Bent

by Joe Thomas

The first time I met Harold Challenor, he frisked me for weapons -
I was ten years old.

Bent is the explosive story of the rise and fall of SAS commando, and notorious Detective Sergeant, Harold 'Tanky' Challenor.

During the Second World War, Challenor was parachuted behind enemy lines into Italy and France, performing remarkable feats of bravery.

In the grimy underbelly of 1960s Soho, he was a ferocious and controversial presence, mediating between factions of club owners and racketeers, and cultivating informers.

But just how far will he go to break the protection gang that has a grip on his manor?

It can be a fine line that divides hero and villain.

Genres: Noir, Historical Fiction

202 pages, Paperback

Published August 13, 2024

Reviews

[Andy Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas's novel examines the true life story of Harold 'Tanky' Challenor, SAS commando turned notorious detective sergeant for the Met. It marks Thomas with the 'one to follow' moniker, on the strength of this, he is destined perhaps to be a great of British noir crime writing.
As an SAS agent, Challenor was parachuted behind enemy lines in Italy and France on secret missions, performing remarkable feats of bravery. Major Roy Farran once wrote that ‘with a few more Challenors, the war would have been over sooner.’
But the war changed him. In 1960’s Soho, as a Detective Sergeant, Challenor was a savage and contentious presence, cultivating informers, unofficially adjudicating on the altercations of club owners and gang leaders, using methods that were morally questionable to say the least. Rumour has it that Challenor once chased Reggie Kray down Shaftesbury Avenue and all the way back to the east end.
This is an explosive story of his rise and fall, and the struggle to overcome the abuses of his childhood. Thomas captures this perfectly in writing that is thrilling, socially aware, and eloquently daring. The novel is at its most revealing though in its dealings with mental illness, and in showing the different forms that post-traumatic stress can take.

[Tom Mooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, gritty ride through the life of Harry Challenor - decorated SAS hero, police detective, paranoid schizophrenic, monster. Challenor was a complicated individual who, for all his apparent bravery and heroism, was undoubtedly an unhinged individual with no regard for the rules that governed his career.

Joe Thomas weaves fact and fiction together nicely in this unusual, stylish novel, a book which brings to mind Derek Raymond, Dashiell Hammett and James Ellroy.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere after the halfway point of this novel, it becomes a bit confusing. Up until then, it's been a mixture of hard-edged ambiance & flashback violence helping to flesh out the protagonist, Challenor. But in the second half, I'm not sure it's being clear as to the nature of his PTSD and how much it's affecting his life, apart from cryptic clues. Whatever structure there was in the first half goes out the window, leaving the reader to fill in too many blanks. Before we get to "unfit to plead" we need some more information about what leads to that sentence, and whether it's either truthful or a tactic on the part of Challenor...or even both. A combination of fascinating and frustrating, in equal measure.

[Huw Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting - when is a novel based on a true story a novel, and when is it a true story?

This book, which presents itself as a novel, tells us the story of Harold "Tanky" Challenor, a much decorated war hero who went on to become a Met Police Detective.

His story has been told in many forms and places before, and to an extent is the epitome of the "bent copper" of the post war, East End years. He does what it takes to get the job done, and takes what he does in the process.

Other iterations of his story tell of how he suffered from serious mental health issues, which in part is given in explanation for some of his more bizarre actions. There is no doubt that this is an interesting character, and this comes across very clearly in this well written, compelling novel. But what is novel - and what is truth? The question remains!

[Bene Vogt · Rating 2 out of 5]

As strong a reminder that what James Ellroy does is not at all as easy as it looks as one is likely to find out here.

[Andy Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel based on fact. The main character is Harold ‘Tanky’ Challoner and the story alternates between his time in Italy during WW2 when he was a member of the SAS, and him as a Detective Sergeant in Soho in the early 1960’s. He was undoubtedly brave to the point of recklessness in his war escapades, but he suffered horrendous treatment when he was eventually captured. That treatment contributed to his behaviour in the police, where he was dedicated to sorting out the criminals who ran many Soho establishments but wasn’t averse to using unlawful or, at best, dubious methods to to do so. It is clear that his thinking is very simplistic, he is on the side of the good guys and results justify the means.

This is a shortish book, easy to read and enjoyable. The author’s grandfather was in the SAS alongside Challenor, adding a personal interest.

[Mark Steed · Rating 4 out of 5]

A exceptionally well-written novel that tells the tale of Harold 'Tanky' Challenor - a work of fiction based in fact. The storyline switches between Detective Sergeant Challenor policing 1960s Soho in his own inimitable way; to 'Tanky' on an SAS mission behind the lines in Italy, with the occasional author's reflection from the modern day. This is a gritty, hard-hitting (literally at times) work made all the better because the author adopts the vernacular (lingo?) of the 1960s in an authentic but, at times, very un-woke way. A really good read - thoroughly recommended.

[Helen Peachey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry “Tanky” Challenor served in the SAS behind enemy lines in Italy during WWII. The experience made him a hero and it broke him. What does an ex SAS soldier do once the war is over? Harry joins the Flying Squad and sets out on a one man mission to clean up London’s Soho. Harry treats the law with his own brand of loose interpretation in order to “get the job done”. This is a brilliantly written, fast paced novel. It is a vivid page turner that is both witty and sad. A study of what makes a man into the man that he becomes. Excellent.

[Kostas Kanellopoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Moving between Italy in 1943 and London two decades later, Bent by Joe Thomas is based on the life of the real policeman Harold Challenor, war hero and dodgy copper: an evocative fictionalisation of one man’s eccentric style and mental deterioration»

As a Greek I really enjoyed the part about the demonstrations in Lambrakis' memory against Frederike

[Dean Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving between 1940s Italy and 1960s London, two tales of Harry ‘Tanky’ Challenor intertwine revealing a partly true story that’s gritty, seedy and peppered with good old-fashioned East London humour.

[Len Northfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t get this at all. I kind of understood what the author was trying to do, but David Peace already does it, and so much better.

Nice cover, that’s about it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to get into but once you can tune into the vernacular language it's a real insight into seedy Soho and ww2 in Italy.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky story, good old fashioned read.

[Tony O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Challenor’s career was controversial…” Read on!
You’ll also find out what a Nelson’s bling eye is; and the origins of the term to clear one’s head. Need I say more.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't sure I'd like this book when I started it, but then found the interspersed stories of ww2 and 1960's London gang/police very interesting.