Death in a Blackout

An excellent well written historical mystery novel!!! This book had it all for me. It’s extremely well written with tons of historic detail to the time period, great and relatable characters, and an interesting yet fun plot and storyline. Highly recommend for all mystery lovers. You will not be disappointed!!!

Death in a Blackout is the first book in Ellicott's compelling brand new historical mystery series. Our library has all of Jessica's Beryl and Edwina Mysteries in our collection so it was a no-brainer that we'd buy this one too. It was a great read with excellent characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel.

Jessica Ellicott was a new author for me and I'm glad to say I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel in a new series. Ms Ellicott has set her historical mystery in a city that doesn't have the name recognition I am familiar with reading about (Hull) as well as putting her characters in occupations that are slightly unusual. Wilhelmina Harkness has lately suffered the death of her mother in an automobile accident, her father is a prisoner of war and her brother is unaccounted for on the battlefield. Wilhelmina, or Billie as she is called in the story, received a letter from a member of the family she knew nothing about with an invitation to come for a visit to Kingston upon Hull while adjusting to the death of her mother. Billie had wanted to sign up for the war effort but now realizes she can't continue to live in the rectory with the bachelor temporary rector taking her father's place, so she whole heartedly accepts the offer from her cousin Lydia Harkness.

Billie Harkness is hired as the second female constable in Hull and assigned to work with Peter Upton, a special constable who works as a policeman after completing his regular job each day along the docks of the port. During a bombing raid Billie finds the body of a woman in a cafe who was dead before the bombing started. She and Peter have to find ways to work together while they solve this unusual murder mystery.

I liked this plot, writing style and unusual circumstances quite a lot. I can see how Billie and Peter can each use their strengths to make a good team when solving crimes. Both are young, in their early 20s (I think) but both also show a lot of good old fashioned common sense which I appreciate. Having the story set in Hull was quite refreshing and added an aspect of interest to the project that makes me want to read the second book when it is released.

A Suspicious Death…
The first in the WPC Billie Harkness series of historical mysteries finds Billie protecting the home front of Hull in a 1940’s Britain. Billie has a painful past and has set out to practically reinvent herself. When she is caught in an air raid she stumbles across the body of a woman and realises that this death is way more suspicious than it first appears. Billie sets out for justice. A well written and immersive mystery with a credible cast and a solid sense of time and place. A promising start to a new series.

“Death in a Blackout” is the first in a new series featuring WPC Billie Harkness.

The year is 1940, WW11 is raging, and Great Britain is suffering regular bombing raids. This was something that Billie Harkness hadn’t encountered in her home village of Barton St Giles in Wiltshire. However, after the sudden death of her mother, she decides to take up an invitation to stay with her cousin Lydia in Kingston upon Hull in the North of England.

Hull became a prime target for bombing due to it being an industrial centre and a strategic port, which meant that Billie experienced war on the home front for the very first time.

After only a few days in her new home, Billie is hired as only the second female Constable in Hull.
She’s assigned to work with Special Constable Peter Upton, but after a bad start, they have to learn to work as a team. One case that Billie is determined to solve is that of a young woman named Audrey, who Billie discovered in a bombed out cafe - Audrey’s injuries didn’t appear to be the result of an air raid!

Well written historical fiction, with Billie and Peter making interesting and relatable protagonists. Billie had previously led a very sheltered life in Wiltshire, but she has all the makings of an excellent WPC, and is determined to change the minds of those who believe that women have no place in the police force. “Death in a Blackout” is a promising start to this new series.

Outside of London, the port city of Hull, England was the most heavily bombed by the Germans. Vicar's daughter Billie Harkness has just arrived in town as the first of many bombs begin to descend. In short order Billie's is hired by the local constabulary as one of the first women in the force. Thanks to her newly-minted WPC position, she is uniquely situated to weigh in on and eventually solve the murder of a local girl. Jessica Elliott's spunky sleuth Billie offers a fascinating vantage point for the reader to experience chaotic, wartime Hull. In future installments one hopes to learn less about Billie's male colleague Peter and more about what makes Billie tick. Thank you to Severn House for this enjoyable read.

