Review: THE BODY IN SEVEN DIALS, H. L. Marsay

• 
  This title read as an e-book on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C5BTXTN9
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tule Publishing, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 11 October 2023
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1959988984
• Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ The Lady in Blue Mysteries 

Synopsis (AmazonAU) 

Inspired by the remarkable life of Dorothy Peto, the Metropolitan Police’s first female superintendent.

In 1914, the idea of a female police officer is dismissed as absurd, but to a small group of determined women, not impossible.

With men departing to fight for king and country, women have new opportunities at home. Dorothy Peto and her fellow suffragettes propose forming the Women’s Police Volunteers to assist police keep order. At first, the suggestion is derided, yet the force is stretched thin. As Dorothy and her friends train and organise to help refugees fleeing the war and guide terrorised Londoners to shelter during the Zeppelin raids, the ‘ladies in blue’ gain a grudging acceptance.

During one nightly bombing raid, Dorothy discovers the body of a beautiful, Belgian refugee in Seven Dials. Convinced the woman was murdered before the bombs fell, Dorothy’s determined to investigate even though the battle-scarred Scotland Yard Inspector remains skeptical of her ideas and enthusiasm. As the list of suspects grows—a British aristocrat, a Belgian gangster and a wealthy German industrialist—Dorothy must outwit the killer, and even some within the WPV.

My Take

An obvious point of comparison for me with this series is  

4.4, THE DEATH OF DORA BLACK - #1

4.5, MURDER ON NORTH TERRACE - #2

These are books by Australian author Lainie Anderson based on stories about Kate Cocks, South Australia's first policewoman. Those books are also available as e-books. As with Dorothy Peto, World War One gave Kate Cocks and other women a chance to do meaningful work within the existing police force as more and more policemen enlisted and went to war.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.4, A LONG SHADOW -#1

4.4, A VIKING SHADOW - #2 

4.4, A GHOSTLY SHADOW -#3

4.4, A ROMAN SHADOW -#4

4.5, A FORGOTTEN SHADOW #5

4.5, A CHRISTMAS SHADOW #6

4.4, THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING FRENCHMAN