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Jack Carter #2
Jack Carter's Law
With an Introduction by Max Allan Collins
The author of Get Carter returns to his greatest invention, a smooth-operating hardcase named Jack Carter, who is about to burn a city down in order to silence an informant
London. The late 1960s. It's Christmastime and Jack Carter is the top man in a crime syndicate headed by two brothers, Gerald and Les Fletcher. He’s also a worried man. The fact that he’s sleeping with Gerald’s wife, Audrey, and that they plan on someday running away together with a lot of the brothers’ money, doesn’t have Jack concerned. Instead it’s an informant—one of his own men—that has him losing sleep. The grass has enough knowledge about the firm to not only bring down Gerald and Les but Jack as well. Jack doesn’t like his name in the mouth of that sort.
In Jack Carter’s Law Ted Lewis returned to the character that launched his career and once again delivered a hardboiled masterpiece. Jack Carter is the ideal tour guide to a bygone London underworld. In his quest to dismantle the opposition, he peels back the veneer of English society and offers a hard look at a gritty world of pool halls, strip clubs and the red lights of Soho nightlife.
The author of Get Carter returns to his greatest invention, a smooth-operating hardcase named Jack Carter, who is about to burn a city down in order to silence an informant
London. The late 1960s. It's Christmastime and Jack Carter is the top man in a crime syndicate headed by two brothers, Gerald and Les Fletcher. He’s also a worried man. The fact that he’s sleeping with Gerald’s wife, Audrey, and that they plan on someday running away together with a lot of the brothers’ money, doesn’t have Jack concerned. Instead it’s an informant—one of his own men—that has him losing sleep. The grass has enough knowledge about the firm to not only bring down Gerald and Les but Jack as well. Jack doesn’t like his name in the mouth of that sort.
In Jack Carter’s Law Ted Lewis returned to the character that launched his career and once again delivered a hardboiled masterpiece. Jack Carter is the ideal tour guide to a bygone London underworld. In his quest to dismantle the opposition, he peels back the veneer of English society and offers a hard look at a gritty world of pool halls, strip clubs and the red lights of Soho nightlife.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
30 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Ted Lewis
16 books63 followersTed Lewis (1940 – 1982) was a British writer born in Manchester, an only child. After World War II the family moved to Barton-upon-Humber in 1947. He had a strict upbringing and his parents did not want their son to go to art school, but Ted's English teacher Henry Treece, recognising his creative talents in writing and art, persuaded them not to stand in his way.
Lewis attended Hull Art School for four years. His first work was in London, in advertising, and then as an animation specialist in television and films (among them the Beatles' Yellow Submarine). His first novel, All the Way Home and All the Night Through was published in 1965, followed by Jack's Return Home, subsequently retitled Get Carter after the success of the film of the same name starring Michael Caine, which created the noir school of British crime writing and pushed Lewis into the best-seller list. After the collapse of his marriage Lewis returned to his home town in the 1970s.
Ted Lewis died in 1982 having published seven more novels and written several episodes for the television series Z-Cars.
Lewis attended Hull Art School for four years. His first work was in London, in advertising, and then as an animation specialist in television and films (among them the Beatles' Yellow Submarine). His first novel, All the Way Home and All the Night Through was published in 1965, followed by Jack's Return Home, subsequently retitled Get Carter after the success of the film of the same name starring Michael Caine, which created the noir school of British crime writing and pushed Lewis into the best-seller list. After the collapse of his marriage Lewis returned to his home town in the 1970s.
Ted Lewis died in 1982 having published seven more novels and written several episodes for the television series Z-Cars.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 6, 2020
Una segunda entrega igual de buena que la primera. Esta novela cierra a la perfección el binomio "Carter". Necesaria.
A second work just as good as the first. This novel perfectly closes the binomial "Carter". Necessary.
A second work just as good as the first. This novel perfectly closes the binomial "Carter". Necessary.
August 12, 2022
Although Jack Carter's Law (1974) is the second of the Jack Carter trilogy, it's actually a prequel to Get Carter (1970) aka Jack's Return Home.
Jack Carter's Law is set in London and, for those who grew up in 1970s Britain, it's a familiar trawl through an era when crime was all about blags, boozers, brasses, snouts, shooters, and grasses. Bent coppers rub shoulders with villains and nobody emerges with much credit.
Jack Carter's Law is not as accomplished as Get Carter but it's still a great read. The set pieces are suitably uncompromising and violent, however what makes the book special is the character of Jack Carter. He's a professional, and one step ahead of those he deals with, including his inept bosses. Circumstances mean he cannot walk away. Many of the same characters from Get Carter reappear in Jack Carter's Law which adds to the enjoyment - especially with some of the insights the reader gains from Get Carter.
Jack Carter's Law nails 1970's Soho and London more generally: the seediness, the squalor, the boozers, the snooker halls, and the endemic corruption. If you enjoyed Get Carter then this will doubtless hit the spot too.
