Flesh Wounds

This is the fifth installment in the Frederick Troy series. Troy is a London homicide detective of Russian heritage - his father an immigrant who became a very powerful and wealthy newspaper publisher. The series takes place between the 1930's and the sixties and although there is a chronology to these books, the series doesn't follow a calendar. Also several of the books, including this one, have been published under different titles, i.e. same book, different title depending on if it's the British or American version. I have not run across many folks who are familiar with this series which is unfortunate - these are great books - Flesh Wounds or Blue Rondo - being no exception. The books are historically based mysteries with historic figures - for instance Eisenhower makes an appearance in this one - and follow the events of the time. Our hero Troy is somewhat of a lone wolf on the police force - jaded just enough to be both pragmatic and at times very funny but personable, politically savvy and competent enough to climb the promotion ladder. He's the Chief Superintendent in this one. There's also a supporting cast of characters - Troy's family, his friends and co-workers, including a distant cousin of Winston Churchill - who are well developed and engaging on their own. The books are a blend of mystery, police procedural and political intrigue, all handled extremely well by the author. Lastly, much like Charles McCarry's books, there is a lot of sex in this series and there's even more bed-hopping in this book than its predecessors - including one brief but bizarre and somewhat disturbing scene. Flesh Wounds begins with a brief flashback to 1944 and war-time London and then moves forward to 1959. Troy finds himself embroiled in case in which the London East End underworld is in transition as a more violent group of Young Turks are supplanting their older predecessors, Troy and his cohorts, get knocked around a bit and find themselves not only dealing with this new breed of criminals but also the same old corrupt politicians - but they come out on top in the end. A very good book and highly recommended although - and I seem to be saying this with more and more frequency - I wouldn't start here simply because you miss a lot of Troy's history - specifically familial - if you haven't read the earlier books.

The strange thing with the Inspector Troy books is that they get different titles when they're released in the US to when they originally come out in the UK. So, if you're from the UK and excited that to find a new Inspector Troy story you're sorely mistaken -- this book was originally called "Blue Rondo" and was first published in paperback in 2005. Why the title "Blue Rondo" is unsuitable for an American audience I don't know. But with that out of the way, "Flesh Wounds"/"Blue Rondo" is one of my favourites of the Troy books. Over time, we've got to love the characterisation, Police Surgeon Kolanciwicz is one of the foulest-mouthed people I've come across, but is hilarious to read, and Troy's attitude to most people seems to be that they can go and get lost. The best so far.

John Lawton has created a thought provoking detective series set in the UK during/after World War 2. He does a fine job at developing/solving the crimes. He excels at weaving the social costs of the War into his stories. This is both informative and thought provoking. Be prepared for sex.

Frederick Troy was twenty-nine years old in 1944. While London was recovering from the bombings that ravished parts of the city, Det. Sgt. Troy was recovering from a gunshot that ravished his kidney and small intestine. Thus the theme is set for the latest novel in this mystery series as it compares and contrasts the fallout wrought by world warfare and gang warfare. Ladslaw Kolankiewicz, arms expert and longtime friend, insists on teaching Troy how to defend himself. So even though Troy believes in an unarmed police force, he spends weeks becoming proficient in every handgun available because Kolankiewicz does not want to see him shot to death. Troy is surrounded by many such close friends and they remain together over the years as the novel picks up again in 1959. It is then that one of his best mates is killed by a car bomb blast and Troy is injured as well. While on sick leave he spends an inordinate amount of time in bed, and not alone. Not only is he separated from his wife, but his lover, Foxx, hands him an ultimatum, and he is comforted by his doctor, Anna, in very non-medical fashion. Then along comes his old flame from America, who is now the wife of a presidential hopeful, but all Kate wants to do is spark up Troy again. Whew. The first half of FLESH WOUNDS reads like a soap opera with tiny bubbles of the mystery barely visible. Even after mutilated bodies start showing up, the investigation takes a back seat to simultaneous affairs, historical detours and various manipulations designed to get Troy to intervene with his Opposition Party Leader brother, Rod, for political favors. But once our Chief Superintendent becomes serious about getting to the bottom of things, we are offered an excellent look at the police work that has made Scotland Yard a force to be reckoned with. John Lawton has written an ambitious book that encompasses postwar politics, ruthless gang activities, old-fashioned police work, and relationships complicated enough to make Danielle Steel smile. Lawton is not afraid to push the envelope when it comes to the horrific violence of the underworld or to traditionally taboo sexual themes. The work is perceptive and witty while the English vernacular is fun and definitely increases the reader's store of epithets. --- Reviewed by Maggie Harding

World War II ended fourteen years ago, but London still shows the ruins. For Russian descendent Chief Superintendent of Scotland Yard Freddie Troy, the conviction of crime kingpin King Alf should be a time of elation. Instead the war years have returned; his former lover Kitty Stilton is back in town but unavailable since she is married to American presidential hopeful, Calvin Cormack, another person from Freddie's espionage past. Private investigator Joey Rork is in town to insure that Kitty behaves while in England. However, while London swings with Kitty as its biggest swinger, a war seems imminent to take over King's Alf's crime syndicate and American gamblers and crooners are in the middle of the action. When Rork and others are violently killed, Freddie leads the inquiries that take him back to 1944 when he was recovering from a bullet courtesy of his mistress and the antics of his family especially his promiscuous sisters and his brother, who has present day (1959 that is) ambitions. There is also links to when he was Sergeant Freddie Troy. Still, in spite of his efforts London with Ike coming is filling up with mutilated corpses. FLESH WOUNDS is an exhilarating British historical police procedural that binds events and real persona or obviously disguised persona between World War II and 1959. The story line is overloaded with several subplots that at times may feel overwhelming, but not only come together but enables readers to compare 1944 and 1959 London. Freddie is terrific in both eras as he is the string that keeps the multitude of subplots tied together. Fans will appreciate this deep but dark look back to two distinct Great Britain's only fifteen years apart within a fine Noir.