Charming and feisty Poppy Redfern stumbles into murder in this exciting new World War II historical mystery series from critically acclaimed author Tessa Arlen. Summer 1942. The world has been at war for three long and desperate years. In the remote English village of Little Buffenden, Poppy Redfern’s family house and farmland has been requisitioned by the War Office as a new airfield for … Office as a new airfield for the American Air Force. As the village’s Air Raid Warden, Poppy spends her nights patrolling the village as she tries to ease her neighbors’ fears about the “Friendly Invasion” and what it means to their quiet way of life.
When two young, popular women who were dating American servicemen are found strangled, Poppy quickly realizes that her little town has been divided by murder. The mistrust and suspicion of their new American partners in war threatens to tear Little Buffenden apart. Poppy decides to start her own investigation with the help of a charismatic American pilot and she soon unearths some chilling secrets and long-held grudges. Poppy will have no choice but to lay a trap for a killer so perilously close to home, she might very well become the next victim….
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The enemy doesn’t stand a chance with courageous Poppy on patrol. You’ll love this character so much you’ll want her as your best friend. I know I do! I can’t wait for the next Woman of WWII Mystery!
Absolutely smashing! Arlen pens a dynamite beginning to a new series, filled with wartime suspense, skillfully wrought emotions, and a liberal dash of romance. Readers will fall in love with clever and quirky Poppy Redfern and the colorful villagers of Little Buffenden, as well as their dashing new neighbors—the American Airmen.
An entertaining mystery mystery in what is certain to be a marvelous new series set in World War II. It will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and “Foyle’s War.” Poppy is a plucky heroine with a curious mind. I can’t wait read her further adventures.
This entertaining mystery is set in a small English town during World War II. Poppy Redfern and her loyal dog, Bess, make a delightful team. If you loved Nancy Drew when you were growing up, don’t miss this book.
This engaging mystery introduces an intrepid new sleuth in Poppy Redfern and draws us into the lives of a small English village, upturned by war and the unexplained murders of two young women. I was enamored by the story and the residents of Little Buffenden from first page to last. Three cheers for Poppy!
Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders is a WWII gem of a novel with such a strong sense of time and place, you feel like you’re there. Filled with characters you’ll want to meet again, it’s a compelling mystery that grabs the reader from the very beginning! A must-read for fans of historical fiction.
Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen is the first A Woman of WWII Mystery. Poppy Redfern is a spunky woman who has become the Air Raid Warden for Little Buffenden, England. She spends her daytime hours working on a novel featuring her heroine, Ilona Linthwaite and her evening patrolling the village. But then someone begins killing off the young women in the town who are dating American soldiers. Poppy believes the wrong man was arrested for the crime and so does Lt. Griff O’Neal. The two work together to get to the truth. I thought Poppy was a great character with her red hair and zest for life. I appreciated that she had a unique position as Air Raid Warden. She is more progressive than the grandparents who raised her and she currently lives with in their small village. I wish the author had taken the time to establish the other characters. I would have liked more on Griff and Poppy’s grandparents. We are introduced to a number of villagers and I found it difficult to keep them straight. The author captured the time period with rationing, homes requisitioned, lack of men, air raids, planes flying overhead, Anderson shelters and bombs dropping out of the sky. I felt like I was transported back in time with the author’s descriptive writing. I did find the pacing to be on the slow side. I wish it had a little more pep. The mystery had some good components. There are two dead women, unique murder weapons, misdirection, and a unique takedown scene. Unfortunately, the guilty party stood out like a beacon on a dark night. I would have liked a complete wrap up instead of part truth and part supposition. I also felt the book needed more action and less of Poppy thinking (about her book, the town, Griff, the case). Little Buffenden is a typical small town. Poppy has known the residents her whole life. They like to offer advice plus pump her for information. Gossip spreads rapidly in this quaint hamlet. This is a good start to a new historical mystery series. The ending gives us a glimpse of what Poppy will be up to in the next book. Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders is an appealing new historical cozy mystery with bomb blasts, good natured gossips, ration regulations, a hijacked house and a conniving killer.
