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Smoke and Embers: An Inspector Troy Novel
From “one of the best authors of espionage fiction” (Wall Street Journal), a book of deception and money to be made amid the rubble of World War II
From an author whose books have been described as “one of the great pleasures of modern spy fiction” by Slow Horses author Mick Herron and compared to the works of Alan Furst, Phillip Kerr, and Joseph Kanon, in Smoke and Embers John Lawton turns to the murky days, weeks and years following the end of World War II in Germany, Britain, and beyond.
Smoke and Embers is the ninth installment of the beloved Inspector Troy series, and opens in 1950, when Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps—yet he lacks proof beyond his word. So begins a novel of duplicity and reinvention in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, with each chapter adding a new layer of intrigue.
With a twisting plotline, crackling dialogue, characteristic humor, and the return of beloved characters, Smoke and Embers is an exciting new addition to John Lawton’s masterful canon.
From an author whose books have been described as “one of the great pleasures of modern spy fiction” by Slow Horses author Mick Herron and compared to the works of Alan Furst, Phillip Kerr, and Joseph Kanon, in Smoke and Embers John Lawton turns to the murky days, weeks and years following the end of World War II in Germany, Britain, and beyond.
Smoke and Embers is the ninth installment of the beloved Inspector Troy series, and opens in 1950, when Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps—yet he lacks proof beyond his word. So begins a novel of duplicity and reinvention in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, with each chapter adding a new layer of intrigue.
With a twisting plotline, crackling dialogue, characteristic humor, and the return of beloved characters, Smoke and Embers is an exciting new addition to John Lawton’s masterful canon.
431 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2025
177 people are currently reading
4979 people want to read
About the author
John Lawton
34 books330 followersJohn Lawton is a producer/director in television who has spent much of his time interpreting the USA to the English, and occasionally vice versa. He has worked with Gore Vidal, Neil Simon, Scott Turow, Noam Chomsky, Fay Weldon, Harold Pinter and Kathy Acker. He thinks he may well be the only TV director ever to be named in a Parliamentary Bill in the British House of Lords as an offender against taste and balance. He has also been denounced from the pulpit in Mississippi as a `Communist,’ but thinks that less remarkable.
He spent most of the 90s in New York – among other things attending the writers’ sessions at The Actors’ Studio under Norman Mailer – and has visited or worked in more than half the 50 states. Since 2000 he has lived in the high, wet hills ofDerbyshire England, with frequent excursions into the high, dry hills of Arizona and Italy.
He is the author of 1963, a social and political history of the Kennedy-Macmillan years, six thrillers in the Troy series and a stand-alone novel, Sweet Sunday.
In 1995 the first Troy novel, Black Out, won the WH Smith Fresh Talent Award. In 2006 Columbia Pictures bought the fourth Troy novel Riptide. In 2007 A Little White Death was a New York Times notable.
In 2008 he was one of only half a dozen living English writers to be named in the London Daily Telegraph‘s `50 Crime Writers to Read before You Die.’ He has also edited the poetry of DH Lawrence and the stories of Joseph Conrad. He is devoted to the work of Franz Schubert, Cormac McCarthy, Art Tatum and Barbara Gowdy. (source: http://www.johnlawtonbooks.com)
He was born in 1949 in England.
He spent most of the 90s in New York – among other things attending the writers’ sessions at The Actors’ Studio under Norman Mailer – and has visited or worked in more than half the 50 states. Since 2000 he has lived in the high, wet hills ofDerbyshire England, with frequent excursions into the high, dry hills of Arizona and Italy.
He is the author of 1963, a social and political history of the Kennedy-Macmillan years, six thrillers in the Troy series and a stand-alone novel, Sweet Sunday.
In 1995 the first Troy novel, Black Out, won the WH Smith Fresh Talent Award. In 2006 Columbia Pictures bought the fourth Troy novel Riptide. In 2007 A Little White Death was a New York Times notable.
In 2008 he was one of only half a dozen living English writers to be named in the London Daily Telegraph‘s `50 Crime Writers to Read before You Die.’ He has also edited the poetry of DH Lawrence and the stories of Joseph Conrad. He is devoted to the work of Franz Schubert, Cormac McCarthy, Art Tatum and Barbara Gowdy. (source: http://www.johnlawtonbooks.com)
He was born in 1949 in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
February 25, 2025
First of all, I'd like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I’m currently in the process of rereading the entire series (which I’ve done a few times already). As I mentioned in a review, On Amazon, for another book, rereading a book allows me to notice subtle details that I might have missed during the first read, or that may have been forgotten over time. Additionally, knowing the entire series lets me see this book not just as a standalone installment, but as part of a larger narrative. What might seem like minor appearances or details in a single book become much more significant when viewed in the context of the entire series.
The story kicks off with a typical Troy-style investigation, where an acquaintance brings attention to a shady character, which leads to another investigation. A significant portion of the book focuses on the lives of three main characters, with a focus on the final years of WWII, each of whom plays a role in the investigations mentioned earlier. We get a closer look at a Jewish Brit, an Auschwitz survivor, and a former German soldier.
The scenes describing one character's journey from Auschwitz to Berlin, alongside elements of the Russian Army, are particularly captivating. There’s also an interesting description of what took place in Hitler’s bunker, as well as glimpses into the lives of people living in Berlin just after the war ended, which adds richness to the narrative. As always with this author, the dialogues between the main characters are one of the book's highlights, making it even more engaging.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book, which I call the "magic trick," comes in the longest section of the story. Here, the reader knows that one of the main characters, let's call him A, is actually person B. But as the story returns to Troy's investigation of a murder, we, the readers, realize that A, whom we thought was B, is actually neither A nor B. The way this identity twist is executed is both clever and mind-blowing.
This brought to mind a sci-fi story I once read, where the main theme was about matching narrative styles to geometric shapes. The moment when we discover who person B truly is, is like returning to the beginning of the story, but with the identities completely flipped. It felt almost like reading a book
that matches a Moebius strip (look it up on Google if you’re not familiar). The structure of the book mirrors this, with identities twisting and turning in a way that keeps you guessing.
The final section of the book could probably stand on its own as a separate story, and again, we encounter another "Moebius strip" moment—another identity switch. As is often the case with Lawton's endings, this one leaves us wanting for a sequel.
Perhaps the characters introduced here will make important appearances in future books; only time will tell.
I mentioned earlier that rereading a book allows me to catch details that were overlooked on the first read. In this case, the book would definitely benefit from a second reading, and I’ll likely revisit it once the paper edition is released in three months.
While this may not be the most immediately appealing book by J. Lawton, it might just be his best yet.
The story kicks off with a typical Troy-style investigation, where an acquaintance brings attention to a shady character, which leads to another investigation. A significant portion of the book focuses on the lives of three main characters, with a focus on the final years of WWII, each of whom plays a role in the investigations mentioned earlier. We get a closer look at a Jewish Brit, an Auschwitz survivor, and a former German soldier.
The scenes describing one character's journey from Auschwitz to Berlin, alongside elements of the Russian Army, are particularly captivating. There’s also an interesting description of what took place in Hitler’s bunker, as well as glimpses into the lives of people living in Berlin just after the war ended, which adds richness to the narrative. As always with this author, the dialogues between the main characters are one of the book's highlights, making it even more engaging.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book, which I call the "magic trick," comes in the longest section of the story. Here, the reader knows that one of the main characters, let's call him A, is actually person B. But as the story returns to Troy's investigation of a murder, we, the readers, realize that A, whom we thought was B, is actually neither A nor B. The way this identity twist is executed is both clever and mind-blowing.
