Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I always enjoy reading novels set in London during and just after WWII and given that Jim Eldridge has written extensively about the period and has a huge back catalogue, I thought I was in safe hands.

This series opener begins in August 1940 with the Eton educated son of the Duke of Dawlish, Hon. Edgar Walter Septimus Saxe-Coburg (aka DCI Coburg), called to the Ritz following the discovery of an unknown corpse in one of the suites occupied by King Zog of Albania and his extensive retinue. The victim’s throat has been cut and although not part of the Albanian royal party, the body was discovered in the room of the King’s private secretary, Count Ahmed, who is currently away. Given King Zog was smuggled out of his home country and then France following the invasion of Mussolini’s troops, has been the subject of numerous assassination attempts and reportedly has two million in gold bullion and American dollars stored in his rooms, it’s anyone’s guess what the murdered man was after. When the victim is identified as a regular lackey for a South London criminal gang it complicates matters further, but not before Coburg has his superiors, MI5 and MI6 all sticking their oar in as to whether he should proceed with the investigation or simply back off.

Coburg’s memories of the WWI trenches are all too vivid and although his painfully working-class Sergeant, Ted Lampson, is itching to do his bit for the country, as a single father he is exempt from combat duties. Although Coburg is from an illustrious background there are no airs and graces about him and he goes out of his way to ensure he is not given preferential treatment, so much so that it becomes tiresome quite quickly as he asserts his man of the people credentials which feel a tad too woke for 1940. Likewise the sexual mores of Coburg and his female flame, Rosa, and the fact that pretty much every conversation seems to include a frank reference to their bedroom activity, or end up in bed, felt noticeably out of keeping with the era. The unwarranted salacious details of the gay bar in the basement of the Ritz also felt like a half-hearted attempt to sex the novel up! The book features a cameo by Commander Ian Fleming and a fleeting appearance by Guy Burgess, neither of which feel like anything over than name-dropping for the sake of it.

Sadly I found this whole novel decidedly amateurish from the clunky characterisation to the fact that Eldridge gave the reader a heavy-handed history lesson at every available opportunity (explanations of petrol rationing, the blackout and the role of an ARP warden all trotted out). Every discovery and revelation was overexplained and spelt out again and it gave the novel the feel of being aimed at a younger audience as well as slowing it down and taking far longer than it should have to put the investigation to bed. Whilst I feel unable to recommend this novel and am now reluctant to try more by the author, I would recommend The Blitz Detective by Mike Hollow for those seeking an alternative book with a 1940 London setting.

I know that I am going to enjoy this series set in 1940s London and dealing with Inspector Coburg, old Etonian, first world war veteran and decent detective. Working with his sergeant Lampson a widower with the backdrop of the fears of Dunkirk and in the midst of the Battle of Britain the duo investigate the murder of an Albanian in the suite of King Zog of Albania at the Ritz, who is the .victim and why is every spy in London also interested in the case.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Fabulous start to Jim Eldredge's new series - Set in the 1940's during World War II the story focussed on Detective Inspector Coburg as he investigates a murder at the Ritz hotel.. With cameos from Ian Fleming and King Zog of Albania this was a delightful novel albeit one tinged with the sadness and harsh realities of war time Britain.
Highly recommended.

I quite enjoyed this book in parts, however some parts I struggled to get through as there seemed to be a lot of filler details that didn't hugely add to the story.

Any novel which features - in no particular order - Commander Ian Fleming, King Zog of Albania, a dodgy lawyer called Pentangle Underhill, and a Detective Chief Inspector named The Hon. Edgar Walter Septimus Saxe-Coburg promises to be a great deal of fun, and Murder At The Ritz by Jim Eldridge didn't disappoint. It is set in London in August 1940, and Ahmet Muhtar Zogolli, better known as King Zog of Albania has been smuggled out of his homeland after its invasion by Mussolini's Italy, and he has now taken over the entire third floor of London's Ritz Hotel, complete with various retainers and bodyguards - as well as a tidy sum in gold bullion.

