Murder at the Savoy
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- Create Date：2022-05-22 08:51:44
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jim Eldridge
- ISBN：0749027169
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Summary
September 1940: the height of the Blitz。 The Savoy Hotel boasts London's strongest air raid shelter with all the luxury expected from one of the capital's most prestigious hotels。 It prompts the arrival of a disgruntled crowd from the East End， demanding they be allowed entry and respite from the endless bombing raids。 They are given permission to enter and are stunned by the opulence that greets them。 The all-clear sounds the next morning and London comes slowly back to life， but not everyone can dust themselves down and carry on。 One of the hotel's guests has been discovered dead， stabbed in the back。 Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called in and the finger of suspicion falls firmly upon the East Londoners， but not everything is as it seems in these sumptuous surroundings。
Reviews
Janna
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This is the second book in a series called "Hotel Mysteries"。 I have not read the first one but that did not take away from my reading and enjoying this one。 I really enjoyed how the author， Jim Eldridge， included historic events and people in his story。 In the beginning， there is a group of people outside the Savoy that want to be allowed to stay in the underground luxurious bunker in order to be safe from the bombs falling in London。 Unfortunately for them one of the wealthy guests is murdered This is the second book in a series called "Hotel Mysteries"。 I have not read the first one but that did not take away from my reading and enjoying this one。 I really enjoyed how the author， Jim Eldridge， included historic events and people in his story。 In the beginning， there is a group of people outside the Savoy that want to be allowed to stay in the underground luxurious bunker in order to be safe from the bombs falling in London。 Unfortunately for them one of the wealthy guests is murdered that night and they become suspects。 DCI Coburg and his partner are assigned the task of finding out a' whodunit'。 I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and some of the historical people included in the story。Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this story。 。。。more
Anna
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The book is nice， writing flows well。The fact is the mystery is wrapped up in the last 20 pages。。。。
J Grimsey
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One of Jim Eldredge's best。 One of Jim Eldredge's best。 。。。more
Louise
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This series is growing on me。。 book 1 was ok but the synopsis for book2 intrigued me so I decided to give the hotel detectives another go and I am so glad I did as this mystery was great。 It was good to see the other characters such as Rosa， Lampson and Magnus return。。 i am loving that we are getting to experience some big posh London hotels。It was also a treat to see some real people in the book such as Agatha Christie doing her but for the war effort。 It was interesting to see Mosley and Diane This series is growing on me。。 book 1 was ok but the synopsis for book2 intrigued me so I decided to give the hotel detectives another go and I am so glad I did as this mystery was great。 It was good to see the other characters such as Rosa， Lampson and Magnus return。。 i am loving that we are getting to experience some big posh London hotels。It was also a treat to see some real people in the book such as Agatha Christie doing her but for the war effort。 It was interesting to see Mosley and Diane Mitford as well。。 #beatthebacklog #WW2 #cosy #mystery #hotel 。。。more
Virginia Tican
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The Savoy advertised that they could provide the safest and most luxurious air raid shelter to their valued clientele。。。 unfortunately though it reached the right people， it also impacted the angry communists from Stepney whose houses and establishments were bombed。。。 claimed they had no proper underground shelters for 8 straight days and demanded refuge into the hotel。 They were given what they wanted and even had breakfast thrown in。 After they left， the lecherous Earl of Lancaster was found s The Savoy advertised that they could provide the safest and most luxurious air raid shelter to their valued clientele。。。 unfortunately though it reached the right people， it also impacted the angry communists from Stepney whose houses and establishments were bombed。。。 claimed they had no proper underground shelters for 8 straight days and demanded refuge into the hotel。 They were given what they wanted and even had breakfast thrown in。 After they left， the lecherous Earl of Lancaster was found stabbed at the back and his estranged son， who came in with the communists as he was living in Stepney， was arrested for his murder。 Lady Lancaster protested his innocence but the Inspector in charge of the case would not even talk to her。 Given her class and the Savoy's good relationship with the Coburgs and the hotel's reputation at stake。。。 the inevitable pressure from above put Chief Inspector Edgar Coburg in charge of the case。。。 putting the cat among the pigeons given his negative relationship with the envious paranoid disgruntled Lomax （all enmity on Lomax's side）。 Then there was a second murder apparently made to look like the first， but according to Mrs。 Mallowan the expert from the UCH's Pharmacy Department， the hotel maid was poisoned first with thalium sulphate found in either a treatment to get rid of excessive hair growth on the body usually bought by women or in some rat poisons。 Mallowan was Agatha Christie's second husband's name。。。 and yes， she was the pharmacist called in by the coroner to shed light on the strange death。 A quote from a Rudyard Kipling's poem。。。 "the female of the species is more deadly than the male" would aptly describe Lord Magnus' new sister~in~law to his everlasting admiration and grateful appreciation。。。 though it would also refer to something else in this book。 。。。more
Heidi
