He Kills Coppers [Paperback]

Jake Arnott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2001

August 1966, the long hot summer of World Cup euphoria is suddenly shattered by a brutal crime that shocks a nation seemingly at ease with itself. Three characters' fates are irrevocably bound up with this event and consequences that reverberate across three decades. An ambitious detective dragged into intrigues of corruption. A gutter press journalist with a nose for a nasty story. And a disaffected petty criminal pushed over the edge by a violent crime that haunts him. An epic story that looks at morality and corruption on both sides of the law and at the very heart of the state.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Brilliant ... you won't be able to put it down.' -- Mark Sanderson, Sunday Telegraph Summer Reading 'Many thought that Jake Arnott's debut, 'The Long Firm', was good but not quite as good as the hype tried to convince us it was. Frankly, Hemingway, Hammett and Greene together would have been hard pressed to come up with anything that good. His eagerly awaited follow-up, 'He Kills Coppers', has arrived - and it's better.' -- Time Out 'Compelling ... Arnott is a writer of many shades and, as in his debut, The Long Firm, shows his penchant for combining challenging storylines with strong storytelling.' -- Max Davidson, Sunday Telegraph 'Arnott is a craftsman at what he does, a real cabinetmaker of pulp fiction, with everything nicely dovetailed' -- Sunday Times 'Intoxicating' -- Scotland on Sunday 'Propels Arnott further into a league of his own' -- Independent on Sunday 'Brilliant' -- Literary Review 'Easily as good, if not better, than the superb Long Firm ... A stylish tour-de-force' -- Big Issue

About the Author

Jake Arnott was born in Buckinghamshire in 1961. He has worked as a labourer, a mortuary technician, a theatrical agent's assistant, an artist's life model and a sign language interpreter as well as enjoying many fruitful periods of unemployment. His acting experience has included work on the Fringe in London, Edinburgh and Toronto as well as improvised comedy. He is the author of two other novels, THE LONG FIRM and TRUECRIME.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sceptre (November 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034074880X
• ISBN-13: 978-0340748800
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.9 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,639,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars True Crime, August 29, 2010

By 

Lance Mitchell (Hampshire, UK, Northern Hemisphere, Planet Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: He Kills Coppers (Paperback)

The book is based on a true story, which begins after a considerable prologue, on the day of the 1966 World Cup Final with the brutal killings of three London policemen. Incidentally, for those who don't know, England beat Germany by four goals to two after extra time in that final.

The prologue to the horrific incident is entirely necessary and relevant, as it explains how the three main characters arrived where they were on that fateful day.

There is the policeman, who was the closest buddy of one of the victims. There is the murderer himself. Then there is a self-seeking journalist who follows the story from beginning to end, and adds a fascinating life-story of his own.

This is fast-paced and action-packed. It paints a sorry picture of policing in Britain in the second half of the twentieth century, whipped up by the awfulness of Thatcherite Conservatism.

The characters are totally believable. After all, they are based on true life. The reader is swept along by what could very be the reality of the detail.

I read the book in a single day, and I recommend it to you without fear of comeback.