This brought to mind a sci-fi story I once read, where the main theme was about matching narrative styles to geometric shapes. The moment when we discover who person B truly is, is like returning to the beginning of the story, but with the identities completely flipped. It felt almost like reading a book
that matches a Moebius strip (look it up on Google if you’re not familiar). The structure of the book mirrors this, with identities twisting and turning in a way that keeps you guessing.
The final section of the book could probably stand on its own as a separate story, and again, we encounter another "Moebius strip" moment—another identity switch. As is often the case with Lawton's endings, this one leaves us wanting for a sequel.
Perhaps the characters introduced here will make important appearances in future books; only time will tell.
I mentioned earlier that rereading a book allows me to catch details that were overlooked on the first read. In this case, the book would definitely benefit from a second reading, and I’ll likely revisit it once the paper edition is released in three months.
While this may not be the most immediately appealing book by J. Lawton, it might just be his best yet.
June 8, 2025
I started reading the book because I like Troy but it wasn’t what I expected. I found the book hard to put down because the characters were so interesting. This was less about Troy than about everyone else. At one time I had to go back and review the names because the duplicity (name/role changes) were so confusing. There were so many layers that it would be a good book to reread.
June 12, 2025
John Lawton is one of the most under-rated authors working today. Always interesting , always based around some real events and people. I notice he is currently being touted as “if you like Philip Kerr”. These are much better books than Kerr’s violent, somewhat misogynistic novels.
This one is listed as a ‘Troy’ novel but he is barely in it, instead it is about the complexities of war, the nature of evil, and identities. Read it and then read it again to work out who is who!
This one is listed as a ‘Troy’ novel but he is barely in it, instead it is about the complexities of war, the nature of evil, and identities. Read it and then read it again to work out who is who!
February 20, 2025
I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to get an advance review copy from the author, his publisher, Grove Atlantic, and the fine folks at Net Galley in return for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be released on 13 May 2025.
This is my first opportunity to delve into John Lawton's "Inspector Troy" universe and my reasoning for asking the fine folks at Net Galley for the ARC was the quote "From “one of the best authors of espionage fiction,” (Wall Street Journal), a book of swapped identities, and money to be made amid the rubble of World War II" when I looked up this book title in Google that based upon my recent reading history sounded that I would enjoy this title.
Smoke and Embers is the ninth installment of the beloved Inspector Troy series, and opens in 1950, when a file lands on Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Troy’s desk, indicating that his boss has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of West London’s infamous runner of rackets, Otto Ohnherz. Ohnherz has mostly preoccupied himself with taking dubious care of the Jewish refugees arriving in Europe—finding them jobs and skimming their wages—but the line item that gives Troy pause is the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who claims to have survived the concentration camps. Smoke and Embers is a highly surprising and intricately woven novel about the opportunity for reinvention after World War II, where identities swap, and smoke covers all tracks.
When I read this book I had gone into it expecting to be more espionage-based, which in hindsight it was not. Lawton's main character (Inspector Troy) comes across a file that insinuates that his boss at Scotland Yards is involved with one of London's primary racketeer's (Otto Ohnerz) lieutenants (Bryce Betancourt) and this is the only part that the main character is mentioned in (tangentially related)., I expected it to be more espionage-based, which, in hindsight, it was not. Lawton's main character (Inspector Troy) comes across a file that insinuates that his boss at Scotland Yards is involved with one of London's primary racketeer's (Otto Ohnerz) lieutenants (Bryce Betancourt).
I would say that at least 95% of the book is spent developing the backstory of the racketeer, Otto Ohnerz, and his chief lieutenant (Jay (Sam) Fabian) and to a lesser extent, Bryce Betancourt.
Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps. Yet there is no proof supporting Fabian’s claims and the Intelligence agencies suspect that he is a Russian spy. The only real hint at an espionage angle (that Fabian might be a sleeper agent trying to influence one of the three British political parties) is that at one point he was allegedly rescued from the horrors of Auschwitz by a Russian NKVD officer and appears to be getting indoctrinated into the communist way of thinking as he plays an instrumental role in interrogating lesser German prisoners who either were present or in close proximity to the final days of the Führerbunker.
The Führerbunker was part of a larger underground complex that included the Vorbunker, which was located beneath the Reich Chancellery complex, where Adolph Hitler along with several members of his senior staff, including Martin Bormann. Eva Braun and Joseph Goebbels joined them in April (while Magda Goebbels and their six children took residence in the upper Vorbunker). Two or three dozen support, medical, and administrative staff were also sheltered there. These included Hitler's secretaries (including Traudl Junge), a nurse named Erna Flegel, and Sergeant Rochus Misch, who was both bodyguard and telephone switchboard operator. The premise is that Samuel (later Jay) Fabian was one of these administrative staff (we later learn that he was a corporal) who was there in the final days of Hitler and could identify with certainty one of the bodies that was immolated in the ruined garden of the Reich Chancellery.
Later in the book, we find out that Sam Fabian did not appear to be at Auschwitz as he had earlier claimed to have been but had been recovered by an intelligence officer in the US Army as he had made his way back to his familial home in Potsdam (which raises some question as to whether he had been at Auschwitz to begin with as the distance between Oświęcim and Potsdam is 602 km).
At another point in the book, after establishing the bonafides of the character "Sam Fabian" - that being that he was defined as (allegedly) a prisoner of one of the concentration camps that formed the basis of the horrors of Auschwitz (Auschwitz was a larger entity which consisted of three concentration/work camps - Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (Birkenau), and Auschwitz III (Monowitz)) - we learn "Samuel Fabian" was actually a former physics professor that "Sam Fabian" (the German army corporal) encountered in Potsdam who had been deemed "eligible" for Auschwitz following the death of his wife, who had been Christian (was that even a valid reasoning considering that "Samuel Fabian" was Jewish, and wasn't that the main determiner historically in the first place for being sent to the concentration camps in the first place?). It is when these two characters are introduced to each other at the familial home in Potsdam that the two conspire to switch identities (going so far as to replicate Samuel Fabian's concentration camp tattoo - The tattoo was the prisoner's camp entry number, sometimes with a special symbol added: with some Jews having a triangle, and Romani had the letter "Z" (from German Zigeuner for "Gypsy").) allowing "Sam Fabian" to make his way to England as a Flüchtling (otherwise known as a Displaced Person (DP)).
After "Sam Fabian" made his way to England, he adopted the name "Jay" and became the second-in-command to racketeer Otto Ohnerz - furthering his "legend" by developing further revenue streams for Ohnerz involving real estate and the "resettlement" of those immigrants from the Caribbean (specifically Jamaica and Trinidad) that began in 1948 (In 1948, the British Nationality Act gave people from colonies the right to live and work in Britain. The government needed workers to help fill post-war labour shortages and rebuild the economy. Caribbean countries were also struggling economically, and job vacancies in the UK offered an opportunity.).
