London Large - Blood on the Streets: Detective Hawkins Crime Thriller Series #1

by Roy Robson, Garry Robson

He lives to protect his city. But when gang warfare erupts on its streets, will Harry Hawkins pay with his life? The fight against crime and evil never ends. Harry ‘H’ Hawkins is the people of London’s staunchest defender, but when a bloody international gang war threatens to rip the metropolis apart, ‘London’s top copper’ finds himself under siege as never before. Haunted by flashbacks of the horrors he experienced in the Falklands War, held accountable for the unstoppable wave of violent chaos that is turning the streets of his city red with blood, hounded and ridiculed by a media he cannot understand and continually thwarted by an establishment cover up of he knows not what, H is in trouble. Big trouble. As the chaos reaches boiling point can H, against all the odds, bring the streets under control, see through the fog of a high-level conspiracy and rescue his partner before she is killed by her ruthless kidnappers? And how far outside the law must he go to do so? If you like Connelly’s Harry Bosch, McNab’s Nick Stone or Leather’s ‘Spider’ Shepherd - hard-boiled, twisty and action-packed crime thrillers in general - join Harry Hawkins on a compulsively addictive rollercoaster ride through the dark and bloody underbelly of criminal London. TRIGGER WARNING If you require a trigger warning of any kind then these books are not for you.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Ebooks

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2015

About the author

Roy Robson was born in southeast London, in the UK. He has worked on a market stall, as a squash coach, on a factory assembly line and as a youth support worker. He eventually trained in the dark art of computer programming and worked for many years in the City of London, designing systems to track the flow of money around the world. He will confess to this being an almost impossible task.

He presently writes two series.

The Kenzie Marsh books involve a detective who has hit rock bottom after the death of her son and the collapse of her marriage. She is recruited by British Intelligence on a secret mission where she discovers a conspiracy so shocking it threatens not only her life, but the lives of everybody she knows.

The bestselling London Large series - which he co-authors with his brother Garry - features the relentless force of nature that is DI Harry 'H' Hawkins. As the tide of criminal gangs that flood London increases, Harry will stop at nothing to protect those he loves and do everything in his power to keep his city halfway civilised.

Roy has two daughters and currently lives in Bromley with his wife.

Website: https://royrobsonauthor.com/

Sign up for Roy's Newsletter and receive your FREE starter library: https://subscribepage.io/St8MdI

Reviews

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I think I need a debrief after reading this!

Harry Hawkins, a London cop and Falklands veteran, finds himself embroiled in a gangland war and the murder of two socialite sisters. As Harry “H” digs deeper into the murders chilling truths are uncovered that send “H” off the rails. “H”’s violent actions and disregard for the rules get him suspended. His partner takes over and does some digging of her own. When she is kidnapped it’s a race against time to find her alive.

Harry Hawkins, as a winning crime protagonist, ticks all the right boxes. Alcoholic ✓ ex army ✓ broken ✓ divorced ✓ disregard for authority ✓ strong morals ✓
Harry was easy to like, flaws and all, and I was quickly on his side. Harry is yesterday’s hero – he hadn’t changed, the world around him had. He was a seething mass of anger, resentment and frustration. He had an old school moral compass; an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

I rarely come across a omniscient narration that is done well, however the Robsons have pulled it off. The story flows seamlessly through the various perspectives.

This is an action packed story with shocking twists at every turn but there are also plenty of laugh out loud moments delivered with perfect timing.

Frequent coarse language, graphic violence, rape and torture render this novel not for the squeamish.

Highly recommended for fans of the Australian TV series “Underbelly”.

[Cyril Patrick Feerick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime readers are always searching for books that have fast action, intriguing characters, and a plot that pulls you in. In "London Large: Blood on the Streets" authors Roy and Garry Robson accomplish all of this and more. The story of an old school London copper that finds himself under siege in a gang war. Can he see through a high-level conspiracy and rescue his partner from kidnappers? And will he step outside the law to do so? Populated with complex characters and plenty of action this novel is the first in a 3 part series that follows Inspector Harry 'H' Hawkins. Not quite Dirty Harry, but the next best thing. Even seasoned readers will be surprised by some of the twists as they are guided through the dark streets of London.