I'm looking forward to the third and final part of the Jack Carter trilogy - Jack Carter and the Mafia Pigeon (1974)
4/5
Jack Carter's Law is set in London and, for those who grew up in 1970s Britain, it's a familiar trawl through an era when crime was all about blags, boozers, brasses, snouts, shooters, and grasses. Bent coppers rub shoulders with villains and nobody emerges with much credit.
Jack Carter's Law is not as accomplished as Get Carter but it's still a great read. The set pieces are suitably uncompromising and violent, however what makes the book special is the character of Jack Carter. He's a professional, and one step ahead of those he deals with, including his inept bosses. Circumstances mean he cannot walk away. Many of the same characters from Get Carter reappear in Jack Carter's Law which adds to the enjoyment - especially with some of the insights the reader gains from Get Carter.
Jack Carter's Law nails 1970's Soho and London more generally: the seediness, the squalor, the boozers, the snooker halls, and the endemic corruption. If you enjoyed Get Carter then this will doubtless hit the spot too.
I'm looking forward to the third and final part of the Jack Carter trilogy - Jack Carter and the Mafia Pigeon (1974)
4/5
April 17, 2018
Vuelve Carter, esta vez en un ambiente más urbano, pero que no pierde esa pátina de sitio decadente, horrible y caduco que es marca registrada de la casa. Al igual que ocurría en la primera novela, no esperéis encontrar aquí personajes de grandes convicciones morales, o inmersos en una historia "más grande que ellos mismos"; las páginas de esta "Ley de Carter" están pobladas de ramerillas de tres al cuarto, maricas locas, matones descerebrados, mafiosos de poca monta y, en general, de una caterva de personajes hundidos en una vida gris y, quizá sea este el adjetivo adecuado, grasienta como el típico fish & chips inglés.
Leer a Carter es como meterse en una pelea de bar, donde las cosas no son bonitas, y lo más posible es que acabes tirado en el suelo, con un vaso reventado en la cara, y las pelotas doloridas por una o varias patadas. Pero da igual, aunque duela, aunque sea sucio, devorarás página tras página, disfrutando, incluso de forma culpable, las "aventuras" de este hijo de la gran puta tan odioso que es Jack Carter.
Leer a Carter es como meterse en una pelea de bar, donde las cosas no son bonitas, y lo más posible es que acabes tirado en el suelo, con un vaso reventado en la cara, y las pelotas doloridas por una o varias patadas. Pero da igual, aunque duela, aunque sea sucio, devorarás página tras página, disfrutando, incluso de forma culpable, las "aventuras" de este hijo de la gran puta tan odioso que es Jack Carter.
September 8, 2024
Although written later, this is a prequel to the excellent 'Jack's Return Home' (filmed as 'Get Carter'). I have to admit, I much preferred the other book, which has a much more interesting and emotionally involving plot. 'Jack Carter's Law' has Carter in London involved in gangland shenanigans. It's definitely action-packed, but I found it hard to get too involved with the story.
The vibrant, under-represented northern setting of ‘Jack’s Return Home’ helps to make it, especially given Jack’s fish out of water status in his once familiar environment. By contrast, the London of ‘Jack Carter’s Law’ is so familiar from countless British gangster movies that it feels like a cliche.
That said, the prose is often great - a distinctly British style of hardboiled writing. I'll definitely read more Lewis, but my second outing with him was not as enjoyable as the first.
The vibrant, under-represented northern setting of ‘Jack’s Return Home’ helps to make it, especially given Jack’s fish out of water status in his once familiar environment. By contrast, the London of ‘Jack Carter’s Law’ is so familiar from countless British gangster movies that it feels like a cliche.
That said, the prose is often great - a distinctly British style of hardboiled writing. I'll definitely read more Lewis, but my second outing with him was not as enjoyable as the first.
January 1, 2018
Many years ago I read the excellent novel Jack's Return Home by Ted Lewis, which became the classic film Get Carter in 1971. It was only recently that I realised he had written two other books featuring Carter.
Lewis writes good, hard hitting prose & it was great to see this prequel back in publication. Although I didn't find it as gripping as Jack's Return Home it was good to see the character back in action, & I'm pleased that the very underrated Ted Lewis may now attract some new fans.
Lewis writes good, hard hitting prose & it was great to see this prequel back in publication. Although I didn't find it as gripping as Jack's Return Home it was good to see the character back in action, & I'm pleased that the very underrated Ted Lewis may now attract some new fans.
May 23, 2024
Carter is well know of course, and its difficult not to read about him and see Michael Caine. But this is a prequel to Get Carter which takes place in London, primarily among the kind of Soho clubs the author may himslef have frequented while working as an animator.
The plot is a simple one: Carter is a tough guy, an enforcer and the brains behind a company run by a pair of gangsters who are getting a bit soft in their old age. Carter discovers there is a grass about to snitch on them all on Christmas Eve, and takes it upon himself to shut the rat up for good.
It is told in its entirety through Carter's voice, and he is an uncomprimising character to say the least.
The underground world of Soho is a seedy one indeed, inhabited by such crooks as the Krays, and in Lewis's hands without any glamour at all.