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In the second instalment of the Hotel Mysteries series， we once again find ourselves in the middle of wartime Britain。 It's the early 1940s and London is still getting bombed frequently， causing a lot of destruction and panic and unrest。 Thank god for good old plain murder！ And thank god for Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson， who'll solve the case while dealing with pesky aristocrats， pesky communists， those damn Hitler sympathisers， a new wife， headstrong teenagers，。。。 The Earl of Lan In the second instalment of the Hotel Mysteries series， we once again find ourselves in the middle of wartime Britain。 It's the early 1940s and London is still getting bombed frequently， causing a lot of destruction and panic and unrest。 Thank god for good old plain murder！ And thank god for Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson， who'll solve the case while dealing with pesky aristocrats， pesky communists， those damn Hitler sympathisers， a new wife， headstrong teenagers，。。。 The Earl of Lancaster gets murdered in the air-raid shelter of the Savoy， after a bunch of outside people from a poorer part of the city invaded the hotel looking for a safe place to sleep during another bombing。 Suspicion immediately falls on one of the invaders， among them the estranged son of the Earl。 Inspector Lomax arrests the man and assures the Savoy manager that the case is closed。 Unfortunately for Lomax， the Savoy owner pulls some strings and Coburg is ordered to take over the case。 Good thing too， since the Earl's son definitely didn't kill his father。 But then someone else gets murdered at the Savoy， in seemingly the same manner。 And the Earl's son had been there when it happened。 Did Coburg make a mistake or is there more going on at the Savoy than it seems？I like that we get glimpses or mentions of real historical figures peppered throughout the story， with appearances from people like Churchill and Agatha Christie。 It was also fun to see more of Coburg's private life， as he is now married to Rosa and adjusting to life as a married man。 Rosa also sees some action in the story's B-plot， teaming up with Coburg's older brother Magnus on a secret mission。 There's also a C-plot involving Inspector Lomax trying to find dirt on Coburg， as a way of getting revenge for being thrown off the case。 To be honest， those scenes became a bit tedious， but they never completely destroyed my enjoyment of the story。 Yes， there's murder and violence and war。 But gosh， aren't these books just so fun？ I can hardly wait for the next one！ （I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。） 。。。more
Rick
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Murder at the Savoy is a murder mystery set during WWII， in the opulent Savoy Hotel。 The protagonist， DCI Edgar Coburg， is an aristocrat who is a WWI veteran and who is now solving crimes during WWII。 Murder at the Savoy is a part of “The Hotel Series” written by the prolific author Jim Eldridge。 The story begins in the midst of the blitz in London。 Everyone is trying to find a place to find shelter。 In the many poorer areas， shelters are being bombed and people are being killed。 Some groups try Murder at the Savoy is a murder mystery set during WWII， in the opulent Savoy Hotel。 The protagonist， DCI Edgar Coburg， is an aristocrat who is a WWI veteran and who is now solving crimes during WWII。 Murder at the Savoy is a part of “The Hotel Series” written by the prolific author Jim Eldridge。 The story begins in the midst of the blitz in London。 Everyone is trying to find a place to find shelter。 In the many poorer areas， shelters are being bombed and people are being killed。 Some groups try to enter the Savoy Hotel shelter because an article is published describing what an excellent bomb shelter it is。 Some of the impoverished are able to stay one night in the shelter due to the kindness of the doorman but the next morning one of the hotel patrons is found murdered。 DCI Coburg is asked to lead the investigation because he is part of the aristocracy and is trusted by many of the people who would frequent the hotel。 Among the many suspects are the patrons of the hotel， the hotel staff， and the poor people who stay there the night the patron is killed。 The investigation takes a turn when at one of the hotel maids is found killed in much the same manner as the first victim。 The investigation continues during the months of the bombings。 There are many personal conflicts associated with the murder but these are all complicated by the war where people are going missing in the midst of the bombings。 The story is compelling because it is set in London where people are just trying to survive in the midst of the war。 Although interesting， the murder mystery does not have a significant twist and the result is expected。 The story itself is still very good because of the people involved。 We learn a lot about the interactions between the aristocrats and the ordinary people who live in London in the ‘40s。The characters are very compelling especially DCI Coburg who is part of the aristocracy and so has inroads into questioning that other detectives do not。 At the same time， he is shut out of talking to many of the maids and poor people who don’t trust him。 For this he must use his assistant to help。 The interaction between these two men and what they are capable of achieving together is very interesting。I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a murder mystery but also anyone who is interested in how ordinary people cope with tragedies that take place during the war and still carry on with their everyday lives。 I’ll give this book a five on five。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Allison and Busby for providing me a digital copy of this novel。 I provide this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Diane
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I know it's only fiction， but this hotel series from Jim Eldridge requires more suspension of disbelief than should be required for a book that appears to be aimed at the Historical Mystery genre。 The more I read， the more unlikely do the events seem。 There is no more than a gentle nod towards the era in which this book claims to be set， and one might more easily imagine that the book was set in 21st Century London rather than London during the Blitz， given the mores and attitudes of the charact I know it's only fiction， but this hotel series from Jim Eldridge requires more suspension of disbelief than should be required for a book that appears to be aimed at the Historical Mystery genre。 The more I read， the more unlikely do the events seem。 There is no more than a gentle nod towards the era in which this book claims to be set， and one might more easily imagine that the book was set in 21st Century London rather than London during the Blitz， given the mores and attitudes of the characters， with their ready acceptance of casual sex and homosexuality。 Even the language used by the characters is anachronistic to a fault， with the statement 'just a couple of gay boys' being levied at two minor characters by another character。 The term ‘gay’ in this context was not in common usage in the 1940s。Once again， Jim Eldridge shows that either he has absolutely no idea of police procedure， or simply disregards it。 This time he has DCI Coburg， a senior police officer， glibly telling the Savoy Hotel manager that one of his staff， a murder victim， was several months pregnant。 I was aghast when I read this because there was absolutely no reason for the manager to have been told this gratuitous piece of personal， private information， and it seemed no more than passing on gossip， to no earthly purpose。 It did not advance the plot， nor did it help in solving the murder， and the manager had no need to know。 It is gravely doubtful that the police would divulge such information in this casual manner。