simple, almost juvenile except for a sprinkling of F-bombs and discussions about prostitution. I did enjoy the atmosphere and I’ll probably read the next book just to see if it improves....more
This one dragged for me and I was pretty sure who the murderer was early on. I have long praised this author and this series for remaining fresh and iThis one dragged for me and I was pretty sure who the murderer was early on. I have long praised this author and this series for remaining fresh and interesting with over 2-3 dozen books, but IMHO I believe the quality is finally beginning to decline. The past few books have been meh for me.
Am I still going to read them all? Absolutely yes. I adore these characters and, like old friends, I feel the necessity to visit them occasionally....more
First time read of this one. Dallas and Peabody get called out to investigate a DB of a young girl who had been impaled on a sharpened piece of wood. First time read of this one. Dallas and Peabody get called out to investigate a DB of a young girl who had been impaled on a sharpened piece of wood. The investigation eventually leads them to take down a global sex trafficking organization. Decent story, but IMO, the last few have lost a bit of the juice of the earlier books....more
Eve is at a bar with Dr Garnet DeWinter when Larinda Mars, a media personality specializing in society and gossip, bleeds out after having her brachiaEve is at a bar with Dr Garnet DeWinter when Larinda Mars, a media personality specializing in society and gossip, bleeds out after having her brachial artery sliced by an unknown assailant. Mars works for Channel 75, as does Nadine. Soon after Eve begins investigating the murder, she discovers that Mars had a very lucrative sideline of blackmail....more
This one was very cat-centric and heavy on Matt, so I really enjoyed that. Also, of the 3 murders that occurred, only 1 was solved, so we have a contiThis one was very cat-centric and heavy on Matt, so I really enjoyed that. Also, of the 3 murders that occurred, only 1 was solved, so we have a continuing arc into the next book.
This series has really grown on me as I’ve gotten acquainted with the characters, even Max. I’m waiting for the next 3 books to be delivered from eBay as they weren’t available from my favorite UBS....more
, Temple and Louie are invited to “audition“ for a role in a pet food commercial, and they are instructed to appear at a New York ad agency that repre, Temple and Louie are invited to “audition“ for a role in a pet food commercial, and they are instructed to appear at a New York ad agency that represents the cat food company. She is staying with her aunt Kit, the romance novelist she recently reconnected with during the romance book convention.
Meanwhile back in Vegas, Matt finally runs down his stepfather and turns him over to Lieutenant Molina. Then he decides to go to Chicago to visit his mother for Christmas and to get some answers about his childhood.
In New York, the Santa Claus who visits the ad agency Christmas party ends up dead in the chimney, hanged on a golden chain (Louie alerts the company to the body) and of course Temple snoops around trying to find the murderer. Everything is going swimmingly in both New York and Chicago until Max knocks on the door of Kit’s apartment. He makes a big speech about not wanting to lose Temple etc and invites her out for the evening. Again he gives her this spiel about how he loves her and has been faithful to her in spite of his spy heroics and deeds of derring-do. Temple goes back to his hotel with him and sleeps with him and then in the morning, she wakes up to ——- find him gone again. Aaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh! I do not like Max!
Following that, Matt calls her from Chicago. He has put his past to rest and is ready to take the future and Temple by the horns, so to speak. Aaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh, again! Now what? ...more
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