Synopses & Reviews
November, 1940. Tom Tyler, Detective Inspector of the small Shropshire town of Whitchurch, is a troubled man. The preceding summer had been a dark one for Britain, and even darker for Tom's own family and personal life. So he jumps at the opportunity to help out in the nearby city of Birmingham, where an explosion in a munitions factory has killed or badly injured several of the young women who have taken on dangerous work in support of the war effort.
At first, it seems more than likely the explosion was an accident, and Tom has only been called in because the forces are stretched thin. But as he talks to the employees of the factory, inner divisions -- between the owner and his employees, between unionists and workers who fear communist infiltration -- begin to appear. Put that together with an AWOL young soldier who unwittingly puts all those he loves at risk and a charming American documentary filmmaker who may be much more than he seems, and you have a page-turning novel that bears all the hallmarks of Maureen Jennings' extraordinary talent: a multi-faceted mystery, vivid characters, snappy dialogue, and a pitch-perfect sense of the era of the Blitz, when the English were pushed to their limits and responded with a courage and resilience that still inspires.
Synopsis
The summer of 1940 had been a dark one for Britain, and even darker for DI Tom Tyler's personal life. So when an explosion in a Birmingham munitions factory kills and badly injures several young women in November of that year, Tyler jumps at the opportunity to help. As he investigates, what first seemed a tragic accident begins to look like the result of something much more sinister, organized, and far-reaching.
Synopsis
This second book in Maureen Jennings' terrific new mystery series brings England during World War II vividly alive: a must for fans of the author's own beloved Murdoch Mysteries and of Foyle's War. The summer of 1940 had been a dark one for England, and even darker for DI Tom Tyler's personal life. When several young women doing dangerous war work are killed in an explosion in a Birmingham munitions factory, Tyler is quick to help out. But as he talks to the remaining employees, the owner, and others connected with the factory, divisions begin to appear, and Tyler fears that what first seemed a tragic accident may be the result of something much more sinister, organized, and far-reaching.
The rich sense of England during the era of the Blitz, pitch-perfect dialogue, and vivid characters -- not least the rough-around-the-edges charmer Tom Tyler -- make Beware This Boy another classic page-turner from master storyteller Maureen Jennings.
About the Author
Born in England, MAUREEN JENNINGS emigrated to Canada as a teenager. The first Detective Murdoch mystery was published in 1997. Six more followed, all to enthusiastic reviews. In 2003, Shaftesbury Films adapted three of the novels into movies of the week, and four years later the Murdoch Mysteries TV series was created; it is now shown around the world, including in the UK, the United States (as The Artful Detective), and much of Europe, as well as on Canada's national broadcast network, CBC TV. The Detective Inspector Tom Tyler series, set in World War II-era England, got off to a spectacular start with 2011's Season of Darkness, followed by Beware This Boy in 2012. Maureen lives in Toronto with her husband, their two dogs, Varley and Murdoch, and their cat, Willie. Visit www.maureenjennings.com.