This book again evinces Eldridge's seeming preoccupation with sex， although at least this time readers are spared Rosa and Coburg's constant bedhopping – thankfully。 However， they do have to contend with the amorous antics of a Ritz chamber maid who was no better than she should be。 The author again made an anachronistic slip in having Coburg wonder whether the maid got herself pregnant deliberately or was it an accident。 In the 1940s birth control was not as simple as today， especially for an unmarried young woman， so it is unlikely that she had much control over the consequences of her promiscuity。 A man as blasé about sex as Coburg should surely have known this。The story was peppered with either Americanisms or anachronisms， both of which were glaring sores。 For example， one of the kitchen staff at the hotel laughably employed the phrase ‘I was vulnerable’。 Yes， of course this is a term which is likely to spring from the lips of a kitchen washer-up in the 40s！ Another curiosity is the way in which Rosa Weeks has progressed from being merely a second-rate club singer and pianist into a jazz singer of some renown from one book to the next。 What are we to expect in the third book – international fame？ In conclusion， had this been just a regular mystery story it would have been okay， but as a historical mystery， it is appalling。 Essentially a modern story with modern characters， thinly disguised as a book set in London during the blitz。 。。。more
Kerry Britnell
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This is the 2nd book in Eldridge's Hotel mystery series and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 Set during the blitz of ww2， the plot centres on a murder that occurs in an air raid shelter at the Savoy。 As with his other books Eldridge has a real eye for historical fact and blending this seamlessly with fiction。 Highly recommended。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review。 This is the 2nd book in Eldridge's Hotel mystery series and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 Set during the blitz of ww2， the plot centres on a murder that occurs in an air raid shelter at the Savoy。 As with his other books Eldridge has a real eye for historical fact and blending this seamlessly with fiction。 Highly recommended。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Teresa Cornelius
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Murder at the Savoy by Jim EldridgeThis is the second book in the hotel mysteries series。 I had read and enjoyed the first one called Murder at the Ritz and very much enjoyed this novel。 I was already familiar with the characters and their backgrounds but this could be read as a stand-alone without it affecting your enjoyment of the story。 It is set in London September 1940 during the Blitz。 The Savoy hotel have advertised how safe and secure their underground shelters are so a number of people Murder at the Savoy by Jim EldridgeThis is the second book in the hotel mysteries series。 I had read and enjoyed the first one called Murder at the Ritz and very much enjoyed this novel。 I was already familiar with the characters and their backgrounds but this could be read as a stand-alone without it affecting your enjoyment of the story。 It is set in London September 1940 during the Blitz。 The Savoy hotel have advertised how safe and secure their underground shelters are so a number of people from Stepney arrive to seek shelter。 （This is at the time when they are banned from using the underground stations for protection。） The duty manager allows the mob in but in the morning one of the guests is found dead， stabbed through the heart。 The hotel contact DCI Coburg who is linked to the aristocracy and they hope he will deal sensitively with their crime。 However when DCI Coburg and Sergeant Lampson arrive the local police are already dealing with the case。The author describes the terrible situation which Londoners had to contend with then—houses being destroyed all around， living in fear every moment and having little or no communication with loved ones。 Amidst all this， ‘normal’ life must go on， people have to earn money， families have to be provided for and crimes have to be solved。 This mystery combined real-life and fictional characters。 At the Savoy is its owner Rupert D’Oyly Carte， Winston Churchill makes a brief appearance as do Oswald Mosley and Diana。 Even Agatha Christie， turns up in the pharmacy helping out the medical examiner and DCI Coburg with information on poisons。There are numerous other crimes which follow the initial one as well as meetings of fifth columnists。 This is an interesting and entertaining read and I look forward to reading the next outing for these characters。 Many thanks to Netgalley， the author and publishers Allison&Busby for my copy of this great read in return for and honest review。 。。。more
Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore
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My thanks to Allison and Busby and NetGalley for a review copy of this book。Murder at the Savoy is the second in the Hotel Mysteries series by Jim Eldridge， set in 1940s London in the midst of the blitz。 In this historical mystery， we follow Chief Inspector Coburg who is from an aristocratic background， his older brother being Magnus， Lord Dawlish。 Coburg has recently married Rosa Weekes， a jazz singer （whom I think he met on his first outing）。 As the book opens， we meet Coburg and Rosa in a bom My thanks to Allison and Busby and NetGalley for a review copy of this book。Murder at the Savoy is the second in the Hotel Mysteries series by Jim Eldridge， set in 1940s London in the midst of the blitz。 In this historical mystery， we follow Chief Inspector Coburg who is from an aristocratic background， his older brother being Magnus， Lord Dawlish。 Coburg has recently married Rosa Weekes， a jazz singer （whom I think he met on his first outing）。 As the book opens， we meet Coburg and Rosa in a bomb shelter with the rest of the residents of their block of flats。 Alongside， in the more affluent bomb shelter beneath the Savoy， a group of East-enders from Stepney are demanding entry， protesting against such a strong shelter being reserved only for the wealthy。 The deputy manager allows them in， and makes suitable arrangements separate from the hotel’s paying guests。 The next morning however， one of the hotel’s guests， the Earl of Lancaster， is found stabbed。 While Coburg is called in by Savoy owner， Rupert D’Oyly Carte， someone else places a call to the local police， and Coburg’s nemesis Inspector Lomax takes charge of the matter， arresting Lancaster’s son， the rebellious William （who was part of the Stepney group）。 Lady Lancaster insists William is innocent and wants Coburg to investigate。 He is reluctant but once the commissioner is appealed to， and appropriate orders are issued， he takes over， much to the ire of Lomax （who can’t see beyonf Coburg’s privileged background）。 As Coburg with his deputy Lampson begin to investigate， they find that Lancaster was a womaniser hated by many （his own wife among them） and more than one person had reason to want to do away with him。 