‘Stratton’s War’ by Laura Wilson

Published by Orion. February 2008.

 ISBN 978-0-7528 7623-8 (Hardback) 978-0-7528-7624-5 (Trade Paperback)

 DI Ted Stratton is a policeman working in central London in 1940.  He is married to Jenny and their two children have been sent out of London. for safety.  His home life is happy apart from the constant entreaties from his wife to bring back the children from the country as she misses them, which he is beginning to dread.  His extended family leave something to be desired, but we all have the same problems in this area.

He is called to investigate the death of silent screen star Mable Morgan who has been found dead impaled on railing outside her flat. The verdict is suicide, but Ted is not so sure, and against his superiors advice he starts asking questions.

On the other side of the tracks we meet Diana Calthrop, a tall elegant blonde who is recruited into MI5 working with senior official Sir Neviile Apse. Diana meets handsome Claude Ventriss  and against her better judgement and her colleagues advice, is attracted by Claude.  Diana is on sticky ground all round, she is married to Guy, who is serving abroad, but unlike Ted Stratton her marriage is not happy, and with her home life scrutinised by her mother-in-law, and a job that is by its very nature secretive, she really has no one she can trust.

As Ted delves further into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mable Morgan he finds links to the criminal underworld that in turn lead him to Diana’s secret world, and thus their paths cross. 

A brilliant story following two different walks of life set across the backdrop of war-torn London. 

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Lizzie Hayes