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Inspector Brant #1, #2, #3
The White Trilogy: A White Arrest, Taming the Alien, and The McDead
Two tough, aging cops take on London’s thugs, killers, and mobsters in Ken Bruen’s hard-as-nails White Trilogy
At sixty-two, Chief Inspector Roberts is nearly too old to be a cop, but he makes up for his age with a ferocity that the younger detectives cannot match. After four decades on the force, he has a daughter who hates him, a wife who cheats, and a bank account that grows emptier every year. But on London’s darker streets, Roberts is a force to be reckoned with. With his partner, the gleefully brutal Detective Sergeant Brant, Roberts looks for every policeman’s the White Arrest, a high-profile success that makes up for all their past failures. In A White Arrest, their target is a bat-wielding lunatic who knocks off drug dealers. In Taming the Alien, they hunt a mysterious hit man who earned his nickname by carrying out a hit while watching Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic. And in The McDead, Roberts and Brant set their sights on a cunning kingpin ruling London’s southeast side. Gripping and gritty, Ken Bruen’s White Trilogy is an unforgettable noir portrait of London’s seedy underworld.
At sixty-two, Chief Inspector Roberts is nearly too old to be a cop, but he makes up for his age with a ferocity that the younger detectives cannot match. After four decades on the force, he has a daughter who hates him, a wife who cheats, and a bank account that grows emptier every year. But on London’s darker streets, Roberts is a force to be reckoned with. With his partner, the gleefully brutal Detective Sergeant Brant, Roberts looks for every policeman’s the White Arrest, a high-profile success that makes up for all their past failures. In A White Arrest, their target is a bat-wielding lunatic who knocks off drug dealers. In Taming the Alien, they hunt a mysterious hit man who earned his nickname by carrying out a hit while watching Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic. And in The McDead, Roberts and Brant set their sights on a cunning kingpin ruling London’s southeast side. Gripping and gritty, Ken Bruen’s White Trilogy is an unforgettable noir portrait of London’s seedy underworld.
700 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2003
114 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Ken Bruen
132 books850 followersKen Bruen was an Irish writer of hardboiled and noir crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 26, 2011
I had a hard go starting Ken Bruen's The White Trilogy. The writing felt clunky, and rough, spit out in bits, and slung at my head like a fishmonger tossing out a three day old Flounder. I was thinking: "I can't do this. Dude writes like a butcher." And then, Bruen did this thing he does, it's really simple:
Roberts didn't know what to say. "I don't know what to say," He said.
Yup, obviously doesn't take much to impress me. But really, if you think about it, and even if you don't, it’s fucking brilliant. And that's pretty much Bruen's schtick, flaunt the obvious, play with the mundane, and beat it to death. He's got a way with words, and he shoves them together into menacing sentences. He's an Irishman, he's written about a million books – and he's my new goddamn hero.
Roberts didn't know what to say. "I don't know what to say," He said.
Yup, obviously doesn't take much to impress me. But really, if you think about it, and even if you don't, it’s fucking brilliant. And that's pretty much Bruen's schtick, flaunt the obvious, play with the mundane, and beat it to death. He's got a way with words, and he shoves them together into menacing sentences. He's an Irishman, he's written about a million books – and he's my new goddamn hero.
November 12, 2015
I finished the final novel in this trilogy a few moments ago.
As I understand these are the 1st three novels in the Brant & Roberts series.
If you've read all of Ken Bruen's outstanding "Jack Taylor" novels and you have a thirst for more things Bruen this is an excellent book to continue whatever mad tear you might be on.
These aren't exactly "crime thrillers" and they're definitely not "police procedurals".
They're a breezy romp through a series of adventures and misadventures of two London police officers who break almost every rule in order to bring villains to justice.
As with every book I've read by Ken Bruen this trilogy is highly recommended.
June 27, 2019
Brant's pants and Y-fronts were around his ankles and he felt a baseball bat tap his bum. For a horrific moment, he envisaged rape of an American variety.
Fen said, 'I hear you're a hard ass. Time to change that. For the next few weeks when you try to sit, remember: keep yer bloody nose outta people's business.'
xXx
Stella Davis-Fenton's ex wife- was loading her washing machine. If she could have known it was the last day of her life, she might have done the wash regardless. It's highly doubtful she'd have added fabric softener.
xXx
... his weapon of choice was a hurley. The national sport in Ireland, apart from talking, is hurling. A cross between hockey and homicide.
The White Trilogy contains the best mixture of Irish wit and violence and Brant's escapades are a delight to behold.
Recommended by this reader. 5 stars.