There seems enough evidence to let William go for the present， but as soon as he is released， another death takes place。Meanwhile， Lady Winship， a guest at the Savoy， arranges for Rosa to be invited to the Savoy to perform， while also inviting her to one of her and her husband’s soirees。 Rosa’s suspicions are aroused and at the party she finds a group of people conspiring to end the war for England， in favour of Hitler。 She also finds a surprising guest and after talking it over with Coburg， decides to keep up the acquaintance and see just what they are up to。This turned out to be an enjoyable and interesting historical mystery/police procedural。 Despite it being a second in series， I found it quite easy to follow the storyline， with enough background on Coburg， Rosa， Lampson， and others to not feel lost。 I think this can be read as a standalone as well。The author brings out really well the atmosphere that Londoners had to live in back then—houses being destroyed all around one， people killed， having to live in fear every moment， and with little communication with loved ones—and this was a state of affairs that went on for nearly 6 years。 And amidst all this， ‘normal’ life must still go on， people have livelihoods to earn， families to look after and provide for， and of course there is crime to be checked as well。 （In his acknowledgements， the author contrasts this—a time he was himself born in—with what people have faced during the last 18 months or so of covid， and one does realise reading it how much luckier we are， compared to things back then。）I loved that this mystery combined real-life and fictional characters。 At the Savoy （my second bookish visit there this year—the first being The Secret Life of the Savoy）—there is its owner Rupert D’Oyly Carte， Winston Churchill makes a brief appearance as do Oswald Mosley and Diana （while correct in other instances， in chapter 31 in my proof copy， Diana Mosley was wrongly referred to as Unity， something I hope has been corrected in the final version）， and we also meet Agatha Christie， back in the pharmacy as Mrs Mallowan， who helps out the medical examiner and DCI Coburg with some information on poisons。The investigation was interesting to follow， and I wasn’t sure almost till the end who did it and why; there is as is usual in mysteries more than one death， and one can’t quite work out the precise connection between them either till it is explained。 I also liked the parallel threads including the conspiracy plot and how that was foiled， and the odious Lomax’s attempts to get ‘revenge’ on Coburg， which really had me wondering as to its resolution。All in all， this was good read， with likeable characters， an interesting mystery and other plotlines， great combination of real and fictional characters， and a backdrop that was very well done。 I am looking forward to picking up more entries in this series！4。25 stars 。。。more
Debbie
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After reading the first Hotel mystery， I was looking forward to reading the second and it did not disappoint at all。 The of adding real life people to these books doing the work they actually did during the time frame in question， gave an extra bit of history to the book。 In this case it was Mrs。 Mallowan （aka Agatha Christie） giving details about a poison used through her work in the pharmacy at University College Hospital。 The main characters of this series are likable and I find myself wantin After reading the first Hotel mystery， I was looking forward to reading the second and it did not disappoint at all。 The of adding real life people to these books doing the work they actually did during the time frame in question， gave an extra bit of history to the book。 In this case it was Mrs。 Mallowan （aka Agatha Christie） giving details about a poison used through her work in the pharmacy at University College Hospital。 The main characters of this series are likable and I find myself wanting to more about them！ I really hope there is a third book in this series！ 。。。more
Aileen （Ailz） Grist
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An interesting and well written story set in London in 1940 during the Battle of Britain。 This was before the Underground stations were opened as shelters for people and the poor - especially in the East End of London were dying in large numbers。 Add to this mmurder， communists， and fifth columnists and you've got a wild time for the police - and in-fighting too。Loved it。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book。 This review is voluntary， honest and my o An interesting and well written story set in London in 1940 during the Battle of Britain。 This was before the Underground stations were opened as shelters for people and the poor - especially in the East End of London were dying in large numbers。 Add to this mmurder， communists， and fifth columnists and you've got a wild time for the police - and in-fighting too。Loved it。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book。 This review is voluntary， honest and my own opinion。 。。。more
Meredith
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Jim Eldridge's second mystery featuring Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson， Murder at the Savoy， is excellent！ Set during the early days of the London Blitz during World War II， this time they are investigating the murder of a lord in the air raid shelter at the Savoy。 It just so happens that particular night， a group of Londoners from the east end demand to be allowed into the shelter， one of whom is the estranged son of the murdered man。 While the DCI and his sergeant invest Jim Eldridge's second mystery featuring Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson， Murder at the Savoy， is excellent！ Set during the early days of the London Blitz during World War II， this time they are investigating the murder of a lord in the air raid shelter at the Savoy。 It just so happens that particular night， a group of Londoners from the east end demand to be allowed into the shelter， one of whom is the estranged son of the murdered man。 While the DCI and his sergeant investigate this case， Coburg's new wife and brother get involved with the followers of Oswald Mosely and his British Union of Facists。 Coburg and Lampkin are such interesting characters and very much at the opposite ends of London society， these differing perspectives add so much to the story。 I find all of the characters in this series intriguing。 Referencing Mosely and his group is so timely， British citizens embracing the enemies rhetoric for their own gain mirrors events happening in our own country。 I enjoy several of Eldridge's series and this one has become a favorite。 I very much look forward to the next installment。 Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy。 of #MurderattheSavoy。 。。。more
Annarella