Following the death of Otto Ohnerz in the 1950s, Jay (Sam) Fabian made another appearance in Argentina in 1960 where he played a role in the arrest of Adolph Eichmann, who is listed as one of the major organisers of the Holocaust (he had participated in the January 1942 Wannsee Conference, at which the implementation of the genocidal Final Solution to the Jewish Question was planned.) when a team of Mossad and Shin Bet agents captured Eichmann and brought him to Israel to stand trial on 15 criminal charges, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against the Jewish people. It is at this point that the paths of "Sam Fabian" and "Samuel Fabian" cross once more.
It is a good opening, but the book quickly moves on to other concerns and focuses on characters other than Troy. The impact of the War on Europe and Britain is a central concern, and the scenes set during the tail end of the Second World War are very well done and interesting. The depiction of the Final Solution and the flood of refugees at the end of the war is powerful and the book certainly contains a high level of emotional impact. It should be noted that Troy is not a major player in the story, which is basically an intriguing mix of duplicity and reinvention in the aftermath of World War II and the horror of Hitler’s Final Solution.
What did confuse me, and made me think I should reread it, was that I had trouble keeping track of all of the switching identities. There was at least one too many "Sams" for me to keep them all straight in the end.
That said, I found it an engrossing and compelling read, though hardly comfortable given its subject matter. The picture of post-war Germany was vivid and informative, and I appreciated the way that, in the end, the lines between the good guys and the bad guys blurred, which seemed especially relevant to our present moment. I also enjoyed the variety of languages that were included. On my self-determined "five-star" scale, I would give this book a solid four stars as I found it to be an engrossing and compelling read (even though the main character Chief Inspector Troy only played a minor role in the story).
As with all my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents worth.
This is my first opportunity to delve into John Lawton's "Inspector Troy" universe and my reasoning for asking the fine folks at Net Galley for the ARC was the quote "From “one of the best authors of espionage fiction,” (Wall Street Journal), a book of swapped identities, and money to be made amid the rubble of World War II" when I looked up this book title in Google that based upon my recent reading history sounded that I would enjoy this title.
Smoke and Embers is the ninth installment of the beloved Inspector Troy series, and opens in 1950, when a file lands on Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Troy’s desk, indicating that his boss has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of West London’s infamous runner of rackets, Otto Ohnherz. Ohnherz has mostly preoccupied himself with taking dubious care of the Jewish refugees arriving in Europe—finding them jobs and skimming their wages—but the line item that gives Troy pause is the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who claims to have survived the concentration camps. Smoke and Embers is a highly surprising and intricately woven novel about the opportunity for reinvention after World War II, where identities swap, and smoke covers all tracks.
When I read this book I had gone into it expecting to be more espionage-based, which in hindsight it was not. Lawton's main character (Inspector Troy) comes across a file that insinuates that his boss at Scotland Yards is involved with one of London's primary racketeer's (Otto Ohnerz) lieutenants (Bryce Betancourt) and this is the only part that the main character is mentioned in (tangentially related)., I expected it to be more espionage-based, which, in hindsight, it was not. Lawton's main character (Inspector Troy) comes across a file that insinuates that his boss at Scotland Yards is involved with one of London's primary racketeer's (Otto Ohnerz) lieutenants (Bryce Betancourt).
I would say that at least 95% of the book is spent developing the backstory of the racketeer, Otto Ohnerz, and his chief lieutenant (Jay (Sam) Fabian) and to a lesser extent, Bryce Betancourt.
Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps. Yet there is no proof supporting Fabian’s claims and the Intelligence agencies suspect that he is a Russian spy. The only real hint at an espionage angle (that Fabian might be a sleeper agent trying to influence one of the three British political parties) is that at one point he was allegedly rescued from the horrors of Auschwitz by a Russian NKVD officer and appears to be getting indoctrinated into the communist way of thinking as he plays an instrumental role in interrogating lesser German prisoners who either were present or in close proximity to the final days of the Führerbunker.
The Führerbunker was part of a larger underground complex that included the Vorbunker, which was located beneath the Reich Chancellery complex, where Adolph Hitler along with several members of his senior staff, including Martin Bormann. Eva Braun and Joseph Goebbels joined them in April (while Magda Goebbels and their six children took residence in the upper Vorbunker). Two or three dozen support, medical, and administrative staff were also sheltered there. These included Hitler's secretaries (including Traudl Junge), a nurse named Erna Flegel, and Sergeant Rochus Misch, who was both bodyguard and telephone switchboard operator. The premise is that Samuel (later Jay) Fabian was one of these administrative staff (we later learn that he was a corporal) who was there in the final days of Hitler and could identify with certainty one of the bodies that was immolated in the ruined garden of the Reich Chancellery.
Later in the book, we find out that Sam Fabian did not appear to be at Auschwitz as he had earlier claimed to have been but had been recovered by an intelligence officer in the US Army as he had made his way back to his familial home in Potsdam (which raises some question as to whether he had been at Auschwitz to begin with as the distance between Oświęcim and Potsdam is 602 km).
At another point in the book, after establishing the bonafides of the character "Sam Fabian" - that being that he was defined as (allegedly) a prisoner of one of the concentration camps that formed the basis of the horrors of Auschwitz (Auschwitz was a larger entity which consisted of three concentration/work camps - Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (Birkenau), and Auschwitz III (Monowitz)) - we learn "Samuel Fabian" was actually a former physics professor that "Sam Fabian" (the German army corporal) encountered in Potsdam who had been deemed "eligible" for Auschwitz following the death of his wife, who had been Christian (was that even a valid reasoning considering that "Samuel Fabian" was Jewish, and wasn't that the main determiner historically in the first place for being sent to the concentration camps in the first place?). It is when these two characters are introduced to each other at the familial home in Potsdam that the two conspire to switch identities (going so far as to replicate Samuel Fabian's concentration camp tattoo - The tattoo was the prisoner's camp entry number, sometimes with a special symbol added: with some Jews having a triangle, and Romani had the letter "Z" (from German Zigeuner for "Gypsy").) allowing "Sam Fabian" to make his way to England as a Flüchtling (otherwise known as a Displaced Person (DP)).
After "Sam Fabian" made his way to England, he adopted the name "Jay" and became the second-in-command to racketeer Otto Ohnerz - furthering his "legend" by developing further revenue streams for Ohnerz involving real estate and the "resettlement" of those immigrants from the Caribbean (specifically Jamaica and Trinidad) that began in 1948 (In 1948, the British Nationality Act gave people from colonies the right to live and work in Britain. The government needed workers to help fill post-war labour shortages and rebuild the economy. Caribbean countries were also struggling economically, and job vacancies in the UK offered an opportunity.).
Following the death of Otto Ohnerz in the 1950s, Jay (Sam) Fabian made another appearance in Argentina in 1960 where he played a role in the arrest of Adolph Eichmann, who is listed as one of the major organisers of the Holocaust (he had participated in the January 1942 Wannsee Conference, at which the implementation of the genocidal Final Solution to the Jewish Question was planned.) when a team of Mossad and Shin Bet agents captured Eichmann and brought him to Israel to stand trial on 15 criminal charges, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against the Jewish people. It is at this point that the paths of "Sam Fabian" and "Samuel Fabian" cross once more.