It was published four years after Get Carter, but neither are amongst Lewis's best work. It was the film adaptation that brought the former to fame. His best are GBH and Plender as far as I am concerned; his suspenseful and stark prose is evident, but in seeking to emulate the success of GC he falls into the trap of giving his female characters a really hard time. Its something I didn't notice in his other work, though I am sure it was there occasionally.
The dangers of a sequel, pardon me, prequel...
The plot is a simple one: Carter is a tough guy, an enforcer and the brains behind a company run by a pair of gangsters who are getting a bit soft in their old age. Carter discovers there is a grass about to snitch on them all on Christmas Eve, and takes it upon himself to shut the rat up for good.
It is told in its entirety through Carter's voice, and he is an uncomprimising character to say the least.
The underground world of Soho is a seedy one indeed, inhabited by such crooks as the Krays, and in Lewis's hands without any glamour at all.
It was published four years after Get Carter, but neither are amongst Lewis's best work. It was the film adaptation that brought the former to fame. His best are GBH and Plender as far as I am concerned; his suspenseful and stark prose is evident, but in seeking to emulate the success of GC he falls into the trap of giving his female characters a really hard time. Its something I didn't notice in his other work, though I am sure it was there occasionally.
The dangers of a sequel, pardon me, prequel...
February 11, 2018
I'd be lying if I said this was as good as 'Jack's Return Home'. That novel's use of a revenge plot gave it a moral centre - Carter was a bastard, but other bastards were much worse. There was also a lot of evocative local detail, some sharp dialogue (much of which survives in the screenplay of 'Get Carter'), and a very dramatic finale. Yes, it's misogynistic and nasty, but that's British noir for you.
'Jack Carter's Law' doesn't have the same sense of wild justice running through it, and as Carter searches for a grass in the snowy streets of London in the run-up to Christmas 1970, I found it hard to care whether he caught him or not. There's bent coppers, massage parlours, blaggers, perhaps even more misogyny than the original novel, and the occasional good one-liner or turn of phrase, but Lewis seems to be bulldozing through the action and there's no space for the nuances that made 'JRH' so entertaining. It's interesting to learn more about Carter, though the version of him here seems much more 'London' than the one in the sequel. At times, I wondered if Lewis could have done with a more assertive editor to pull him into line a little. Reading recently about his drinking habits, I'm sure booze dulled the book's edge (and don't try to match Carter drink for drink in this one, kids).
I like this novel and I like Lewis's work, but I think there is a perceptible decline here from the novel which made his name.
'Jack Carter's Law' doesn't have the same sense of wild justice running through it, and as Carter searches for a grass in the snowy streets of London in the run-up to Christmas 1970, I found it hard to care whether he caught him or not. There's bent coppers, massage parlours, blaggers, perhaps even more misogyny than the original novel, and the occasional good one-liner or turn of phrase, but Lewis seems to be bulldozing through the action and there's no space for the nuances that made 'JRH' so entertaining. It's interesting to learn more about Carter, though the version of him here seems much more 'London' than the one in the sequel. At times, I wondered if Lewis could have done with a more assertive editor to pull him into line a little. Reading recently about his drinking habits, I'm sure booze dulled the book's edge (and don't try to match Carter drink for drink in this one, kids).
I like this novel and I like Lewis's work, but I think there is a perceptible decline here from the novel which made his name.
January 5, 2018
Money apart, it’s rarely a good idea to write a sequel to a successful book. Whatever you come up with, it’s pretty much bound to compare poorly with the original. Having said that, Jack Carter’s Law is not half bad.
The narrative – busy and violent – bustles along briskly enough, but it’s the writing that makes it worthwhile. Ted Lewis’s characters, his ear for dialogue, and his eye for closely observed detail plunge us deep into the seamy underside of late sixties’ London. Jack moves between penthouse suites where successful villains try to impress with Swedish decor, smart cars, and designer clothes, to squalid dives where the less successful try to cadge a beer and a bacon sandwich. Read a line like: “The remaining strands of hair on top of his head glisten with Brylcreem under the naked light-bulbs” and you know which side of London you’re on.
It seems like even the least character in a Ted Lewis novel – a bouncer or a passer-by – is caught and animated in a few pen strokes. Jack Carter’s Law may lack the impetus and drive of Get Carter, but just read it for these pinpoint sketches of people and locales. They’re pitch perfect.
The narrative – busy and violent – bustles along briskly enough, but it’s the writing that makes it worthwhile. Ted Lewis’s characters, his ear for dialogue, and his eye for closely observed detail plunge us deep into the seamy underside of late sixties’ London. Jack moves between penthouse suites where successful villains try to impress with Swedish decor, smart cars, and designer clothes, to squalid dives where the less successful try to cadge a beer and a bacon sandwich. Read a line like: “The remaining strands of hair on top of his head glisten with Brylcreem under the naked light-bulbs” and you know which side of London you’re on.
It seems like even the least character in a Ted Lewis novel – a bouncer or a passer-by – is caught and animated in a few pen strokes. Jack Carter’s Law may lack the impetus and drive of Get Carter, but just read it for these pinpoint sketches of people and locales. They’re pitch perfect.