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I love Jim Eldridge's historical mystery and， even this one isn't a favorite， it's a compelling and entertaining novel that kept me hooked。I was glad to catch up with the characters and being introduced to new one， the historical background is vivid and fascinating， the solid mystery is full of twists and turns。I thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait to read the next book by this author。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I love Jim Eldridge's historical mystery and， even this one isn't a favorite， it's a compelling and entertaining novel that kept me hooked。I was glad to catch up with the characters and being introduced to new one， the historical background is vivid and fascinating， the solid mystery is full of twists and turns。I thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait to read the next book by this author。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Brenda
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It was 1940 with the Blitz operating in full force when the Savoy Hotel with its luxurious underground shelter accepted a group of people from East London to keep them safe during the bombing。 It was during their time overnight that one of the guests was murdered。 Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and his off-sider， Sergeant Lampson were given the case， usurping the original officer who had first arrived at the Savoy。 Unfortunately， Lomax couldn’t abide Coburg and tensions became heightened。As Co It was 1940 with the Blitz operating in full force when the Savoy Hotel with its luxurious underground shelter accepted a group of people from East London to keep them safe during the bombing。 It was during their time overnight that one of the guests was murdered。 Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and his off-sider， Sergeant Lampson were given the case， usurping the original officer who had first arrived at the Savoy。 Unfortunately， Lomax couldn’t abide Coburg and tensions became heightened。As Coburg and Lampson continued their investigations， two more were murdered。 The original suspect had been released， but Coburg was sure it was something to do with the maids who worked at the Savoy。 Perhaps they were passing information？ Were there two people who were doing the killing？ Could he find who the culprit was before more bodies were found？ Murder at the Savoy is the 2nd in the Hotel Mysteries series by Jim Eldridge and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 A historical mystery – one of my favourite genres， and this one had a lot going for it。 Great characters in Coburg， his new wife Rosa， and Lampson and some perfectly nasty ones as well。 This one is my first by Eldridge and it won’t be my last。 Highly recommended。With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Louise Wilson
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Hotel Mysteries #2September， 1940:The height of the Blitz。 When The Savoy advertises it's series of underground shelters， a crowd of people from East London arrive at the hotel and demand entry。 There they find shelter worthy of The Savoy's clientele， but the nest morning， after the air raid and when the Stepney protesters have left， it's discovered that one of the hotel's guests is dead， stabbed through the heart。 DCI Coburg and Sargent Lampson are called in， and the finger of suspicion falls f Hotel Mysteries #2September， 1940:The height of the Blitz。 When The Savoy advertises it's series of underground shelters， a crowd of people from East London arrive at the hotel and demand entry。 There they find shelter worthy of The Savoy's clientele， but the nest morning， after the air raid and when the Stepney protesters have left， it's discovered that one of the hotel's guests is dead， stabbed through the heart。 DCI Coburg and Sargent Lampson are called in， and the finger of suspicion falls firmly upon the East Londoners。When the bombing is over， the body of the Earl of Lancaster is found， he'd been stabbed through the heart。 DCI Coburg and Sargent Ted Lampson are called in to investigate。 But soon there's another murder at The Savoy。This is an enjoyable whodunit。 This is a well written historical murder story。 It's an easy book to read。 The story highlights historic events that actually took place into the plotline。 There's some interesting characters。 I liked that we get some period drama。 I also like when fact is mixed with fiction。 This is an enjoyable read。 I would like to thank #NetGalley #AllisonBusby and the author #JimEldridge for my ARC of #MurderAtTheSavoy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Peter Fleming
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SynopsisIt’s the height of the Blitz and bombs are falling all over London。 The Savoy hotel is confident that its underground air raid shelter with dormitory facilities will appeal to its well-heeled guests so much that it is advertised in the newspapers。 This encourages of Eastenders from Stepney to congregate one night， and they are eventually admitted preventing the trouble from escalating。 During the night the Earl of Lancaster is murdered， stabbed in the back as he sleeps。Detective Chief In SynopsisIt’s the height of the Blitz and bombs are falling all over London。 The Savoy hotel is confident that its underground air raid shelter with dormitory facilities will appeal to its well-heeled guests so much that it is advertised in the newspapers。 This encourages of Eastenders from Stepney to congregate one night， and they are eventually admitted preventing the trouble from escalating。 During the night the Earl of Lancaster is murdered， stabbed in the back as he sleeps。Detective Chief Inspector Coburg is called in by the owners but when he arrives he finds the local police have been called and Inspector Lomax is in charge and believes he has solved the case already， he says that the Earl’s son is the murderer。Lady Lancaster believes her son is innocent and asks Coburg to intervene。 He says its not is case and so is powerless。 After establishment pressure the Commissioner steps in and hands the case to Coburg， much to Lomax’s chagrin。 Lomax thinks Coburg has worked behind his back， using his class and status to get the case， and seeks evidence of wrongdoing to bring him down。During questioning Lady Winship takes a shine to DCI Coburg and when she discovers he has recently married Rosa a famous jazz singer， she pressures the Savoy to give Rosa a showcase spot and then invites her to one of her soirees。 Is this merely an innocent invitation to a talented singer or is there an ulterior motive behind it？The investigation takes DCI Coburg and DS Lampson from the luxury of the Savoy to the bombed-out streets of London’s Eastend and gentile Ascot in search of the truth。 In doing so they encounter the rich， famous， and powerful and the doughty poor， members of the establishment， communists， fascist appeasers， and foreign detainees。My thoughtsPlacing the novel in 1940 is perfect for what essentially is a period piece of writing。 This is a murder mystery very much in the style of the ‘Golden Age’ of crime substituting the hotel for the country house or manor so favoured by contemporary writers then。 