Dead Men and Broken Hearts

Lennox #4

by Craig Russell

The fourth thriller in the Lennox series sees our shady investigative hero face new threats and dangerous enemies as he stalks Glasgow's tough streets.

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Scotland, Noir, Historical, Mystery, Historical Fiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Award-winning, best-selling and critically-acclaimed author. His novels have been published in twenty-five languages around the world. The movie rights to the Devil Aspect have been bought by Columbia Pictures. Biblical, his science-fiction novel, has been acquired by Imaginarium Studios/Sonar Entertainment, four Jan Fabel novels have been made into movies (in one of which Craig Russell makes a cameo appearance as a detective) for ARD, the German national broadcaster, and the Lennox series has been optioned for TV development.

Craig Russell:
• won the 2015 Crime Book of the Year (McIlvanney Prize) for 'The Ghosts of Altona', and is currently longlisted for the 2017 McIlvanney Prize for 'The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid', the latest in the Lennox series;
• was a finalist for the 2013 Ellis Peters Historical Dagger;
• was a finalist for the 2012 Crime Book of the Year (McIlvanney Prize);
• won the 2008 CWA Dagger in the Library for the Fabel series;
• was a finalist for the 2007 CWA Duncan Lawrie Golden Dagger;
• was a finalist for the 2007 SNCF Prix Polar in France;
• is the only non-German to be awarded the highly prestigious Polizeistern by the Polizei
Hamburg.

Official website: http://www.craigrussell.com
Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/craigrussell...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecraigrussell

Also writes under the pseudonym Christopher Galt

Reviews

[Andrew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the fourth book in this series Glasgow private investigator Lennox is visited by a woman who suspects her husband of living a double life. This seems like a straightforward enough case, easy money for a bit of snooping around. He’s also been asked to track down a union official who is suspected of running off with a significant sum of money belonging to the Amalgamated Union of Industrial Trades. Again, this doesn’t sound too complicated. Except, of course, things are never that routine as these two cases are quick to confirm.

We’re back in mid-1950’s Glasgow at a time when elsewhere Hungarians are rising up against Soviet-imposed policies and any pretence that Britain still has a role as a world power is being completely eliminated by ongoing events concerning the Suez Canal. Lennox is at once a charmer but also a man prone to having the red mist descend. His wartime experiences seem to have left him unable to retain a full grip on his temper and he needs little provocation to demonstrate some of the darker skills he’s learned along the way. That said, he’s made strenuous attempts to stay away from Glasgow’s three underworld bosses of late – a threesome he’s completed work for a number of times in the past. It’s time to clean up his act and stay out of trouble. Or is it?

These books are always strong on atmosphere and character development but they provide something of a history lesson too. The detail feels comprehensively researched and the Glasgow described here has a powerful and distinctive feel to it. And despite the ever present undertone of violence in there’s also a hefty dose of pitch-black humour. I was quickly fully immersed in this tale. The lack of mobile phones, DNA evidence and computerised crime databases means that Lennox has to rely on his street nous and intelligence to make progress in his cases. It helps that he’s managed to forge a relationship with a semi-friendly copper but in truth this source is only of limited use to him.

Craig Russell is probably one of the hidden gems of crime fiction writing. He’s penned two excellent series - his Jan Fabel books are equally impressive and yet very different in setting, tone and timeframe – and yet it feels to me that he remains relatively undiscovered. If you’re a fan of this genre then I’d urge you to take a look at the work of this hugely impressive writer.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth installment of this series about the Canadian Glasgow based private investigator Lennox is a more solemn affair as the previous book as Lennox gets into major trouble with the authorities when he involves himself as an investigator for an apparent fraud with their funds and an innocent investigation into the fidelity in a marriage. Very quick Lennox loses his grip on both investigations and gets into serious trouble for which he needs good friends and a lot of trust to entangle himself.

A smart thriller that does deliver a good and exciting story in a well written manner, with one exception the situation with his landlady might have needed some more breathing space and a few sentences more.

A solid installment that needs me looking in obtaining some more of this series. Russel is an excellent writer and proves so in both his Lennox and Faber series. Strange that this writer has not gathered more fans and notice before today.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Men and Broken Hearts is book four in the Lennox series by Craig Russell. Private investigator Lennox wanted his personal and professional life to change. Lennox was opening he could achieve this by taking on an easy case involving keeping track of a woman's husband. However, this was not the case. The more Lennox investigates, the more problems he encountered. The readers of Dead Men and Broken Hearts will continue to follow the twists and turns in Lennox investigation to find out the answer.

Dead Men and Broken Hearts is the first book I have read by Craig Russell, and it is an enjoyable book to read. I have put the others in the series on my growing list of books to read. Dead Men and Broken Hearts is well written and researched by Craig Russell. Throughout Dead Men and Broken Hearts, the way Craig Russell described the settings to ensure that I engage with the plot from the first page. I love Craig Russell portrayal of his characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout Dead Men and Broken Hearts.

