On Wings of Death
This book is set in in the First World War, where Sergeant Miller is a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. He is sent to an airfield near Ypres to confirm that the death of a pilot was indeed a suicide. Miller was brought up in America but is English and is sick of being mistaken for an American. He is an excellent pilot, and his credentials for this investigation come solely from a brief spell as a Pinkerton detective. This book depicts the horrors of the First World War in graphic and authentic detail; Miller not only has to try and investigate the suicide but also fly on daily missions over the enemy lines. When another man is found dead, supposedly shot by his own pistol, Miller understands there is more to this case than he realised.
David Oldman is an excellent writer; the historical detail is accurate and the reader is drawn into the dangerous world of a First World War pilot. As events escalate the pace increases until the book ends with a satisfying and unexpected conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Royal Flying Corps who also likes a tense, well-written thriller.
