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M J Porter

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The Automobile Assassination: A 1940s mystery (The Erdington Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition

by MJ Porter (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 281 ratings

Book 2 of 2: The Erdington Mysteries

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A 1940s mystery

Erdington, September 1944

As events in Europe begin to turn in favour of the Allies, Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is once more prevailed upon to solve a seemingly impossible case.

Called to the local mortuary where a man’s body lies, shockingly bent double and lacking any form of identification, Mason and O’Rourke find themselves at Castle Bromwich aerodrome seeking answers that seem out of reach to them. The men and women of the royal air force stationed there are their prime suspects. Or are they? Was the man a spy, killed on the orders of some higher authority, or is the place his body was found irrelevant? And why do none of the men and women at the aerodrome recognise the dead man?

Mason, fearing a repeat of the cold case that dogged his career for two decades and that he’s only just solved, is determined to do all he can to uncover the identity of the dead man, and to find out why he was killed and abandoned in such a bizarre way, even as Smythe demands he spends his time solving the counterfeiting case that is leaving local shopkeepers out of pocket.

Join Mason and O’Rourke as they once more attempt to solve the impossible in 1940s Erdington.

Praise for The Custard Corpses

"Excellent plot, great story, had me gripped loved the ending and was left wanting more. The book title made me smile and I did wonder why such a title read the book & you will see why."

"Don't start this one before you go to bed, you'll be up all night wanting to read "just one more chapter." Great read not to be missed." Netgalley Reviewer

"I loved this unmissable book! It was impossible to walk away from. I literally caught myself holding my breath a few times. There are so many interesting bits I'm dying to mention but won't! All mystery readers definitely need to read this. I cannot possibly recommend it enough and am salivating at the mention of the next." Netgalley Reviewer

"This has a fabulous plot, is suspenseful, tense & totally unputdownable. Full of unexpected twists & turns, this was an absolute gem of a book & I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read it before publication. I'm on the understanding that this is the authors first foray into writing a mystery, let's hope this isn't the last." Netgalley Reviewer

"MJ Porter created a masterful plot full of suspense and twists that kept me up reading late into the night." Netgalley Reviewer

Praise for The Automobile Assassination

"MJ has yet again created a wonderful masterful plot which is full of suspenseful twists that kept me enthralled and reading." Advance Reader Review

"An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and varied characters. A good addition to this series, which can easily be read as a standalone story." Netgalley Reviewer

Meet the Author

M J Porter writes historical fiction set before 1066. Usually. This is M J's second foray into the historical mystery genre and the twentieth century. M J writes A LOT, you've been warned.

Book 2 of 2

The Erdington Mysteries
Print length

218 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

November 25, 2021
File size

2950 KB
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	The Custard Corpses	The Automobile Assassination
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09JCFPBQ1
Publisher ‏ : ‎ MJ Publishing (November 25, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 25, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2950 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 218 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,544,552 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #772 in Historical Irish Fiction
- #2,102 in Historical European Fiction
- #3,464 in Historical British Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.1 281 ratings

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About the author

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M J Porter

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I'm an author of historical fiction (Early English/Saxon, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest, as well as three 20th-century mysteries) and fantasy (Viking age/dragon-themed). I have also written my first non-fiction book, The Royal Women Who Made England, available from early 2024.

I was born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building, told from a very young age that it housed the bones of long-dead kings of Mercia and that our garden was littered with old pieces of pottery from a long-ago battle, it's little wonder that my curiosity in Early England ran riot. I can only blame my parents!

I like to write. You've been warned!

Not sure where to start your journey through Saxon/Early England?

If you're new to Saxon England, then Son of Mercia, book 1 in Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, is perhaps where you should start. And then follow on with Wolf of Mercia and Warrior of Mercia and the continuing books in the series.

King of Kings, book 1 in The Brunanburh Series, is the story of the build-up to the greatest battle on British soil you've probably never heard about, Brunanburh. 'An epic story of kingsmanship that will set in motion the pivotal, bloody Battle of Brunanburh where allies have to be chosen wisely.'

If you like action adventure with a heavy dose of violence, foul language, and good old camaraderie - The Ninth Century series is for you, starting with The Last King. And fans of The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles will find a familiar face. Or The Seventh Century, starting with Pagan Warrior, has a little more politics to go with the set-piece battles.

If you like stories about the forgotten women of history, then the Tenth Century series, starting with The Lady of Mercia's Daughter, is a good place to begin. Or, The First Queen of England, with a little more romance.

If you're interested in the last century of Early England (before 1066) then The Earls of Mercia series is for you.