Fen said, 'I hear you're a hard ass. Time to change that. For the next few weeks when you try to sit, remember: keep yer bloody nose outta people's business.'
xXx
Stella Davis-Fenton's ex wife- was loading her washing machine. If she could have known it was the last day of her life, she might have done the wash regardless. It's highly doubtful she'd have added fabric softener.
xXx
... his weapon of choice was a hurley. The national sport in Ireland, apart from talking, is hurling. A cross between hockey and homicide.
The White Trilogy contains the best mixture of Irish wit and violence and Brant's escapades are a delight to behold.
Recommended by this reader. 5 stars.
Want to read
February 13, 2022Finished the first book in this trilogy 2/12/22.
October 27, 2014
I like Bruen's jack Taylor books. This less. Still read other GR reviews. I may just have eaten a sour nut.
February 25, 2020
For quite a while I had been meaning to start this series by Ken Bruen (after seeing the movie Blitz, based on his fourth book in the series, starring a perfectly case Jason Statham as Brandt). Finally getting my hands on The White Trilogy, a collection of his first three books -- A White Arrest, Taming the Alien and The McDead -- I decided to make it my first book of 2017. And, despite massive flaws, I really liked it.
Detective Sergeant Brandt and Chief Inspector Roberts are a pair of hard-nosed London cops. Roberts is a gruff commanding officer who doesn't mind if the rules get broken so long as it bears results. And Brandt is the guy who's not only willing to break those rules, but relishes it. In A White Arrest, they go after a gang of amateur vigilantes murdering drug dealers, as well as a psycho killing cricket players; in Taming the Alien, Brandt heads off to America on the hunt for a hardened criminal who made the mistake of targeting him; and in The McDead, Brandt and Roberts set their sights on the new top gangster in London.
Spoilers...
The biggest problem with these stories is that they're not very satisfying. Brandt and/or Roberts never actually get their men. The killer in A White Arrest gets away, even after killing Brandt's dog; Brandt never catches up with Fenton "the Alien," and he's left a paraplegic by a hurricane (how's that for random?); and Tommy Logan is shot by a guy he tuned up in a subplot that is present only to offer up someone outside of any of the main or supporting characters to kill him. This sucks, particularly in Taming the Alien, as Fenton is a great villain and a showdown between him and Brandt is set up very well.
Also, I don't know if it's just the edition I have or all of them, but there are lots and lots of typos and grammatical errors. Whoever edited the book was either out to lunch or doesn't know what he's doing. Things get particularly confusing when there's a conversation and the quotation marks have no rhyme or reason, so it's difficult to tell who's talking when.
These (especially the first) would normally be deal-breakers, but I still found myself loving The White Trilogy. The characters are fantastic and a lot of fun to be around, particularly Brandt. He's the kind of cop we all wish was real at first, but Bruen doesn't go the easy route and make him a total wish fulfillment. Brandt does a lot of unsavory things, like extort business owners for free service (while failing to actually protect them); he even tries to sleep with Roberts' wife. You can't help but like him, however; he's funny as hell, and refreshingly politically incorrect. There's also a sweetness to him underneath the rock-hard exterior; he doesn't extort sex directly from Robert's wife, for example, but rather wants the opportunity to take her out to a nice dinner and impress her. It's almost enough to make you overlook how dishonorable his actions are. Roberts is great too, a guy with a lousy life -- a cheating wife, an ungrateful daughter, skin cancer -- whose only refuge is the job, along with his love of noir movies. The supporting characters, particularly WPC Falls, are great too.
Also, and this is a personal thing, but I love how deeply ingrained in London culture the stories are. They couldn't take place anywhere else, and it makes me feel almost like I'm back in England, even if this is the seedier side of London. The narrative tends to meander and go off on tangents, but it's so much fun to be there with these characters that it doesn't matter; in fact, it helps distract from how unsatisfying the main plots are. Brandt's sojourn in Ireland, for example, doesn't really amount to anything, but it's such a pleasant interlude that it doesn't matter.
The White Trilogy is a fun, if very imperfect, read, and I'll definitely be picking up the rest in the series before long.
Detective Sergeant Brandt and Chief Inspector Roberts are a pair of hard-nosed London cops. Roberts is a gruff commanding officer who doesn't mind if the rules get broken so long as it bears results. And Brandt is the guy who's not only willing to break those rules, but relishes it. In A White Arrest, they go after a gang of amateur vigilantes murdering drug dealers, as well as a psycho killing cricket players; in Taming the Alien, Brandt heads off to America on the hunt for a hardened criminal who made the mistake of targeting him; and in The McDead, Brandt and Roberts set their sights on the new top gangster in London.
Spoilers...
The biggest problem with these stories is that they're not very satisfying. Brandt and/or Roberts never actually get their men. The killer in A White Arrest gets away, even after killing Brandt's dog; Brandt never catches up with Fenton "the Alien," and he's left a paraplegic by a hurricane (how's that for random?); and Tommy Logan is shot by a guy he tuned up in a subplot that is present only to offer up someone outside of any of the main or supporting characters to kill him. This sucks, particularly in Taming the Alien, as Fenton is a great villain and a showdown between him and Brandt is set up very well.