June 1940. Circumstances have lead Rector's daughter Wilhelmina Harkness to leave her home in the village of Barton St Giles, Wiltshire and stay with her cousin Lydia in Kingston upon Hull. Events leads to her becoming the second WPC in the area, resulting in her investigating the death of a female during an air raid, helped by Special Constable Peter Upton. Is everything as simple as it first seems.
An entertaining, well-plotted and well-written historical murder mystery. A good start to this new series with its likeable and varied characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

Well-done series debut featuring a brand new wartime women's police constable in WWII England. Billie Harkness left her small town home after her minister father and brother went off to war, and her mother died in a shocking accident. Billie ends up staying with her strong and independent-minded cousin with considerably more freedom than she had growing up in a parsonage. She almost immediately lands a job as one of the first female constables, with mixed reception by the public and the male police force.

But Billie, although young, is exceptionally level-headed. And a lifetime of watching her parents minister to her father's flock has made her compassionate and imperturbable. She witnesses a mystery and discovers a body before she is even hired. Is it murder or a bombing raid fatality? The wartime setting is well-drawn and interesting.

Billie is an admirable protagonist and I look forward to further adventures. She has a lot of poise for such a young woman, and handles herself well during the investigation. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's 1940 and there's a German bombing on one of Billie's first nights in Hull, where she's moved after the death of her mother- and she finds the body of a woman a cafe. She's living with her cousin Lydia (great character) and she's gotten a job as a Constable. Special Constable Peter Upton is supposed to be her trainer and partner but the two of them don't get along at first, Billie's determined to find out what happened to the woman, who was killed by the bomb. There'a a slightly convoluted path to the answer which meanders through a stolen bike, art students, and other things. There are delightful atmospherics. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good start to a new series.

Wilhelmina Harkness is the 22-year-old daughter of a rector in a small town in Wiltshire, England. It is 1940 and her chaplain father is a POW and her brother Frederick is missing in Europe. At the invitation of a cousin she has not met she moves to the port city of Hull in Yorkshire. Her cousin Lily works at the library and asks Wilhelmina to work there, However, Wilhelmina and her cousin are separated during an air raid bombing and she finds a body in a tea shop. It is here that she meets dock inspector and wartime constable Peter Upton. She thinks the death of the woman is not from the bombing but done before and he just wants her out of a burning building although he does notice there is no debris around the body. Wilhelmina finds herself working as the second Woman Police Constable in Hull under Avis Crane and faces some hostility to her position and not just from her male colleagues. As she dives into the position, she is partnered with Constable Upton part of her time, and they reach an understanding and appreciation of each other's talents. Wilhelmina has reason to suspect several people of spying, murder, and/or spreading Nazi propaganda. The author is good at presenting wartime Great Britain and the lead characters are appealing. I hope there is a book two. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting start to a new WWII mystery told from two points of view: Billie, a rector's daughter turned constable and Peter, a volunteer male constable. At first, they clash, but quickly learn to work with each other. I love how Billie is so observant and fearless and how Peter is methodical but willing to take a chance to solve crimes. I also didn't realize that someone like Peter as an essential dock warden couldn't join the military so also volunteered as a constable. This is a story that focuses on the character as much as the mysteries. It's interesting to see Billie as only the second woman constable in the town and also how access to town was limited. I also love that there is more than one mystery to solve. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is a good mystery series that kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to the next mystery in this series.

This is the start of a new historical mystery series and I was attracted by the name of the author, Jessica Ellicott, as I love other series she writes.
I expected something a bit lighter but I enjoyed it as the historical background is vivid, the characters fleshed out and interesting, the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Can't wait to read the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was an interesting start to a new series. Wilhelmina ( Billie) was a brave, resourceful and determined character. She was well suited to her job as one of the first women police constables. Peter Harkness also worked as a special police constable and their first meeting was contentious to say the least. However, as they worked together, their respect for each other grew. There was the prejudice from some regarding women constables, and a murderer to uncover. As this was wartime, the devastation it caused was explained. This kept me guessing until the end and and had some surprise elements to it. I will read more in this series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All must do their bit!