[Brig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was a fun, quick read. I hope the authors keep writing and keep getting better. Their future work is poised to be very good and sufficiently deep.

The Good: The writing was incredibly fast-paced. I loved the speed because it made me feel claustrophobic at key moments. The chapters flew by in gulps of breath as much of the "fluff" you get in other stories was simply cut out. That was awesome...for the most part.

I love plot-based stories. We get action scene after action scene with some rather artful violence. The violence itself was handled nicely. It was enough to be called hardboiled but not enough to be campy.

The Bad: One of the quickest ways to irritate me is the appearance of deus ex machina while the protagonist is smack in the middle of a shit sandwich. This book featured a limp justification for what I would qualify as a savior from the ether who saves the day. I chose to forgive but I did so reluctantly.

I didn't love many of the characters. In fact, a supporting character (Big Ronnie) was easily my favorite and the most dynamic of all. I should have ached for Amisha's pain but I merely grommaced at her situation.

It's book one of a series, I get that, but what happened to half of the cast? They all disappeared and even in denouement, we were given absolutely nothing about Stone, Jupiter, Marchant, Olivia, Amisha...and that's not a good enough reason to read book 2. This book could have stood on its own but falls just short of the mark.

The Miscellaneous: The book was not re-edited and formatted for a U.S. audience. Quotation marks were identified by a single inverted comma ('), rather than two ("). Also, the use of the em dash was substituted for a single hyphen mark, rather than the full grammatical em dash. I don't know if that is a function of UK English grammar, or if the authors penned the novel on a smartphone lacking that partuclar special character. I love indie authors and I love reading indie author works but some of these things exaggerated the point.

[Tiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry "H" Hawkins, a war vet and now a hard living Met cop who does things his own way gets the case when the wife of his best friend and co former vet is murdered along with her sister in broad daylight in a London park. Throw in 2 violent drug gangs fighting over turf and some very powerful, yet seemingly untouchable, British elite doing who knows what with impunity, and you have a good action thriller.

[Robert Intriago · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has all the ingredients to make it a very good noir crime novel. A couple of high society ladies are murdered in St. James Park by a deranged killer. You would think that is not an unusual crime. There are a lot of novels with that plot. Wait a minute, Detective Hawkins, also known as “H”, is the first one at the scene. He has responded because this incident may be related to an investigation involving Eastern Europeans gang war, but is it? “H” is a veteran of the Falklands, technology challenged, bad tempered, impetuous and all kinds of family troubles. His partner is a young female of Indian descent who is completely his opposite but fiercely loyal. The book is populated by all kinds of characters such as snitches, bad and incompetent cops, gangsters, journalists, high society and terrified police bosses. The characters are well crafted and the descriptions of London are wonderful. To top it off the action is non-stop and the intrigue is high pitched. Highly recommended to lovers of crime noir.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dirty Harry does London.

Action driven romp through a blood spattered London. Sex rings, high level corruption, gang warfare, police brutality and a vigilante cop. The language is ripe and the violence straight out of a graphic novel. All in all, an enjoyable read.
I did however find the ending absolutely appalling. It was so abrupt that it was almost like an ending to an episode from a tv series, "tune in next week to see what happens". Really disappointing.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of the book some time ago but was unsure if I would like it or not as I am not normally a fan of gang warfare and military fiction however, I have really enjoyed reading it and will be reading further books in this series.

The story begins back in time when Harry and Ronnie were serving in the Falkland's. Ronnie saved Harry's life and they therefore became blood brother forever sworn to help each other. Fast forward several years and Harry is a detective with a reputation for getting results by whatever means he sees fit and Ronnie is part of the elite of London when his wife and her sister are savagely murdered in St James Park. This puts in motion a sequence of events with far reaching consequences and brings the reader into the dark underworld of paedophiles, people trafficking and drug running making a web of crimes for the police department to untangle. Unfortunately, the discovery of Tara throws Harry back into the grip of Post Traumatic Stress and he ends up out of favour with his superiors in the police department.