It is a good opening, but the book quickly moves on to other concerns and focuses on characters other than Troy. The impact of the War on Europe and Britain is a central concern, and the scenes set during the tail end of the Second World War are very well done and interesting. The depiction of the Final Solution and the flood of refugees at the end of the war is powerful and the book certainly contains a high level of emotional impact. It should be noted that Troy is not a major player in the story, which is basically an intriguing mix of duplicity and reinvention in the aftermath of World War II and the horror of Hitler’s Final Solution.
What did confuse me, and made me think I should reread it, was that I had trouble keeping track of all of the switching identities. There was at least one too many "Sams" for me to keep them all straight in the end.
That said, I found it an engrossing and compelling read, though hardly comfortable given its subject matter. The picture of post-war Germany was vivid and informative, and I appreciated the way that, in the end, the lines between the good guys and the bad guys blurred, which seemed especially relevant to our present moment. I also enjoyed the variety of languages that were included. On my self-determined "five-star" scale, I would give this book a solid four stars as I found it to be an engrossing and compelling read (even though the main character Chief Inspector Troy only played a minor role in the story).
As with all my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents worth.
May 13, 2025
An intricate modern day espionage thriller
In 1950's England Chief Inspector Freddie Troy of Scotland Yard, nicknamed a "tearaway toff" in his early years, is none too pleased to discover that his sergeant Jack Wildeve's latest paramour is reputed to be the mistress of one of the city's biggest racketeers, Otto Ohnherz. Jack is ambitious and is in fact up for a promotion to inspector, but his chances would be at best dampened and more likely squelched altogether were this entanglement to come to the attention of Chief Superintendent Onions. Onions is no fan of Troy and already regards Jack as the newest generation of tearaway toff, and Troy issues a warning. Ohnherz's right hand man is a mysterious fellow known as Jay Fabian, who has become a major donor to all three of the major political parties without making clear his motivation. Troy's brother Rod is an MP for the Labour party and has given him the lay of the land as regards Fabian, who is purported to be a survivor of Auschwitz (though some are suspicious of those claims), and of his opaque ulterior motives as well. When someone ends up dead from a fall from a roof (fell, pushed or suicide?) Troy is tasked with finding out what happened (Jack is considered far too close to the matter given his former lover's proximity to the players). In order to get an answer to that situation Troy must find out who Fabian really is. It is every bit as possible that he is a Russian mole as it is that he is a Jewish concentration camp survivor, and looking for answers only begets more questions.
This is the ninth installment in author John Lawton's Inspector Troy series, although readers who haven't read the previous novels will be able to read this a standalone without issue. That said, there are more than a few characters who have appeared in some or all of the previous books and given their interwoven backstories (sorting out Troy's family background and the quirks of his family members in and of itself is a fascinating jumble) there is no doubt that those who have read some or all of the preceding volumes will likely start with a deeper understanding of them. The chapters bounce between the current (1950 London) time period and the war years as the reader is shown glimpses of the prisoners' life in a concentration camp in the days after the German's surrender, the struggles of both the German people trying to eke out an existence after the war's end and the challenges of refugees attempting to leave the war-torn continent in search of a new life (in England, in what would become Israel, or beyond). This is far from a straightforward spy yarn; it is a multilayered tale of intrigue and moral ambiguity with well-developed and nuanced characters that show humor alongside raw emotion, With an eye for historical detail and a well-rendered sense of place, Mr. Lawton had me intrigued from the early chapters right through the many twists and turns to the end. Readers of authors like Joseph Kanon, Alan Furst and Phillip Kerr will discover a new author to explore within these pages. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for allowing me access to this well-crafted piece of spy fiction in exchange for my honest review.
January 16, 2025
Packaged as the ninth book in Lawton’s excellent series about Frederick Troy of Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad, Smoke And Embers skirts around the edge of the spy genre and only briefly features its titular central character.
In typical Lawton disregard for the progress of the series through the years, SMOKE AND EMBERS is set initially back in 1950, not long after the events in A LILY IN THE FIELD and well before the occurrences of the most recent Troy novel, FRIENDS AND TRAITORS. The book finds Lawton returning to the years following the end of World War II in Britain and opens with a seemingly inconsequential murder. However, things become more complicated when Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of an infamous London racketeer, Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps. Yet there is no proof supporting Fabian’s claims and the Intelligence agencies suspect that he is a Russian spy.
It is a good opening, but the book quickly moves onto other concerns and focuses on characters other than Troy. The impact of the War in Europe and Britain is a central concern, and the scenes set during the tail end of the Second World War are very well done and interesting. The depiction of the Final Solution and the flood of refugees at the end of the war is powerful and the book certainly contains a high level of emotional impact. Minor characters from the Troy and Joe Holderness (Wilderness) series float through the book and add interest for regular readers of the novels.
I won’t ruin the book by detailing the plot, other than to say that Troy is not a major player in the story, which is basically an intriguing mix of duplicity and reinvention in the aftermath of World War II and the horror of Hitler’s Final Solution. The ending, however, has that typical Lawton surprise factor.
The pacing throughout the book is leisurely, but never boring, as Lawton smoothly adds on layers of intrigue and deception, and fleshes out an interesting collection of characters. With a twisting plotline, crackling dialogue, convincing historical detail and characteristic humor, SMOKE AND EMBERS is a masterful addition to Lawton’s impressive canon of books. It also has a fascinating Afterword that expounds on the book’s themes and adds some more details. A must read for fans of the series, as well as aficionados of spy fiction and good writing.
4.5 rounded up
For full review see: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/n...
In typical Lawton disregard for the progress of the series through the years, SMOKE AND EMBERS is set initially back in 1950, not long after the events in A LILY IN THE FIELD and well before the occurrences of the most recent Troy novel, FRIENDS AND TRAITORS. The book finds Lawton returning to the years following the end of World War II in Britain and opens with a seemingly inconsequential murder. However, things become more complicated when Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of an infamous London racketeer, Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps. Yet there is no proof supporting Fabian’s claims and the Intelligence agencies suspect that he is a Russian spy.
It is a good opening, but the book quickly moves onto other concerns and focuses on characters other than Troy. The impact of the War in Europe and Britain is a central concern, and the scenes set during the tail end of the Second World War are very well done and interesting. The depiction of the Final Solution and the flood of refugees at the end of the war is powerful and the book certainly contains a high level of emotional impact. Minor characters from the Troy and Joe Holderness (Wilderness) series float through the book and add interest for regular readers of the novels.
I won’t ruin the book by detailing the plot, other than to say that Troy is not a major player in the story, which is basically an intriguing mix of duplicity and reinvention in the aftermath of World War II and the horror of Hitler’s Final Solution. The ending, however, has that typical Lawton surprise factor.
The pacing throughout the book is leisurely, but never boring, as Lawton smoothly adds on layers of intrigue and deception, and fleshes out an interesting collection of characters. With a twisting plotline, crackling dialogue, convincing historical detail and characteristic humor, SMOKE AND EMBERS is a masterful addition to Lawton’s impressive canon of books. It also has a fascinating Afterword that expounds on the book’s themes and adds some more details. A must read for fans of the series, as well as aficionados of spy fiction and good writing.
4.5 rounded up
For full review see: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/n...
