Fires of London

Francis Bacon #1

by Janice Law

A killer takes refuge in the blacked-out streets of wartime London, upending the world of one of Britain’s greatest painters in this chilling and captivating reimagining of the life of Francis Bacon



Francis Bacon walks the streets of World War II London, employed as a warden for the ARP to keep watch for activities that might tip off the Axis powers. Before the war, Bacon had travelled to Berlin and Paris picking up snatches of culture from a succession of middle-aged men charmed by his young face. Known for his flamboyant personal life and expensive taste, Bacon has returned home to live with his former nanny—who’s also his biggest collector—in a cramped bohemian apartment.

 

But one night, death intrudes on his after-hours paradise. When a young man is found dead in the park, his head smashed in, Bacon and the rest of London’s demimonde realize that they have much more to fear than the faraway scream of war.

Genres: Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Historical Fiction, M M Romance, LGBT, Historical Mystery

174 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2012

About the author

Janice Law (b. 1941) is an acclaimed author of mystery fiction. The Watergate scandal inspired her to write her first novel, The Big Payoff (1977), which introduced Anna Peters, a street-smart young woman who blackmails her boss, a corrupt oil executive. The novel was a success, winning an Edgar nomination, and Law went on to write eight more in the series, including Death Under Par (1980) and Cross-Check (1997).

After Death Under Par, Law set aside the character for several years to write historical mysteries The Countess (1989) and All the King’s Ladies (1986). After concluding the Peters series, she wrote three stand-alone suspense novels: The Night Bus (2000), The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed (2002), and Voices (2003). Since then, Law has focused on writing short stories, many of which appear in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Fires of London (2012) is her most recent novel. She lives and writes in Connecticut.

Reviews

[LenaRibka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3, 4 stars.


There is one reason why I decided to read Janice Law.
There are actually 2 reasons, but I wouldn't have read it if not the reason number one. So, it is the only reason why I picked her book.

The second book in the Francis Bacon's Mystery, The Prisoner of the Riviera won the 26th Lambda Awards as a best gay mystery and I'm a big mystery fan. A gay mystery fan. And I wished the 26th Lammy to another book, the one that has a special place in my heart. It's why I'm going to read all finalists for the 26th Lambda Awards in the gay mystery category and share my opinion about these books.

Don't ask me, why I decided to google the name Francis Bacon, my general knowledge of surrealism is limited by Salvador Dalí. And I'm glad I did it. I'm not going to report you everything I found about this painter "known for his bold, graphic and emotionally raw imagery." But you have to know that his painting in November 2013 has set a new world record price for an art auction at that time, after selling for $142.4 million.



To discover that the MC in the Francis Bacon's Mystery is a real artist was a surprise that awakened my interest even more.

Thought it is not a biography novel, it is a mystery fiction.
Janice Law is a very talented and powerful writer and her writing style belongs to the most sophisticated prose I've read but it's for sure not an everybody's taste.
Her writing could be hardly seen as straightforward, it is rather like a pattern of the most delicate word's lace. It's fascinating to follow it but it is exhausting at the same time.

The mystery was actually good written and there is absolutely no reason to question Janice Law's skills as a historical mystery's writer. She achieved a perfection in the creating of the atmosphere of WWII London during The Blitz.

So, why the rating?

So, my problem number one was the MC.
I would have liked Fires of London probably much more if I could have found Fancis Bacan as a protagonist more attractive and appealing. And I swear it is nothing to do with his REAL picture I had found by googling and that I had on my mind while reading it.
I tried very hard to forget it.
Fancis Bacan as a narrator was Okay, smart, intelligent, careful and witty - the first person's POV was good written - but he didn't make my heart race.
Even when he was in a real danger.

My problem number two - the absence of sex scenes.

And here I have to ask your opinion:
WHEN a mystery could be consider as a GAY MYSTERY?

* Is it enough to take a gay person as a protagonist, write a normal mystery and put it in the category of a GAY MYSTERY?
I thought, I can distinguish MM romance novels from a gay fiction in meantime. But I find it very complicated to define a gay mystery.

* How many gay sex is allowed to stamp a mystery as a gay mystery? How to differ a gay mystery at all? When becomes a mystery a gay mystery?

*And do the detailed sex scenes unnecessary to define a gay fiction?

* Is it enough if an investigation takes place in homosexual milieu - BECAUSE a gay boy was murdered - to consider a mystery a gay mystery?

For me it is rather biographical mystery than a gay mystery. Francis Bacon was a gay artist. Of course he has gay friends, but also not only.
You can't reject to read a biography of some famous person only because he had/has other sexual preferences than you! It's absurd!
We can't consider every book where children appear as a children book.
The way we can't consider every book with a gay MC as a gay fiction.