Anyone who has studied the history of Albania will know that it has always been a chaotic place. In the 1920s, while working at the League of Nations, the famous sportsman CB Fry was reputedly offered the throne. For a rather more serious memoir of Albania during WW2, Eight Hours From England by Anthony Quayle is well worth a read, and we all know - thanks to the Taken franchise, starring Liam Neeson, that Albania's chief export to the rest of the world is organised crome, drug-running, money laundering and people trafficking.

Back to the story, and when a corpse is discovered in one of the King's suites, Coburg is called in to investigate. The attempt to relieve the Albanian monarch of his treasure sparks off a turf war between two London gangs who, rather like the Krays and the Richardsons in the 1960s, occupy territories 'norf' and 'sarf' of the river. After several more dead bodies and an entertaining sub-plot featuring Coburg's romance with Rosa Weeks, a beautiful and talented young singer, there is a dramatic finale involving a shoot-out near the Russian Embassy. This is a highly enjoyable book that occupies the same territory as John Lawton's Fred Troy novels It is nowhere near as dark and dystopian as those books, but Murder At The Ritz is none the worse for that.

Since 2016 Jim Eldridge has concentrated on writing historical crime fiction for adults. Previously he worked as a scriptwriter and wrote books for children and young adults. As a scriptwriter he had over 250 TV and 250 radio scripts broadcast in the UK and internationally. Murder At The Ritz is published by Allison & Busby and is out now.

Having never read any previous books by this author, I came to it without preconceptions but had imagined it as a cross between Foyle's War and an Agatha Christie novel and was really looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, it didn't really live up to my expectations.

The book is set during the Second world war and the lead protagonist is an ex-Etonian police officer with a royal name and aristocratic background. The plot begins with a murder at the Ritz hotel and centres around the deposed Albanian King and his entourage. A second strand centres around gangland criminals. All of this takes place against a backdrop of German bombing raids and wartime romances, with a variety of security services thrown I to the mix.

I had 2 main issues with the book. We all know that wartime acted to speed up relationships and that people are less likely to feel constrained by social mores but I don't find it at all likely that they were doing it openly as the author seems to suggest - especially an aristocratic senior policeman and a singer. The idea of them openly sleeping together/or living together didn't seem credible to me - certainly not without comment from anyone.

Additionally, I think it needs further editing. Research is great but throwing in big chunks of it where it doesn't move on the plot, is not. For example, when Ted goes to Ramsgate there are several pages where nothing at all happens other than the author summarising his research about the war.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A disappointing start to a new series by Jim Eldridge. I have read all of his Museum Mysteries and while these are far from perfect, they are a good enough read. This book I found almost amateurish, which was surprising for so experienced a writer. Generally speaking, the problem with Jim Eldridge's Museum Mysteries and with this one also to a much greater extent, is that while they purport to be set in historical times, the attitudes, behaviour and social mores of the characters are very 21st century. For example, the relationship between Rosa Weekes and Edgar Coburg was very modern, in that they clearly indulged in casual, pre-marital sex to an extent that would have been frowned upon in the times that the book was set. In fact, this aspect of the book seemed strangely emphasised. There seemed such an obsession with casual sex to the point where it seemed to be a positive idée fixe of the writer. There was barely a scene between Rosa and Coburg that didn't end up with them in bed together, and while there were no actual details (surprisingly coy, for the number of times Eldridge took us there), there was some quite frank sexual commentary between characters, as well as their thoughts on the subject. Had this been a book set in contemporary times, this would all have been rather tame but in a book set during the Second World War it seems extremely incongruous, given the relatively repressive sexual attitudes of those times. It is as though the author is striving desperately to show his readers how liberal and modern an attitude he has, and it is actually a little pathetic. The romance angle also detracted from the tightness of the plot, which was actually quite good despite the shortcomings of other aspects of the book. It just seemed to get in the way for absolutely no reason at all, and it added nothing to the story.

The police procedure was also somewhat flawed, and again this was a surprise from a seasoned mystery story writer. He had the detectives blatantly break into a house and then search the premises. At that point their reason for doing so was extremely tenuous so it is unlikely that any official warrant to do such would have been granted, but after what amounted to an illegal entry and search, they then proceed to remove items from the premises. Each of these actions put them on the wrong side of the law themselves, but this is not at all acknowledged by either policeman. Even in those days there was official and legal police procedure, and this certainly was outside it. Incidentally, the item removed from the house was placed in an 'evidence bag'. Such things were not in existence at that time, since the first plastic bags appeared a good 10 years after the Second World War. A paper envelope possibly, but definitely not an evidence bag, Anyway, by this time this alleged 'evidence' would have been so far inadmissible, that such a precaution would have been rendered completely unnecessary.

