1940 and for Johnny Hawke for war is already over. The ex-policeman and invalid decides to become a private detective. Life is not going well until the Palfreys approach him to find their missing daughter.
But the case leads to murder. His life becomes complicated when he gets involved with the runaway Peter.
An enjoyable and interesting well-written read. A good solid start to this series.
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Released from the army due to a training accident, Johnny Hawke can't go back to his former job as a police constable so opens up a private detective agency. The story captures the atmosphere of WW2 London as Hawke the PI investigates the disappearance of a young lady.

The main character's softer side is shown through his caring for a street boy ensuring the lad was cared for. It is this aspect of his character that made me adore him. ( )

I had a very difficult time placing this book in Britain. Perhaps it is that first-person narrative, particularly detective fiction, seems so quintessentially American. Perhaps it’s the narrator's name itself that seems so un-British. The war is mentioned and the story occasionally accommodates some aspect of the war, but it is not the looming character that makes other wartime books come alive. The setting could be anywhere in the world and in any time that holds the particular morals that drive this murder mystery. ( )