The structure and descriptions are in keeping with the time and whilst I noted a couple of modernisms these are easily overlooked and will be unnoticed by many。 It manages to capture the gentile feel of the 1930s for those who were comfortably off but with war just starting to be felt after the period known as the phony war。 The devastation of the Blitz is covered and is central to the plot without taking over。Overall， the feel was that of good television writing， entertaining and inoffensive without being over demanding。 The murders were not dark or overly gruesome， the poor are downtrodden but there are no descriptions of grinding poverty， and the inclusion of the internment camp was a novel addition， but the treatment of the internees were not covered in detail。 This is very much a work of entertainment and doesn’t set itself out to reflect the social realities of the time or comment of futility or waste of war。 It is very much a novel of class and manners; Coburg is upper class but trying to make his way through the ranks of the police force whereas his brother Magnus very much enjoys the trappings of privilege， but both are treated with equal sympathy。 The working class are portrayed as stoically battling on through their privations and the hotel workers are diligent and mindful of their position。 Coburg is ‘bombed out’ of his flat and so can， like the Queen after Buckingham Palace was bombed， feel empathy with average Eastender and ‘look them in the eye。’ The reader also gets a good feeling for the protocols operating within a mid-twentieth century grand hotel where guests expect the best and everything must be done just so。There is mention of real-life people from the period including significant war time figures as well as people from popular entertainment。 There is a minor cameo role for Agatha Christie， which is a nod towards the heritage of the work， but the author has resisted incorporating the real-life figures within the action， something which seems to be increasing in popularity with writers。 This allows for the plot to remain straightforward and to flow without unnecessary distractions。 There is plenty of intrigue to keep the reader guessing and the action is in keeping with the style of the work。Many thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to this work in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
Scilla
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This is the second book of the Hotel series。 The main characters are very likeable。 It takes place early during WWII in London during the Blitz。 The Savoy Hotel has advertised it's safe Air Raid shelter to encourage folks to stay at the Savoy。 As the sirens are sounding， an angry crowd from Stepney is trying to get into the Savoy。 The assistant manager lets them in to go to a separate section of the shelter from that of the hotel guests。 Meanwhile， Chief Inspector Coburg （second son of an Earl） This is the second book of the Hotel series。 The main characters are very likeable。 It takes place early during WWII in London during the Blitz。 The Savoy Hotel has advertised it's safe Air Raid shelter to encourage folks to stay at the Savoy。 As the sirens are sounding， an angry crowd from Stepney is trying to get into the Savoy。 The assistant manager lets them in to go to a separate section of the shelter from that of the hotel guests。 Meanwhile， Chief Inspector Coburg （second son of an Earl） of Scotland Yard and his new wife， Rosa， a jazz singer， are huddled with their neighbors in a corrugated iron Anderson shelter。 The next morning， the Earl of Lancaster is found stabbed in his bed。 The Savoy owner calls Coburg to come to the Savoy about the murder。 However， when Coburg gets there， Inspector Lomax from the Strand Police is already there; the two are definitely not going to work together， and Coburg leaves。 Lomax arrests the Earl's son William， who was with the Stepney group， and was estranged from his father。 Fortunately， the Commissioner shortly decides that Coburg should have the case， and he and his sargeant， Lampson take over。 They quickly realize that William couldn't have murdered his father， and release him。 When the building where Coburg and his wife is obliterated in the blitz， they arrange to stay in his brother Magnus' London flat until they find a place of their own。 Magnus and Rosa meet and immediately like each other。 Soon they find themselves working together to spy on a high society couple staying at the Savoy who are trying to get rid of Churchill and want to negotiate with Hitler。 This causes a very exciting confrontation！Before he solves all， Coburg has two more murders in the hotel to work on， when two hotel employees are found dead。 His nemesis， Inspector Lomax， keeps trying to find something on Coburg， and makes an accusation to the commissioner。 Fortunately， Coburg manages to show it's false。 I really enjoyed the book。 。。。more
Beachcomber
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I received an ARC of this via NetGalley and the publishers， in return for an unbiased review。 This is the latest in the Hotel Mysteries series， and I really enjoyed it - the relationship between Edgar and Rosa has now become a marriage， and she helps him solve the murder。 Definitely a good installment in the series， looking forward to the next one！ Apologies for the delay in reviewing！
Sarah
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Definitely better than the first book， but while I found it a pleasant enough， easy read， I just can't say I loved it。 I'd read another book in the series， probably， but I'm even more happy to just put the series down now。 It's fluff without being fluffy。My full review is up on my blog。 Definitely better than the first book， but while I found it a pleasant enough， easy read， I just can't say I loved it。 I'd read another book in the series， probably， but I'm even more happy to just put the series down now。 It's fluff without being fluffy。My full review is up on my blog。 。。。more
Helen
