Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers by Tessa Arlen

Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers by Tessa Arlen ISBN-13: 9781984805829 Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: December 1st 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It is the late autumn of 1942. Our indomitable heroine Poppy Redfern is thoroughly immersed in her new job as a scriptwriter at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films featuring British civilians who perform acts of valor and heroism in wartime. After weeks of typing copy and sharpening pencils, Poppy is thrilled to receive her first solo script project: a fifteen-minute film about the Air Transport Auxiliary, known as Attagirls, a group of female civilians who have been trained to pilot planes from factories to military airfields all over Britain.

Poppy could not be more excited to spend time with these amazing ladies, but she never expects to see one of the best pilots die in what is being labeled an accident. When another Attagirl meets a similar fate, Poppy and her American fighter-pilot boyfriend, Griff, believe foul play may be at work and they investigate.


My Review:
Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers is a mystery set in October 1942 in England. This is the second book in the series. You don't need to read the previous novel to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil whodunit from the previous book.

The mystery was clue-based. Poppy immediately suspected poison and kept looking for some exotic poison, never considering some very simple alternatives. At least Griff had some sensible alternative suggestions (and a secret investigation of his own). However, it seemed like most of the story was learning the various backgrounds of the Attagirls and learning about what they did. Which fit as part of the investigation and filming project, but it meant that there weren't that many clues to the actual mystery. It wasn't difficult to solve once Poppy remembered a certain clue, but there was no proof. I enjoyed the story until the end, when Poppy set up a person they think will be the next target so she's in a situation where she might be murdered, but they give her no warning nor do they try to protect her. It's not even clear why they think this will flush out the murderer. Then a simple whodunit suddenly got complex as she and Griff accused multiple people of multiple crimes, some of which happened years in the past and sometimes with little proof. It didn't leave me feeling very satisfied.

There was a fair amount of bad language. There was no sex.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.