1950s Britain - coal deliveries and children playing in the street - Inspector Ryga's world in DEATH IN THE COVE

The 1950s is an era caught between the aftermath of the war and the beginning of the cultural and social revolution of the ‘swinging sixties’.  Rationing of some goods is still in operation. There are severe shortages of many consumer products, ‘make-do-and-mend’ carries on as does the black market.  Inspector Ryga's world in 1950 England

Open fires, coal dust and soot. Fog and smog.

Few vacuum cleaners. Even fewer refrigerators and hardly any washing machines.

Bread, milk and coal were delivered to your doorstep, with bread unwrapped and left on the window ledge or doorstep.

A knife sharpener came round regularly, heavy laundry (sheets and towels) were often sent out to the laundry for those who could afford it, otherwise it was boiling on the stove, hand washing and a mangle.

Running hot water was none existence in many homes as were bathrooms. Tinned baths in front of the fire once a week sufficed.

Families washed in the kitchen (scullery) and toilets were shared between houses and out the back (depending on where you lived).

Children played in the street, on a recreation ground and on bombsites and were NEVER supervised by adults. Often a big brother or sister would be in charge.

There were few cars and lorries. There were trams, trolley buses and steam trains (although there were some electric and diesel trains).

Abortions were illegal, back street practitioners flourished. There was a social stigma attached to illegitimacy, divorce was not acceptable in many circles. Homosexuality was illegal.

Capital punishment was still in operation.

1950 then, and the ensuing decade, is an interesting and fascinating era to set down my new detective, Inspector Alun Ryga.

What are your memories of the 1950s?

Death in the Cove, an Inspector Alun Ryga 1950 crime novel

'Death in the Cove is a great read and one I recommend to any crime fans.' BH Living Magazine

Newly promoted at Scotland Yard, Ryga is on his first solo investigation outside of London, he has to solve the mystery of why a man in a pin-striped suit is found murdered in an isolated cove on the Island of Portland in Dorset.

"Ryga studied the face of the dead man with interest. Death no longer had the power to shock him. He’d seen too much of it. That didn’t mean he didn’t feel sorrow, pity, anger or despair, or sometimes all four emotions and in such a swift succession that they became one. This time he felt none of these, only professional curiosity.”

Available in paperback, as an ebook, on Amazon Kindle and Kobo

Also as an audio book, narrated by Jonathan Rhodes and published by B7 Media. Download the audio book

Extract from DEATH IN THE COVE an atmospheric 1950 set mystery featuring Inspector Ryga

It's September 1950. Inspector Alun Ryga of Scotland Yard is sent down to the Island of Portland in Dorset to investigate the death of a man wearing a pin striped suit found on the shore in the isolated Church Ope Cove, Portland.

‘Why is it called Church Ope Cove and not hope cove?’ Ryga asked, breaking the silence. ‘Was the H left off by mistake centuries ago?’
‘Ope is local dialect for an opening in the cliff that leads down to the water’s edge. The cove was famous for smugglers in the last century.’ Sergeant Daniels answered.
‘Was?’
‘Maybe still is,’ Daniels corrected, flashing him a glance and narrowly avoiding hitting a cyclist. ‘Perhaps that’s why the body has ended up there. He doesn’t look much like a smuggler though, not if you expect them to be dressed in woollen pullovers and patched grubby trousers, as in old books and photos.’ He smiled. ‘So maybe they’ve become more fashion-conscious. And thieves and crooks come in all guises, as you’d know all too well, sir.’
Ryga did. While working for the Thames River Police he’d been called upon to assist the Port of London in helping to uncover two highly notable and profitable drug smuggling rings. It had been because of his background in the merchant navy, his knowledge of ships, their loading and unloading operations and their crew mentality that he’d been asked to assist. The success of the operations had catapulted him from the river police into the Metropolitan Police and into the Criminal Investigations Department of Scotland Yard with such breath-taking speed that he had hardly realized what was happening. Now he was being called upon to once again utilize his knowledge of the sea to try and discover why a man dressed in a pinstriped suit had been stabbed in the neck and ended up dead on the beach of a small cove on Portland on the Dorset coast.

Death in the Cove, an Inspector Alun Ryga 1950 mystery

'Death in the Cove is a great read and one I recommend to any crime fans.' BH Living Magazine
 
'Don’t miss this first book in what is sure to be a first-class series. Whilst the murderer is unmasked there are left some tempting hooks for the next book. Highly recommended.' Mystery People Magazine.


"Ryga studied the face of the dead man with interest. Death no longer had the power to shock him. He’d seen too much of it. That didn’t mean he didn’t feel sorrow, pity, anger or despair, or sometimes all four emotions and in such a swift succession that they became one. This time he felt none of these, only professional curiosity.”

Available in paperback, as an ebook, on Amazon Kindle and Kobo

Also as an audio book, narrated by Jonathan Rhodes and published by B7 Media. Download the audio book

"Thoroughly enjoyed this well written book which gives an excellent introduction to what I hope will be a new series with an interesting central character."