September 30, 2017
Body count and Menace!! ...Jack Carter works for some nasty people, and the people that know, know that he is dangerous, when things start to go wrong for his firm its up to Jack to put things right, and the body count mounts rapidly.
Better then "Get Carter" I believe, Ted is off and running now Jack book 2, this is an exciting read with wonderfully NON politically correct bad language lots of smoking, drinking and sawn off shot guns, set around the 60's no mobile phones etc. But imagine - Pale Beige Corduroy suit, Lavender Shirt, carefully knotted brown silk tie, with a pair of off white suede slip-ons and socks to match the colour of the tie- nice!
Ted Lewis draws you in with a great read and, well! very sad and angry for Lesley
Better then "Get Carter" I believe, Ted is off and running now Jack book 2, this is an exciting read with wonderfully NON politically correct bad language lots of smoking, drinking and sawn off shot guns, set around the 60's no mobile phones etc. But imagine - Pale Beige Corduroy suit, Lavender Shirt, carefully knotted brown silk tie, with a pair of off white suede slip-ons and socks to match the colour of the tie- nice!
Ted Lewis draws you in with a great read and, well! very sad and angry for Lesley
May 28, 2018
Aunque la mayoría de la gente piensa que el nivel de La ley de Carter es menor que el de su predecesora, la ley de Carter es una digna secuela que sigue la misma estructura narrativa (plantea un conflicto inicial para cuya resolución Jake Carter deberá ir contactando con tal y cual persona, como en un juego de dominó) y que muestra un nivel de complejidad de la trama algo mayor, aunque puede que el ritmo sí caiga en algún momento puntual.
April 21, 2018
Pese a que Ted Lewis lo escribió después de ‘Carter’, cuenta las andanzas previas de esta colosal figura de la literatura criminal inglesa.
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Con ese ritmo tan cinematográfico, Lewis nos sumerge con elegancia en los tejemanejes de Jack Carter para encontrar a Jimmy Swann, un miembro de su clan mafioso que podría estar yéndose de la lengua.
En ese periplo por los bajos fondos de Londres intercambia impresiones y lo que no son impresiones con travestis, chicas en busca de dinero fácil, sicarios bravucones y por supuesto, mafiosos que dictan las verdaderas leyes de la ciudad.
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De moral caprichosa, chulería con clase, obstinado instinto de supervivencia, humor de agujero negro y audacia superior, leer las fechorías de Jack Carter es uno de los ejercicios más evasivos y placenteros que pueden realizar aquellos que, como yo, disfrutan las historias del lumpenproletariado.
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Con ese ritmo tan cinematográfico, Lewis nos sumerge con elegancia en los tejemanejes de Jack Carter para encontrar a Jimmy Swann, un miembro de su clan mafioso que podría estar yéndose de la lengua.
En ese periplo por los bajos fondos de Londres intercambia impresiones y lo que no son impresiones con travestis, chicas en busca de dinero fácil, sicarios bravucones y por supuesto, mafiosos que dictan las verdaderas leyes de la ciudad.
.
De moral caprichosa, chulería con clase, obstinado instinto de supervivencia, humor de agujero negro y audacia superior, leer las fechorías de Jack Carter es uno de los ejercicios más evasivos y placenteros que pueden realizar aquellos que, como yo, disfrutan las historias del lumpenproletariado.
January 13, 2019
Gang land enforcer and all-round hard man Jack Carter descends through the murky Seventies London underworld in search of Police informer Jimmy Swann, who threatens the illegal business empire of his employers Gerald and Les Fletcher. Author Ted Lewis returns to his most famous literary creation Jack Carter. Lewis expertly manages to evoke a grey world of adult themes – treachery, violence, blackmail and deceit wrapped up in cigarette smoke, alcohol, grease, grime and sawn-off shotguns. Although Jack Carter’s Law is a compelling crime novel for me it doesn’t quite have the same emotional impact as Jack’s Return Home (aka Get Carter) or GBH. Any readers wishing to seek out the most impressive work from Ted Lewis would be best advised to start with Jack’s Return Home or GBH first before considering Jack Carter’s Law.
September 6, 2018
A solid piece of British Crime fiction by one of its masters. Not as good as Jack's Return Home but still a cracking thriller with a nicely evoked London setting.
December 31, 2017
Pokud jste viděli film Get Carter (ideálně v původní verzi s Michaelem Cainem), tak tohle je jeho pokračování (i když podle předmluvy spíš předkračování). Jack Carter tady ještě stále pracuje pro dva poměrně idiotské zločinecké šéfy a řeší jejich problémy. A teď má problém jako noha - jeden z jejich lidí byl zatčený policií a je odhodlaný naprášit všechny a všechno. Je zapotřebí ho zlikvidovat... ovšem ještě předtím je nutné ho najít, protože ani jeden ze zkorumpovaných poldů (a že jich je) netuší, kde by mohl být. Jo a do toho Carter spí s milenkou jednoho ze svých šéfů.