Another unlikely occurrence was the existence of the obviously Gay bar cum pick-up joint, the Pink Sink, at the Ritz Hotel. Such an establishment, while it would definitely have existed, it is unlikely to have been located so openly in the basement of a hotel of the calibre of the Ritz, which held even more cachet then than now, and it is high falutin' enough today. At a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence, it is certain that the Ritz Hotel would not have hosted so risqué a bar within it's hallowed halls.

I found the tacit bickering and petty one-upmanship between the police and the various British intelligence factions to be somewhat puerile and immature, and the constant references to Coburg's family background and social status became extremely tedious. The whole thing became a bit 'Boy's Own' and I found it faintly ridiculous, if I'm honest. Coburg himself, while purporting to be just an ordinary policeman who puts his social status as the son of a Duke aside to work at a humble, working man's occupation, actually plays both ends against the middle as and when it suits him.

As aforementioned, the plot was not at all bad. There were several threads that each resulted in different enquiries which, unusually for books within this genre, did not actually converge at all. The reader expects that they will all come together but they actually never do, and remain separate incidents throughout. A little disjointed, but this did not detract - not when so much else did! The characters were likeable enough, although the mixing of fictional characters and actual historical figures was not handled as well as I have seen it done in other books - not least Eldridge's own! From the utter inconsequentiality of much of what went on in this book, it is clear that the ground is being prepared for a series, so much could be excused. However, as Jim Eldridge is not a novice in this arena, he could have been a touch more subtle in his handling of this aspect.

Finally, surely Eldridge could have come up with a better name for an Albanian King than Zog. Sounds more like a character from a children's fairy tale than a murder mystery story. After this, I think I might read Hotel Mysteries no. 2, but not no. 3 if no.2 does not show a vast improvement, There is no excuse for such a sloppy book from this author.

This was a thoroughly engrossing read, which ticked all the boxes. DCI Coburg, who is distantly related to the royal family, is clearly a very capable chap. He’s been particularly wheeled in on this murder, as the murder victim is discovered in the suite of an exiled king at the Ritz, and is regarded as a safe pair of hands to deal with the shocked exile and members of his court. However, this case soon spirals off into involving the murkier world of criminal gangs and I really enjoyed the twisting plot that provided plenty of surprises along the way. Some I thought I saw coming – until they turned into something else more interesting. I always enjoy it when that happens.

The characterisation worked well, and Eldridge has given a convincing portrayal of life in London at a time just before rationing and the blitz really got going. There is a particular scene where one of the first bombings occur, where the horror and shock at the devastation caused is very well captured. Eldridge could have turned this into a much darker read by focusing on the fear engendered by the war and making the murders much grittier – but he chooses not to. While the deaths of the victims are not played down in any way, the overall tone of the book is generally upbeat. Eldridge achieves this by introducing a romantic thread and also giving us a shaft of glamour through DCI Coburg’s regular visits to lounge at the Ritz.

The balance between light and shade, the plot progression, the deft characterisation and the successful evocation of the period makes this a thoroughly satisfying read. Highly recommended for fans of well-written historical murder mysteries. While I obtained an arc of Murder at the Ritz from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

I read this as a free ARC via NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an unbiased review. It’s a decent story with likeable main characters, aristocratic Edgar and his working class colleague Ted, and Edgar’s love interest, Rosa, a singer. There were a few points where I felt a little tighter editing would have benefitted. And a few times where events seemed utterly implausible, such as the death of Rosa’s friend (decapitation by a flying shard of glass, seriously?!), or Ted’s attack because he put his gun away while arresting the man... those did detract a little for me. But overall a decent enough book.

Great London wartime setting. A bit more gruesome than I was expecting but like DCI Coburg and Rosa. Now one of several literary senior detectives with an aristocratic background, I am hoping there will be more Coburg stories. Fictional and real characters appear together in this story without it jarring. This is billed as the first book in a series so looking forward to the next.

