Under Cover of Darkness

“A rich portrait of a city thrown into chaos by war.”—Calum Henderson, Military History Matters

“Second World War London, with its blackouts, bombing raids, and continual movements of people, provided the perfect opportunities for murder. History has tended to focus only on the police investigation of wartime killings while ignoring their social contexts and the lives of the victims, many of whom were women. Amy Bell’s expertly researched, haunting account of Blitz murders gives us a fresh view of the wartime city and its vulnerable, desperate citizens.”—Alan Allport, author of Britain at Bay

“An original and thrilling social history of wartime London, revealing the darkness beyond the blackout with a forensic but sensitive touch.”—Jane Robinson, author of Bluestockings

“A fascinating, lively, and engrossing read. Bell gives us a fresh perspective on the terrifying, claustrophobic conditions of ‘blackout,’ and rather than sensationalising the murders that took place, breathes new life into the experiences of their victims.”—Eloise Moss, author of Night Raiders

“A richly evocative account of a time when Londoners feared bombs and rockets killing them more than they did their fellow citizens despite a dramatic leap in the murder rate. Bell explores the lives and deaths of those murdered on the Home Front carefully and empathetically, restoring their humanity and revealing them to be victims of war as well as murder victims.”—Mark Roodhouse, author of Black Market Britain, 1939–1955