Flesh Wounds

An Inspector Troy Novel

By: John Lawton

Narrated by: Lewis Hancock

Praised for their riveting, ingenious plot twists, John Lawton's series of espionage thrillers featuring Chief Inspector Frederick Troy of Scotland Yard have an uncanny ability to place readers in the thick of history.

Now an old flame has returned to Troy's life: Kitty Stilton, wife of an American presidential hopeful. Private eye Joey Rork has been hired to make sure Kitty's amorous liaisons with a rat pack crooner don't ruin her husband's political career. But he also wants to know why Kitty has been spotted with Danny Ryan, whose twin brothers, in addition to owning one of London's hottest jazz clubs, are said to have inherited the crime empire of fallen mobster Alf Marx. Before Rork can find out, he meets a gruesome end. And he isn't the only one: bodies have started turning up around London, dismembered in the same bizarre and horrifying way. Is it possible that the blood trail leads back to Troy's own police force and into Troy's own forgotten past?

This compulsively listenable thriller finds one of our most able storytellers at the height of his game.

©2018 John Lawton (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Among the Best

John Lawton writes with pace, wit, and savvy. Lewis Hancock is an outstanding narrator; one has the sense that he would have performed this novel for free. Only Phillip Kerr can match for substance, style, and entertainment.

Worst American accent ever!!

The book was good until the so called “American “ entered the story. The accent was so bad it ruined the story. Why is that British voice overs always love to do American voices as southerners? I expect it’s because to the English ear it passes. But to most American’s ear it suffers in degrees depending on the speaker’s capabilities. Sorry

I like the narrator.

I’m sort of all over the place in this book. Bless the narrator, because he works magic on me and can get me to sleep, and I mean this in the greatest compliment ever. He’s so smooth, so when you aren’t paying attention or trying to sleep, he is perfect. Similarly, when you’re paying attention and daydream for one little moment… he is so smooth, that I repeated several sections trying to see what/if I missed major plot.

The thinking I missed major plot, no spoiler, but twists at the end, are sort of presented … in the “wait, what?” sort of way. So fellow daydreamers you’ve been warned.

Had it not been mentioned I think once about being set in the ‘50s I would have thought it could/was much more modern, so in my mind I had to reset midway through which was disappointing.

Overall, I liked it, not a waste of time at all. But not necessarily one I’d recommend.

Who is F***ing Whom?

Great writer but so much sex the reader can’t keep up! Great political/criminal novel but otherwise! I plan to listen to one more Lawson book to see if next one is better.

A wonderfully bizarre and fanciful book

You'll either love it or hate it. I am of the former cohort. Take a chance and dive right in.

Over drawn English drawing room drama in detective

Not what I was expecting. No elegant solution to a baffling case, no criminal mastermind threatening society, or even a detective worthy of your interest. More of a running commentary on British social order than a detective story.

Light

I liked this story as serious topics were presented in a light and off hand way. Loved the narrator. Enjoy

I love these books!

John Lawton has managed to write a series of books that are a marvelous combination of spy/detective/WWII novels combined with a social history of Britain as it made a shift from the Depression era to the early sixties, through the establishment of the welfare state, and with a delightful admixture of P.G. Wodehouse. This one is no exception.

Funny, bloody & very entertaining

An enormous number of people, a very substantial number of women. All in all, very entertaining.

Thoroughly Entertaining

The narrator brings the characters to life and most entertaining and interesting story with great characters