It is a very well written book with characters who are very complex and develop very well throughout the book without needing a large amount of descriptive text which makes for a gripping, action packed read. The book examines many issues of relationships and the problems experienced by servicemen who try to live a civilian life and the impact this has on their families'.

Rating this was very difficult as it isnt my usual type of book but I cant really find much to mark it down on so it earns 4.7 rounded up to 5 stars and I look forward to reading book 2.

[Mick Dubois · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first in a new series (to me) and we meet DI Harry Hawkins, an oldfashioned London cop with strong beliefs and fierce loyalties. 'An eye for an eye' mentality suits him better than the rules and regulations of modern police work. He's partnered with Ames, a young Cambridge educated computer-wizz girl of Asian descent. Despite being complete opposites, they work well together. He's got a lot on his plate this time; a gang war between Russian and Albanian mobsters is escalating reaps havoc in the streets of London, The wife of his best friend and her sister are shot by a professional hitman in a park.
It's a great and thrilling read, action-packed and full of surprises. This certainly isn't the story of the good old English 'bobby'. There are plenty of victims and the violence and sordidness of war and crime aren't shunned but they're also not glorified or romanticised. I'm curious if the tempo and quality of the stories will continue in the next books. It's a quick read, so I'll find out soon enough.
I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Clive Willcocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new author for me. An old fashioned cop in modern London UK.It involves the cops, the British Establishment, the Russians and the Albanians in a fast action gritty story. I would definitely recommend this book to any one who likes good fast paced stories. Will definitely be reading more from Gary and Roy. Can,t wait for the next one in the series.

[Alec Keeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consumed Blood On The Streets in a day. It gripped me in chapter one, careered me around London, ducking the gunfire and absorbing a new character that, I'm sure, will become as familiar as Harry Bosch and Jack Reacher. "H" Hawkins is the (imaginary) love child of Jack Regan and Jane Tennyson. An old school copper who has scant regard for political correctness and villain’s human rights. He's deeply flawed and has relationship issues. But he picks you up, straps you in and takes on a roller coaster ride through the seamier faces of South London and its characters. The book is a story about now. Last month, news headlines screamed about the Police losing areas of London to the Eastern European gangs and organised crime. This month we have an insight into that world with Blood On The Streets.
I'm looking forward to see how Harry Hawkins develops and where the London Large franchise will go

[Jack]

Not exactly Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

Good cop story based in London. Lots of action and bodies pile up as H works the case. If you like John Sandford's Lucas Davenport, you'll like this story.

[Bernie O'Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read!!! Thrilling!! Leaving the reader's heart racing like the pace of the story itself. I am sure to re-read this book once I get it back as it is now doing the rounds with my family and friends.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an OK read, fast and furious but a bit short in the credibility stakes.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The “hero” is not super likable to me and there’s more language than is warranted in my opinion but I enjoyed reading it anyway.

[Cailyn Lloyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Meandering plot. Too much head-hopping. Solid writing though.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

London Large, Blood on the Streets #1 - A well written, action filled, suspense novel set in present day London. The multiple battles of old school vs. new police, Russian and Albanian mafias, and the elites of government. The pace is fast and the reader is intrigued by what is on the pages. I couldn't put the book down. I contacted the authors to review their books after reading Tipping Point, the intro of the old school raising of several of the major characters. Tipping Point should be read first, if possible. 5*

London Large, Bound by Blood #2 - A well written, action filled, suspense novel set, in present day London, that picks up from Blood on the Streets a few months later with the same characters plus. The prime focus is still the continuing battle against the Albanian mafia. I couldn't put this book down any more than I did the first book. I contacted the authors to review their books after reading Tipping Point, the intro the old school raising of several of the major characters. Tipping Point should be read first, if possible. 5*