I can excuse Joseph Hansen, his first novels were published in the early 70s. But the Fires of London was published 2012.
I have my big doubts that I can consider it as a gay mystery.

The first book in the series left a lot of questions open, it is why I don't think that the mystery would be much different in the second book.

But I'll read it, because I want to understand why it won the 26th Lammy as the best gay mystery.

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in London in 1939 just before the Blitz, artist Frances Bacon spends his nights as an air raid precaution (ARP) warden. It is his task to patrol a section of the city to ensure that all windows are blacked out so that no light shows and all street lamps are extinguished. On quiet nights, however, he is not averse to a little 'rough trade' in the park with willing older gents.

But someone is taking advantage of the blackout to kill young gay men and Bacon has the misfortune to stumble (in one case, literally) over the bodies. Soon, he is the major... scratch that, the only suspect since the inspector in charge of the case may have reasons of his own not to investigate any further. In desperation to clear his name, Bacon goes on the run determined to solve the crimes himself.

I have to admit that I knew very little about the real Bacon outside of having seen a couple of his paintings which I found more than a little macabre. I have no idea how true to life the Frances Bacon of the story is but he makes an extremely likable protagonist with a wry sense of humour and just a touch of mischief about him. He lives with his old, blind, but always sharp, nanny while running an illegal roulette wheel with his married lover.

However, the real star of the book has to be the Blitz. Author Janice law does a marvelous job of describing the first bombings of London: the complete impenetrable dark of the blackout so intense you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, the chaos, the noise of the planes, the explosions, the thunder of falling buildings, the screams of those who weren't able to make it to the shelters, and, of course, the all-consuming fear.

Fires of London is relatively short but packs quite a wallop in its less than 200 pages. Frances Bacon makes a unique and fascinating hero; the murderer, although fairly obvious, is interesting; but, more than anything, Ms Law's description of the Blitz makes Fires of London one very fine historical mystery.

[Otto Penzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janice Law is an author of more than a dozen mystery novels, including the Edgar-nominated The Big Pay-Off. She also writes short stories (one was an Edgar-winner) for top magazines, including Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Her most recent novel, Fires of London, is based on the life of Francis Bacon, a British painter during WWII. The story follows Bacon from his life before the war, when he was famous for his extravagance, to the reality of the outbreak of the war, when he is employed as a warden for the ARP. Instead of traveling abroad and attending parties, he moves in with his old nanny, a lovely, vivid character who is full of life. Disaster strikes when he is patrolling the dark and dangerous wartime streets one night. In the park he finds a man with his head smashed in, quickly realizing that a killer is on the loose. Mesmerizing and terrifying, Fires of London is a perfect balance of history, thriller, and mystery.

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had met a woman awhile ago who drove an ambulance in London during World War II. This book captured the era perfectly. Also captured perfectly is a very good mystery. Thank you Goodreads for sharing this book!

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally well written, FIRES OF LONDON vividly depicts Francis Bacon's underground life and forming artistic images during the London Blitz. A fine mystery, so visual it creates its own shooting script. This has all the potential of a best seller and a haunting film.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had previously read and enjoyed one of American mystery writer Janice Law's Anna Peters mysteries. Fires of London is the first book in her Frances Bacon mystery series. I've read a few mysteries in the past couple of years which featured real life people in mysteries, e.g. Josephine Tey, etc. Francis Bacon is one of the more interesting real life people chosen.

Bacon was a British figurative painter whose works featured humans, crucifixions, portraits of popes, etc. He was a homosexual, living from 1909 - 1992. The story is set during the beginning of WWII, when Bacon, along with many others worked as an Air raid warden during the Blitz of London. He and his Nan live with one of Bacon's lovers, a married alderman.

Bacon lives a dissolute life, along with seemingly countless other people residing in London, hanging out in seedy nightclubs, having encounters with other men; air men from all countries, civilians, even police officers. The story starts with Bacon having a rough encounter with another man in a park. He later discovers that a young gay man, Damien, has been found murdered in the park at the same time. As well, after leaving from his night shift, he stumbles over another body, getting blood over himself.

This begins a gritty investigation, with Bacon both trying to avoid and also assist the inspector looking into the murders. As I said, it's a very gritty story, many threats to both Bacon and also his Nan, even from the police inspector. The story will involve a trip to Brighton to search for a suspect and also to the destroyed east end of London.

