Amazon Editors' favorite summer reads
$3.99 with 65 percent savings
Print List Price: $11.49

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

M J Porter
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Automobile Assassination: An incredibly gripping historical 1940s mystery (The Erdington Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition

by MJ Porter (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 359 ratings

From bestselling historical fiction author MJ Porter, a gripping historical mystery set in 1940s Erdington, for fans of Helena Dixon, Emily Organ, L.B. Hathaway and Michelle Salter.


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.

The Erdington Mysteries
The Custard Corpses
The Automobile Assassination
The Secret Sauce

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 MJ's second foray into the historical mystery genre and the twentieth century. M J writes A LOT, you've been warned.

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 2 of 3
    The Erdington Mysteries
  2. Print length
    218 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    November 25, 2021
  6. File size
    2.9 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 3 books in this series.
This option includes 2 books.
1 unreleased or unavailable book is excluded.

From the Publisher

Image shows a man and woman in 1940s period costume on a sepia background
Image shows a man and woman in 1940s period costume with 2 reader reviews to either side of them
The Custard Corpses: An incredibly gripping historical 1940s mystery (The Erd...
The Automobile Assassination: An incredibly gripping historical 1940s mystery...
The Secret Sauce: An incredibly gripping historical 1940s mystery with a quir...
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars 683
4.2 out of 5 stars 359
—
Price $2.99 $3.99 $3.49
Ebook ✓ ✓ Coming soon
Paperback ✓ ✓ no data
Hardback ✓ ✓ no data
Audiobook ✓ ✓ no data

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09JCFPBQ1
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MJ Publishing
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 25, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 218 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1914332869
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Erdington Mysteries
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 359 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
M J Porter

M J Porter

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

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 (now published under a different name). I've also written my first nonfiction book, The Royal Women Who Made England: The Women of the Tenth Century, which is available now.

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.' The continuing series takes readers to Brunanburh and beyond.

And, coming in April 2025, Men of Iron, the first book in The Dark Age Chronicles. This trilogy will take my readers back to the very beginnings of Saxon England before the creation of Mercia and the other kingdoms.

If you like action adventure with a heavy dose of violence, foul language, and good old camaraderie - The Mercian Ninth Century series is for you, starting with The Last King (there are also Cleaner versions where much of the foul language has been removed - they can be a little harder to find but they are available). Fans of The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles will also 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, the story of Lady Ælfwynn after the death of her mother. 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 weren'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 but can be read in any order. I started my historical fiction writing journey with The Earls of Mercia, so yes, I began at the end.

1) The Dark Age Chronicles starting with Men of Iron, coming April 2025

2) Gods and Kings starting with Pagan Warrior.

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

4) The Ninth Century books starting with The Last King

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

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

If you're interested in my 20th-century mysteries, then The Custard Corpses and The Automobile Assassination are the books for you. The Secret Sauce is coming soon. And Cragside, a standalone 1930s murder mystery set at the beautiful North Northumberland estate, and inspired by my Lockdown walks around the property.

My first non fiction book, The Royal Women Who Made England, is now published by Pen and Sword in hardback and ebook, detailing the information I used to write The Tenth Century series featuring Ælfwynn, Eadgifu and the daughters of Edward the Elder.

If you want to keep up to date with my latest writing projects, then please find me on your social media channel of choice, and check out my blog where you will find lots of information about my books..

Happy reading:)

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
359 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Top reviews from the United States

  • giovanna n
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice story of a bygone age
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I like the protagonist, an average-looking guy with a keen detective sense. His #2 is a modern 1940's young woman who shares his sense and protege.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kathryn Randell
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great listen
    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
     Report
  • HelenH
    3.0 out of 5 stars 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
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • David Baird
    5.0 out of 5 stars 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!
    Report
  • Davey
    4.0 out of 5 stars 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.
    Report
  • Ginger Book Geek
    4.0 out of 5 stars Hugely entertaining cosy mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    If there's one thing that I like doing, it's discovering new authors. M. J. Porter is certainly a new author for me, I read the synopsis of 'The Automobile Assassination' and it appealed to me on two fronts - one that it was a mystery and secondly it is set in 1940s, which is a period that fascinates me. So without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an intriguing afternoon of reading. Overall I enjoyed reading 'The Automobile Assassination' but more about that in a bit.

    I have to admit that it took me a little while to get into 'The Automobile Assassination' but that has more to do with the fact that I was tired when I started reading and I was finding it hard to concentrate and cannot be taken as a criticism of the book itself. Once I got into the story that was it and I was away as the saying goes. This wasn't a book that I was able to read in one burst because life kept getting in the way but I was able to binge read it over the course of a few days. I found that the deeper into the story I got, the more intrigued I became and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Automobile Assassination' . I found 'The Automobile Assassination' to be a gripping historical mystery which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

    'The Automobile Assassination' is extremely well written. The author certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one heck of a read. The story itself isn't particularly fast paced but the pace suits the story that M. J Porter is trying to tell. I loved the way in which the characters interacted with each other and the dialogue flowed. M. J. Porter has clearly done a lot of research into the time period in which the story has set and this helps the story seem that bit more authentic. M. J. Porter makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. I love the way in which M. J. Porter has written a cosy mystery that is hugely entertaining.

    In short, I really enjoyed reading 'The Automobile Assassination' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of M. J. Porter's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
    Report
  • Gabi Forss
    5.0 out of 5 stars A really good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This was a really good read. Great story set in 1940s wartime Britain.
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars 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.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report