London Large, Bloody Liberties #3- Blood and thunder, to borrow a British phrase. A well written, action packed, suspense filled novel that grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go until the end. Then you think about what you've read. I couldn't put the book down; I was immersed in the horror that is so possible today. Good old fashion soldiering, new technology and human perseverance; the combination making a great read. The twisting plot was well thought out and believable; the dialog realistic; and the technology spot on. If you haven't read the prequel and the first two books, you need to do so. Liberties can be read without them, but they enhance the story and you understand the viewpoints of the characters better. 5*

London Large, American Lockdown #4 - Absolutely the best of this good series. Fast paced; action packed; suspense filled; evil and deadly. It's even harder to put this book down, the others were difficult to stop reading, but this one makes the others look like child's play. Every character is well developed and we have the gang from previous books. The plot is a roller coaster ride of horror, hate, revenge, anger and love. Full of emotions: simmering to full blown; you name it, it's covered. How much can H take? I wonder what the next book will be since it will be difficult to top this one, but I'm sure the Robson Brothers can handle it. This is a 10 star book! 5*

London Large, Tipping Point, Prequel- Must read Tipping Point first before LL Blood on the Streets. The introduction of the old school raising of several of the major characters of the London Large series. This intro clarify any confusion the reader may experience in LL, Blood on the Streets. 5*

Sharp and Short: A collection of shorts about Harry 'H' Hawkins, which should be read, in the sequential order of time, before and during the London Large series, especially Tipping Point. Tipping Point will explain a lot about the type of man he is and how he became Harry of the London Large series. Also, there's some information in this book that is mentioned in the first book and causes confusion for the reader that hadn't read TP. The other books have background about how H develops his feelings, good and bad, of the people, good and bad, in his life and work. Also, his mates are featured. Good background stories. 5*
Home Front - November, 2003. Age 45. Harry's reaction to a string of violated, murdered young girls and health scare and his marriage.
Counter Punch - October, 1984; February, 1985. While still in the army, H handles an extended family problem against a crime lord, with an American GI by H's side.
On Tour - 1978. Nineteen year-old H, Shy Nervous John and Ronnie as part of the Anglers Athletic under-21s on tour in Amsterdam and Hamburg. Their first time out of England.
That's Life - November, 1995. Little Ronnie is born and H lives his code about his friends, his "own".
Unsafe Space - November 2017. As a private investigator, a case leads him to a university where the students are brainwashed by their professor into destruction and hatred.
Tipping Point - January, 1974. Prequel - Must read Tipping Point first before LL Blood on the Streets. The introduction of the old school raising of several of the major characters of the London Large series. This intro clarify any confusion the reader may experience in LL, Blood on the Streets.
Sharp and Short: End

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashback: 2/12/1977, Battle of Stamford Bridge. Harry “H” Hawkins & Ronnie watched in horror as their unit was being shot at.
St. James’ Park. Queen’s Gardens. What were Tara Ruddock (sister, Ronnie Sr’s wife, nee Fortescue-Smythe, wealthy), & Jemima (sister) discussing?
Elemes Aliyev was keeping a close eye on the 2 of them.
Jack Thornton (Queen’s protection unit) & Mike Richards (Queen’s protection unit) just happened to be patrolling the area.

Mike’s partner, Elemes & the 2 girls were brutally murdered.
Olivia (Harry’s secretary) informed DI Harry “H” Hawkins Amisha Bhanushali (28, f, Harry’s partner, Cambridge) came to pick him up.
Bermondsey manor. Harry & Amisha went to pay Confident John Viney a visit.
Instead; Chief Inspector Hilary Stone (lesbian) met the 2 at St. James’ Park.
Operation Point Blank will be put into place.

What was Basim Dragusha speaking to Ronnie Ruddock Sr. (widower/father, Ronnie Hawkins, wealthy) about?
What happened to Tara?

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written Crime Thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great Crime Thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free London Large Publishing; Instafreebie; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood on the Streets: London Large, by Gary and Roy Robson.
This is a violent and bloody tale about two tough Bermondsey pals--Harry Hawkins ("H") and Ronnie Ruddock. It involves a corrupt high level pedophile ring, and a violent gang war between Albanian and Russian mobs for control of London's drug, slavery, human trafficking and prostitution fields.

