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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Sherlock Holmes is a fan of Frank Merlin. Other opinions on the award-winning Frank Merlin WW2 London detective series: ‘Immersive, authentic, evocative’ @financialtimes.com ‘Must read’ @dailymail.co.uk ‘So well written’ @thetimes.com Books available on Amazon and at all good bookshops.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Meet Calouste Gulbenkian. Who he? By WW2 he was the richest man in the world through his Middle East oil interests. What has he to do with the murders Frank Merlin is investigating in 1942 London? Find out in this 5th in the award-winning Merlin detective series. A @thetimes.com book of the week.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Murder in Putney 1941. There’s a gripping Frank Merlin detective short story in this great new anthology from Aspects of Crime.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Death Of An Officer is the latest in the award-winning Frank Merlin WW2 London detective series. ‘A must-read’ @dailymail.co.uk

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Frank Merlin books on sale at the ThrillerFest bookstore in the Midtown Hilton in New York. Flying there today, appearing tomorrow.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

15 years after being published as Princes Gate, Book 1 in the award-winning Frank Merlin WW2 London detective series, now retitled ‘The Embassy Murders, is still making bestseller lists. ‘A real page-turner…juicy enough to devour in one sitting’ @dailymail.co.uk

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Me and gangsters Billy Hill and Jack Spot cosying up to some famous authors on an Amazon UK top 50 history list tonight. Boom time is my ‘hair-raising’ history of true crime in WW2 London.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Death Of An Officer (Frank Merlin 6) is now a major award-winner!

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

The Embassy Murders is No1 in the award-winning Frank Merlin WW2 London detective series. ‘A real page-turner’ Daily Mail

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

The DCI Frank Merlin series features a Scotland Yard detective in WW2 London battling against a crime boom on the wartime Home Front. Here are the 6 books currently available. “Immersive, authentic, evocative’ Financial Times ‘A must-read’ Daily Mail ‘A truly remarkable series’ Tom Mead author

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Off to New Orleans today to attend #Bouchercon, the world’s largest crime fiction event where I’m on some great panels. #DeathOfAnOfficer, my new #FrankMerlin #WW2 London detective mystery is published in the US this week.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

Death Of An Officer, the latest in the Frank Merlin WW2 London detective series, is now available online and at all good book stores ‘A must-read for murder mystery lovers’ @dailymail.co.uk ‘Immersive, authentic, evocative’ @financialtimes.com ‘Remarkable’ @tommeadauthor.bsky.social

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

And there was I thinking I’d made Frank Merlin up!

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Lovely Financial Times review of my new #FrankMerlin book #DeathOfAnOfficer in today’s edition. ‘Ellis conjures up an immersive, authentic world in this evocative series.’

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Know there was a crime boom in #WW2 London? Gangsters, killers, black marketeers and other villains made hay in the bombed-out capital. For a fictional take on wartime criminality try #DeathOfAnOfficer, the new #FrankMerlin detective thriller. For facts try #BoomTime, my new WW2 true crime history.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Happy days! Got my author copies of the new #FrankMerlin detective thriller #DeathOfAnOfficer. Out from Headline 29/5. Early #netgalley reviewers say: ‘I loved it… a great read…the first Merlin I’ve read and it certainly won’t be the last…twisty, intriguing…superb entertainment…his best yet!’

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

#DeathOfAnOfficer, #6 in the #FrankMerlin #WW2 detective series, is out 29/5. All books are stand alone but if you want to start at the beginning, #TheEmbassyMurders kicks the series off. In a recent review the Daily Mail said of #1: ‘A real page-turner…juicy enough to devour in 1 sitting.’

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

On some good panels again at #CrimeFest in Bristol next month. Sadly this will be the last but a fittingly stellar list of authors attending. Advance copies of my new #FrankMerlin adventure, #DeathOfAnOfficer, will be on sale. Get your tickets now!

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Again on some great panels at @crimefest in Bristol in May. Sadly the last one so a stellar cast attending. Get your tickets now!

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

#TheEmbassyMurders (#FrankMerlin 1) is recommended today in #MailOnline’s Special Mother’s Day Gift Guide. ‘A real page-turner…a gripping tale of life in #WW2 London…juicy enough to devour in one sitting, you’ll immediately want to order the next in the series.’ #historicalcrimefiction

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Last couple of weeks of my X Thames painting posts

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

‘Tightly plotted, meticulously researched, and written with wonderful panache. #DeathOfAnOfficer is an excellent entry in a truly remarkable historical mystery series.’ Bestselling author Tom Mead’s verdict on the latest in the #FrankMerlin #WW2 London detective series out 29/5 from Headline.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Blurb now out for #DeathOfAnOfficer the 6th in the ‘masterly…compelling…unputdownable’ #FrankMerlin #WW2 London detective series. Out 29/5/25 from Headline.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

The Great Fire of London,1666. c.1667. Liev Verschuier.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Today’s Thames Painting: Westminster from Lambeth Bridge. 1912. Albert Goodwin.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Today’s Thames Painting: The Thames at Chiswick. 1865. Samuel Bough.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Today’s Thames Pa8nting: View on the Thames with Westminster Bridge. 1743-44. Samuel Scott.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Yesterday and Today’s Thames Paintings: Left: The Royal Hospital from the South Bank of the River Thames. Early 18th century. Peter Tillemans. Right: Opening of Old Hungerford Bridge. 1845. James Holland.

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Mark Ellis @markell1953.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Today’s Thames Painting: The Thames at Richmond from the Middlesex Bank, Looking towards Richmond Bridge. Early 19th century. Ramsay Richard Reinagle.