It's a fascinating story. The setting of London under the Blitz is tragic, disastrous, the city under flames and debris, but at the same time, a wild night life taking place behind the blackout curtains. Bacon is an excellent character, flawed but also with a sense of morals. We get to look into his artistic mind, as he tries to come up with ideas for his next painting, all the while striving to keep his nan and himself out of jail and alive. For a very short story, there is a lot packed in. It's a wild ride, an interesting mystery and an excellent portrayal of a critical time in the history of London. Well worth trying (4 stars)

[Gavin Stephenson-Jackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life in London during the Blitz was not easy, add a series of murders and you've got a perfect storm. Air Raid Warden Francis Bacon hears of the murder of an aquaintence in a park near his late evening off duty haunts. Questions arrise that don't have adequate answers. Stumbling across a second body and a police detective who may or may not be involved in the murders. Twists and turns see Francis coerced into helping with the investigation and risking life and limb in some rather seedy locations in London and beyond. Overall a very interesting read.

[Joanne Berrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this little book. The sleuth is English painter Francis Bacon, a weird choice for a narrator. Setting is world war 2 in the London blitz. Very vivid scenes of the clubs and gay scene surviving in secret. Not for everyone.

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

I think I might have liked Janice Law's Fires of London more if I had any sort of appreciation for Francis Bacon... that's Francis Bacon the artist, not the philosopher, who is a different person entirely, but that's beside the point. My sincere apologies for rambling friends, time to redirect back to my review.

Not knowing much about the man, I spent a lot of time looking up information on Bacon and his work while reading Law's fiction and in so doing learned two very valuable bits of information. First, while background reading will give you a better understanding of the spirit in which this story is written, it is an entirely unnecessary exercise. And second, I'm an uncultured heathen and have absolutely no business reflecting the merits figurative art be it visual or literary.

I know you're asking what the hell I am getting at, but I promise I have a point. I find most of Bacon's work odd and the rest of it downright creepy. The emotionally raw surrealist imagery doesn't work for me on the canvas so it should come as no surprise that I find it difficult to rouse much enthusiasm when I see it so perfectly recreated under Law's pen. It reads like one, but that isn't an insult. There is literary genius on every page of this period mystery, clearly evident in Law's ability to channel the same disturbing sensations that characterize Bacon's art through her manipulation of language and prose and even I, heathen that I am, can appreciate that.

I tip my hat to Law's creativity and artistry - conceptually Fires of London is a remarkable read. I only wish I were able to savor its entertainment value in the same capacity, but try as I might I couldn't get into this one. I say again, the fault here is entirely my own so please, take my comments with a healthy degree of salt. Much to my dismay I was simply the wrong reader for this one.

[Ami]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for honest opinion. I would like to thank all parties involved for the opportunity

Unfortunately, this was one of the times where the fault was ALL my own. Maybe because the story was historical (I wasn't fond of historical, but was hoping that I could like the mystery), I was having difficulties to grasp some of the terms. I wasn't having chemistry with the writing style as well, which results in my not caring about the characters. Due to that, I couldn't really say how I feel about it. Which is why this title will remain unrated.

[Searight · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story in this book is excellent. It is a very interesting murder mystery set during the Blitz. However, I do not understand why the author decided to have the story revolve around Francis Bacon. I feel like it would have been a more believable tale if it had just been some guy. Part of the problem is that he seems so jaunty and I don't know that Mr. Bacon was. Maybe he was, but all I know is that his paintings don't seem like he was.
Overall, it is a good book and I do recommend it.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the review on Amazon:


From the synopsis: Francis Bacon walks the streets of World War II London, employed as a warden for the ARP to keep watch for activities that might tip off the Axis powers. Before the war, Bacon had travelled to Berlin and Paris picking up snatches of culture from a succession of middle-aged men charmed by his young face. Known for his flamboyant personal life and expensive taste, Bacon has returned home to live with his former nanny—who's also his biggest collector—in a cramped bohemian apartment.

But one night, death intrudes on his after-hours paradise. When a young man is found dead in the park, his head smashed in, Bacon and the rest of London's demimonde realize that they have much more to fear than the faraway scream of war.

Read this for our book club. I'm not sure if the rest of the club called in 'sick', had company, or 'was going out of town because they didn't want to read it or not, but only one other person showed up to discuss it and neither of us had a whole lot to say. It *is* a fairly interesting book, but the only characters who seem really developed are Bacon's old nanny and Bacon himself and he's not particularly likable. I thought I might read some of the following novels but by the time I'd finished reading this one, I pretty much decided not to bother.

The scenes of the Blitz are pretty interesting and some of the scenes in the 'lower' sections of London.