1940 and the War has been raging. The British are feeling it. There’s a clear call to arms for all. Wilhelmina (Billie) Harkness, the local Vicar’s daughter, wants to volunteer for whichever branch of the auxiliary services that would have her. This puts her at odds with her recently widowed and very conservative mother. A harsh confrontation between the two has BIllie regretting that estrangement. Unfortunately her mother dies before their differences can be resolved.
Billie moves to live with an unknown cousin in Hull. Enroute she’s caught in an air raid, and after the all clear is given, finds the body of young woman in a cafe. The young woman, Audrey, Billie noted previously when she stopped at the establishment for a cup of tea. A Special Constable, Peter Upton is there. An interesting man Peter.
Billie catches the eye of WCP Crane, the woman in charge of employing a new extension of the police force—Woman Police Constables. Billie’s offered a position and she accepts.
The fascinating part is the way the story line has timely interjections from Billie’s past. Billie answers letters from various friends and foes in the village. We begin to see that the Vicar’s daughter has inculcated some of the habits, the niceties, of the Vicar’s wife. Often this is no bad thing, assisting sometimes with Billie’s new role. Ironic even!
Billie, along with Peter Upton is searching for those who might have has something to do with Audrey’s death. But then there’s the mystery of the local priest’s stolen bicycle and a couple of other odd occurrences that are thrown into the meld.
I’m really liking this new series set in the shipbuilding town of Hull at such a time.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley

Enjoyable murder/mystery set in Hull during WW2. Wilhelmina, a vicar's daughter, goes to stay with her aunt after her mother dies in the blackout. Arriving in Hull she is plunged straight into the chaos and fear of a bombing raid. Deciding she must do her bit, Wilhelmina joins the local police force as a WPC and soon finds herself investigating the death of a young woman. This is an engaging and enjoyable story with well-written characters and a multilayered storyline with several different aspects to consider.

‘Death In A Blackout’ by Jessica Ellicott is the story of Billie Harkness, a vicar’s daughter from the quiet and sleepy village of Barton St. Giles, who finds herself catapulted into the middle of a murder mystery during World War Two. When tragedy strikes in her own life, Billie flees north to Hull and the kind offer of hospitality from a distant cousin. But Hull is at the forefront of the bombings and before long Billie finds death all around her. When she enlists in the new Women’s Constabulary, she feels compiled to investigate a death that she is sure was murder. The local police do not agree. Billie must find a way to the truth, while keeping under the radar. Female police officers are not exactly popular with everyone and some will do anything to discredit them.

I love mystery novels set in the Second World War. Jessica Ellicott has managed to capture the flavour of the time and the historical detail is well done. Through Billie’s eyes we see the different lives lead by those in the countryside and the coastal cities. We also get to see the different lives led by those of little means, and the rich who think they can carry on as before. But it becomes apparent that life is changing for everyone.

Billie is a resilient and strong woman, but until she is faced with a dead body and a mystery she doesn’t realise it. I liked seeing her change. This was a good story and I am glad to see that the author plans more in this series.

I was given this ARC to review.

Death in a Blackout is the first Billie Harkness historical mystery by Jessica Ellicott. Released 3rd May 2022 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format out 27th Dec 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written mystery set mostly in the North of England during the early days of 1940 as WW2 is really heating up. Protagonist Wilhelmina, Billie, has moved because of the devastating loss of her mother and her father's capture as a prisoner of the war. She joins the police service as a WPC and is soon involved in untangling the death of a young woman in Hull. 

The author is adept at writing the time period believably and the settings and dialogue are immersive and nuanced. The fictional parts are written around a framework of real historical events and the mystery itself is well constructed and engineered. There are some rough spots between point A where Billie is introduced as the strong-willed but relatively poor daughter of a local church rector to point B where she's managed to establish herself in Hull and acquire a position as a WPC in the local forces. Despite the rough start, the story is absorbing and the characters well rendered.

Four stars. Although not at all derivative, fans of Keith Finney's Lipton St. Faith series will likely enjoy this series as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.