Five Second World War Classic Crime Novels

I thoroughly enjoy reading classic crime novels, and the fact that so many have been reprinted in recent years suggests that many readers share my enthusiasm. I particularly appreciate the insights these novels often give into social history. The following five novels are satisfying crime stories which also have interesting Second World War backgrounds. 

Murder’s a Swine – Nap Lombard

Nap Lombard’s Murder’s a Swine (1943) was written by a couple who became Air Raid Precaution Wardens at the start of the war. It is set in the early part of the war, the phoney war, which helps it to be more light-hearted than some later crime novels. I thought it was very entertaining, and I liked the depiction of the two main characters (a married couple), and much appreciated the period details.

Murder by Matchlight – E.C.R. Lorac

E.C.R. Lorac’s Murder by Matchlight (1945) also looks at life in London, but this deals with the Blitz rather than the phoney war. I appreciated being able to read a contemporary description of air raids and their effects – both physical and psychological. It is a good read.

Green for Danger – Christianna Brand

Moving from London to Kent but still very much involved with the constrictions of wartime life and bombing, there is Christianna Brand’s Green for Danger (1944). This is one of the most acclaimed crime novels of the war, and it provides a gripping story of a murder in a hospital. I found it an absorbing read, and the chilling details helped to build up an effectively claustrophobic atmosphere. Very impressive.

Subject: Murder – Clifford Witting

Classic crime novels also depict life in the armed forces. Clifford Witting’s Subject: Murder (1945) is a very interesting crime novel which is set in a Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (where the author himself worked). There are fascinating details about army life in the war in England, and I also liked the whodunnit aspect.

Death In Captivity – Michael Gilbert 

Another author who drew on his war experiences is Michael Gilbert. In his Death in Captivity (1952), however, we are not in Britain, but in an Italian prisoner of war camp. I was intrigued by the book’s description of life in the camp, and loved the way that Gilbert combined a whodunnit with an exciting thriller towards the end. I also liked the relatively large cast of characters, and thought it was a real page-turner.

There are of course numerous other classic crime novels with WW2 settings. One of my other favourites is Agatha Christie’s N or M? (1941); a most enjoyable book about spies which shows that both older characters and women can be much more competent than contemporary social conventions might have assumed. Or there is Patricia Wentworth’s The Traveller Returns (1945) that considers the return of a wife who was trapped in France during the German invasion. I could go on for ages but will stop there. I hope you can find something that appeals to you.

Frances