Harry is a Detective Inspector suffering from untreated PTSD and job-related burnout as well as a well-founded suspicion that the rule of law no longer applies in London because so many crucial investigations are being blocked and vicious criminals are avoiding prosecution.

What triggers a rage that takes him over the edge is the assassination of Tara, Ronnie's high-society wife, and Jemima her sister in a brutal execution in St. James Park.

In a tangled web that involves some of the highest and most influential peers in the land, a fabulously wealthy Russian oligarch, and two hard-nosed mafia bosses, one Russian and one Albanian, heads begin to be severed and blood begins to flow all over the place.

Caught in the middle are some of Harry's pals, including his partner Amisha, a 28-year-old Cambridge graduate detective, who is waterboarded and raped in the action.

I found this book hard to read, and was definitely not happy over the fate of Amisha (Ames to Harry). The violence sometimes left me feeling ill, but the thrust of the action shoved the book forward with a vengeance.

Because of its violence, I am not sure I want to read other books in the series. I certainly give it five stars for its momentum, but am reluctant to give it more than three for content. I realize the some of what is being described is actually happening in Britain's capital city, but dwelling on gratuitous violence does not make a happy read--even if the villains in the piece come to a well deserved end--outside the rule of law. Harry is the British version of Make-My-Day Clint Eastwood in his Dirty Harry movie. Good fiction but poor law-making.

[Chris Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

H, as Harry Hawkins is known, is a Falklands war veteren, tough south London native and an ‘old school’ copper in the modern world. This mix gives us a really compelling character. You might assume ‘old school’ means we get a policeman that runs all over London kicking in doors and breaking legs. Well, H is most certainly not afraid to do just that but there’s a more complex person behind his tough no nonsense exterior. Garry & Roy Robson grew up in south London and have created a character inspired by the people they saw growing up. They’re smart enough to know even the hardest men are more than caricatures. H has his demons and his emotions are sometimes quite raw so there’s more to him than just a ‘door kicker’. The story drops H into the middle of a murder inquiry that’s too personal and pits him against some of the worst villains we all pray don’t really exist. The story builds and builds from an explosive start to an exciting ending where H does some serious ‘door kicking’. There is a lot of foul language in this book and I noted some reviewers thought it unnecessary. Unfortunately, that is how a lot of people speak and if you haven’t been in situations where you’ve noticed that then lucky you! Bad language doesn’t bother me, in fact it adds realism to the story. This is fiction though and as such we have a character that goes much much further than a real life counterpart would be allowed to but that’s the point, it’s great fun! The authors keep us hooked from chapter to chapter with interesting supporting characters and a mystery that takes many turns before it’s over. A fun read that starts the series with a bang. Now onto book two.

[Walter Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry “H” Hawkins has his baptism of fire during combat at Goose Green during the Falklands War and then invests the next thirty years of his life in law enforcement in London, catching bad guys and putting them away. He is considered a “dinosaur” by most of his peers, but has developed a rapport with Officer Amisha (“Ames”) Bhanushali, new to policing, a talent for computers, and a quick study under “H’s” teaching-by-example.
The writing is dark, and there is some intense violence. But there is an authentic feel – and a dense narrative that is visceral and intellectual with decision-making on the edge of pressure and sanity. Every phrase and description is important, and each is immediately followed by the next important element.
He is not a martial arts master like most war and special forces charters in novels by other authors, though, like another main character in British fiction – Bulldog Drummond – war is where his focus in life is found (except that Bulldog Drummond is a boxer and is proficient in jujutsu).
He is large man who prefers direct action, and sometimes comes off like a military tank that is enraged. On occasion, he might be seen as a blunt instrument (like a sledgehammer) that hurtles ahead towards a perceived objective (like a tack), but the authors provide a context by providing his emotional and experiential makeup so as to account for this.
And while the novel concludes with a “mission accomplished” feeling, there are powerful threads left unravelled and hopefully dealt with in the next novel. I look forward to London Large: Bound by Blood.

