My Review of a Death in the Afternoon : Nicole Pyles

After a terribly hot summer, I’m finally getting back into reading. I’m so honored that author, Julie Anderson, reached out to me to review her newest book, Death in the Afternoon. This mystery captivated my attention right away, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Before we get to my review, here’s more about the book:

Summer 1948

London swelters amid post-war reconstruction, while continued rationing and the black-market fuel the rising crime wave. The empires of gangland bosses grow and thrive, protected by corruption and bribery.

During a party in Clapham a student nurse from the South London Hospital for Women and Children dies in a fall from a balcony. Is it an unfortunate accident as the local police believe? Or something more sinister?

The nurse’s friends ask a newly qualified female detective constable to investigate, a woman who is facing difficulties of her own. Before long all are drawn into the criminals’ deadly games, as gangsters jostle for territory and power. With the solution almost within grasp, their lives are threatened and one of them faces a dreadful fate.

Can the others find her before it’s too late?

And what is the truth about…

A Death in the Afternoon

My Review

The first book in this series, The Midnight Man, was an excellent historical fiction mystery (my new favorite genre!). And this was just as good! While this is the second in the trilogy, I thought it was enjoyable as a standalone.

Faye has just recently joined the male-heavy local police department. She has a really hard time having all of them warm up to her. Plus, she’s one of the few people that believes the nurse’s death is more than just an accident. Along with her point of view, we also read about Ellie, her roommate and friend, who is doing her part to make sure the crime doesn’t go unsolved.

Julie does such a fantastic job of capturing that post-World War II era and all of its complications. From the racism that was happening during that era to the trouble men were having with women being in the working world, it’s filled with the kind of details that prove this author did her research when developing the novel.

If you love historical fiction and love a good mystery, I highly recommend A Death in the Afternoon. Add it to your GoodReads list or buy it on Amazon.