Vividly atmospheric and brimming with suspense, Mark Ellis presents this insanely captivating wartime thriller of classic espionage.

The third instalment in the Frank Merlin series, following on from Stalin's Gold. Previously published as Merlin at War.

PRAISE FOR THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DCI FRANK MERLIN SERIES:
'A richly atmospheric, authentic, and suspenseful detective series' - Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author

'So immaculately nuanced they genuinely feel like they belong in the cannon of mid-20th century thrillers . . . Another belter!' - Fiona Phillips

'A truly spellbinding page turner that keeps you hooked right to the end' - Dorset Book Detective

'Brimming with action . . . complex, addictive and highly entertaining . . . I cannot wait to read more books by Mark Ellis' - The Book Cosy Book Club

'Brimming with authentic details . . . A compelling tale of crime fiction' - Foreword Reviews

'A mammoth read with a Dickensian plethora of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in . . . meticulously researched . . . deliciously complex' - CARAMEROLLOVESBOOKS
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Violent deaths. French double agents. Daring fraud.
DCI Frank Merlin sets out on his most complex case yet...
War rages across Europe.

France is under Nazi rule. Britain has its back to the wall.

In London, Scotland Yard detective Frank Merlin investigates a series of disturbing events - a young girl killed in a botched abortion, a French emigré shot in a seedy Notting Hill flat, a mysterious letter written by a British officer recently gunned down in Crete.

With action spanning Buenos Aires, New York, Cairo and occupied France, Merlin and his team are plunged into a dark world of espionage, murder, love and betrayal.

Mark Ellis is a thriller writer from Swansea and a former barrister and entrepreneur. Mark grew up under the shadow of his parents' experience of the Second World War. His father served in the wartime navy and died a young man. His mother told him stories of watching the heavy bombardment of Swansea from the safe vantage point of a hill in Llanelli, and of attending tea dances in wartime London under the bombs and doodlebugs.

In consequence, Mark has always been fascinated by World War II and, in particular, the Home Front and the fact that while the nation was engaged in a heroic endeavour, crime flourished. Murder, robbery, theft and rape were rife.

Author of the DCI Frank Merlin series, Mark is also a member of the Crime Writer's Association.

He lives in London.