Description

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Vividly atmospheric and brimming with suspense, Mark Ellis presents this insanely captivating wartime thriller of classic espionage.

The second instalment in the Frank Merlin Series, following on from Princes Gate. Previously published as Stalin's Gold.

PRAISE FOR THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DCI FRANK MERLIN SERIES:
'A richly atmospheric, authentic, and suspenseful detective series' - Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author

'So immaculately nuanced they genuinely feel like they belong in the cannon of mid-20th century thrillers . . . Another belter!' - Fiona Phillips

'A truly spellbinding page turner that keeps you hooked right to the end' - Dorset Book Detective

'Brimming with action . . . complex, addictive and highly entertaining . . . I cannot wait to read more books by Mark Ellis' - The Book Cosy Book Club

'Brimming with authentic details . . . A compelling tale of crime fiction' - Foreword Reviews

'A mammoth read with a Dickensian plethora of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in . . . meticulously researched . . . deliciously complex' - CARAMEROLLOVESBOOKS
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As the Battle of Britain rages above, DCI Frank Merlin and his officers investigate the sudden disappearance of Polish RAF pilot Ziggy Kilinski - while battling the looting unleashed by the chaos and destruction of the Blitz.

Unbeknownst to Merlin and his team, Russian spies have also been set loose on the city - instructed to retrieve Stalin's lost gold.

Kilinski's fellow pilots, a disgraced Cambridge don, members of the Polish government in exile and a ruthless Russian gangster are amongst those caught up in Merlin's enquiries.

Sweeping from Stalin's Russia to Civil War Spain, Hitler's Berlin to Churchill's London, a compelling story of treasure, treachery, and murder unfolds.

About the Author

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Mark Ellis is a thriller writer from Swansea and a former barrister and entrepreneur. Mark grew up under the shadow of his parents' experience of the Second World War. His father served in the wartime navy and died a young man. His mother told him stories of watching the heavy bombardment of Swansea from the safe vantage point of a hill in Llanelli, and of attending tea dances in wartime London under the bombs and doodlebugs.

In consequence, Mark has always been fascinated by World War II and, in particular, the Home Front and the fact that while the nation was engaged in a heroic endeavour, crime flourished. Murder, robbery, theft and rape were rife.

Author of the DCI Frank Merlin series, Mark is also a member of the Crime Writer's Association.

He lives in London.