I recently read all three of these books one after the other. The individuals in the stories were well thought out and went beyond the tropes of normal mystery characters; the detective who shows emotion, the heroine who pushes herself to help more in the war effort, the sidekick sergeant who is capable and well-rounded. The setting of London during the blitz is a wonderful choice to increase the tension and add another layer of story to the novel.
I enjoyed these books immensely and would recommend to anyone who loves mysteries or historical fiction.
Back Cover Copy of Murder At The Ritz:
August 1940. On the streets of London, locals watch with growing concern as German fighter planes plague the city’s skyline. But inside the famous Ritz Hotel, the cream of society continues to enjoy all the glamour and comfort that money can buy during wartime – until an anonymous man is discovered with his throat slashed open.
Detective Chief Inspector Coburg is called in to investigate, no stranger himself to the haunts of the upper echelons of society, ably assisted by his trusty colleague, Sergeant Lampson. Yet they soon face a number of obstacles. With the crime committed in rooms in use by an exiled king and his retinue, there are those who fear diplomatic repercussions and would rather the case be forgotten.
With mounting pressure from various Intelligence agencies, rival political factions and gang warfare brewing either side of the Thames, Coburg and Lampson must untangle a web of deception if they are to solve the case – and survive.
Back Cover Copy of Murder At The Savoy:
September 1940: the height of the Blitz. The Savoy Hotel boasts London’s strongest air raid shelter with all the luxury expected from one of the capital’s most prestigious hotels. It prompts the arrival of a disgruntled crowd from the East End, demanding they be allowed entry and respite from the endless bombing raids. They are given permission to enter and are stunned by the opulence that greets them. The all-clear sounds the next morning and London comes slowly back to life, but not everyone can dust themselves down and carry on. One of the hotel’s guests has been discovered dead, stabbed in the back. Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called in and the finger of suspicion falls firmly upon the East Londoners, but not everything is as it seems in these sumptuous surroundings.
Back Cover Copy of Murder At Claridge’s:
One of the Claridge’s kitchen porters is found dead – strangled. He was a recent employee who claimed to be Romanian, but evidence suggests he may have been German. Detective Chief Inspector Coburg has to find out exactly who he was, and what he was doing at Claridge’s under a false identity. Once he has established those facts, he might get an insight into why he was killed, and who by.
Coburg’s job is complicated by the fact that so many of the hotel’s residents are exiled European royalty. King George of Greece is registered as ‘Mr. Brown’ and even the Duke of Windsor is staying, though without Wallis Simpson. Clandestine affairs, furtive goings-on and conspiracies against the government: Coburg must tread very lightly indeed.
To purchase your copies click here: Amazon
About Jim Eldridge:
Jim Eldridge was born in the Euston area of London in late 1944 during WW2, surviving attacks by V1 and V2 rockets.
He left school at 16 and did a variety of jobs before training to be a teacher. He taught in disadvantaged areas of Luton while at the same time building a career as a scriptwriter and writing children’s books.
He left teaching to become a full-time writer. In 2010 he moved away from scriptwriting and children’s books to concentrate on writing historical crime novels for adults. In his 40-year career as a scriptwriter he had 250 TV scripts broadcast in the UK and internationally, including writing for US TV; and 250 radio scripts broadcast by the BBC. These included the long-running comedy-drama series “King Street Junior”. As a scriptwriter Jim created 17 series for BBC and ITV, and wrote for a further 20 series. His children’s books included the best-selling “The Trenches” and “Roman Invasion” in Scholastic’s “my Story” series.
Of his adult crime novels his Museum Mysteries series for Allison & Busby, set in Victorian England and featuring Daniel Wilson and Abigail; Fenton, have become highly successful; as has his series set in London during WW2, featuring DCI Edgar Saxe-Coburg.
After many years living in rural Ireland and Cumbria, Jim and his wife Lynne now live in Kent.
Details of Jim’s writing can be found at his website www.jimeldridge.com.
