Black Out

Rating:
Summary: An intelligent, well-written story
Review: I went to Amazon.co.uk, found this author, read the reviews and bought all three books in paperback. I can't put them down! He takes a real event and seamlessly blends his characters and actual people into the story. He is amazing!

Troy is the policeman who investigates here and as you are drawn into the story, the author tells you so much about him, where he comes from, his family, etc. In addition, for us Yanks, he keeps the English phrasing to a minimum, but when he sticks some in, you're bound to understand it. This story is about some dead Germans/Poles right before D-Day. Troy puts their deaths together and the investigation and people he meets along the way are fascinating. Can't recommend it enough! The second, Old Flames, is even better. I'm finishing the third, A Little White Death, and don't even much care what the mystery is about, it's that well-written. Don't miss them.

Rating:
Summary: Great historical mystery
Review: Lawton is a newer author to me. His writing is superb, and his plot, though convoluted, ends up making sense. I don't know why so many people are of the opinion that serial killers or mass killers are something new to our society. They aren't. They just managed to hide behind war scenes, and take advantage of the fact that the lack of ready and accurate information made it easier to hide their crimes. All too often, those who have gotten a taste of killing in wartime, find it to their liking, and they manage to make themselves valuable to their superiors (who often know what they are doing but prefer to hide their heads in the sand). I am reading this now in nonfiction having to do with the U.S. and England hiding German scientists because their abilities would come of use during the Cold WAr. I find it very hard to forgive our American politicians and military for using these men when they had participated in such atrocities.

I really enjoy reading about England during WWII. It's fascinating to read how people coped with so little, even in areas of filling in public service positions such as policemen since so many of the young men were called up to serve in the military. Lawton describes the diverse ways of making coffee, when the real thing was not available...and the reader can 'see' the disgust on the faces of people trying to make do with such an unsavory mess.

Lawton's writing is exciting and he jumps from one problem to another. You would think his young detective would learn to be more observant after being hit more then once. Lawton is an equal opportunity author...his women can be just as nasty as the men in this book.

A word of warning for those who are picky about this...Lawton's language is very 'colorful' though it is not on every single page. He also likes to fill in the sex scenes a little more then I prefer...

Karen Sadler

Rating:
Summary: Murder and mystery in war-torn London
Review: Since previous reviewers have accurately pin-pointed the shortcomings of the rather contrived plot, let me just add a couple of things in the book's favour.

John Lawton has done his homework in describing life in London during and immediately after World War II. The picture he paints is almost photographic in its accuracy. If Norman Rockwell had been a British author, instead of an American painter, I think this is how he might have written.

With a strong lead character in Detective Sergeant Troy, and some real gems amongst the supporting cast of pro-Communist Russian immigrants, upper class Britons and working class Londoners, carried along by a strong story line, I couldn't ask for much more.

I read the book without knowing that John Lawton was a documentary film maker, but it doesn't surprise me. The book is highly visual and I imagine would make an incredible film

Rating:
Summary: Great atmosphere, but ...
Review: There are just too many coincidences. Half of the cast of characters in this World War Two murder mystery seem to have direct personal connections to Detective Sergeant Troy of Scotland Yard. For me, this made the whole story too contrived. And I would criticize the sex scenes as being a bit gratuitous and unbelievable, not being quite integrated with the rest of the narrative.

Although I had heard encouraging things about John Lawton's novels, this -- my first exposure to him -- let me rather disappointed. I think in the future I will stick with Alan Furst instead.

Rating:
Summary: London Calling
Review: This first book in the Troy series left me rather torn. On the one hand, it's a gripping page-turned stuffed with great characters and atmosphere, all set in London just prior to D-Day. On the other hand, the plot relies on so many coincidences and contrivances that one's suspension of disbelief is sorely tested. Like the Berlin detective Bernie Gunther in Phillip Kerr's excellent WWII trilogy (collected as Berlin Noir), Lawton's D.S. Troy is a wonderful character. Born in England to upper class Russian Jewish parents, he doesn't believe in Queen and country, but pursues a broader notion of justice. As a young Scotland Yard whiz-kid, he tries to unravel a series of murders and disappearances tied somehow to former German scientists and the American military.