June 27, 2025
Lawton quickly became my favourite crime writer because he provides so much social and cultural context into his stories which often, like this one, see the crime becoming quite peripheral to the mystery story. In this, his latest story, he returns with Inspector Troy to the displaced persons in the final year of World War II and the following years of drastic social change. When the Rachman-like landlord and celebrity king of Fulham, Otto dies and his consiglieri Jay Fabian, a displaced German, follows some months after, their back stories are intertwined with that of Jacob, now James Heller, the adopted son of a Jewish German and newly arrived West Indian tenants in Notting Hill whom Otto and Jay have used to get rid of the many English born Jews and other working class people who lived in the bombed and run down terraces of the suburb.
After Heller’s recruitment to an intelligence unit and the UN refugee service in Germany and Fabian’s escape in the final days of the Russian liberation of Auschwitz, a further complication is added with Klaus von Niegutt, an SS corporal guarding Hitler’s bunker in the last days of the Nazi Reich, and his escape and meeting with Fabian. However the mass of the novel deals with the traumatic circumstances of their journeys and the ironic contrasts with the usual images of heroic and patriotic soldiery and the continuing, privilege of class entitled society in British schools, the army and government, even in ‘the feral world’ of the 1940’s, where everything is ‘absurd or impossible’. He sets this also against the popular assumptions about ‘good and bad Germans’. ‘It could be said that the overwhelming desire of Germans was not to know. An impossible delusion, yet on a national scale’. When Fabian and von Niegutt swap identities in a bombed house in a Berlin suburb, Lawton puts Fabian into the frame of Ulysses who identifies as No-one to escape the giant, enraged Cyclops. Concerning the treatment of refugees, he echoes the contemporary policy as the ‘government of England now prefers to manage its refugee problem, and for ‘manage’ read ‘constrain’.
Lawton’s characters are always three dimensional and interesting. Here, the identities of Heller, Fabian and Niegutt become delightfully confused, seen through the fog of war and its corrupt and violent aftermath. He liken the puzzle to Pirandello masks or Russian dolls and he had me guessing wrong and going back over the text to see how he did it but I’m still wondering.
After Heller’s recruitment to an intelligence unit and the UN refugee service in Germany and Fabian’s escape in the final days of the Russian liberation of Auschwitz, a further complication is added with Klaus von Niegutt, an SS corporal guarding Hitler’s bunker in the last days of the Nazi Reich, and his escape and meeting with Fabian. However the mass of the novel deals with the traumatic circumstances of their journeys and the ironic contrasts with the usual images of heroic and patriotic soldiery and the continuing, privilege of class entitled society in British schools, the army and government, even in ‘the feral world’ of the 1940’s, where everything is ‘absurd or impossible’. He sets this also against the popular assumptions about ‘good and bad Germans’. ‘It could be said that the overwhelming desire of Germans was not to know. An impossible delusion, yet on a national scale’. When Fabian and von Niegutt swap identities in a bombed house in a Berlin suburb, Lawton puts Fabian into the frame of Ulysses who identifies as No-one to escape the giant, enraged Cyclops. Concerning the treatment of refugees, he echoes the contemporary policy as the ‘government of England now prefers to manage its refugee problem, and for ‘manage’ read ‘constrain’.
Lawton’s characters are always three dimensional and interesting. Here, the identities of Heller, Fabian and Niegutt become delightfully confused, seen through the fog of war and its corrupt and violent aftermath. He liken the puzzle to Pirandello masks or Russian dolls and he had me guessing wrong and going back over the text to see how he did it but I’m still wondering.
Read
August 30, 2025John Lawton is known for his espionage books that feature the ever-popular Inspector Troy. SMOKE AND EMBERS is book nine of the series, and anyone who has ever opened a book featuring this noted Inspector, has been in for a literary treat.
This is set in 1950’s. The manner in which Lawton writes has more than a feel for that period of history. It magically takes us back to those days, with a most compelling story that focuses on not only the final days of the Second World War, but events many years later that may be interconnected.
At the moment though, Troy is called upon to look into a most disturbing turn of events. It seems that Troy’s beloved boss may be having an affair with a most interesting woman. She is the mistress of one of the most prominent racketeers in London, Otto Ohnherz. This is more than shocking to say the least. But Troy is just as intrigued and curious about the second most powerful person after Ohnherz, and that is Jay Fabian. He seems to be a contributor to all the political parties in Britain, and even has been touted as a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps. While he makes this claim, there seems to be no proof of that ever happening, causing Troy to want to delve deeper into the man.
As we find in the book, there truly is much more to Jay Fabian than meets the eye. If he was in the camps, why the secrecy, and what exactly is he doing with someone like Ohnherz? While this is an Inspector Troy novel, he is not as prominent in this book as previous ones, but that does not mean the story lacks in any way. It seems more about Fabian, and the fact when Otto dies, one wonders if something even more ominous may occur if Fabian takes over the reins of power. He does want some legitimacy in the business, but there is still the suspicion there is more to Fabian’s end game than realized.
But soon there are other shocking deaths, as the story progresses even up to the capture of Adolf Eichman and the quest to locate Martin Bormann. A John Lawton book is always full of surprises and shocks, and this book is no different. It is certainly a quality read for lovers of espionage and history.
This is set in 1950’s. The manner in which Lawton writes has more than a feel for that period of history. It magically takes us back to those days, with a most compelling story that focuses on not only the final days of the Second World War, but events many years later that may be interconnected.
At the moment though, Troy is called upon to look into a most disturbing turn of events. It seems that Troy’s beloved boss may be having an affair with a most interesting woman. She is the mistress of one of the most prominent racketeers in London, Otto Ohnherz. This is more than shocking to say the least. But Troy is just as intrigued and curious about the second most powerful person after Ohnherz, and that is Jay Fabian. He seems to be a contributor to all the political parties in Britain, and even has been touted as a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps. While he makes this claim, there seems to be no proof of that ever happening, causing Troy to want to delve deeper into the man.
As we find in the book, there truly is much more to Jay Fabian than meets the eye. If he was in the camps, why the secrecy, and what exactly is he doing with someone like Ohnherz? While this is an Inspector Troy novel, he is not as prominent in this book as previous ones, but that does not mean the story lacks in any way. It seems more about Fabian, and the fact when Otto dies, one wonders if something even more ominous may occur if Fabian takes over the reins of power. He does want some legitimacy in the business, but there is still the suspicion there is more to Fabian’s end game than realized.
But soon there are other shocking deaths, as the story progresses even up to the capture of Adolf Eichman and the quest to locate Martin Bormann. A John Lawton book is always full of surprises and shocks, and this book is no different. It is certainly a quality read for lovers of espionage and history.
April 24, 2025
Smoke and Embers by John Lawton is a highly recommended detective/spy fiction set in 1950 and the ninth in the Inspector Troy series. This novel is more about events in the aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust than one that prominently features Scotland Yard inspector Frederick Troy.
Opening in London, Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress, Bryce Betancourt, of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz, a German refugee. His associate Jay Fabian is said to be an Auschwitz survivor but there are doubts about his identity and he is suspected to be a spy. The two men also donated to the campaign of Troy’s brother, Rod, who was reelected as an MP for the Labour Party. After the opening intrigue, the novel jumps back in time to 1945 Poland during the end of the war. From here the action proceeds to cover changing identities across several countries and years.
This is an even paced novel that will hold your attention as it increases in complexity, deception, and intrigue with each chapter. The short chapters keep the steady pace moving as the cunning subterfuge continues across several countries and the layers of deception build as they try to survive. The historical details, descriptions of events and areas combined with the dialogue between characters help keep narrative interesting.
