The Black Mile - Thriller [Kindle Edition]

Mark Dawson (Author)

Book Description

#1 Amazon bestseller in "Mysteries and Thrillers"

Best-selling author Mark Dawson makes his stunning Kindle debut with a thriller that has earned multiple "5-star" rave reviews from readers in the UK and US.

London, 1940: the Luftwaffe blitzes London every night for fifty-seven nights. Houses, shops and entire streets are wiped from the map. The underworld is in flux: the Italian criminals who dominated the West End have been interned and now their rivals are fighting to replace them. Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, the Black-Out Ripper sharpens his knife and sets to his grisly work.

Henry Irving is a disgraced reporter on a Fleet Street scandal rag. Genius detective sergeant Charlie Murphy is a fresh face in the Metropolitan police, hunting corrupt colleagues but blinkered by ambition and jealousy. His brother, detective inspector Frank Murphy, searches frantically for his runaway daughter, terrified that she will be the killer's next victim.

As the Ripper stalks the terrified streets, the three men discover that his handiwork is not quite what it seems. Conspirators are afoot, taking advantage of the chaos to settle old scores. The murders invade the lives of the victims and victimizers on both sides of the law, as everyone is sucked deeper and deeper into Soho's black heart.

Based on a little known true story, The Black Mile is a rollercoaster ride of a novel that was previously the most downloaded novel on the Kindle Store.

If you enjoy the thrillers of James Elroy, Peter James and Dennis Lehane, you'll love THE BLACK MILE.

Praise for Mark Dawson

'A brilliant debut novel from a very promising writer.' Subject

'Ultra-addictive, super-stylish - a viciously good novel.' Toby Litt.

'A talent to be watched.' Birmingham Post

Praise for The Black Mile

'This is far and above the best small/independently published novel I have ever had the pleasure of reading.' The Kindle Book Review

'Dawson has shown himself to be a true master of suspense'. Siobian Minish

'A first class historical mystery.' Luke Walker

'This book is worth it for the arcane London slang alone. Fascinating. If want to get a feel for what it was like during the early part of WWII this will knock you out. If you like character development you'll love it. If you like peeking in on the lives of people in a long gone world -- you really love it.' David E Johnson

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Dawson, a London-based lawyer who once DJed at world-famous Hacienda, is also author of The Art of Falling Apart and Subpoena Colada, and lives in Wiltshire.

Product Details

• File Size: 492 KB
• Print Length: 422 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog Publishing (March 18, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007M9UM14
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,458 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and captivating from Page One - a must read. June 13, 2012

By The Kindle Book Review

Format:Kindle Edition

This is far and above the best small/independently published novel I have ever had the pleasure of reading, in addition to being well written, extremely gripping and packed out with believable characters, Dawson also includes a fantastic (albeit almost anticlimactic) twist that I thought was extremely clever, I didn't see it coming and it added a great deal to the strength of the novel.

The three main characters' intertwined stories are told in separate chapters, whilst all the while the reader is also wondering about the infamous Black-Out Ripper, who is he and where is he right now?

With the darker side of the law and its enforcement displayed in full force, I was hooked from beginning `til end and had a particular soft spot for Charlie's character who, despite his flaws, worked especially well for me.

The historical accuracy of this novel also had me engrossed. It's hard to believe that whilst London was being attacked by World War Two bombers; petty and even more serious criminals were still wreaking havoc throughout the city and causing a huge deal of trouble for the Met.

This novel is extremely gritty, doesn't shy away from the reality of brutal murderous crime and had me absorbed from beginning to end. The ending itself is absolutely perfect and the author provides a fitting conclusion.

My only small misgiving is that one particular loose end isn't tied up and it seemed a shame when the rest of the novel was so tight.

Beth Townsend - The Kindle Book Review

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting thriller June 2, 2012

By Siobian Minish

Format:Kindle Edition

Even though WWII is going on and Britain is being bombed nightly, London's criminal life doesn't let up. During the black-out, the city is plagued by a murderer dubbed the "Blackout Ripper" and the police are doing everything they can to find him and stop him. However, every lead on the case opens more doors and inquiries only lead to more questions. Henry Drake is a journalist who can smell the accolades he will receive by being the one to print the identity of the Blackout Ripper. Charlie Murphy has lived in his brother's shadow his entire life and knows that finding the murderer would lead to him being the brother on top. Meanwhile, Charlie's brother Frank just wants to find the man menacing his city before he kills again. Though they aren't working together, it will take these three men to find out who the madman is and stop him from committing more crimes.

Though I, and everyone else for that matter, am aware of Jack the Ripper, I had never heard of the Blackout Ripper. Through research (and by research I mean googling it) I learned a bit more about this killer and his spree. The real life killer was the basis for this novel, but this isn't a novel about the actual events. I will admit that it took me a while to get into the novel. The article snippets at the beginning confused me and it took a while to get a handle on the characters, but once I got past that I found that I couldn't put the book down. There were so many twists and turns that I was frantically clicking the "next page" button on my Kindle to find out what happened next. Dawson has shown himself to be a true master of suspense, leaving the reader hanging, wanting to find out what happens with one scene while following another character who, seemingly, has nothing to do with the other scene.... There were some graphic parts so if you aren't into that, beware, but if you enjoy a good historical crime novel I would definitely recommend this one.

*Please note, I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So good I've read it twice - London, Soho, Crime, Vice October 5, 2012

By Janeyk

Format:Kindle Edition

I was recommended to read this by a friend, and was unaware of the author Mark Dawson, so I went into it not knowing what to expect.

The book is compelling,and I happily created time in my day to read it. The level of detail, the unexpected twists & turns keep you gripped from start to finish. The 1940's lingo brings a reality to the setting and the grimy side of Soho was brought alive.

I have read the book a second time, testament to how engaged I became with it.

I will be looking for, and reading more, from this author

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping thriller set in WW2 London October 1, 2012

By Jassta

Format:Kindle Edition

Compelling novel set in London in the war. I learnt huge amounts about which gangs/ethnicity groups ran which rackets. Dawson has clearly done his research, the book is an absorbing read, particularly if you spend much time in the West End today.

After reading this book, you'll never look at an old Soho boozer in the same way!.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric crime thriller set in London during The Blitz December 31, 2012

By Scott Whitmore

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Set just before and during The London Blitz, when the German Luftwaffe tried to bomb Britain out of World War II, The Black Mile by Mark Dawson is a crime thriller told from three perspectives

Brothers Frank and Charlie Murphy are police officers, and Henry Drake is a newspaper reporter with more than a few secrets, but all three are looking for The Blackout Ripper, a serial killer murdering prostitutes in the seedy West End of London.

I'm a fan of the British TV series Foyle's War, which also involves the premise of the police "carrying on" and catching criminals against the backdrop of a world war. Like that excellent series, The Black Mile has plenty of atmospheric touches to keep the reader immersed as well as more than a few plotlines and red herrings along the way.

In what I think is a bold move, the author left several threads unresolved. I'm not sure if a sequel is planned, but I found the lack of closure to be realistic considering the circumstances.

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.