Customer Reviews

Black Out

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

The Booklist review excerpt is right on. If you love dark (but wryly humorous), tightly written, historical thrillers, this is for you. I can't imagine why this didn't make a much bigger splash in the US. The story and writing are absolute top rank. It is no exaggeration to compare John Lawton's writing skill to John Le Carre's.

I originally bought this book for my dad - he served as a GI in
London from 1943-46 and is a real history buff. He was crazy about
it, said it's the most convincing depiction of the place and the time
he's ever read. So I pointed out the 'big mistake' over the WAC, and
he said it was dumb but minor, after all Lawton had the clothes, the
music, the food all right - even had the name of the head waiter at a
London night club right, and that was amazing - how does anyone dig
up stuff like that? So, atmospheric? sure, detailed? sure, but it's
also a classy thriller, a plot that just rips along. So I read it
too, and more than that I read the two sequels and the good news is
they get better and better. This guy is good. They don't come much
better.
B Clark, Carthage.

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!

This is an excellent WWII mystery thriller from John Lawton (read his other works). A young police officer named gets assigned to an investigation of various deaths having to do with scientists working on a secret project. The mystery gets deaper once the detective realizes that the American OSS is involved. He follows the villain throughout WWII and finallys gets to the bottom of it after the war ends in the post-war Berlin. fascinating, thrilling, dark in nature...and excellent novel from Lawton.

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.

Lawton elegantly captures the essence of War time London and uses it as a backdrop to a solid thriller. The story itself is unspectacular, nowhere near as complex as a Robert Harris tale, but Lawton effortlessly brings the reader into the world of war time depravation. An extremely well written book and very enjoyable.

I recently reread John Lawton's mystery novel, "Black Out," with the same enjoyment experienced some years back on the first time around. The book's protagonist, police sergeant Freddy Troy, is a continuously interesting creation who comes from a well-described privileged British background. More interesting to me, was the care that the author takes to describe the environment of war-time London with all of its grit and stress. The book's storyline has been criticized by some reviewers as too dependent on coincidences in Troy's family/personal life and his work as a detective sergeant, but I don't think that the device is overdone. One of author Lawton's purposes in this book, and others that follow in the series, is social critique which is often focused on the irresponsbile or uncivil behavior of British upper and middle-classes.
In any event, what the reader gets in "Black Out" is a first-rate detective/spy story set in a wholly believable WWII context with well-drawn characters and plenty of action. The books in the Freddy Troy series that follow "Black Out" are worthy of any mystery lover's attention.