Avid Series Reader's Reviews > Black Out

Black Out by John Lawton is the first book of the Inspector Troy historical mystery series. In WWII London, Troy lives alone, preferring solitude to the noisy company of family. He's a police detective who looks beyond the obvious to ferret out the secrets of a case. Troy's persistence causes friction with higher-ups who wants cases closed swiftly. Going after a killer on his own (disobeying orders) gets Troy shot, stabbed and beaten - multiple times. He has not one but two passionate affairs during the case. He is never quite sure who he can trust (and rightly so). Troy goes up against bureaucracy many times as he tries to catch a psychopath who is considered a hero for covert military operations. Meanwhile London is under siege - Troy is one of many victims in a subway bombing. The majority of the story takes place in London in 1944, but Troy is still hunting his quarry in 1948, when he goes to Germany. Near the end, it seems like the story will gradually ebb away...be sure to read all of it, for the last surprising plot twist. A complicated story packed with period detail...a history buff is likely to get the maximum enjoyment. With its 4-year span, this book seemed more like a standalone novel than the first installment of a series.