Kniha byla napsána v sedmdesátých letech a opět dokazuje, jak byla sedmdesátá léta cool. Je to hezké čtení zvláště po přečtení Programu pro stážisty, kde je hrdina nájemný zabiják - a v podstatě celou knihu dělí mezi vysvětlování, jak moc je zlý... a zabíjení pouze opravdu zlých lidí. Doba pokročila, dneska jsou i nájemní vrazi hotoví mazlíci. Tady se hrdina ničím takovým nezatěžuje. Nemá zapotřebí své jednání jakkoliv omlouvat - snad jen tím, že to dělá, protože je v tom prostě dobrý. Je to typický anglický hrdina, jeden z těch tipů, co nemají moc emoce, vazby na ostatní lidi ani morálku. Cool stylem je to i napsané, plné mimochodných hlášek a ironických popisů, které celkem plynule vyplývají z děje, nemáte z nich pocit, že se autor snažil být vtipný. Pravda, chce to nejprve se chytnout ve slangu, protože autor nic nevysvětluje, ale člověk rychle zjistí, co znamená "filth" či "Old Bill". A samozřejmě, chce to akceptovat svět, kde se stále kouří, pije a je jen správné trochu proplesknout ženu, když dělá problémy. O nějakém zabíjení lidí ani nemluvím.
Kniha byla napsána v sedmdesátých letech a opět dokazuje, jak byla sedmdesátá léta cool. Je to hezké čtení zvláště po přečtení Programu pro stážisty, kde je hrdina nájemný zabiják - a v podstatě celou knihu dělí mezi vysvětlování, jak moc je zlý... a zabíjení pouze opravdu zlých lidí. Doba pokročila, dneska jsou i nájemní vrazi hotoví mazlíci. Tady se hrdina ničím takovým nezatěžuje. Nemá zapotřebí své jednání jakkoliv omlouvat - snad jen tím, že to dělá, protože je v tom prostě dobrý. Je to typický anglický hrdina, jeden z těch tipů, co nemají moc emoce, vazby na ostatní lidi ani morálku. Cool stylem je to i napsané, plné mimochodných hlášek a ironických popisů, které celkem plynule vyplývají z děje, nemáte z nich pocit, že se autor snažil být vtipný. Pravda, chce to nejprve se chytnout ve slangu, protože autor nic nevysvětluje, ale člověk rychle zjistí, co znamená "filth" či "Old Bill". A samozřejmě, chce to akceptovat svět, kde se stále kouří, pije a je jen správné trochu proplesknout ženu, když dělá problémy. O nějakém zabíjení lidí ani nemluvím.
March 25, 2023
This is a prequel to Ted Lewis’s most famous novel and which was also adapted into the film ‘Get Carter’, featuring London gang enforcer Jack Carter. Jack is on the hunt for a ‘grass’ who has gone missing from Police custody and whose evidence could potentially bring down Jack’s bosses, the Fletcher brothers, criminal empire. Jack trawls through the sleazy underbelly of London’s criminal haunts of snooker halls, boozers, private clubs, brothels and massage parlours trying to gain information on the informer’s whereabouts. In doing so he’s assisted by his associate Cal and Peter the Dutchman as they interrogate and rough up bent coppers, pretty criminals and a rival gang boss while taking out several rival heavies along the way in pursuit of their quest.
Another brilliant slice of Brit noir from Ted Lewis featuring probably his best known protagonist Jack Carter. So iconic was Michael Caine’s portrayal of Carter that when reading this I could only see Caine and hear his voice as the fictional character of Jack Carter. Jack at times is too clever for his own good, a trait that winds up his rivals and which makes him more of a target but he possesses enough nous that he usually manages to stay one step ahead of them. It’s a fast paced violent thriller that kept me craving more, so much so that I read it in a day, which is a rare feat for me these days.
Another brilliant slice of Brit noir from Ted Lewis featuring probably his best known protagonist Jack Carter. So iconic was Michael Caine’s portrayal of Carter that when reading this I could only see Caine and hear his voice as the fictional character of Jack Carter. Jack at times is too clever for his own good, a trait that winds up his rivals and which makes him more of a target but he possesses enough nous that he usually manages to stay one step ahead of them. It’s a fast paced violent thriller that kept me craving more, so much so that I read it in a day, which is a rare feat for me these days.
November 7, 2022
Phew! What a ride. Pp. 111 to 115 left me spent! A basic premise, but with a LOT of characters. I went back and made a list of the players as I "re-read" the book.
December 30, 2014
Presumably to avoid marring the ambiguity of his novel's ending, Ted Lewis' followups to Get Carter/Jack's Return Home are prequels, showing the London fixer at work for his underworld bosses. Jack Carter's Law, while not as good as its predecessor, is a fun trudge through the London crime scene of the late 60's and early 70's with England's most ruthless gangster as your guide. As Christmas approaches, Jack Carter is tasked with hunting down a traitor looking to send Carter's associates to prison -- along with Carter himself.
Spoilers...