[Colin Garrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Top cop DI Harry Hawkins finds himself stuck in the middle of on an international gang war in central London, but his past and the media conspire to get in the way of catching the bad guys. With a possible conspiracy in the offing and a level of violence he hasn’t seen since the Falklands, Harry faces a seemingly impossible task. Will his old-school ways bring him the justice and revenge he desires?

This is the first in the London Large series, written by Gary and Roy Robson. I bought the paperback version of the book simply because I liked the cover, and a quick read of the opening pages led me to believe it would be an entertaining read. I liked the protagonist a lot in the beginning, but quickly found him getting on my nerves. That old nugget of crime capers, the generic old-school, unstable detective, has worn thin over the years and the Robson brothers don’t bring anything new to the pot. On top of that, the text is littered with errors and has enough clichés to burn the bridges of several bad novels. And given that this first book has a few hundred reviews (many of which highlight these same issues), I’m surprised the authors haven’t done something about it by now.

Having said this, I loved the unified cover designs for the books and the characters (apart from Harry), were an interesting lot. With a bit of editing and character development, this could be a cracking series.

[Daniel Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood on the Streets is the first story in the series, London Large. The story is an over-the-top romp around London trying to solve some major crimes. The main character, "H," reminded me of Frank Burnside from the TV series, "The Bill," but with a much darker streak. He is an odd character that has so many flaws he can be hard to like, and yet I was still routing for his success. He has a good heart but tossed all the rules and morality out the moment they got in his way.

I had to work at believing some of the actions that the characters decided to take, often without really explaining the sudden change in their behavior. The changes were just convenient for the plot at that time. There were also odd plot-holes that don't add up, like someone printed out documents and an intruder entered there premises right after that, and yet somehow they managed to put those documents in an envelope and send them off, presumably by a courier, just so the right person could receive them when all hope seemed lost.

There are also moments where the graphic violence or torture is too much, and delivered so casually it doesn't really further the story but makes the reader uncomfortable for shock factor or something. This story also includes instances torture and rape, along with many deaths.

Overall, those issues aside, I did still enjoy the story, but that may be partially because it passes through areas I grew up in. I do recommend this book, but with a cautionary note about the gratuitous violence and odd plot-holes.

[Julian Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is apparently the first book in a series, and certainly left me wanting to read more - I am eager to see what happened between the Falklands War, when we are introduced to our main characters, and the period when the story unfolds. The lead character, Harry 'H' Hawkins, must have exceptional police skills, but we don't see a lot of that for about the first third of the book; mostly he seems overwhelmed by the events of this case, and abuses alcohol to cope. But it all comes right in the end, and the bad guys receive payback - some especially memorable payback, if you've ever been in a London skyscraper.

I know London well, so I enjoyed the locales ranging from St James' Park to Bermondsey. The plot is well constructed and the supporting cast strong, especially Ronnie Ruddock and H's younger partner on the beat, Amisha - I liked the way she is shown using social media to assemble details about a crime scene before she and H even arrive there, an ingenious way of illustrating how policing, and life, have changed since H's heyday. I'll admit I found H hard to warm to: he is extremely abrasive, has some pretty large political chips on his shoulder and by the time we meet him is definitely not at his peak, physically or career-wise. But he commands the loyalty of some memorable friends, and this speaks well for him. I will definitely read the next book.

[Philip Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Police mystery set in contemporary London when Russian and Albanian gangs try to dominate each other leaving blood on the streets. 3 stars

It is hard for an American to feel comfortable with the slang and proper UK words and the unsavory neighborhoods of London. You will understand without a problem as the action, gore and cursing starts and continues at a consistantly high level.

In the end (not a spoiler, I promise), the traditional cops foil the bad buys. The new type of cops were practiced in talking to the media but were unable to stop a crime wave. The traditionalist cop ("H") and his buddy ("Ronny") from the Falklands war did a lot of drinking and cursing. Shady contacts provided tips necessary for the keep the plot moving.

