Black Out

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.

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.

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.