Also, I don't know if it's just the edition I have or all of them, but there are lots and lots of typos and grammatical errors. Whoever edited the book was either out to lunch or doesn't know what he's doing. Things get particularly confusing when there's a conversation and the quotation marks have no rhyme or reason, so it's difficult to tell who's talking when.
These (especially the first) would normally be deal-breakers, but I still found myself loving The White Trilogy. The characters are fantastic and a lot of fun to be around, particularly Brandt. He's the kind of cop we all wish was real at first, but Bruen doesn't go the easy route and make him a total wish fulfillment. Brandt does a lot of unsavory things, like extort business owners for free service (while failing to actually protect them); he even tries to sleep with Roberts' wife. You can't help but like him, however; he's funny as hell, and refreshingly politically incorrect. There's also a sweetness to him underneath the rock-hard exterior; he doesn't extort sex directly from Robert's wife, for example, but rather wants the opportunity to take her out to a nice dinner and impress her. It's almost enough to make you overlook how dishonorable his actions are. Roberts is great too, a guy with a lousy life -- a cheating wife, an ungrateful daughter, skin cancer -- whose only refuge is the job, along with his love of noir movies. The supporting characters, particularly WPC Falls, are great too.
Also, and this is a personal thing, but I love how deeply ingrained in London culture the stories are. They couldn't take place anywhere else, and it makes me feel almost like I'm back in England, even if this is the seedier side of London. The narrative tends to meander and go off on tangents, but it's so much fun to be there with these characters that it doesn't matter; in fact, it helps distract from how unsatisfying the main plots are. Brandt's sojourn in Ireland, for example, doesn't really amount to anything, but it's such a pleasant interlude that it doesn't matter.
The White Trilogy is a fun, if very imperfect, read, and I'll definitely be picking up the rest in the series before long.
July 29, 2010
Ken Bruen’s White Trilogy is breathless black comic mayhem thinly disguised as police procedural. The nonstop jokes, riffs on pop culture and post modern elliptical plots remind me of Steve Aylett. An almost ambient style that is more absorbed than read.
October 29, 2017
These three short novels feature Insp. Roberts and Sgt. Brant-three very tough guys , indeed.They were a fast read, but very violent and somehow, also, very funny. Just like one of those Tarentino films. So, if ou like your noir, very noir, you'll like these.
August 25, 2020
These books (I accidentally read the 4th, Blitz first) are a blast. Gritty and twisty, like Guy Ritchie, streetwise and colloquial, like Irvine Welsh, I think it's best called Crime Fiction, rather than mystery. The books follow the work and personal lives and times of 3 British police in southern London. Not my typical cuppa, but these were a fun and funny wild ride.
It's very Brit-speak, I had to look up more than a few slang terms and acronyms.
Recommended.
FYI, this book is the first 3 of the series.
It's very Brit-speak, I had to look up more than a few slang terms and acronyms.
Recommended.
FYI, this book is the first 3 of the series.
July 18, 2018
Absolutely loved it...well I am a Ken Bruen reader...love Jack Taylor...and now I add Roberts and Brant. I love the N-O-I-R... (Mr. Brant, please note) and I admire the sense of humor, sometimes bitter, in the face of an impossible job. The villains always seem to get their just due...but seldom in a court of law... I am ready for more Roberts and Brant...and I love the females in the action!!!! Loved the "sticky" solution to a girl's problem.
August 10, 2020
You might think that a book with a police inspector as a prtagonist, and one who admires the 87th precinct books by Ed McBain, would be a procedural. But Inpector Brant is everything you might hate in a policeman; profane, violent, vindictive,sexist and racist. So why do I like it? Probably cecause it is a no hold barred battle between the police and the criminals, and both sides are completely amoral.
June 19, 2018
The guy guys are bad so the bad guys got to be really bad! Choppy little stories in choppy little (1 -3 page) chapters. Tons of slang and references add to the disruption of the flow but one gets accustomed to it and even learns a few things.
But don’t worry. All the baddies get their Just deserts albeit in the last three pages of each book, in quick, ugly manners.
Quick read.
But don’t worry. All the baddies get their Just deserts albeit in the last three pages of each book, in quick, ugly manners.
Quick read.
August 12, 2020
Bruen is one of the all time great crime writers! His Jack Taylor stories are always a fan favorite and sometimes hard to find in some local libraries. I had never read the D.I. Brandt stories and I will recommend them only because they are some of his early works and they even introduced D.I.Brandt in the movie Blitz.