If you want to read it all, then you can read in chronological order or mix it up. The series wasn't written in chronological order (I have a tendency to move backwards through time).

If you're as interested in the ancient kingdom of Mercia as I am, then the loosely connected, The Tales of Mercia is for you. The individual series can be read in this order.

1) Gods and Kings starting with Pagan Warrior.

2) The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles starting with Son of Mercia.

3) The Ninth Century books starting with The Last King

4) A detour to The Lady of Mercia's Daughter and A Conspiracy of Kings, from the Tenth Century series

5) The Earls of Mercia series starts with The Earl of Mercia's Father.

If you're interested in fantasy with a Viking twist, then try The Dragon of Unison books or The Innkeeper standalone novel.

If you're interested in my 20th-century mysteries, then The Custard Corpses and The Automobile Assassinations are the books for you. And Cragside, a standalone 1930s murder mystery set at the beautiful North Northumberland estate.

My first non-fiction book, The Royal Women Who Made England, now published by Pen and Sword in hardback and ebook..

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

281 global ratings

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JudyS

Keeps you guessing

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2021

The Automobile Assassination by M J Porter is the second in the series about Chief Inspector Mason and Sergeant O'Rourke of Erdington Police Station. After having successfully solved The Custard Corpses, they are tasked with solving the mystery of a deceased male whose body found bent double. With the body near the aerodrome at Castle Bromwich, there is speculation of him being a spy.

The whole Automobile Association confused me at first because they were talking about motorcycles. It was helpful to read the author's note about the history of Automobile Association and motorcycles. It was surprising that nobody recognized the corpse or reported him missing. There is a lot going on in this book with the counterfeit ration books, the sentry boxes of the Automobile Association, the description of the war effort, and as always, Superintendent Smythe trying to move up the social/work ladder.

I really loved the writing style and how the author was able to twist and turn the plot. I still can't figure out how Patrolman Grant from the Automobile Association was so clueless, but maybe I missed something. I liked how Mason regretted Smythe turning the counterfeiting case over to him and how he felt Sergeant Jones was making progress in it. Jones seemed more likeable this time around. I feel like Mason's wife doesn't like him much and she doesn't seem very likable, but she could be a product of her times. O'Rourke is great in how she shows compassion in dealing with Mason's aches and pains, yet still defers to him because of their ranks. I hope there are more books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and M J Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2022

Summary:

September 1944.
As events in Europe begin to turn in favor of the Allies, Chief Inspector Mason is once again prevailed upon to solve an impossible case.
So when Mason and O’Rourke are called to the local mortuary they find a man’s body. What is shocking is that the man is bent doubled over and lacking any form of identification. Will be calling the unidentified man John Doe going forward. So Mason and O’Rourke have to not only find out who John Doe is but how John Doe died.
Do they have their prime suspect? Or not? They don’t know if the man was a spy who was killed on the orders of some higher authority or if the place of John Does body is irrelevant. And why does no one seems to have recognized John Doe?
Can they put the clues together and find out who this John Doe is along with how he died? Or will this turn into a cold case where they don’t know who did it?

Thoughts:

I am pretty sure that this can be read as a standalone since they are solving a crime about what happened to John Doe. But they did reference things that happened in the first book that I probably should have read to fully understand some of the things that they were referring to in this book.
I enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook and how he brought the story to life. I think I wouldn’t listen to the narrator every time. Think it would have to be something that I would have to be in the mood to listen to.
I enjoyed the partnership between Mason and O’Rourke as they try and solve this case. I think that it is something I would love to read more about if there are ever any more books in this series. I think that this has to be up there as one of my favorite duos when it comes to mysteries.
I enjoyed the time frame in which this story was told. Because I don’t think that you get a lot of stories told where even though there is a war going on in Europe at this time, life still goes on. At least I haven’t read any. At least from the perspective of a civilian who knew that there was a war going on (maybe not the horrors of what was fully going on) but knew that life had to go on the best that they could make it.
The story brings you to where you want to know who this John Doe is and who possibly could have wanted him dead. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 30-ish minute chapters but they were filled with a way that they needed to solve it to where some of the chapters had to be around that 30-minute mark.

Rating:

3.75 stars

Helpful

HelenH

History with a Mystery

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2021

Many thanks to NetGalley and MJ Publishing for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “The Automobile Assassination.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Chief Inspector Sam Mason and Constable O’Rourke are tasked to help Sergeant Jones work a counterfeiting scam in wartime Erdington, September, 1944 to be precise, as “The Automobile Assassination” opens. He’s had to take the case over from the sergeant, who’s not happy. But the Super needs some movement on the fake ration coupon case, and so the decision’s been made.

