Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Kristi Jones for the advanced reader copy of the book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Set during World War II, Murder in the Ranks seems to be the first book in a series about Dottie Lincoln, a member of the WAAC forces, and Captain Devlin, an investigator with the Military Police. Dottie is running from her past by joining the WAACs, although that past seems to be catching up with her.

Stationed in Algiers during the North African campaign, Dottie Lincoln and her fellow WAACs have a variety of duties in support of the Army so that more men can be free to fight on the front lines. One part of their “support” includes attending dances to boost morale among the men. Dottie is a squad leader and watches out for the women under her charge. At one of these dances, she spots Ruth having some difficulty with one Private Rivera. Later on, Ruth falls three stories from a balcony of the building to her death, just as a Nazi bombardment is happening. Did Ruth commit suicide? Was she murdered? Was it an accident?

Dottie doesn’t accept the initial ruling of Ruth’s death as a suicide. Captain Devlin convinces his boss to allow him to investigate the case for 3 days. After that, the case will be ruled a suicide or an accident. There are plenty of suspects, but little evidence. Plus, the truth about Ruth’s past threatens to come back and derail the investigation, while also providing another possible suspect.

Overall, I enjoyed Murder in the Ranks a lot. There was plenty going on in the story with the backdrop of the North African campaign. How do you investigate a possible murder with the war going on? I felt the characters lacked some depth, but that’s common with first novels in a series that want to introduce so much to the canvas. Dottie gets a good amount of development. I think her “secret” could have been left in limbo to the next in the series, but it works here as well. It serves to cast doubt on her motivations to those she’s working with.

Kristi Jones has done a great job with the setting of Algiers during the war. I could really picture it, despite it being a different time and place. Her descriptions are well done. The characters all have great potential. She has a good description of what it was like to be a WAAC, with all of the responsibilities but none of the benefits that the male soldiers receive. They are glorified secretaries for the most part while also being hated by many of the soldiers for being there.

Between the good mystery and the details of the WAACs I recommend the book. There is a bit lacking in the depth of the characters, but overall this is a good read. If it’s the first in a series, I see a lot of potential.