[Redderationem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deprezzo un po' il libro nella mia valutazione ma non lo disprezzo. Se potessi prendere singolarmente gli elementi che a mio avviso compongono questo romanzo ne avrei infatti espresso un giudizio migliore ma, stranamente, sommandoli alcuni mi spingono in direzione opposta ad altri.
C'è meno arte di quanto mi aspettassi quando si prende in prestito un personaggio storico noto per essere stato un grande artista. Rimango poi perplesso, anzi stupito, da come quell'intrecciarsi di tre diverse forme di violenza dell'uomo sull'uomo finisca con l'infastidirmi. Apprezzando la gestione della componente noir così come l'epica della Londra sventrata dalla Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ma trovando indigeribile il filo rosso del sadomaso nel mondo della prostituzione. In questo caso maschile e omosessuale, ma sarebbe stato lo stesso se fosse stato femminile ed etero.

[Lisa Tollefson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good. Francis Bacon is a gray man in London. This starts just before London is blitzed. Francis is an artist in paints and maybe in cons to some extent. He lives with his old Nan, who I think is his grandmother. If not, then as good as. He's an interesting character, and the story has some unexpected twists and turns.
The narration was good. I was going to say not the best, but then I thought about Francis' character and how he was read, and I think that the narrator did a very good job of it. Francis comes across as a young man who is on the make. Not willing to go too far outside the law, if only because jail holds absolutely no appeal for him. I found him an almost likeable character. Well worth reading, though.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fires of London is the first of six books featuring the artist Francis Bacon as an amateur sleuth. The tale is rooted in some biographical context, set before Bacon received any recognition for his work, and it does a nice job of capturing the blitz and the underground gay scene in the city. Written in the first person, Bacon is cast as a complex, clever man who enjoys risk, adventure, infidelity, and a degree of hedonism, and is somewhat of a loner despite the presence of his nanny companion, a steady relationship, a circle of acquaintance and friends. The mystery is nicely plotted leading to a tense denouement.

[Tgandco2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a recommendation from my library (they have an online service were librarians recommend books based on a brief survey which is cool). I am not sure I would have picked this on my own but it was fun and easy to read. A mystery about a gay man in a gay community during WWW II that becomes intangled pursuing a serial killer in the community. Worth reading.

[lalalandreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An interesting look into the life of Francis Bacon as a warden in London during the blitz. Never knew he was gay, but his exploits are really cleverly written and woven into a story about several murders around town that Bacon gets mixed up in. Quite a charming character and a quirky story to follow.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strength of this novel is the feel for London in the early days of the blitz and the underground world of the era's LGBTQ community. But the book's plot including any clear cut resolution or motivations for the murders left something to be desired.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting mystery. The descriptions of war-time London during the blitz were realistic and scary. The window into the gay sub-culture was "interesting".

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting for reading about life during the Blitz. Gay London during the war. And a bit of the life of painter Francis Bacon. I wasn’t really captivated by the mystery.

[Jmolentin]

This book didn't grab me, or interest me much; which is sad because I am fascinated by all things London and Francis Bacon.

[BOOK BOOKS]

THERE IS NO FUCKING WAY THIS FRANCIS BACON GAY SPY DETECTIVE PAINTER HISTORICAL MURDER MYSTERY SERIES CAN LIVE UP TO ITS PREMISE. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

IT DIDN'T BLOW ME AWAY BUT I DID ENJOY IT.

[K. G. Whitehurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janice Law’s protagonist is Francis Bacon. No, not that Francis Bacon, not the Sir Francis Bacon of the Scientific Revolution, but the the other one, the one who was a 20th century Anglo-Irish painter, noted for his abstract figures and raw emotional power. Francis Bacon the painter may’ve been a collateral descendent of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Sir Francis’s older half-brother. Both were real, historical figures of import, both were homosexual, and both possessed logical minds. Our Francis Bacon tends to become logical when he’s of a mind to be naughty.

It’s always a danger to use a historical person as a character. Outside of painters and art historians, Bacon isn’t well known. Law has done the smart thing—she keeps to her protagonist’s nature and creates narratives where less is known of Bacon’s actual life. Francis Bacon lives with his old nanny, Jessie Lightfoot, who pinches things despite deteriorating eyesight. He acquires an older, late Victorian, respectable lover who is living two lives. Inspired as a painter by Picasso, Bacon is a gentleman of odd education—he loves the Greeks, but never got bogged down in the scholarly criticism—with a taste for champagne, roulette, and rough trade.