As mentioned, Inspector Troy actually plays a minor role in the novel. The focus is more on several other characters, the flood of refugees, and how they do what they need to do to ensure their survival following the end of WWII. The characters are portrayed as fully realized interesting individuals. No spoilers here, but the ending is great. There is an Afterword section which adds further details and information.
Smoke and Embers will best be appreciated by those who enjoy espionage fiction and post WWII novels. Thanks to Grove/Atlantic for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/0...
Opening in London, Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress, Bryce Betancourt, of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz, a German refugee. His associate Jay Fabian is said to be an Auschwitz survivor but there are doubts about his identity and he is suspected to be a spy. The two men also donated to the campaign of Troy’s brother, Rod, who was reelected as an MP for the Labour Party. After the opening intrigue, the novel jumps back in time to 1945 Poland during the end of the war. From here the action proceeds to cover changing identities across several countries and years.
This is an even paced novel that will hold your attention as it increases in complexity, deception, and intrigue with each chapter. The short chapters keep the steady pace moving as the cunning subterfuge continues across several countries and the layers of deception build as they try to survive. The historical details, descriptions of events and areas combined with the dialogue between characters help keep narrative interesting.
As mentioned, Inspector Troy actually plays a minor role in the novel. The focus is more on several other characters, the flood of refugees, and how they do what they need to do to ensure their survival following the end of WWII. The characters are portrayed as fully realized interesting individuals. No spoilers here, but the ending is great. There is an Afterword section which adds further details and information.
Smoke and Embers will best be appreciated by those who enjoy espionage fiction and post WWII novels. Thanks to Grove/Atlantic for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/0...
April 19, 2025
I read a free digital advance review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
This is formally a part of the Inspector Troy series, but he’s not the key character. He’s more of a framing device, used to introduce us, in 1950 London, to a pair of supposed racketeers. Otto Ohnerz is a German refugee from well before the war, while Jay Fabian is a postwar refugee, supposed to be an Auschwitz survivor. Troy and all the police and intelligence services have their doubts about Jay Fabian’s identity, including the possibility he’s a Soviet spy, since they were known to recruit from Nazi camp survivors.
From this London opening, we flash back to the chaotic last weeks of the war in Germany, where former Jewish mathematics professor and Berliner Sam Fabian has been liberated from Auschwitz and, because of his language skills, kept with the Red Army as they fight through to Berlin. This journey reveals mankind at its elemental worst and best.
After separating from the Red Army, Sam heads for his home in the country, a sometimes humorous journey that bears careful reading if you are to catch Lawton’s clever playing with identity.
When Troy investigates a possible murder back in 1950 London, it formally opens the question of who Jay Fabian really is. Scenes there, back in Germany, in Israel, and in South America, put all the puzzle pieces in place.
Even without the puzzle of identity, this is another standout John Lawton novel. He vividly evokes times and places, and his characterization is impeccable. What’s more, even in the worst circumstances, he always finds a way to include humor and a bit of romance. A bonus, if you're a devoted Lawton reader, is that there are cameo appearances of characters from other Lawton books, one important one being Nell Burkhardt.
I can’t recommend this book—and all of Lawton’s books—enough.
This is formally a part of the Inspector Troy series, but he’s not the key character. He’s more of a framing device, used to introduce us, in 1950 London, to a pair of supposed racketeers. Otto Ohnerz is a German refugee from well before the war, while Jay Fabian is a postwar refugee, supposed to be an Auschwitz survivor. Troy and all the police and intelligence services have their doubts about Jay Fabian’s identity, including the possibility he’s a Soviet spy, since they were known to recruit from Nazi camp survivors.
From this London opening, we flash back to the chaotic last weeks of the war in Germany, where former Jewish mathematics professor and Berliner Sam Fabian has been liberated from Auschwitz and, because of his language skills, kept with the Red Army as they fight through to Berlin. This journey reveals mankind at its elemental worst and best.
After separating from the Red Army, Sam heads for his home in the country, a sometimes humorous journey that bears careful reading if you are to catch Lawton’s clever playing with identity.
When Troy investigates a possible murder back in 1950 London, it formally opens the question of who Jay Fabian really is. Scenes there, back in Germany, in Israel, and in South America, put all the puzzle pieces in place.
Even without the puzzle of identity, this is another standout John Lawton novel. He vividly evokes times and places, and his characterization is impeccable. What’s more, even in the worst circumstances, he always finds a way to include humor and a bit of romance. A bonus, if you're a devoted Lawton reader, is that there are cameo appearances of characters from other Lawton books, one important one being Nell Burkhardt.
I can’t recommend this book—and all of Lawton’s books—enough.
June 5, 2025
From the closing days of WWII through the beginning of the Cold War, John Lawton’s Inspector Troy returns in Smoke and Embers. Lawton’s historical fiction has always been my favorite and I was happy to see Troy return. It begins with his investigation into Otto Ohnherz, a racketeer, when he discovers that his sergeant is involved with Bryce Bettancourt, Otto’s mistress. Otto came to London as a German refugee well before the war. His assistant, Jay Fabian, is a more recent arrival, having survived Auschwitz during the war, although there are questions about his true identity. After Troy begins his investigation, Troy’s character is sidelined as Lawton takes you back to 1945. At the war’s end, a prisoner is freed from Auschwitz by the Russians, who hire him for his language skills and transport him back to Berlin. In a displaced persons camp a British Jew changes places with a survivor who is hoping to reach England. In Berlin, an SS officer who worked in Hitler’s bunker changes identities with a survivor to escape Russian retribution. One of these men will eventually become Otto’s assistant. At first he is responsible for record keeping and collecting Otto’s share of the rackets. He soon begins to look for opportunities of his own. Otto’s death and a suspicious fatal accident brings Troy’s investigation back into focus as he tries to discover Jay’s true identity. If he was rescued from the camp by the Russians was he recruited as an agent?
Lawton’s characters are complex and his story shows the brutality and retribution that continued after the war. He ends with the capture of Adolf Eichman and the hunt for Martin Bormann, but keeps the last pages for his biggest twist of all involving the three survivors. He is a master of his craft and Smoke and Embers is one of his best. I would like to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic or providing this book.
August 4, 2025
By the time Mister Liberryhead got to Chap.122 of SMOKE AND EMBERS, he had gotten so immersed in the lengthy backstory on underworld boss Otto Ohnherz and his protégé Jay Fabian that he had long since forgotten why Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Troy was interested in them in the first place. As it happened, Troy was trying to smooth the way for his sergeant, Jack Wildeve, to a long-deserved promotion by looking into the copper’s relationship with an ex-Dior model, the reputed mistress of infamous London slum lord and a war profiteer Ohnherz. Ohnherz’s second-in-command and successor, Jay Fabian, was a major contributor to all three British political parties and claimed to have survived the concentration camps—yet he lacked proof beyond an Auschwitz prisoner number tattooed on his arm (a number also borne by another mysterious figure – “Sam” Fabian, a German who immigrated to Palestine in 1946. Jay Fabian is found to have used four aliases. “There is also Jay Heller, Sam Heller and Sam Fabian” (pg38), Troy discovers, supposing that Jay must have some connection to MI-6. Without moralizing, SMOKE AND EMBERS examines the immediate post-war era that Americans don’t know much about, when waves of Displaced Persons wandered Europe without identity papers and, hence, without identities. As a camp survivor, once a professor of mathematical physics, says of the Russian soldier who liberates him: “She’s only doing what we all must do from now on—make life up as we go along. Glib aphorisms and all. Germany tore up the rule book” (pg52).