While the previous book showed Carter on a personal mission of vengeance, Jack Carter's Law has him on the job, muscling every crook in London to search for a "grass" who can do his bosses, Gerald and Les Fletcher, irreparable damage. Carter is a consummate professional, knowing exactly how to play every step of his manhunt. Most of the people he interrogates are suitably coerced into cooperation with very subtle threats, but when he comes across a tougher customer, Carter knows just how far to push them. His professionalism is contrasted by the ineptitude of his partners. Even the best of them don't have Carter's deft touch, and more than once Carter considers killing one of them (Peter the Dutchman, which is funny considering the events of Get Carter; it's strange, knowing what happens later, to see Peter and Con as his sidekicks in this one). Several pieces, including the introduction to this edition of the book, have compared Jack Carter to Richard Stark's Parker -- a favorite of mine -- and I can see the similarities (although I still like Parker better, and take umbrage with Max Allan Collins when he says, "Carter makes Parker look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm;" balderdash, Parker is at least as ruthless and efficient as Carter, and would most certainly have killed Peter right then and there, and he wouldn't have shown half the concern for Lesley's well-being that Carter does). Carter's a nasty fellow, and his trek through London's seedy underbelly is a fun ride.
The insights into his personality aren't as plentiful as they were in Get Carter (part of what makes that book superior to this one), but when they do show up they're interesting. He's not overly concerned with Gerald and Les, for example, and would be content to let them rot in prison -- as he made off with Gerald's wife Audrey, with whom he's having an affair -- but Jimmy Swann has implicated Carter as well, so he has to fix the problem whether he wants to or not. More than just Audrey, though, he resents Gerald and Les because they aren't very bright, or at least not as bright as he is. The syndicate, it seems, would fall apart without Carter to keep it intact, and it angers him that he is constantly having to clean up the messes his superiors make. It puts his affair with Audrey into a bit of perspective as well; it's a very dangerous situation in which to place himself (one that catches up with him come Get Carter), but Gerald and Les are so incompetent he has no doubt he'll get away with it. Moreover, he explains why Audrey is so different from all the other girls he could have, and it makes sense that he would go to such great lengths to be with her (I also like how Audrey herself is characterized -- like Carter, she's smarter than Gerald and Les, and capable of running the business herself when the brothers spirit themselves away to avoid the law). Getting in Carter's mind is my favorite part of these books, because he's such an interesting character.
The pace is very similar to Get Carter, starting off slow (slower this time; to be honest, in the beginning parts of the book drag a bit too much) and steadily quickening in pace until Carter is fighting for his life constantly. I liked how the plot gets bigger and bigger as well, from a lone traitor looking to save himself to his being in league with corrupt cops to a rival mob faction looking to supplant Gerald and Les as the kingpins of London crime, with their desperate gamble mirroring Carter's own with Audrey. There's also a tremendous amount of British slang, much of which had me looking up terms online as I read (Collins, in his introduction, says that many of them are relics of the time in which the book was written, so it might not just be my American sensibilities), which adds to the flavor.
Get Carter is better, but Jack Carter's Law is still a good hard-boiled crime novel. After working all year to be on Santa's nice list, it's cathartic to get a little naughty with Jack Carter.
Spoilers...
While the previous book showed Carter on a personal mission of vengeance, Jack Carter's Law has him on the job, muscling every crook in London to search for a "grass" who can do his bosses, Gerald and Les Fletcher, irreparable damage. Carter is a consummate professional, knowing exactly how to play every step of his manhunt. Most of the people he interrogates are suitably coerced into cooperation with very subtle threats, but when he comes across a tougher customer, Carter knows just how far to push them. His professionalism is contrasted by the ineptitude of his partners. Even the best of them don't have Carter's deft touch, and more than once Carter considers killing one of them (Peter the Dutchman, which is funny considering the events of Get Carter; it's strange, knowing what happens later, to see Peter and Con as his sidekicks in this one). Several pieces, including the introduction to this edition of the book, have compared Jack Carter to Richard Stark's Parker -- a favorite of mine -- and I can see the similarities (although I still like Parker better, and take umbrage with Max Allan Collins when he says, "Carter makes Parker look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm;" balderdash, Parker is at least as ruthless and efficient as Carter, and would most certainly have killed Peter right then and there, and he wouldn't have shown half the concern for Lesley's well-being that Carter does). Carter's a nasty fellow, and his trek through London's seedy underbelly is a fun ride.
The insights into his personality aren't as plentiful as they were in Get Carter (part of what makes that book superior to this one), but when they do show up they're interesting. He's not overly concerned with Gerald and Les, for example, and would be content to let them rot in prison -- as he made off with Gerald's wife Audrey, with whom he's having an affair -- but Jimmy Swann has implicated Carter as well, so he has to fix the problem whether he wants to or not. More than just Audrey, though, he resents Gerald and Les because they aren't very bright, or at least not as bright as he is. The syndicate, it seems, would fall apart without Carter to keep it intact, and it angers him that he is constantly having to clean up the messes his superiors make. It puts his affair with Audrey into a bit of perspective as well; it's a very dangerous situation in which to place himself (one that catches up with him come Get Carter), but Gerald and Les are so incompetent he has no doubt he'll get away with it. Moreover, he explains why Audrey is so different from all the other girls he could have, and it makes sense that he would go to such great lengths to be with her (I also like how Audrey herself is characterized -- like Carter, she's smarter than Gerald and Les, and capable of running the business herself when the brothers spirit themselves away to avoid the law). Getting in Carter's mind is my favorite part of these books, because he's such an interesting character.
