Smoke and Embers

An Inspector Troy Novel

By: John Lawton

Narrated by: Lewis Hancock

From “one of the best authors of espionage fiction” (The Wall Street Journal), a book of deception and money to be made amid the rubble of World War II.

From an author whose books have been described as “one of the great pleasures of modern spy fiction” by Slow Horses author Mick Herron and compared to the works of Alan Furst, Phillip Kerr, and Joseph Kanon, in Smoke and Embers John Lawton turns to the murky days, weeks, and years following the end of World War II in Germany, Britain, and beyond.

Smoke and Embers is the ninth installment of the beloved Inspector Troy series, and opens in 1950, when Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps—yet he lacks proof beyond his word. So begins a novel of duplicity and reinvention in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, with each chapter adding a new layer of intrigue.

With a twisting plotline, crackling dialogue, characteristic humor, and the return of beloved characters, Smoke and Embers is an exciting new addition to John Lawton’s masterful canon.

Patience needed at first; well worth it

So many interesting stories woven together; living in an interesting and difficult time; I have already started it again. Mr Lawton does not get old. Hope he does another one soon. Great for the long drive and gardening and whenever I need not to think about current politics.

Disappointed

On the whole, the book was fine. It was disappointing in that Inspector Troy was a minor character.

Not a inspector Troy story

Lawton tries to make a point about the Nazi extermination camps and the reprisals after the war ended. He gets lost in his convoluted plot and character swapping.