Murder at the Ritz is a well-written, well-paced police procedural set in London in 1940, to the backdrop of blackouts and bombings. It’s a surprisingly successful combination of genres.

Eldridge is an experienced writer of TV scripts, and it shows. The novel keeps up a good steady pace, with vivid setting and scenes, relatable characters, an intriguing plot and snappy dialogue.

I think this would be an excellent choice of book for anyone looking for an entertaining, readable book that will hold your interest. It’s a Netflix and chill experience, in book form. (Ebook or paper: take your pick!) I can think of worse ways to spend your time.

Detective Chief Inspector Coburg is a policeman with an upper-class background, which helps open doors when investigating crime in the upper echelons. But he’s portrayed as equable and well liked by ‘ordinary folk’ too. You can’t help thinking of Nathaniel Parker in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (A BBC TV series from 2001-2008). Like Lynley, Coburg has a working-class sidekick, Sergeant Lampson.

It’s a good formula, and Eldridge adds a few ingredients from other well-known and popular genres — together they add up to quite a unique style. On top of the police procedural, there’s the character of the Albanian exiled King Zog and rumors of large quantities of gold bullion, reminiscent of Golden Age crime novel subplots. The 1940s London blitz setting brings a note of historical fiction (with its typical plucky lass volunteering to ‘do her bit for the war effort’ by driving an ambulance), while the brewing gang warfare supplies a zest of classic ’40s noir.

So yes, maybe it’s a bit of a dog’s dinner in terms of genre. But I imagine the vast majority of readers couldn’t care less about the genre blending and will just enjoy it as a good read and a welcome distraction.

My thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

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.

Throughly enjoyable murder mystery - Agatha Christie style! The author kept me interested, immersed and interested throughout. I would recommend to others and will definitely look out for further books from the author.

Murder at the Ritz by Jim Eldridge
I have not read any of the Museum series by this author but was very entertained by this new offering which is the start of a new series. It is set in 1940 and the detective investigating the murders is Chief Inspector the Hon. Edgar Walter Septimus Saxe-Coburg. He is a distant relative of the British monarchy and the 2nd son of a Duke. Additionally he was a hero of the First World War, wounded in action. His heritage leads to him being chosen to investigate the discovery of a dead body in the rooms at the Ritz occupied by the retinue of King Zog.
His investigations lead him and his trusted Sergeant, plain old Ted Lampson, to uncover the machinations of M15, M16, the Foreign Office, the British Fascist Party and gang warfare north and south of the river. Along the way he manages to find time for romance with a talented singer at the Ritz with whom he has been “friends” for years.
We are introduced to some real characters along the way; such as Guy Burgess and Commander Ian Fleming. This was a well-researched book which was entertaining and came to a satisfying conclusion. I will recommend it to my book group members and look forward to reading future offerings. I would like to thank the author, Net Galley and Allison and Busby for allowing me to read the book in return for an honest review.

In Which We Meet DCI Coburg.....
The first in the Hotel Mysteries, a new series of historical crime from Jim Eldridge (author of the Museum Mysteries series) and 1940’s, London set. Despite external chaos, the glamorous Ritz Hotel provides luxurious comfort to its’ residents - that is, until a gruesome discovery is made. Hugely enjoyable with an interesting and likeable protagonist in Detective Chief Inspector Coburg, called on to investigate matters along with his reliable sidekick Sergeant Lampson. Satisfying reading.

Murder at the Ritz is the first book I've read by Jim Eldridge, but it won't be the last.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable 1940s murder-mystery with enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing throughout the story. I loved the way the author embedded the story into the events of the time, with the threat of air bombs, and the tragedies they brought. The book felt quite claustrophobic in places, with the threat of the German invasion never far away.

The story felt very complete, and well researched - the gangsters, the British Fascist party, MI5, MI6, the Foreign Office, and that's even without the events at the Ritz, and the murder!

Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

It was my fault – I admit it. I assumed that the new book from Jim Eldridge was going to be another of his Museum Mysteries series. I was awestruck by the episode in Murder at the Natural History Museum where Oscar Wilde is interviewed in prison and wanted to see where Eldridge would next take Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton.