The pace is very similar to Get Carter, starting off slow (slower this time; to be honest, in the beginning parts of the book drag a bit too much) and steadily quickening in pace until Carter is fighting for his life constantly. I liked how the plot gets bigger and bigger as well, from a lone traitor looking to save himself to his being in league with corrupt cops to a rival mob faction looking to supplant Gerald and Les as the kingpins of London crime, with their desperate gamble mirroring Carter's own with Audrey. There's also a tremendous amount of British slang, much of which had me looking up terms online as I read (Collins, in his introduction, says that many of them are relics of the time in which the book was written, so it might not just be my American sensibilities), which adds to the flavor.
Get Carter is better, but Jack Carter's Law is still a good hard-boiled crime novel. After working all year to be on Santa's nice list, it's cathartic to get a little naughty with Jack Carter.
January 6, 2015
Though not quite the classic that "Get Carter" is, Jack Carter's Law is a great read, and a more entertaining one than its predecessor.
For obvious reasons, this book is a prequel to Ted Lewis's first Carter novel, following the London mafia fixer through a few very rough days in "The Big Smoke." While his and his bosses' livelihoods come under serious attack, we get to follow Jack around as he muscles and mouths his way around and through various obstacles set up throughout the criminal underworld. And it's a blast.
While we get to see some of Jack's whip-crack sarcasm in the original book, his mission was a bit too grim and personal for things to get too humorous. In "Law," there are great lines from start to finish, as Jack offers us readers his snide insights on his fellow criminals - nearly all of whom he considers intellectual cripples and incompetant doorknobs. The fact that he calls them out right to their faces and dares them to argue makes for plenty of laughs.
The story is the stuff of basic noir - a convoluted plot that only the protagonist manages to navigate is the backdrop. As usual, it's more of an excuse for Carter to do his thing, despite occassionally being thrown off kilter. As with "Get Carter," there's more than a dash of misogyny, as female characters are basically there for either sex or abuse (or both). This is a bit distasteful, but it does fit right in with the sordid nature of the entire setting.
If you liked "Get Carter," rest assured that you'll like this one. Don't be surprised if you actually enjoy it a little more, too.
For obvious reasons, this book is a prequel to Ted Lewis's first Carter novel, following the London mafia fixer through a few very rough days in "The Big Smoke." While his and his bosses' livelihoods come under serious attack, we get to follow Jack around as he muscles and mouths his way around and through various obstacles set up throughout the criminal underworld. And it's a blast.
While we get to see some of Jack's whip-crack sarcasm in the original book, his mission was a bit too grim and personal for things to get too humorous. In "Law," there are great lines from start to finish, as Jack offers us readers his snide insights on his fellow criminals - nearly all of whom he considers intellectual cripples and incompetant doorknobs. The fact that he calls them out right to their faces and dares them to argue makes for plenty of laughs.
The story is the stuff of basic noir - a convoluted plot that only the protagonist manages to navigate is the backdrop. As usual, it's more of an excuse for Carter to do his thing, despite occassionally being thrown off kilter. As with "Get Carter," there's more than a dash of misogyny, as female characters are basically there for either sex or abuse (or both). This is a bit distasteful, but it does fit right in with the sordid nature of the entire setting.
If you liked "Get Carter," rest assured that you'll like this one. Don't be surprised if you actually enjoy it a little more, too.
July 23, 2017
Jack Carter’s Law is Ted Lewis’ follow-up to his highly influential Jack’s Return Home, which was filmed as, and later retitled, Get Carter. This second book in the series is set prior to the first. Whereas Jack’s Return Home gave Lewis’ anti-hero a personal vendetta as motivation for the ensuing mayhem, here Carter is acting in his role as fixer/enforcer for one of London’s biggest criminal gangs. As such, there is little for the reader to root for in a cast of characters that have few, if any, redeeming qualities. That said, Lewis masterfully keeps you engaged through his first-person perspective. Written in the present tense, not a popular style but effective here, the action feels immediate and the tension is kept high. Lewis also has a penchant for long descriptive paragrpahs, punctuated by salty and humorous dialogue. The book is not for the faint-hearted – there are several moments of brutality and cruelty – but for fans of gritty pulp fiction this is a great example of the genre. Lewis became something of a cult figure in the world of gritty crime fiction and unfortunately died young (aged only 42) after a battle with alcoholism.
March 3, 2014
Ted Lewis put crime back in the hands of the professionals, the ones who do it for a living. While this is no GET CARTER, it does have the pace and the feel of a crime classic. Lewis is actually a fine writer. He shares Ian Fleming's realism and draws the mechanics of action beautifully. He is as tough as Spillane and as good at conveying a time and place as James Ellroy. Lewis's fiction is not for the faint of heart; His books are about villains doing bad things to each other. However, Jack Carter has something of a code of honor, and as such he becomes the nominal hero in this tale of betrayal. Carter does what needs to be done with efficiency and relentlessness. His bosses don't deserve him. Soho Syndicate will be reissuing all of the Jack Carter books later in 2014. This is a public service for readers of tough guy fiction.