July 10, 2025
Atlantic Crime, a sub-group of Atlantic Monthly Press, sent me an uncorrected proof copy of this book, which provided me with an introduction to Inspector Troy. Since the book is labeled as being "An Inspector Troy Novel," I expected to see more of Inspector Troy in it; however, his contribution is limited to the opening section of the story set in 1950. The focus of the book is on several other characters: Sam Fabian, who was a prisoner in Auschwitz whose adventures start in Part II before being continued in Part V; Jay Maugham, a Jew who was raised as a Christian after his parents died and who trades places with Sam Fabian at the end of Part III before he returns to England as Jay Heller; Bryce Betancourt, whose affair with Troy's colleague starts off the story before her role is expanded upon in Part IV; and Klaus Linz von Niegutt, a member of the SS who had a minor role in Hitler's bunker in 1945 before he escapes Berlin ahead of the Russian invasion in Part V, meets Sam Fabian, and trades places with him. The final section of the book takes place 12 years later in Tel Aviv and South America as the original Sam Fabian pursues an alleged Martin Bormann, who turns out to be von Niegutt in hiding. Reading about each of these characters' various adventures will intrigue anyone interested in this period of world history.
June 18, 2025
Thank you to the author, Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting, I have had continuing familial health challenges to contend with in the past months.
I was not familiar with this prolific author, and so was interested to explore the world of one of his beloved characters. I had no problem reading this, the ninth in a series, as a standalone - although I am sure there are references I missed due to lack of background from previous books in the series. What this novel reminded me of most are those nested boxes, or matryoshka dolls, with a mysterious new perspective uncovered in each layer. Rather than finding this exasperating, it pulled me in and left me more and more intrigued with each layer. Very well-written, atmospheric in setting the scene of the chaos at the end of the second world war, where so many reinvented themselves and distanced themselves from who they had been and what they had believed during war. This is not a book that closes with all loose ends neatly tied up, and if you are willing to dive in, it will stay in your thoughts for a while as you muse on its mysteries.
I was not familiar with this prolific author, and so was interested to explore the world of one of his beloved characters. I had no problem reading this, the ninth in a series, as a standalone - although I am sure there are references I missed due to lack of background from previous books in the series. What this novel reminded me of most are those nested boxes, or matryoshka dolls, with a mysterious new perspective uncovered in each layer. Rather than finding this exasperating, it pulled me in and left me more and more intrigued with each layer. Very well-written, atmospheric in setting the scene of the chaos at the end of the second world war, where so many reinvented themselves and distanced themselves from who they had been and what they had believed during war. This is not a book that closes with all loose ends neatly tied up, and if you are willing to dive in, it will stay in your thoughts for a while as you muse on its mysteries.
July 9, 2025
John Lawton specialises in taking historical events and using them as a support for his writing with his Troy series focusing during and after WWII, with this one set in Berlin in the 1950s.
Inspector Troy and his sidekick Jack Wildeve are sent to view a body that appears to have 'fallen' from a roof several floors up. Whilst the name of the person is known, the information about him is less secure with it eventually turning out that names and identity are a key element of the story.
Lawton has structured this book cleverly with sections focusing on each of the main characters, slowly revealing their links and hidden identities although always written in the third person. We get to see how these characters escaped, be it the Russians, the war or just home, and the shape their lives then took.
The title suggests destruction with the smoke and embers left: the embers ready to ignite should the conditions be right and the smoke suggesting lasting consequences, both of which fit well with the narrative. Written in short chapters, this is a book that you can devour in a couple of sittings
Inspector Troy and his sidekick Jack Wildeve are sent to view a body that appears to have 'fallen' from a roof several floors up. Whilst the name of the person is known, the information about him is less secure with it eventually turning out that names and identity are a key element of the story.
Lawton has structured this book cleverly with sections focusing on each of the main characters, slowly revealing their links and hidden identities although always written in the third person. We get to see how these characters escaped, be it the Russians, the war or just home, and the shape their lives then took.
The title suggests destruction with the smoke and embers left: the embers ready to ignite should the conditions be right and the smoke suggesting lasting consequences, both of which fit well with the narrative. Written in short chapters, this is a book that you can devour in a couple of sittings
May 13, 2025
Thank you Atlantic Crime for my advance copy. My thoughts are my own.
Wow, don’t I wish I had read the previous books! This can definitely be a stand-alone novel but I feel like I’m missing a lot, especially character-development-wise. The dialogue and plot are snappy and fast-paced, like a police drama on TV. The multiple POV serves the plot so well, especially for the twist at the end. I was surprised that I wasn’t more distracted by the mix of languages, including German and Russian (written in Cyrillic). This is a different kind of storytelling than I’m used to. I like it. There is so much about the end and immediate aftermath of World War II in Europe that we in the US either aren’t taught or don’t think about, sheltered as we were by oceans. The story was dark and tragic, but was handled almost lightly as it went along—otherwise I’m not sure that the real-life horror would be stomachable. It’s terrifying what we do to each other, and how history seems to be repeating itself, despite the vows of “never again.”
Wow, don’t I wish I had read the previous books! This can definitely be a stand-alone novel but I feel like I’m missing a lot, especially character-development-wise. The dialogue and plot are snappy and fast-paced, like a police drama on TV. The multiple POV serves the plot so well, especially for the twist at the end. I was surprised that I wasn’t more distracted by the mix of languages, including German and Russian (written in Cyrillic). This is a different kind of storytelling than I’m used to. I like it. There is so much about the end and immediate aftermath of World War II in Europe that we in the US either aren’t taught or don’t think about, sheltered as we were by oceans. The story was dark and tragic, but was handled almost lightly as it went along—otherwise I’m not sure that the real-life horror would be stomachable. It’s terrifying what we do to each other, and how history seems to be repeating itself, despite the vows of “never again.”
May 11, 2025
I was intrigued by this book since I read the synopsis and I'm so glad that I downloaded it! This is the first book I get to read by Mr. Lawton and I'll certainly be looking for other titles by him. Smoke and Embers is the sort of book that you have to be patient whilst reading it, you have to pay attention otherwise you'll lose the plot as there are a lot of characters, different timelines, and a lot going on. It certainly draws the reader's attention to the last days of WWII and all the atrocities that were perpetrated in the name of a man, his beliefs and teachings, and prejudice (lots of prejudice). Inspector Troy is not the main character, he is only the one looking to clarify certain things, Samuel, Jay, Otto and Bryce are the ones that give life to the story, that has mystery aplenty, heartbreaking truth about humankind, and belief in the future. Highly recommended!
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
March 25, 2025
Thanks to John Lawton, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is billed as the ninth in the Inspector Troy series, so I expected a detective story. It’s not, at least in the traditional sense. Inspector Troy has a relatively minor role and spends little time solving a case. Instead, this is a book about the Holocaust and the aftermath of World War II. As such, it is good and interesting.
