Death in a Blackout (A WPC Billie Harkness mystery, 1)
This first in a new series of mysteries embedded in the maelstrom of World War II England introduces conflicted and interesting individuals attempting to make sense of a society on the edge. Parallel stories unfold, and the reader is immediately thrown into the death and destruction that unrestricted bombing can inflict. Individuals are altered and lives taken, with new alliances quickly formed for survival.
Wilhelmina ‘Billie’ Harkness is suddenly adrift, with her father captured at Dunkirk, fate unknown, while her mother was recently killed in a blackout hit-and-run accident. Forced by these new circumstances to find meaning, and desperate to contribute to the war effort, she ventures to the coastal city of Hull at the request of distant relatives. Through a series of intriguing twists and turns, she finds herself enrolled as a new member of the recently established Women’s Police Constabulary, organized over vocal misogynist objections to augment the local depleted police forces as men enter the military.
Curious and not pre-conditioned, she realizes that a dead socialite discovered in the ruins of a bombed-out bakery was actually murdered, with her placement in the building an attempt at a cover-up. Struggling with the overarching war situation, criticisms from some colleagues, British social stigmas, androcentrism, and even her own uncertainties at times, Billie nonetheless attempts to put the many disconnected pieces together.
Adding to her confusion are a stolen delivery bicycle, a ubiquitous artist group, scraps of blue flyers, and a missing detailed map of the port installations. Various individuals and groups drift in and out on this war-torn landscape as Billie doggedly pursues answers to her questions. Surprises await, with friendships and bonds formed, and further adventures foreshadowed.
