Blue Rondo

This 'Inspector Troy" is a drop in quality to the previous two I have read. Its a straight crime story which revolves around dismembered bodies turning up around London in the mid- 1950's. This story does not have the involvement from the intelligence agencies that "Old Flames" and " A Little White Death" had.Lawton somehow managers to involves every female character that Troy has ever been involved with in this story. It's almost a bit too try hard, I mean all the women from the previous books put in an appearance. This aspect of the book involves one truly bizzare episode which I can honestly say I have never come across in a mainstream novel involving the main character and I am still struggling to come up with a reason for it being in the book . I won't put here what this episode involves but I'd be interested to hear from other readers what they thought about it when they came across it.Anyway, its not a bad read just not as good as the others, its very well written,strong and interesting characters. A good solid police procedural, nothing more.

Loving Troy after getting to know him almost well. So well written and great reading looking forward to the next adventure

Good read!! Good service on the delivery .

Yet another great book from Mr Lawton. Well written. Well researched. And for someone of my generation, evoking memories of a time that are both nostalgic and frightening. He remains at the top of my most admired writers list.

Excellent read

Another excellent Lawton novel.

dint know it was a renamed book i had read

one of the great novelists of the last 25 years. read all of his books. novels rather then cop books

The Troy series is outstanding and, whilst maybe not essential, I think it is worth reading it in chronological sequence, rather than publication sequence; the chronological sequence is: Second Violin; Riptide; Black Out; A Lily Of The Field; Old Flames; Blue Rondo; A little White Death.I think it is interesting that the books were published (and, presumably, written) out of chronological sequence and wonder if this was done to allow the author to avoid the continuity gaffs which occur in many book series – knowing where or how he wanted key characters to end up, he could subsequently create a back story to match – the only continuity issue I noticed was about Troy’s piano at Goodwin’s Court.There is a murder whodunit in each book but the series is about much, much more than that: the changes in society and attitudes from the 1930s through to the 1960s; national and international politics, from pre Second World War to the Cold War and Suez; spies and the Security Services; Special Branch; the hypocrisy, vices and double standards of the establishment; the internment of enemy aliens.There are some superb characters, including Alexei Troy, Uncle Nikolai, Tosca, Stanley Onions, Kitty Stilton, Kolankiewicz and, especially, Troy himself.Troy is not a sympathetic character; he is a sociopath and immoral, amoral or of a very different morality; he does not have difficulty with indulging in incest, adultery, murder or blackmail; he believes that the end justifies the means, that the law does not apply to him and that lying is always a better option than telling the truth – makes for a fascinating read.

A while back, I grew tired of the run of the Mill serial killer or bang bang shoot 'em up super hero dealing with supervillain type of book. I found a John Lawton book by chance. I'd never read or heard of the author. Within 50 pages I was hooked. What stories, what prose, the ease and elegance of his writing, this is modern day Dickens. His research is second to none, pretty much faultless for a work of fiction. In a single paragraph his prose can be charming, disarming, bloody, tacky earthy and vulgar yet so beautifully descriptive. Thank goodness for the thesaurus/dictionary at times. Their is of course a publishing order but it doesn't matter too much as most of the characters intertwine in the stories. I will not reveal the storyline other than to that is set in 1941 wartime London and involves espionage, murder, spies, sorrow, a love story/ies, revenge and political shenanigans, and if you think that you've " read it all before " , then you are misguided. Beware!!!! These books are not to be merely read but more ....savoured, akin to a good cheese, a decent red wine or a single malt, not to be scoffed. The only disappointment is that I've read all of them and am now reduced to trawling through the bookshelves seeking a book that will hold my attention and thoroughly entertain me. Some Hope !!

This series of books keeps the reader gripped all through and if you thought it was just about inspector troy - think againI love the way the books in the series pick up different times from the thirties to the eighties and nineties and link the main characters throughout the narrative with with personages of that period. Brilliantly researched i don't know what i am going to do at the end of this series!

even though nothing much happens until later on, how Troy, the detective at centre, fares physically and in his police work is compelling enough - and then it all takes off - his high level contacts, and asocial behaviour is utterly captivating - we meet or hear of Macmillan, Driberg and others of the time and it's delicious gossip - I am utterly addicted to Lawton's Troy novels - and you will be too should you pick one up - almost any will do! this requires a bit knowing of the past however, I have to admit but nothing crucial ... read it!!

I really love this author and the way he includes historical characters and fictional characters around real historical events. It’s all so believable, and realistic, at least to me. It is however frustrating that despite reading the books in order that the chronological development of the main characters and their families and friends doesn’t also follow.