In THE FIRES OF LONDON, Bacon is an air raid warden at the beginning of the Blitz and, for a little frisson of excitement, also running an illegal roulette table with his lover. While he’s out one night, he hears a gay boy, Damien, bought it, his head beaten in. Bacon finds out more, finds a detective, too, DCI Mordren of Homicide. After he stumbles over a murdered RAF pilot in the dark—as a warden, his torch should’ve been working—he lands in the nick. DCI Mordren has him nicely in the frame for the murder. Or does he? Mordren turns Bacon into an unofficial sleuth, looking for a serial killer. Bacon doesn’t plays that straight, knowing what a spot he’s in—a homosexual and a murder suspect. Between dodging the police, he starts having to dodge the killer. When he comes upon a blackmail ring, worked by a theatrical gentleman who likes to stage scenes from ORESTEIA and a right piece of work from the East End, Bacon’s chances for survival “go down a rabbit hole”—even as the Blitz intensifies. Nan works her light-fingered magic more than once to rescue Bacon, who has to rescue her when the killer gets too close.

FIRES OF LONDON is tautly-written and paced. Law writes from Bacon’s perspective with a charming, insouciant lightness—“That’s how I became, thank you very much, an official police informant, a snitch, a grass, a traitor to the right thinking and free living” (47)--yet with the eye of a brilliant painter, reminiscent of Picasso—“I kept an eye on his rather high-toned colors, the cadmium red and yellows, both raw and burnt sienna balanced with cold raw umber, and an array of vivid greens and blues, the intense colors of his contingent” (57). After reading several descriptions of either bombings or the aftermath, a reader cannot help but think of “Guernica”.

The great strength of the novel is Francis Bacon. As a character, he has a fabulous, intriguing narrative voice. He’s a bit of a lad—not really bad, just a bit naughty with a great heart for those he loves.

[Lucy Saint-smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Fires of London I hadn't really paid attention to the blurb, so I had no idea what I was reading, and I was pleasantly surprised. The book follows the artist Francis Bacon as he works as an ARP warden during WWII, hangs about in the Soho gay scene and solves crime.
Bacon, as the central character, is well and charismatically sketched and I was prompted to research him further after reading this, which is always a good thing. I also loved the character of his former nanny, who Bacon lived with for much of his life.
I didn't know anything about the gay scene in 1940s, so I found that setting really interesting. It is very tastefully done - obviously there is a significant amount of sex, but it is not graphic or overplayed. The descriptions of the Blitz were very good as well.
Overall, the one big flaw with this book is that it was far too short. I thought I was at the halfway mark, and was very surprised when I looked at my Kindle and saw I was at 90% of the way through the book. I felt that the plot could have used more detail and length.

[Chechoui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent murder mystery set during the London Blitz with the protagonist being painter Francis Bacon. I'm not usually a murder mystery reader, but I loved this one! I stayed upon late two nights in a row because I wanted to know what happened next! What I liked best was the author's vivid descriptions of WWII London during the Blitz. Incredibly powerful descriptions of the blackouts and dangers associated with them were gripping. I also found the descriptions of the gay nightlife and community during that period interesting. Bacon and his feisty nanny were likable, flawed characters. Overall the novel was quite engaging and action-packed. Great read!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for honest opinion.

[H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janice Law is a superb author of psychological thrillers and mystery novels. I've read most of her earlier books. She has begun a series about Francis Bacon, the actual British painter who lived in the 20th century (some of his works are now worth millions). These are fictionalized tales, but utilize historical facts, events and places. Bacon, a gay man, is the protagonist, and leads a fascinating and quirky life, interacting with many intriguing characters. In Fires of London I learned so much new about wartime conditions in London and Great Britain. I highly recommend this book and Law's Francis Bacon series.

[Deb Novack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This storyline is set in 1939 during The Blitz, as an ARP warden Francis Bacon is an artist during the day and patrols the streets at night when all the air raid and bombings take place. During this time someone is murdering young gay men and unfortunately for Francis he ends up being the only suspect.

This is a very predictable mystery but it is a great tribute to the historical mystery genre. Congratulations Ms. Law on a interesting and attention grabbing read.
Thanks to Net Galley and Open Road.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a very well written story about murder in London taking place during the early years of the war. The main character is Francis Bacon a real life figurative painter who lived during this era and who gets caught up in the murders and the solving of them. This was an excellent portrayal of the times and the terror of the Blitz.

[Excalibur Snape · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a really slow book.
The subject matter was interesting.
Seeing how people lived during the Blitz was amazing. None of the characters were really likable.
There was no way you could guess who the murder was or the murders reasons for doing what he/she did.
I found that it jumped around a lot.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the characters, although never really got over the weirdness of the main character being a real life person. Enjoyed the details of the Blitz era London more than the mystery. Needs a good edit to get rid of spelling mistakes and Americanisms. A bit jarring to hear an Irish (English?)man talk about moms and diapers.