I was disappointed that H broke ranks with tradition and started to deal in the unpleasant an eye for an eye exchange even when he and his partner had plenty of evidence to show that a few of the well-positioned upper class were subverting justice.

The authors had a number of expressions that were consistent to the characters but were frequently over the top. For example, the top policeman was described "inside his guts were churning faster than a washing machine on top speed and his heart was pounding."

[Mystee Pulcine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediately beginning this book, I was captivated by the main character. His reactions and decisions intrigued me. I wanted to know him more, and the authors certainly made that happen. This book is a fantastic start to a great series. A couple of warnings though:

This book in particular in the series contains graphic imagery and adult themes. I would not recommend this series to the faint of heart or the very young.

Also note that these books are VERY British. Locations and jargon abound with very little explanation. I assume this is all very thrilling for a Londoner, but to someone who has been to Europe only on layovers, I found some parts a bit hard to follow. The kindle dictionary and wiki were sometimes helpful, but often I was left guessing and searching for context clues. It didn't really detract from the book, and not including those phrases and locations would remove some of the authenticity, so I would not recommend a change, but non-British readers should prepare for a bit of a tough read.

[Patricia Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an intense, gripping read. "H" as Det. Hawkins is known is an old world copper in the today's London. He is a "functioning alcoholic" who is called to a brutal crime scene. His best friend's wife and her sister have had their throats cut and heads almost severed. Aside from the brutality of the scene, the impact of seeing his friend's wife, having to inform him, tear H further. He battles corruption, bad cops and good cops, gang wars. Garry and Roy, I loved the ending...but I was mad as a hornet! It left the book wide open for more books, questions that I wanted answered and plots all sewn up. Instead, I galloped to the ending... and then anxiously looked down two more paths to travel through other books by Garry and Roy Robson. Thanks GoodREads for this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I really like this kind of book. I enjoy police procedurals, or stories where the officer goes off on his own.

This one didn’t meet my expectations though.

For starters there’s the language used. Now, I use a lot (okay, pretty much all) of the language used in this book but the sheer volume of it distracted from the story.

There’s also the fact that a senior officer just buggers off for a few days, doesn’t tell anyone (wife, work partner, or superiors) where he’s going or when he’ll be back, and yet he’s able to just waltz back into the station and everyone seems to go “yeah that’s H, it’s just what he does”. Erm, no.

Another factor for the low rating was the fact that there were so. many. side characters. Russians, and Albanians, and aristocracy. It got incredibly hard to keep them all sorted in my head.

Overall, I was incredibly disappointed

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tough as nails old school detective falls apart at the scene of a grisly murder in the park. Finding the wife of his best friend murdered, H suffers some sort of meltdown on camera. Subjected to criticism from the blogger and targeted by his superiors, H is taken from the case and moved to the attack on the Albanian camp. As one massacre leads to another, Harry stumbles on a connection between the Russians and the park murders and goes as only Harry can - full frontal assault. The only negative I can give for this book is the over exaggerated similes. Not being British, some of the terms are strange but the story is good enough that I will want to follow more of Harry's escapades

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, the law of the jungle is the only way to go. I know that social rules and laws are made to contain society's order, but when those given the duty to enforce these laws, are the actual persons doing the most despicable things, and using their exalted positions to ensure that they are not brought to judgment for their atrocious. Then, the laws of the jungle may the last resort to save humanity.
This book outlines abuse and corruption, at our society's highest levels. It takes guts to stand up to such corruption. It takes Valor of the highest order.
An excellent read.

[Jamie Pancake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good page turner right out of the gates! It starts with a bloody crime scene right outside the Queen's residence in London, and as the story unfolds, Detective Hawkins and his partner Amisha, uncover corruption of some of the most influential people in London's population. In order to save his partner's life, Detective Hawkins has to race against the clock to reach her before she becomes one of the many people that lose their life to cover up the crimes of the rich and powerful. This is a fast paced mystery story right from the first page, and as the story progresses, the level of corruption gets deeper and deeper.