Poppy Redfern is level headed and a determined young lady with a sense of duty who looks like Katherine Hepburn. I loved her right away. Lieutenant Griff O’Neal of the American Army Air Force is the potential romantic interest. Alice, Poppy’s grandmother, is a darling-but old fashioned and doesn’t like Poppy being an air raid warden. Jasper, Poppy’s grandfather, is a spitfire in his late seventies and he is a commanding officer in the local home guard.
The first little bit is Poppy finishing training in London, but the rest is set in Little Buffenden. The small town is perfectly rendered and you feel the gossipy environ with its small town suspicions of the Americans at the nearby base. The sense of isolation permeates, too.
The plot of girls being murdered in the middle of the night and the insistence that it has to be the American pilots meant to aid in defending Britain’s skies is a good premise. The atmosphere of the town really heightens this tension. The pacing was steady and kept me glued to the pages, anxious to read on.
I love the harrowing killer reveal and this delivered beautifully. Tip of the hat on that score! Great wrap-up and the hint of adventures to come in London.
I am partial to fiction books set in this time period. But, that also means I can be a little picky about them as well. This book excelled on all counts. Rich characters, compelling mystery, delightful writing style with atmospheric touches, and a hint of romance. I am already turning to the next book in the series. I highly recommend.
Rating: Near Perfect – Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.
Newly trained Air Raid Warden Poppy Redfern takes up her post in the small English village of Little Buffenden, where an American Air Force airfield is about to open. The airfield could make this otherwise quiet hamlet a target for an air raid, but the Germans aren’t the only danger to Little Buffenden; trouble is much closer to home when two women are murdered only days apart. When suspicion is cast upon the Americans at the airfield, distrust for the “friendly invaders” surges in Little Buffenden. Poppy begins to investigate while continuing her duties as warden and trying not to end up as the next victim.
This book was all sorts of great! The descriptions made the story come to life, and though there were quite a few characters from the village and neighboring airfield involved, the author did a great job of helping me keep them all straight as I got used to them. Poppy had a wonderful mixture of spunk, loyalty, compassion, and intelligence, with a little quirk thrown in (it’s not that strange to have the main character of the novel you’re writing pop into your head with observations or admonitions now and then…or so I’ve heard).
I really liked the feel of this small town in 1942 England, where they’ve been at war for much longer than their American allies, not to mention more directly affected. The things the Air Force men take for granted, like having sugar and beef readily available, were luxuries to the locals. The attempts made by Poppy and her grandparents to help their fellow villagers see the Americans in a different light showed the great wisdom of this family. And though there are some bumps along the way that were a little frustrating, the American pilot that works with Poppy, Griff, was one of my favorite characters. Also, I’m not a dog person and don’t normally care much about dogs in fiction, but Bess was pretty great.
I would classify this as a cozy mystery–it has all of the earmarks. I had guessed who the murderer was much earlier than I normally do, but I wasn’t quite certain, and the reveal was still done really well. However, the book does probably have a little more description of violence and disturbing images than you’d normally find in a classic cozy mystery. That’s not to say that it’s very much–it didn’t bother me at all, and I don’t have a very high tolerance for some of that kind of thing–but enough that I thought it was worth mentioning if I’m classifying it as “cozy.” All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience this book provided and would recommend you give it a try if either of the genres interest you. There’s a second book in the series so far, which I’m looking forward to reading.
Poppy Redfern is the new air-raid warden for her village in England in 1942. This has become an important job since an American Air Force base as recently moved into the area. Some of the young women have started dating Americans, but when two of them turn up dead, it sets up a divide in the village. Even though an American has been arrested for the murders, Poppy doesn’t think he is guilty. She sets out with one of the American pilots to figure out what really happened. But has she just made herself a target?
I’ve been trying to read more historical mysteries this year, and this one was already sitting on my shelf. The author clearly did her research as the details of life at the time came to life. Unfortunately, they tended to overshadow the plot, so the pacing was uneven. Poppy was an interesting main character, and I can easily see her growing as the series continues, but much of the rest of the cast never really came alive for me. While the book wasn’t bad, it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be.
I want to know more about the adventures of the characters in this book.
Very interesting mystery.
Engaging characters.
I suspected who was responsible (in a general way), but that didn’t keep me from being sucked in by the final actions.
A true delight of a book. Very much reminded me of Nancy Drew. I adored Poppy and her dog and all the people from the village. Can’t wait for more about Poppy.