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Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher， Allison & Busby for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Murder at the Savoy。 All opinions are my own。In 1940 London， the Blitz is a nightly occurrence。 People need to get away from the air raids， and that includes the bomb shelter at the ritzy Savoy Hotel， which has agreed one night to allow the “common people” to come in -- after these same people have practically forced their way through the doors。 Only one problem: next morning a Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher， Allison & Busby for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Murder at the Savoy。 All opinions are my own。In 1940 London， the Blitz is a nightly occurrence。 People need to get away from the air raids， and that includes the bomb shelter at the ritzy Savoy Hotel， which has agreed one night to allow the “common people” to come in -- after these same people have practically forced their way through the doors。 Only one problem: next morning a body is discovered。 To make it worse， it’s a nobleman。 Thus begins Murder at the Savoy， book #2 in the “hotel mysteries” series by Jim Eldridge。Due to his high society connections， The Honorable Edgar Walter Septimus Saxe-Coburg -- also known as DCI Coburg -- gets a call about the case and goes to the hotel， to find out a rival inspector already has a suspect done and dusted， the estranged son of the murdered man。 With time on his hands， Coburg and his wife take a run out to the country。 A lucky break， that; while they’re gone， German bombs destroy their house， and they must move into his brother’s flat。 They do spend one night at the Savoy; this will become a plot point。 And of course， Coburg is brought back on the case， because he’s part of that upper-class after all， even if he doesn’t broadcast it to all and sundry。 （Which is a real bone of contention to a certain someone， as you will see。）Murder at the Savoy features， beside our investigation， the study of the changes that are coming to society， and how the war is shaping new attitudes。 The possibility of “giving up” was much on everyone’s mind this early in the war， and Coburg’s wife， Rosa gets involved with ferreting out some unappetizing people （with help from her brother-in-law）。 A fun fact -- Agatha Christie appears as a minor character helping the police with their inquiries。 Her pharmacological background comes in quite handy， indeed。There’s a few more bodies in this one， and tragedy strikes some of the participants; the awful fortunes of war。 Coburg and his sergeant Ted Lampson put it all together satisfactorily， with a big dramatic finish。 Readers should find the twists and turns a reasonable challenge， with just the right amount of personal stories that make characters seem like “real people。” Jim Eldridge also has the knack of putting the facts of the time into his narrative in a way that underscores his plots in a plausible fashion。 That’s important， if you’re writing a historical mystery。 It’s a way to bring your story alive， and you’ll find that， in Murder at the Savoy。 。。。more
Tracie
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It is September 1940 and bombs are falling over London and there are sections in of the city with no air-raid shelters。 The Savoy has advertised how safe and elegant their below ground shelter is and when a group of people who cannot afford to stay at the Savoy stand outside asking to be let in， assistant manager Willy Hofflin lets them in。 The staff uses curtains to separate the two groups。 Unfortunately， one of the guests， the Earl of Lancaster is stabbed in the back during the night。 That is It is September 1940 and bombs are falling over London and there are sections in of the city with no air-raid shelters。 The Savoy has advertised how safe and elegant their below ground shelter is and when a group of people who cannot afford to stay at the Savoy stand outside asking to be let in， assistant manager Willy Hofflin lets them in。 The staff uses curtains to separate the two groups。 Unfortunately， one of the guests， the Earl of Lancaster is stabbed in the back during the night。 That is when the owner of the Savoy， Mr。 D'Oyly Carte and the victim's wife， Lady Lancaster， ask DCI Edgar Saxe-Coburg to investigate。 He reluctantly agrees， but another Inspector is already there and he and Inspector Lomax are not friendly。 "Murder at the Savoy" picks up shortly after the first book in the series， "Murder at the Ritz" ends。 Rosa is recovering from her arm injury and their relationship has deepened and readers get to know more about Sergeant Ted Lampson， and Edgar's brother， Magnus， Earl of Dawlish。 The author Jim Eldridge vividly describes Great Britain during WW II， not shying away from the death and destruction from the Nazi bombs， the bravery of the RAF， internment camps， and the sacrifices of many people。 I look forward to the next book in the series。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan
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September 1940 After a night of bombing a body of the Earl of Lancaster is found， stabbed， in the underground shelter of the Savoy Hotel。Inspector Arnold Lomax of the local station in called in to investigate。 But soon DCI Coburg and Sergeant Ted Lampson of Scotland Yard take over this high profile case， much to Lomax’s annoyance。 Lomax in his anger decides to discredit Coburg。 But soon there is another murder at the Savoy。An entertaining and well-written historical mystery， with its likeable ma September 1940 After a night of bombing a body of the Earl of Lancaster is found， stabbed， in the underground shelter of the Savoy Hotel。Inspector Arnold Lomax of the local station in called in to investigate。 But soon DCI Coburg and Sergeant Ted Lampson of Scotland Yard take over this high profile case， much to Lomax’s annoyance。 Lomax in his anger decides to discredit Coburg。 But soon there is another murder at the Savoy。An entertaining and well-written historical mystery， with its likeable main characters。 A good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone novel。An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Shannon
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Murder at the Savoy is the second in the hotels series from Jim Eldridge which I didn’t realise so having not read the first one I had a bit of catching up to do， this was easy enough。 There’s been a murder at the Savoy！ An Earl is stabbed in the back during an air raid when the Savoys fancy shelter in the basement was invaded by dirty commoners some of which are paid up members of the communist party and handily including the Earls estranged son。 Eldridge has apparently written hundreds of book Murder at the Savoy is the second in the hotels series from Jim Eldridge which I didn’t realise so having not read the first one I had a bit of catching up to do， this was easy enough。 There’s been a murder at the Savoy！ An Earl is stabbed in the back during an air raid when the Savoys fancy shelter in the basement was invaded by dirty commoners some of which are paid up members of the communist party and handily including the Earls estranged son。 Eldridge has apparently written hundreds of books this is the first one of his I have read and it shows， it’s a bit of a cut and shut job。 Sections of history are dropped into the narrative like massive boulders fortunately the history is interesting。 There is however a current of misogyny running through the book， his treatment and representation of women is shocking， the book is littered with dead bodies and the majority of them are women and little is said about them。 One woman commits the heinous crime of having a moustache and the conclusion of the book is pretty much hysterical female gone mad over mans rejection。 ？？？？ Ok。 Eldridge also gets Unity and Diana Mitford mixed up， not just once but for a whole integral section of the book。 I’m reading a proof so I hope to god that gets fixed before it’s printed。 It’s a pretty massive blunder。 I couldn’t take it seriously after that。 。。。more