February 27, 2021
If you liked Lock, Stock you will love this
Expecting a London version of his Jack Taylor series I was surprised how different this was. A tribute to friendship set against a series of apparently random criminal acts, it proceeds at dizzying speed. Light on characterisation it none the less has a wide cast that interests and draws you in. Read it at one sitting.
Expecting a London version of his Jack Taylor series I was surprised how different this was. A tribute to friendship set against a series of apparently random criminal acts, it proceeds at dizzying speed. Light on characterisation it none the less has a wide cast that interests and draws you in. Read it at one sitting.
May 7, 2025
Another new author for me. He has a very short and to the point type of style with a little very dry sense of humor. The result is some very creative characters and some detective stories that show the darkness and tragedy of the life of a detective. The cops are tough and gritty. They expect a life that sometimes has hard knocks. The good guys are also sometimes sort of the bad guys.
June 26, 2019
This is a very difficult book to evaluate,the style its written in for me was difficult to follow,and to be honest I did not feel I really enjoyed it. However it is a interesting read,but probably not one I will be repeating.
February 18, 2021
Raw, gritty, and in your face
This trilogy reads like a punch in the gut and a kick to the face. The plot and the dialogue is terse. No time for BS. Doesn't care for political correctness. I love it.
This trilogy reads like a punch in the gut and a kick to the face. The plot and the dialogue is terse. No time for BS. Doesn't care for political correctness. I love it.
August 22, 2021
I like Bruen's black-hearted humour, but the main characters are just not that interesting or well developed as in Jack Taylor's novels. It's a fun romp, but I'm missing the lyrical undertones and melancholy straight from Galway.
December 18, 2024
A collection of vignettes strung together into a great read
Ken Brush is one the funniest writers of all times. If you like suspense and tales of the underbelly, he is your literate guide.
Ken Brush is one the funniest writers of all times. If you like suspense and tales of the underbelly, he is your literate guide.
October 23, 2018
Simply put, I didn’t want it to end!
May 10, 2019
One of my favorite books of all time.
November 28, 2020
Fantastic collection of the first 3 Brant novels. Now I have to read the rest of them; onwards to Blitz! Highly recommended.
January 2, 2021
High speed plot; hang on and enjoy. Raw, dark, and excellent writing.
April 14, 2021
I prefer Jack Taylor. That's on me, not Bruen.
March 18, 2019
"two lips and chimera"
a tribute to e. e. cummings
a fire-breathing she-monster
in typographically exuberant style
with lion's head and a goat's body
spitting serpent's bile
cummings was also a painter
with no concern for rhyme or meter
punctuation scattered across the page
like the serpent's tail of a rhetor
importance, elected, of presentation
where meaning and emotion become clear
a tribute to e. e. cummings
a fire-breathing she-monster
in typographically exuberant style
with lion's head and a goat's body
spitting serpent's bile
cummings was also a painter
with no concern for rhyme or meter
punctuation scattered across the page
like the serpent's tail of a rhetor
importance, elected, of presentation
where meaning and emotion become clear
January 31, 2011
I burned through the first half of this one in a night or two, then it almost burned me out; the whole thing felt just a little too mean spirited and nihilistic to consume in one gulp, and Bruen's impressionistic take on noir was a bit hard to follow when you're speeding through the books that fast. After setting it aside for a week, though, it was easier to see the humour in the characters, and really this is only a few shades darker than something like Terry Pratchett's Night Watch books (and I love those). Funny as hell, thrilling in both (breakneck, spitefulyl gleeful) style and content, relatively daring in form, this is great stuff.
February 22, 2013
Three books in one, albeit short ones. These books move along at a fast clip and have the feeling thrusting the reader into a boxing match, by the end of each novel one feels rather punch drunk and loopy. His style is sparse and energetic, and while traditionally each book has no real resolution, this does work well as a trilogy since there is carryover. Currently I am reading BLITZ which made me cognizant of the writer when I watched the movie with Jason Stratam.
July 26, 2013
You don't get much more hard boiled than the 3 books in compendium. The stories follow London police into the heart of darkness. The main character is SGT Brant, a violent,and angry force of nature. He says of himself, " I was born angry and then got worse". The closest he has to a friend is Chief Inspector Roberts who is aging but still a man to be reckoned with.
Bruen's terse and tight writing style drives these stories at an adrenalin pace. If you like noir fiction, read these books.
Bruen's terse and tight writing style drives these stories at an adrenalin pace. If you like noir fiction, read these books.
November 23, 2007
This is well worth reading. It is filled with total low lives and is a classic detectibve novel with a modern twist that highlights contemporary depravity. The writing is good and the main character is likeable depsite his many flaws.
March 26, 2008
A refreshing kick in the teeth of a book (to call it a mere "crime novel" would be a grave injustice)...features some of my favorite, most memorable & complex baddies, sorta-good guys, and general pieces of work since the last Ellroy I read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews