Second Violin

About ten pages into "Second Violin," I was consciously slowing down my reading to make the experience last longer. It's that kind of pleasurable and intriguing book. Surprisingly, the first third of the novel, which is the seventh in the Troy mystery chronicles, gives scant mention of the redoubtable Freddie Troy. Instead, the focus is on the other members of the Troy family, especially patriarch, Alex, and older son, Rod. Through the eyes of these Troys, author John Lawton lays out a short but vivid history of pre-WWII Europe as Hitler bullies his way into anschluss with Austria, annexation of Czechoslovakia and openly attacks Poland. There is a particularly poignant portrayal of the brutalization of the Jewish population of Vienna that sets up the appearance of several characters that are principals when the book moves on to wartime Britain. The story then focuses on a lesser known event of the war, the internment, by the British Government, of foreign nationals from Germany, Austria and other Axis allies. Ironically, this pulls in a large number of the Jewish refugees who suffered under the Nazis before fleeing to the UK. It also results in the arrest and internment of Rod Troy, who in most respects is British to his fingertips, but because of his Austrian birthplace, is technically a resident alien. His experiences in an internee camp are well told and constitute an interesting and not so noble chapter in British history. (There is some obvious parallel here to the USG treatment of U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry and Japanese and German aliens after Pearl Harbor.) Britain's homegrown Fascists also come into the story here in an important way that continues through to the end of the novel. The book then produces a serial killer (of London East End rabbis) that swings the lime light to newly-minted Police Sergeant Freddie Troy, the series mainstay. "Second Violin" is right up there with author John Lawton's best writing, but has some original and creative story elements that give it special zip and interest. Lawton writes a personal love-hate relationship between Alex Troy and Winston Churchill into the story. He gives Alex a pre-WWII meeting with the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, aimed at driving a wedge between Mussolini and Hitler. German Dadaist artist Kurt Schwitters has a cameo role to play in a British internment camp. As good as this story garnish is, Lawton's best writing is lavished on the development of his characters--primary and secondary. The interaction and dialogue between those characters is almost always credible and intelligent. This novel is pure pleasure in almost all of its parts. (One small quibble--why do all of Freddie Troy's women friends seem to be so sexually aggressive and tragic at the same time?) Excellent read. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book, but don't know how to classify it. It's called a thriller, but it's not really. It's not a mystery as the mystery only comes in about 3/4 of the way into the book. There is much historical info, but it's not really a historical novel. The secret to the books success, it seems to me is the wonderful insight into the feelings and emotions of the diverse cast of characters from Jewish immigrants to english peerage to cops on the beat and a whole cast of interesting characters.

In 1938 the latest European war seems imminent. The London based Sunday Post owned by Alexei Troy covers the growing hostilities; in fact Alexei's oldest son Rod is the paper's star reporter on the continent; working in Vienna. Back home Alexei's other son Frederick has become a Scotland Yard Murder Squad Investigator. Rod learns that when his father lived in Vienna years ago, he was a patient of the imminent Dr. Sigmund Freud and that he was actually born near the Danube not the Thames as he once believed. However, Rod knows it is time to stop musing or for that matter reporting as the increasing violence of Hitler minions has reached Vienna so he needs to get his family out. In London, Alex meets the country's leaders as peace in our times is over and war with Hitler about to begin. A Russian-Englishman, Alex rips into his birth country for considering appeasement with the Nazis, who he knows will not stop in Poland. Frederick is assigned to a goon squad arresting anyone who might have Nazi, German or Italian loyalties; these suspects are shipped to the Isle of Man. While Hitler sends his air force to bomb the English into submission, someone kills a rabbi in a hit and run incident. When a second rabbi is murdered in his synagogue, Frederick is assigned the case to insure that some Hitler sympathizer is not performing a local final solution. This is an excellent WW II historical thriller that contains three strong subplots; each well written and connected through the Try bloodline. The story line is fast-paced whether it is on Vienna, the streets of London or Parliament. Fans will appreciate John Lawton's brisk expanded Frederick Troy thriller that fascinatingly goes back a decade plus from the usual Freddie Troy police procedurals. Harriet Klausner

I received a pre-publication copy of this book amongst six. Being in the US, I had never seen Lawton's work, so I picked it, and was immediately sucked into the time and place. Lawton's characters are human, well-developed and fascinating; his descriptions of setting and events at the time superb. Having a real affection for the UK, I was immediately drawn into the dialogs, at times with dictionary in hand. Be assured, I will read the rest - if I can find them here!