Gaynor Williams
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Thanks to #NetGalley， the publisher @allisonandbusby and the author Jim Eldridge for providing me with a digital ARC of #MurderattheSavoy in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way。 This book is the second in the hotel Murder series and is set in September 1940。 I really enjoyed this book and have not read the first book but it did not matter。 I loved the plot being set during the Blitz and the fact that we meet Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill。 Thanks to #NetGalley， the publisher @allisonandbusby and the author Jim Eldridge for providing me with a digital ARC of #MurderattheSavoy in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way。 This book is the second in the hotel Murder series and is set in September 1940。 I really enjoyed this book and have not read the first book but it did not matter。 I loved the plot being set during the Blitz and the fact that we meet Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill。 I look forward to reading more in this series， this book comes highly recommended。 。。。more
M。J。
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Murder at the Savoy is a welcome return to the London of 1940， Coburg and Lampson。Once more， Cobury is called upon to help solve a murder and the twists and turns that eventually lead us to the conclusion of the crime make for a good story， taking the reader to the East End as well as to the privilege and wealth of the Savoy Hotel。I really enjoyed the story。 I love the pieces of period detail the author adds to the book。I'm looking forward to book 3 already。Thank you to Netgalley and the publish Murder at the Savoy is a welcome return to the London of 1940， Coburg and Lampson。Once more， Cobury is called upon to help solve a murder and the twists and turns that eventually lead us to the conclusion of the crime make for a good story， taking the reader to the East End as well as to the privilege and wealth of the Savoy Hotel。I really enjoyed the story。 I love the pieces of period detail the author adds to the book。I'm looking forward to book 3 already。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy。 。。。more
Julie Carlson
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This is the second book in the "hotel" series。 I have not read the first book， but that didn't hurt my enjoyment of Murder at the Savoy。 I particularly liked how Eldridge wove historic events/places/people into his plot。 For example， the mystery begins with a group of "communists" outside the luxury Savoy hotel。 It is the height of the blitz， and they are demanding to be allowed to stay in the Savoy's secure underground bunker。 The event really did happen， and the Savoy actually had a luxurious This is the second book in the "hotel" series。 I have not read the first book， but that didn't hurt my enjoyment of Murder at the Savoy。 I particularly liked how Eldridge wove historic events/places/people into his plot。 For example， the mystery begins with a group of "communists" outside the luxury Savoy hotel。 It is the height of the blitz， and they are demanding to be allowed to stay in the Savoy's secure underground bunker。 The event really did happen， and the Savoy actually had a luxurious underground area for its wealthy guests。 Fascinating！ Of course one of those wealthy guests， the disgusting Earl of Lancaster， is murdered at the Savoy， and DCI Coburg of Scotland Yard is called in。 Coburg is of noble birth， and I worried that Eldridge had strayed into a cliche （upperclass gentleman becomes a policeman）， but he makes it work。 I would call Murder at the Savoy more of a cozy than not。 I really did not get a good sense of the fear created by the blitz， but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series。Thank you to NetGalley and Allison&Busby for the ARC。 。。。more
Jean-Luc
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A very entertaining British whodunit set in London in September 1940 at the beginning of the Blitz with an unforgettable cast of characters thrown all together in and around a posh hotel （the Savoy）， all having to deal with some gruesome and murderous shenanigans perpetrated without class distinction， devious and malevolent fifth-columnists intent on betraying their country， lots of incendiary bombs falling indiscriminately from the skies and last but not least forced to spend some unnerving hou A very entertaining British whodunit set in London in September 1940 at the beginning of the Blitz with an unforgettable cast of characters thrown all together in and around a posh hotel （the Savoy）， all having to deal with some gruesome and murderous shenanigans perpetrated without class distinction， devious and malevolent fifth-columnists intent on betraying their country， lots of incendiary bombs falling indiscriminately from the skies and last but not least forced to spend some unnerving hours at the bottom of some very untrustworthy shelters。。。。Jim Eldridge manages with brio to bring this disparate and teeming ensemble teetering on the brink of an ominous and unavoidable nervous breakdown into a rollicking and captivating hunt for the killer or killers and a dizzying race against time to save Winston Churchill's life and government。 Finally， he manages to get away with naming his main character， the winsome detective chief inspector， Edgar Saxe-Coburg while the Germans are carpet-bombing London👍👍A marvellous new addition to a wonderful series that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever from start to finish！ I can't wait for the next one！Many thanks to Netgalley and Allison&Busby for this terrific ARC 。。。more
Kid Ferrous
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Murder At The Savoy” by Jim Eldridge is the second novel in the Hotel Mysteries crime series set in 1940’s London。 This is a very enjoyable whodunnit with lots of authentic period detail and atmosphere。 Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and his partner Sergeant Lampson are interesting and multi-faceted protagonists and there is an interesting cast of secondary characters。 It is a pleasant read， not exactly cosy crime as there is a plethora of social comment， and a good follow-up to the previous n Murder At The Savoy” by Jim Eldridge is the second novel in the Hotel Mysteries crime series set in 1940’s London。 This is a very enjoyable whodunnit with lots of authentic period detail and atmosphere。 Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and his partner Sergeant Lampson are interesting and multi-faceted protagonists and there is an interesting cast of secondary characters。 It is a pleasant read， not exactly cosy crime as there is a plethora of social comment， and a good follow-up to the previous novel。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Murder at the Savoy
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Murder at the Savoy&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Murder at the Savoy&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0