The downside is-and I give nothing away by saying this-that too many central figures in the story are connected to Troy's personal life. One victim lives above his closest police friend, another is known to his uncle (who just happens to be a scientist working in military research), another central player is known to him from childhood, and another important character has a past history with Troy as well. Not to mention the climax, in which Troy's well connected brother plays a key role. It gets to be rather a lot to ignore, and the worst part is, there isn't really a need for all those connections to be there!

Fortunately, Lawton provides ample detail and atmosphere to keep everything enjoyable. His portrait of the tough conditions in wartime London, and the privileged place of the American military there is striking. Food rationing, bombing raids, dense fog, rubble-strewn streets, tough East End children, it's all highly evocative. Similarly, he provides a picture of England's simmering domestic political situation that will come as a surprise to many American readers. Every character springs to life under Lawton's pen, from Troy's keen subordinate, to his canny superior, to a hooker with a heart of gold, and bluff American officers. My own favorite is the cross-cursing Polish forensics expert.

Coincidences aside, the book is exceedingly well-written, and it's shame Lawton isn't better known in the US. A second Troy book, Old Flames, is set in 1956, a the third, A Little White Death, in 1963-neither of these had yet been published in US.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good little thriller
Review: This story has a lot of twists and turns in it. The main character is Detective Freddie Troy. He starts out with a piece of a body and puts together an rather intricate plot involving the Allied High Command, Russian Spies, Nazi scientists and OSS types.

There are a number of interesting people along the way. Tosca who works for a lot of different people and always seems to have the next clue. Diana Brack, a mysterious woman involved in the caper more than it seems. Jimmy the OSS killer type or so we think. Onions, who is Troy's boss, and a rather cryptic sort.

Troy spends most of the book falling in and out of bed with different ladies, stumbling about in the dark of 1944 London and getting the living snot beat out of him by different folks.

But the novel works of fails on the mounting bits of evidence and much of it shows up just at the right time. An adequate first outing.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best spy series I've ever read
Review: Unfortunately for U.S. readers, Lawton's publishers are just now getting around to introducing this series to us. Fortunately, for those of you who like the series (I'm a huge fan) and are willing to deal with currency exchange rates, you can go to Amazon.co.uk and get the rest of the series in paperback (Riptide, A Little White Death, Black Out and Old Flames). As I recall, Riptide (1941) is really the first book in the series, followed by Black Out (1944), Old Flames (1956) and A Little White Death (1963), even though they weren't written in that order. For the reviewer who thought Troy encountered too many coincidences, well that's life in England. Families are connected in many odd and different ways with other families and it's alway who you know, not what you know, that propels you along in life. With a little more background information about Troy, his detective life might be a little more believable. This is really an outstanding series with fully drawn characters, feelings, motivations and situations. In addition, you will meet the most prominent characters in each book and get to know and understand them even better. If you find you really like Troy, please get all the books and read them in order. This is a wonderful series that I can't recommend highly enough for Brit/spy/good story fans.

Rating:
Summary: Problems in War Ravaged London
Review: While Lawton effectively recreates the atmosphere of wartime London, the plot begs more questions than it answers. Troy didn't know he was fighting a woman in the dark alley? What was Lady Diana's motivation? Was she simply unable to resist the Svengali-like Wayne? Was she insane? Why were the boffins killed -- because they were Communists who wouldn't help with the war effort or because they were Communists who went West to help with the war effort? Carroll's White Rabbit was a more believable character than Tosca. The whole story just didn't pan out.
Inept describes the detecting skills of Lawton's character, Sgt. Freddie Troy. He can't tail suspects, is always caught by surprise in dangerous situations, and blunders from one life-threatening crisis to another. Troy makes Clouseau look like Philip Marlowe!
Lawton needs to return to square one. He has a character, an era of interest and feeling, now all he needs are some story-telling skills and he'll be a novelist!