But that becomes a moot point, as something else comes up, one that will more closely involve his track record on extraordinary cases (a carry-over from the first book, “The Custard Corpses” – which gets explained for you at the beginning of this second book). A dead body’s been found out by the local RAF air base. One bent in a very unusual position. A German spy, perhaps? And in between hearing how the local Automobile Association is “undermining the work of the police,” we’re off on “The Automobile Assassination” case, and a strange and twisted path it is.

The counterfeiting case (something, sadly, which was very prevalent during the war) keeps cropping up; you won’t be surprised when the author connects them, thankfully, as you might need a scorecard to keep track of everything, because in a couple of spots the author’s no help in that regard at all.

Dogged police work finding clues and tramping over the countryside gets them results, along with a confession, and the crime gets explained, though not without cost. “The Automobile Assassination” is pretty much a history lesson replete with a murder or two thrown in for good measure. I was content to learn about the British equivalent of our American “Triple A,” so I was fine with it. Although points off for the spelling errors I found in places throughout the book – could have used some better editing, I’m thinking.

The Author’s Notes at the end of the book explains about the Automobile Association and its place in British history, and the use he made of their existence (albeit with literary license). He also describes his use of fingerprinting analysis, which looms large in the solving of the case.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

David Baird

I love the quirky style of storytelling, it’s fun and engaging.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2023

Verified Purchase

So firstly I’m totally biased when it comes to MJ Porter.. I just love the writing style from the author, I love the directness of the characters, the blunt honesty.. it automatically makes me feel at ease and ready to enjoy the tale. This doesn’t mean it’s an easy 5* from me.. if anything MJ Porter has to work harder to stay on top form in my eyes ha.

I also really love that the story is so well written, even though it’s book 2 in The Erdington Mysteries series you don’t have to read the previous book at all to follow the characters, each develop naturally and you learn their motivations..their ticks.

This book starts strong with a body being found.. what’s unusual about this one is they can’t really tell much about the victim.. they are completed folded in half!!

Where the body was found points suspicion on the royal air force but is this a clever trick, coincidence even?

We also have other cases on the go at the same time, the automobile association are playing havoc, helping their members avoid trouble with speeding traps and we also see someone sharing counterfeit ration coupons!

Nothing seems just be going anywhere until a connection is finally made..but it’s still not clear yet what is truly going on.. theirs some secrets still to be uncovered.

I love the quirky style of storytelling, it’s fun and engaging. There’s twists along the way and a bag load of mystery to be unwrapped.

When I talk about character development I mean I want to feel like I know the people, like they are sitting next to me.. the quirks.. their look, eye moment.. everything and MJ Porter certainly knows how to write a character to intrigue the reader.

I thought the plot was superb and I loved how things came together as the story progressed, you really felt the frustrations of the characters like you were right there with them.

Add the plot with the character development and you’ve got a 5* winner for me. MJ Porter seems to be able to turn their hand to different periods with ease but with each adding their own style of writing. I’ve falling in love with the style and I’m as always eager for more ha ha!

Davey

Excellent.

Reviewed in Australia on January 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

"The Automobile Assassinations" by M.J. Porter is another excellent crime thriller in which we meet again with D.I. Mason and now D.S. O'Rourke. They doggedly hunt down the perpetrators with their usual skill.

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Another interesting read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

I chose 3 stars for this book which is a step back to the 2nd World War. I enjoyed the read but found it confusing with all the reference numbers for the A A
boxes and had too backtrack a few times.

Om of Earth

A satisfying read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2022

Verified Purchase

The story has a good sense of place and time and the characters are well rounded and convincing. I am reminded of the Foyles War series whilst reading this book and can imagine it being dramatised along with the earlier book in the series.

Squeaky Joe

An enjoyable romp.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

In 1940s Britain, Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington faces a seemingly impossible case when an unidentified corpse turns up at the mortuary. Clues lead to an aerodrome where Mason suspects members of the RAF may be hiding something. With an old mystery hanging over his head and Superintendent Smythe haranguing him over a counterfeiting case, can Mason untangle the mystery of the dead man?

This is the first book I’ve read my MJ Porter, being the second in the Erdington Mysteries series. I really liked the setting and the atmosphere of the story, and the main character of Chief Inspector Mason is what the English used to call a ‘good sort’. The book is very much of the ‘cosy mystery’ type with enough quirky characters to keep me reading. Having said that, the pace is occasionally a little slow and there’s a lack of tension in the plot. While the author’s use of language at times feels a bit jarring (with several words that surely wouldn’t have been in use at that time), it is nevertheless an enjoyable romp with lots to recommend for lovers of historical crime fiction.

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