However, Murder at the Ritz is the start of a new series – and it’s definitely just as good as the Museum Mysteries. The main character is Detective Chief Inspector The Honourable Edgar Walter Septimus Saxe-Coburg, the third son of the late Duke of Dawlish. What a mouthful! However, DCI Edgar Coburg is a very considerate, very good copper. He can commandeer a car from the police pool but is happy to allow his sergeant, Ted Lampson, to take it – for Ted’s convenience but also to practice his driving. That’s one of those contemporary details that Eldridge is so good at – petrol rationing meant fewer opportunities to drive and thus infrequent drivers would lose their skills.

Eldridge often involves famous people in his mysteries - in this case, Guy Burgess and Ian Fleming. Both of them make major contributions to the plot. I do like that aspect of Eldridge’s books: the historical characters aren’t just walk-on parts; they genuinely interact with the fictional characters and are integral to the plot. Fleming, for example, attended Eton along with his elder brother, Peter, albeit several years after Coburg. He explains that Coburg was a hero to the Fleming brothers and offers Coburg help with his current case.

The action takes place over ten days in August 1940 and the book is a real page-turner with several dead bodies (not all murdered by characters in the book - this is England during WWII and enemy action did kill people, sadly); nascent gang warfare; and some inter-departmental rivalry between “Five” and “Six” (MI5 & MI6). Coburg’s aristocratic family background opens doors, e.g. King Zog of Albania asks to see Edgar when a dead body is found in the King’s suite of rooms at the Ritz and greets Edgar with “I am told that you are a member of the British royal family”. However, Coburg lives in an ordinary flat in Hampstead and we don’t meet his eldest brother, the current Duke. There’s even some romance with Edgar meeting an old flame who’s performing a cabaret spot at the Ritz.

Don’t worry, fellow Museum Mystery fans – I believe Wilson & Fenton will return later in 2021, investigating a Murder at Madame Tussauds. However, my loyalties are now divided – I can’t decide whether to hope Jim Eldridge will publish a Hotel Mystery or a Museum Mystery next. They are both excellent detective series.

#MurderattheRitz #NetGalley

This is a great first book in a new series. Chief Inspector Coberg (2nd son of a peer and WWI honored officer), is picking up his Sargeant Ted Lampson, when there is a bomb alert. He helps get Lampson's son Terry and the woman next door to the shelter, before heading for the Ritz Hotel to investigate a murder. A man has been murdered in the room of Count Ahmed, secretary to King Zog of Albania. King Zog has booked a floor of rooms for his retinue, but the Count is currently away. On his way out of the hotel, Cobert sees Rosa Weeks, a jazz pianist and singer who Cobert had been very fond of before she went away on tour. She is performing in the Ritz, and they become very friendly.

Meanwhile, Cobert and Lampson have many obstacles to their investigation. They can't find Ahmed for a long time; the body of the murdered man has been taken away from the mortuary by four unknown men who claimed to be from MI5; there are rumors that King Zog has brought with him over $2 million and they have to draw information from the Foreign Office, MI5, and MI6. Finally, they get pictures of Albanians, and Rosa identifies the dead man as the date of one of her housemates at a party they had. Now, the housemate is in danger. The case is also complicated because two gangs across the Thames from each other begin to begin attacking each other. A dead man is found in the River, and there is another dead man at the Ritz, this time one of the cooks.

There is a lot of excitement brewing in London with gang warfare, German bombs, missing people, and murders to solve along with a little love interest.

I thank Netgalley and Allison & Busby for providing the book for an honest review.

1940 London is the setting for this new historical police crime series by Jim Eldridge and based on Murder at the Ritz this will hopefully be an entertaining series.

The main characters are DCI Coburg and Sergeant Lampson who are both well sketched with nice quirks and a good relationship

The book starts with the murder of a person staying at the Ritz hotel which isn’t as straight forward as it seems with potential political implications confusing the picture.

The storyline is well paced with just enough twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages

Definitely recommended

I love the Museum Mysteries Series and was happy to start a new series by Jim Eldridge.
It's an highly entertaining and gripping read that mixes historical characters, like King Zog, with fiction making it works and delivering a very enjoyable novel.
The mystery is complex and solid, the solution came as a surprise and I loved the well researched historical background.
I can't wait to read the next instalment, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine