Second violin
By: John Lawton
Publisher: Grove Press; Distributed by Publishers Group West
Published: 2009
Place of publication: New York; [Berkeley, Calif.]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 419
ISBN-13: 9780802144317
Subjects: World War (1939-1945) fast (OCoLC)fst01180924; World War, 1939-1945; Fiction
Description: Lawton's engrossing sixth entry but the first chronologically in his Inspector Troy thriller series (Black Out, etc.) chronicles the major events leading up to WWII--Germany's annexation of Austria, Chamberlain's peace efforts, Kristallnacht--while providing a disturbing picture of anti-Semitism and class frictions in England at the time. As part of Scotland Yard's murder squad, Insp. Frederick Troy investigates a series of slayings of London rabbis, but various subplots equally intrigue, notably one that unfolds in an internment camp for Germans, Jews and foreigners--including Troy's Austrian-born brother, Rod--rounded up after Britain's entry into the war. At one point, Troy and a lady friend discover the "aphrodisia of war" in Hyde Park, a spot popular with couples for copulation during the blitz. Lawton does a fine job of incorporating such lesser known period details into his saga, though some readers may find he relies too often on deus ex machina for their taste.
Notes: Originally published: London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2007.

"An Inspector Troy thriller"--Cover.