The readers of Dead Men and Broken Hearts will learn how to be a private investigator in Glasgow during the 1950s. Also, the readers of Dead Men and Broken Hearts will start to understand the damage war has on people who survived.

I recommend this book.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darkly delicious romp through the gritty underworld of crime…

As I plunged into a disturbingly magnetic tale I was struck by the acutely atmospheric ambience, capturing perfectly murky 1950’s Glasgow in all its harshness and hostility. By brilliantly blending street gangsters with irony and dry, sardonic humor Craig Russell creates a refreshingly original ‘take’ that transforms classic, contemporary crime fiction. Just as sleuth Lennox falls prey to a deviously clever trap, so did I loose myself within the spinechilling suspense and hypnotically gripping drama. This deftly woven, intricately detailed story of ‘dead men and broken hearts’ captures realism so precisely, the narrative is as acute as a freshly sharpened blade. The author conveys such clarity and authenticity; you are instantly transported strait to the heart of an ice-cold, chilling setting.

Totally transfixing and nail-bitingly intense, this unputdownable book is an incredibly exciting new installment within an increasingly popular series. I was stunned by the slick sophistication and intelligence that seeps through the pages, making this classy novel something highly distinctive within a competitive genre. Fans of Linwood Barclay and Stuart MacBride will devour this breathtaking book, full of inspired ingenuity and thrilling climatic action. This really is storytelling at its best, for I was sucked into an excellently realized crime novel containing hair-raising ambiguity, as to cause the hairs on the back of my arms to stand up. This has to be my top reading choice for summer 2013, by an exceptionally astute author whose compelling writing is highly readable.

*I was sent a paperback copy of “Dead men and Broken hearts by Craig Russell” to read and review, from ‘Real Readers’.*

www.realreaders.co.uk

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

As stylish as the preceding books in the series, Lennox a likeable and witty character and the 1950s Glasgow setting particularly well-painted. In some ways the noir 'schtick' didn't intrude quite as much as in some of the others before this, which was probably slightly beneficial, and I thought the lessened involvement of the gangster aspects of the Scottish city also worked well in a story which took mid-fifties political events as a key theme.

It was, however, not my favourite of the series. For all the fact that our protagonist narrator avoids the traps of coming over as superhuman (merely clever and resourceful, and able to rely on associates and his wits) it did at times approach the border of incredulity, and I did find it a little confusing at times - as if it was slightly too ambitious. Nevertheless, excellent and enjoyable.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It now 1956 and the Hungarian attempt to defy Soviet control seems to spill over into Glasgow

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having thought that `The Deep Dark Sleep' was more dark in tone than the previous two `Dead Men and Broken Hearts' has gazumped it as Lennox finds himself in the throes of an almost existential crisis. With his personal relationships causing him no end of angst and a seemingly straightfoward case of marital infidelity devolving into an infinitely more complicated caper, Lennox really begins to question his place and occupation on the mean streets of Glasgow. As he tussles with a shadowy world of Hungarian emigres and a positively Scarlet Pimpernel-esque conman he once again finds himself on the wrong side of the law and living on his wits to untangle the nefarious mysteries of the cases he's involved in. Calling on the personal services on one of my favourite characters Twinkletoes McBride (whose chosen form of torture usually involves feet and boltcutters) there is the development of a wonderful `Odd Couple' humour that lightens the relief of this sombre tale but Mr Russell ramps up the personal pain for Lennox right at the end of the book with....well I can't tell you what...but it's very sad indeed although beautifully done. A great series which I implore you to read.

[Mike Taverner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lennox is a flawed and interesting character who I like to follow. Twinkle toes makes me laugh. All in all, it is an enjoyable read

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent installment in a brilliant series.

[Miss Dizzy Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've run out of things to say about how brilliant this series is, just read them! 👍🏼

[Steven Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is as well-researched as it is fascinating. The story has a linear progression and is very easy to follow, whilst anecdotes from the protagonist's controversial past are occasionally unearthed. Russell does a terrific job of establishing the primary characters in this gripping novel. My only desire is that someday, Russell follows up the Lennox series with a Twinkletoes series. I am still bewildered at how it's possible to consider an ex-gangland torturer as adorable.
Bottom line: Humorous, intriguing and rewarding, a splendid piece of writing.

[Katy Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I was sad that this was the last in the Lennox series, which I have been spinning out for a few years now, dipping back into this '50s tartan noire whenever I wanted a bit of a giggle with my crime. This is the Glasgow of my mother's youth (she was 5 when this was set though, so has been disappointingly vague on the whole criminal side of the city at the time), and the thick smog frequently mentioned is utterly unrecognisable in the Glasgow of the 21st century (the crime, not so much!), but I wonder how much handier it would be to escape from people in.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4th in the Lennox series of books set in 1950s Glasgow. This was an excellent read and probably my favourite of the series so far. This covers an intricate storyline and plot which the author does a great job of weaving all together. 4.5 Stars. Highly recommended.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ironic, humour filled style of writing, that can wear a little when overused, but amuse when it makes a bon mot. The plotline and adventure writing are xrisp and involved and the politics and feel for history evident. Look forward to reading more

[Andrea Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovd second hand book shops with finds like this. I really like Lennox as a character and the storytelling is so vivid and with an underlying humour that's got Scottish people at it's core. Liked it so much so I now need to read the first 3

[John M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific read for anyone who enjoys good quality crime fiction that's prepared to go into the depths of what makes humans tick - for better and worse. Docked one star for a somewhat convoluted ending as Russell ties up all his loose plot ends.

[Stuart Haining · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10 14%vfm. Another page turner with compelling characters. Only criticism - an overly complex plot and I’m still not sure (despite the end summary) who did it to whom or why. But I like this author, the period (1950’s) and location Glasgow, where apparently by own family hail from many moons ago.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great episode in this Glasgow Noir series

[Graham Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series about the glasgow underworld in the 1950s

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Glasgow adventure with enquiry agent Lennox. Looking for a guy who stole some money, or is it two guys, or three, or none?!? Only one Lennox book remaining! Oh no!!

[Alfred Nobile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book about two years ago.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Craig Russell book and I found it very enjoyable. My one slight criticism was that the humour is a tiny bit overdone and there’s no need to have a joke in every single paragraph!

[Will Quarry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another good book in the Lennox series!

[Kamil Lider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Lennox’s book I really appreciated. Good crime books!

[Aaron Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lennox series just seems to get better as it goes along and this is no exception. Grimy setting and gritty characters combined with a great plot make for a must read.

[The Bookish Wombat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In smog-bound 1950s Glasgow, private investigator Lennox is trying to distance himself from the criminal underworld so is pleased to be offered a couple of “straight” enquiries. However, what seemed to be a straightforward case of a straying husband and an unofficial missing person search soon turn into something more complex, more political and much more dangerous. Lennox must harness all his cunning and use his contacts on both sides of the law to get to the bottom of what’s going on and live to tell the tale.

I’ve read one of the previous Lennox novels, the previous one The Deep Dark Sleep, but haven’t read the first two of his outings. You’d think that having started in the middle of a series would put me at a disadvantage, but I didn’t find that there was anything in either novel that I didn’t understand or needed further explanation of. I really enjoyed the previous one, so was very pleased to receive Dead Men and Broken Hearts to review.

I like the post-war Glasgow setting of the novel and enjoy seeing a city I know well and its people portrayed as it would have been before I was born. The novel shows off the Glasgow personality, including frequent flashes of gallows humour and the quick-thinking intelligence of the ordinary man. The smog experienced in the 1950s is used to atmospheric effect and is almost a character in its own right.

Lennox is a wonderful character – as a Canadian living in Glasgow he’s an outsider so can observe what goes on with an unprejudiced eye. His nationality also makes him quite exotic which he uses to his advantage during investigations. The reader knows about his war experiences and the effect they have had on him, but like many returning servicemen he doesn’t often talk about it, preferring to shoulder his burden alone. The novel’s first person narration means that we see everything through Lennox’s eyes so we sympathise with his point of view, even when sometimes we otherwise wouldn’t.

The other characters are equally well done and even the most minor spring from the page like real people. I particularly liked Twinkletoes, so much so that I had to force myself to remember that the reason for his nickname isn’t a benign one.

However, despite all this, I must admit to struggling a bit with the plot as I felt that the book was extended beyond its natural length. I greatly enjoyed the first and last thirds of the novel, but found myself a bit bored in the middle. As this was the case I kept having to go back and re-read some pages as I was aware of having read them, but couldn’t remember much about what had gone on.

There is a genuine shock at the end of the book, which I didn’t see coming at all, largely down to the first person narration – Lennox doesn’t know about it, so we don’t. I was moved by it and will be interested to see the effect it will have on him in future books.

Dead Men and Broken Hearts is a largely compelling read with an interesting setting and realistic characters. If you haven’t met Lennox yet I suggest you do, you’ll like him.

[Lainy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time Taken to Read - 5 days

Publisher - Quercus

Blurb from the back cover

Investigator Lennox just can't stay out of trouble. Lennox is looking for legitimate cases - anything's better than working for the Three Kings, the crime bosses who run Glasgow's underworld. So when a woman comes into his office and hires him to follow her husband, it seems the perfect case.

And, unusually for Lennox, it's legal.

But this isn't a simple case of marital infidenlity. When the people he's following start to track him, once more Lennox must draw on the violent, war-damaged part of his personality as he follow this trail of dead men and broken hearts.

My Review

This is my first encounter with this author. The main character is Lennox, private investigator turned legit, he was previously linked with Glasgows big crime bosses. His first case in the opening seems straight forward, a wife suspects something fishy going on with her husband and wants Lennox to check it out. Case number 2 is the Union looking to locate a member who has disappeared with something important and the Union want him found. Soon Lennox finds there is more to the cases than first appears and his safety and freedom may be on the line!

Lennox is quite an amusing character, some of his statements had me laughing out loud. The story itself for me seemed to take a wee bit of time to really get going. The story is build up and played out for a fair while before things really pick up. A lot of people like that but I felt it a bit slow going for the first half of the book but once things pick up it is quite interesting.

The book is set in Glasgow in the 1950s which, being from the city, I found really enjoyable as there are places I know and places I have never heard of. Twinkletoes is another character worthy of note, I haven't read any of the previous novels so I'm not sure if he has appeared before. He is a hardman, on the wrong side of the law but such an endearing character you can't help but love to read about, I would love a standalone book on him to read!

The book is filled with twists, turns, deception and secrets. The story is written in first person narrative and the chapters are fairly short which I love. Everything gets covered, explained and played out which I always enjoy in a book but I felt it took an age to get to some of it. The end has a big twist that I didn't see coming and as much as I felt the book dragged at a few parts I found myself picking it up every spare minute I had. I think I may pick this author up again and will start from the beginning. Thanks to RealReaders for giving me the chance to read a new author in exchange for an honest review, 3/5 for me this time.

[Keith Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had I not received a review copy of this book it is unlikely that I would have read Dead Men and Broken Hearts; now that I have read it, I will certainly be reading more by the same author. It strikes me that writing Chandleresque noir is a risky business, but going so far to set it in Glasgow in the 1950s is bordering on wilful madness. Yet in the hands of Craig Russell it works extremely well. This is great entertainment, witty and clever, funny and sombre, respectful and subversive of the rules of the genre. There is certainly much to enjoy.

The plot is an intricate tangle. Russell's gumshoe, Lennox, is working on two separate cases, a suspected marriage infidelity and embezzlement from a militant trade union. Apparent connections between the two cases seem to occur to Lennox, but are they real? And why do these apparently mundane cases begin to attract the attention of Hungarian refugee associations and the British Secret Service? When two dramatic murders are committed and Lennox seems to be in the frame for both, events start to take very dramatic turns. If I have one slight problem with this novel, it is that I think the plot does take one or two rather large leaps of logic, particularly towards the end. However, this is not to take away from what is a highly intelligent and enjoyable read, one too with a very poignant ending where Lennox reveals that he is perhaps not quite as clever as he thinks he is.

[Steve Aldous · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth in Craig Russell’s series about Glasgow enquiry agent Lennox (no first name). Whereas the first three were largely confined to the smog-ridden streets of Glasgow in the 1950s, this time Lennox is involved in two cases with deep plots of subterfuge. The broadening of scope not only extends to the plot but to the setting as we follow Lennox to the Highlands in the book’s latter stages.

Lennox is an interesting character, haunted by his deeds in the war, he is a carefree character, who is beginning to understand the need to have roots and the comfort that can be gained from a steady relationship. But things change in his life that force him to consider returning to his native Canada. But not before he is framed for murder and has to escape police custody in order to clear his name.

The plot elements may sound familiar, but the first-person narrative, again familiar in the genre, is put to good use to create an real sense of mystery around the Hungarian connection and the use of the plot McGuffin being the mystery surrounding a dying man’s last word, “Tanglewood”, I not only pure Hitchcock but evocative of the last James Bond movie, Skyfall.

This is the strongest book in what has been a consistently entertaining, if not overly original, series. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Lennox, although there seems to be a certain amount of finality about the epilogue that suggests it may be.

[Subash Raman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cracking good read and a wholly satisfying finale to what has proved to be a well loved series. I can see myself re-reading this again in a few months and enjoying it even better the second time around.

This round the whole Richard Hannay bit really was totally intense, and while the plotting and pacing was even better than the last three put together, something about the coincidence of the two names, and the easy reason for Sylvia Dewar being offed ... I dunno, somehow had come to expect higher standards when it came to details like that ... but these are minor blemishes in what's otherwise a read that doesn't let up from the word go, and no longer needs to build atmosphere or scatter wisecracks .. there are indeed moments that are genuinely funny, and while the heartbreak at the end is no suprise it's again woven together well if not surprisingly well, at least not too hamhandedly.

The best thing about a good series though is walking away in the skin of the character you've been vicariously inhabiting for the space of a few novels and in that sense Lennox makes for one of the better characterisations in recent times in my experience at least.