Summer, 1944

After almost five years of conflict, London’s exhausted inhabitants, pounded by the menace of Hitler’s V1 bombs, are living in a world of dereliction. War-weary DI Ted Stratton is no exception, but he cannot help being drawn in by his latest case.

Called on to investigate when a doctor is found dead in suspicious circumstances near Fitzrovia’s Middlesex hospital, Stratton soon realizes that someone involved is not who they appear to be. Someone has discarded their own identity and can move and kill freely.

Meanwhile Jenny, Ted’s wife, is working at the local rest center, although her spirit of make-do is wearing thin. When she meets a bombed-out woman declaring that the man who claims to be her husband is an imposter, Jenny thinks that it must be due to shock. The reality, however, is much stranger and far more dangerous…

Ultimately, for Stratton and Jenny perhaps there is only one thing they can trust: their fear. And for one of them, that fear may prove all too real. An Empty Death is a compelling exploration of identity, memory and trust and is perfect for fans of Foyle’s War.

“An Empty Death’ is a compelling exploration of identity, memory and trust”

Mystery Women

“Wilson is very good indeed at creating a precise historical context, whether it’s the Strattons’ suburban home or the medical profession in the early 1940s. She achieves it in the subtlest and most effective ways, building up layers of unobtrusive detail that gradually become utterly convincing.”

Andrew Taylor, Spectator

‘Wilson made her name as a writer of brilliant psychological thrillers. In this enjoyable series, she combines that skill with an eye for fascinating period detail.’ Morning Star

‘Blitz-scarred London is not just fearful of bombs but also a serial killer. ****’

The Mirror

“Of course in London in 1944, when the novel is set, terrible things are happening all round…Reading this novel you can smell the dust, the stale sweat, the watery beer, and the dreary food. And you can admire the resilience of the people who endured it all and absorbed their private tragedies without making a fuss.” N.J.  Cooper

“Atmospheric and exciting…a great book.”  Observer

“An Empty Death by Laura Wilson is an atmospheric novel set towards the end of the Second World War…Intense and tragic, it’s a fine crime novel with plenty of unexpected twists.”

The Sunday Times