June 28, 2015
Lewis was a damned master. Not much more I can say.
July 18, 2015
Good stuff from a proper crime writer, with typewriter and habits as bad as his characters. A walk in the good old bad days in England. I'd hate to live there.
May 13, 2017
Hardcore 60s Brit Noir at its best. Ted Lewis deserved such a bigger audience.
March 21, 2019
Se me ha hecho algo perezoso de leer en algunos momentos. El final es como el del primer libro de la saga y por eso quizás no me lea el tercero.
April 4, 2023
Ted Lewis died young and never enjoyed the success he deserved as the first writer of British hard-boiled crime. This book is a prequel to the more famous 'Get Carter' and is even more nasty. Carter is not a likeable man, his only saving grace being that he's not as much of a bastard as those around him - he's just as ruthless but follows some sort of moral code. There are so many twists in the plot I had to concentrate hard in order to follow them but everything is tied up convincingly. The author perfectly captures the London of the early 70s: Damp, smelly and in a miasma of cigarette smoke. There is no glamour in the underworld here: it's Hobbesian with its villains involved in a tooth and claw struggle for dominance. However the grime and brutality is rendered readable by the power of the nail-hard prose.
August 13, 2024
A bit of the 'ol ultraviolence
This is the prequel to Lewis’s Jack's Return Home, released in the states as Get Carter. In a survey of British film critics in Total Film magazine, the movie based on Get Carter was chosen as the greatest British film of all time. It can currently be watched for free on Kanopy.
https://www.kanopy.com
But I digress …
Carter is one hard case. Lots of drinking (how does the guy even stand up?). Lots of smoking (how does he even breathe?). Kills without compunction. You'd definitely want him as a friend, especially when things get tough.
In this book Carter is on the search for a grass, someone that is being held by the coppers and is willing to turn state’s evidence. The grass needs to be mowed, and Carter is determined to get the job done. LOTS of violence, but very well written.
This is the prequel to Lewis’s Jack's Return Home, released in the states as Get Carter. In a survey of British film critics in Total Film magazine, the movie based on Get Carter was chosen as the greatest British film of all time. It can currently be watched for free on Kanopy.
https://www.kanopy.com
But I digress …
Carter is one hard case. Lots of drinking (how does the guy even stand up?). Lots of smoking (how does he even breathe?). Kills without compunction. You'd definitely want him as a friend, especially when things get tough.
In this book Carter is on the search for a grass, someone that is being held by the coppers and is willing to turn state’s evidence. The grass needs to be mowed, and Carter is determined to get the job done. LOTS of violence, but very well written.
May 31, 2023
Taught, brutal and breathless. Great book which improves on the original (Jacks Return Home/Get Carter).
A short episode in the life of Jack Carter, capable enforcer to the Fletcher brothers, London gangsters with cops on the payroll and an uneasy accord with other firms.
The book moves forwards in real time with the relentless pace of a hungry shark as the Fletchers learn that one of their men has gone off the radar but seems increasingly likely to be in custody and spilling the beans. Carter, the coolest head in the room, is tasked with tracking him down and containing the damage.
And from there we are on Jack's shoulder for the next 48 hours or so as he follows leads and contacts, each short chapter named after the relevant character he is pursuing as he relentlessly works his way to the informant.
We know a little of the Fletchers and Jack's secret affair with one of their missus from the original book and Lewis cleverly drops in conistent development around the relationship between these 4 characters given that this is a prequel.
I read and really enjoyed GBH as well but this is the superior book out of the three. Its a shame Lewis only left a handful of books but they are gems to be enjoyed 50 years later.
A short episode in the life of Jack Carter, capable enforcer to the Fletcher brothers, London gangsters with cops on the payroll and an uneasy accord with other firms.
The book moves forwards in real time with the relentless pace of a hungry shark as the Fletchers learn that one of their men has gone off the radar but seems increasingly likely to be in custody and spilling the beans. Carter, the coolest head in the room, is tasked with tracking him down and containing the damage.
And from there we are on Jack's shoulder for the next 48 hours or so as he follows leads and contacts, each short chapter named after the relevant character he is pursuing as he relentlessly works his way to the informant.
We know a little of the Fletchers and Jack's secret affair with one of their missus from the original book and Lewis cleverly drops in conistent development around the relationship between these 4 characters given that this is a prequel.
I read and really enjoyed GBH as well but this is the superior book out of the three. Its a shame Lewis only left a handful of books but they are gems to be enjoyed 50 years later.
June 8, 2024
So it’s a prequel to Jack’s Return Home aka Get Carter. I bloody love Lewis’ snappy terse style and his descriptions of seedy London in the 70’s smell and taste like a dirty ashtray with whisky putting out the fag smoke that’s getting in your nostrils. Great stuff!
January 15, 2019
Ojalá me hubiese gustado el libro, pero no es mi tipo de libro.
June 15, 2022
Loved it! A great prequel to one of my favourite books. Sharply written and full of menace and very dark humour.
Ted Lewis was such a great writer.
Ted Lewis was such a great writer.
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