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A number of writers are doing interesting things with historical espionage fiction set against the background of the epic catastrophe that was the middle decades of the twentieth century. (Philip Kerr, Joseph Kanon, Alan Furst) John Lawton may be the best of these. He has written stand-alones as well as this series about a London detective inspector named Frederick Troy. The novels are literary, complex, and full of historical and cultural references. They are also pretty good yarns, with satisf
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The best John Lawton "Inspector Troy" book I've read to date--perhaps because Troy's offstage for most of the first half. It's a gripping historical thriller, written in two converging segments.
With some spoilers, the first half focuses on a (non Jewish) young girl named Méret Voytek in Vienna beginning in the late 1920. She's a gifted Cellist, taking lessons and doing duets from THE Central European teacher of the day, Victor Rosen. Rosen is Jewish and flees (we know early on he survives, becau ...more
With some spoilers, the first half focuses on a (non Jewish) young girl named Méret Voytek in Vienna beginning in the late 1920. She's a gifted Cellist, taking lessons and doing duets from THE Central European teacher of the day, Victor Rosen. Rosen is Jewish and flees (we know early on he survives, becau ...more
Finally finished this. The early scenes with the young Méret as she studies with Vicktor are often lyrical, helped perhaps by the numerous allusions to classical music. If you love the classics you will enjoy those references. It's 1934 through the beginning of the war in Austria at the start. The Nazis have begun to show their true colors and some Jews who had already fled Germany were now trying to get to England. I love the way Lawton describes the English naïveté: "Think of them as children.
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Perhaps his best Troy novel,
with threads of the Holocaust, classical music, jazz, post-WWII politics, and post-war London life woven into a tale of crime and espionage. Well researched, fine writing.
with threads of the Holocaust, classical music, jazz, post-WWII politics, and post-war London life woven into a tale of crime and espionage. Well researched, fine writing.
Aug 01, 2012
Joshua Lax
marked it as to-read
Sep 07, 2013
Elli
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Nov 05, 2014
KOMET
marked it as to-read
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review of another edition
Shelves:
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mysteries-and-thrillers
Dec 19, 2014
Cold War Conversations Podcast
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Jun 26, 2018
Paul Craig
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