I'm pleased to welcome Mark Ellis to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Mark writes the DCI Frank Merlin series. DEAD IN THE WATER is the fifth book in the series and was released today!
Kathy: What makes WW2 such a compelling time period?
ME: WW2 has a personal resonance with me as my father died young from a lung disease contracted on service during the war. On a broader level, I think the war is compelling because it was a very stark battle between good and evil in which the forces of good eventually triumphed.
Kathy: What’s your favourite style of artwork?
ME: I’m very keen on landscapes. Favourite artists include Turner, Constable, Canaletto, and Vermeer.
Kathy: Why choose WW2 for the setting of the series? Does the wartime setting increase the thrill factor?
ME: WW2 was one of a number of periods I considered as a setting for my series. I have always been interested in the war for the personal reason mentioned above. My interest was further enhanced by the many fascinating stories my mother told me about her experiences of ordinary life on the Home Front. In addition, no doubt, the scores of war movies I watched on the tv as a child on wet Sunday afternoons had their influence. What determined my choice ultimately was that I discovered, on researching the period, that there was a huge crime boom in England between 1939 and 1945 and thus plenty of work to keep my fictional detective occupied. Obviously many thrilling and frightening things went on in the war which serve to provide an exciting background.
Kathy: What first drew you to historical crime fiction?
ME: I’ve always loved history. This naturally led to a love of historical fiction and then historical crime fiction. Probably the first historical crime fiction I read was Sherlock Holmes, which is a good place to start.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
ME: Not yet.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
ME: My hero, Detective Chief Inspector Frank Merlin is a Scotland Yard policeman working in World War Two London. He is the son of a Spanish father and an English mother. There are five books in the series with Dead In The Water being the fifth. I am currently working on number six. With the black-out, the black market, police shortages et cetera, criminals had a great time during the war and Merlin has his hands full battling all sorts of criminal activity. I try to set the Merlin fictional stories against a background of historically accurate fact and real historical figures like Churchill, De Gaulle, Joseph Kennedy and Herman Goering feature. The five books have so far taken Merlin from January 1940 to August 1942. My aim is to follow Merlin’s adventures through to the end of the war.
Kathy: Do you have a specific inspiration for your series?
ME: In my mind Merlin is a physical replica of my father who died when I was 7.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
ME: I have always loved books and from an early age I could imagine no greater achievement than being a published author.
Kathy: Which four authors, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?
ME: All dead I’m afraid. Dickens, Gore Vidal, Graham Greene, Agatha Christie.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
ME: DOCTOR ZHIVAGO by Boris Pasternak and ROCCO AND THE PRICE OF LIES, one of an excellent detective series set in 1960s France, by Adrian Magson.
Kathy: What are some of your hobbies or interests?
ME: I have always been keen on sport. When I was young I played a lot of rugby and cricket. These days I play a little golf and tennis. I read a lot both for research and pleasure and I enjoy travelling.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
ME: Yoghurt, apples, cheddar cheese, and a bottle of wine.
Kathy: What are your plans for future books?
ME: I am currently 50,000 words into the first draft of Merlin 6. It is set in the early summer of 1943. I have also just written my first Frank Merlin short story for a magazine putting together a wartime collection. I may write more. At some point I’d like to write a stand alone thriller and I have ideas for other series.
Kathy: What’s your favourite thing about being an author?
ME: Talking to satisfied readers.
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Blurb:
In the summer of 1942, the Second World War rages on but Britain now faces the Nazi threat with America at its side. In a bombed-out London swarming with gangsters and spies, DCI Frank Merlin continues his battle against rampant wartime crime. A mangled body is found in the Thames just as some items of priceless art go mysteriously missing. What sinister connection links the two?
Merlin and his team follow a twisting trail of secrets as they investigate a baffling and deadly puzzle–and lovers of mystery, espionage and historical crime fiction will eagerly consume every new clue until the novel’s thrilling end.
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About the Author:
Mark Ellis is a thriller writer from Swansea and a former barrister and entrepreneur. His books treat the reader to a vivid portrait of London during the war skillfully blended with gripping plots, political intrigue and a charismatic protagonist.
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 WW2 and in particular the Home Front and the fact that while the nation was engaged in a heroic endeavor, crime flourished. Murder, robbery, theft and rape were rife and the Blitz provided scope for widespread looting.
This was an intriguing, harsh and cruel world. This is the world of DCI Frank Merlin. Learn more at https://markellisauthor.com/.
Follow Mark on social media
Facebook: Mark Ellis- Author Page | Twitter: @MarkEllis15 | Instagram: @markell1
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