Death Has Deep Roots by Michael Gilbert

Michael Gilbert was an unknown Author to me. He published his first book in 1949 and this one in 1951, but had a long career in writing. This Story had its background in France during WWII... which led to a Murder several years after the War had ended. The odd circumstances are presented through the eyes of a great cast of characters. Several people are working to save Martine, part of the French Resistance, who they believe to be innocent.

The way Gilbert tells this story holds your interest all the way to the last page. There is a strong sense of urgency to save a young Woman's life, and find the guilty party. But is she innocent and if so how could the murder possibly have been committed? In some ways the setup is similar to a locked room but not quite. You have a tense, fast-moving plot, murder, attempted murder, and an ensemble of people all connected with the French Resistance.

I had never heard of this Author, but, simply found the Cover and blurb interesting. I have always had a love of World War II mysteries and this one does not disappoint. It may be set a few years after... but the heartbreak, courage and greed...the best and the worst of people, go hand- in-hand with this mystery. It is also a tribute to the Women they left behind in its own fashion, but mostly, it is just a good old heart-thumping mystery and I will be hunting for more of Gilbert's work.

Blurb:
An eager London crowd awaits the trial of Victoria Lamartine, hotel worker, ex-French Resistance fighter, and the only logical suspect for the murder of her supposed lover, Major Eric Thoseby. Lamartine—who once escaped from the clutches of the Gestapo—is set to meet her end at the gallows.
One final opportunity remains: the defendant calls on solicitor Nap Rumbold to replace the defense counsel,and grants an eight-day reprieve from the proceedings. Without any time to spare, Rumbold boards a ferry across the Channel, tracing the roots of the brutal murder back into the war-torn past.
Expertly combining authentic courtroom drama at the Old Bailey with a perilous quest for evidence across France, Death Has Deep Roots is an unorthodox marvel of the mystery genre.