The book follows several characters who escape the horrors at the end of World War II, how they made their escape, and their lives in their later years. Paths cross, cross again, and identities change as people do what must be done to survive. This makes for an interesting book and one I would have enjoyed more had the story spent more time on these characters and left out Inspector Troy.
This book is billed as the ninth in the Inspector Troy series, so I expected a detective story. It’s not, at least in the traditional sense. Inspector Troy has a relatively minor role and spends little time solving a case. Instead, this is a book about the Holocaust and the aftermath of World War II. As such, it is good and interesting.
The book follows several characters who escape the horrors at the end of World War II, how they made their escape, and their lives in their later years. Paths cross, cross again, and identities change as people do what must be done to survive. This makes for an interesting book and one I would have enjoyed more had the story spent more time on these characters and left out Inspector Troy.
May 10, 2025
I enjoy John Lawton's writing style and plots, but Frederick Troy is not one of my favorite characters. So I was happily surprised that his presence is minimal in what is ostensibly another in the Inspector Troy series. His presence serves as a framing device, one I suspect was included primarily for commercial reasons.
The main plot is about a London underworld figure, his arm-candy female companion, and his right-hand man in the aftermath of WWII. Auschwitz, the Russian occupation of Germany, Berlin in the days immediately after Hitler's suicide, and the Windrush generation all figure. It's a twisty tale, with a number of surprises, and wildly enjoyable even if you haven't read any of the previous Inspector Troy novels.
Thank you, Grove Atlantic and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The main plot is about a London underworld figure, his arm-candy female companion, and his right-hand man in the aftermath of WWII. Auschwitz, the Russian occupation of Germany, Berlin in the days immediately after Hitler's suicide, and the Windrush generation all figure. It's a twisty tale, with a number of surprises, and wildly enjoyable even if you haven't read any of the previous Inspector Troy novels.
Thank you, Grove Atlantic and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2025
Great complex tale but I know I'm not the only one left wondering who exactly was who and how two people died. This demands a close reading- there are lots of characters, the names shift, the time period shift and so on. It starts with DI Troy and a murdered man on the beach but that's not the real point of this at all (pay attention for the resolution) and then shifts because Troy becomes interested in Bryce Betancourt, who his partner Jack has been seeing. This isn't Bryce's story (although we do learn that deep in), it's the story of Jay Fabian and all who came before and after him. Who was Fabian? Well, by the end you may be as confused as I was (and the ending to be honest...) but you will have had a good time because Lawton is a terrific storyteller. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Lawton's fans will be pleased.
November 16, 2024
A new book by John Lawton is a rare and welcome treat given the quality of his writing, characters, plotting and research.
What makes this one even more alluring is that after a spell in the Wilderness, Inspector Troy plays a far greater role in the proceedings.
This is a vast shaggy dog story of a book which ranges from post war Berlin, a brief interlude in Auschwitz,, London in 1950 and even Israel a decade later.
So many of Lawton’s vast array of memorable characters also make welcome returns even in brief cameo roles.
The story is wide ranging and full of deceptions which demand the reader’s full attention as who is exactly who is a question that keeps occurring.
As always with Lawton the best answer is just to surrender to the delights of his prose and enjoy.
What makes this one even more alluring is that after a spell in the Wilderness, Inspector Troy plays a far greater role in the proceedings.
This is a vast shaggy dog story of a book which ranges from post war Berlin, a brief interlude in Auschwitz,, London in 1950 and even Israel a decade later.
So many of Lawton’s vast array of memorable characters also make welcome returns even in brief cameo roles.
The story is wide ranging and full of deceptions which demand the reader’s full attention as who is exactly who is a question that keeps occurring.
As always with Lawton the best answer is just to surrender to the delights of his prose and enjoy.
December 10, 2024
3.75 stars
Although this is billed as an Inspector Troy novel, his part in the story is relatively minor. The meat of the book is three characters and their interactions at the end of World War II: a Jewish Brit, an Auschwitz survivor, and a former German soldier.
The story has an elaborate and complex plot featuring not just one but several identity switches, and ranging from Germany to England to South America to the Middle East over the course of a decade.
The storyline is well done but can be confusing given the time and place changes and the identity issues. But it's worth reading and maybe even re-reading parts to absorb the nuances and layers of the plot. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Although this is billed as an Inspector Troy novel, his part in the story is relatively minor. The meat of the book is three characters and their interactions at the end of World War II: a Jewish Brit, an Auschwitz survivor, and a former German soldier.
The story has an elaborate and complex plot featuring not just one but several identity switches, and ranging from Germany to England to South America to the Middle East over the course of a decade.
The storyline is well done but can be confusing given the time and place changes and the identity issues. But it's worth reading and maybe even re-reading parts to absorb the nuances and layers of the plot. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 11, 2024
Though extremely interesting (particularly Berlin at the very end of WWII), I found the novel a bit confusing which I very seldom feel while reading. After reading a long part of the novel about what was happening in London (also interesting), the next long part of the book took place in Berlin. While getting lost in the Berlin story, I found it difficult to get back to London and follow the connections between both stories. A bit of a shame as the theme sounded very promising indeed.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
June 6, 2025
Inspector Troy #9. I've been reading the series in order so I'm a fan. In fact there's not a lot of Troy in this one but the plot sweeps the reader and the characters along in a powerful grip. Takes place in England 1950 and before and also Germany during and after the war. Amazing powerful story of people caught in the events of the time including some rather graphic scenes of Auschwitz and the death camps. A stunning powerful story. I wasn't crazy about the ending but the book still gets 5 stars. Highly recommended.
August 27, 2025
I have read everything written by John Lawton, especially the Inspector Troy novels. I got this book because I missed the characters. This book was good but it truly was not an Inspector Troy novel. He was in it so little, only here and there as needed. There were some really interesting parts of the book, but it was confusing to me. The ending only made it more complicated and confusing. Hope Mr. Lawton does better next time or I’ll be done with him.
May 16, 2025
Extremely confusing, plot direction pointless. Troy character almost has no reason to be in a story thatvis so convoluted and has no resolution. Lawton is usually an extremely excellent author , this one was disappointing. The characters were well developed but plot line and conclusion. Went no where. Except to describe the suffering and chaos of post war .
June 10, 2025
I love John Lawton's books and this was no exception. The writing is tremendous, the plots convoluted but understandable. There was a sequence set in Poland that kept me awake nights. My only objection is that so many identities got switched along the way that I was not sure who was who even at the end of the book.
June 20, 2025
I’ve read all of John Lawton’s Inspector Troy books and some of them twice. This one was much more complex than his previous efforts and a very engaging read. Wonderful characters and a surprising and winding plot. Not much of Troy himself in this one, but still very interesting. Smoke and Embers deserves a second reading for sure.
June 29, 2025
This is a serious take on continental life in the immediate aftermath of WW2. Residual social structures are unlivable, and society minus morality is feral. Imagination and intelligence, though at a premium, are top tier resources. The prose is magnificent, the humor both light and dark and very, very a propos. A phenomenal read!
July 27, 2025
Just a truly excellent book. Lawton is an outstanding wrìter of historical fiction - flawless characterisation and a storyline you are happy to be completely immersed in. His books drop you back in time so convincingly you are sad to interrupt your reading. An
exceptional series that is up there with the very best.
exceptional series that is up there with the very best.
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