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Inspector Brant #4
Blitz
The South East London police squad are suffering collective burn Detective Sergeant Brant is hitting the blues and physically assaulting a police shrink, Chief Inspector Roberts' wife has died in a horrific road accident and he takes solace in gut-rot red wine, and WPC Falls is still figuring out how to navigate the job of a black female investigator in the notorious squad. When a serial killer takes his show on the road, things get worse for all three. Nicknamed "The Blitz" by the rabid London media, the killings get more and more brutal as the killer aims for tabloid immortality by killing cops in different beats around the city. This London-based cop series starring Detective Sergeant Brant is Ken Bruen at his edgy, lethal, and sharp-tongued best.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
23 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Ken Bruen
132 books850 followersKen Bruen was an Irish writer of hardboiled and noir crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 2, 2018
Blitz, part of the Inspector Brant series reads like a modern day take on Ed McBain's perinatal cop 87th precinct series. In typical Bruen-style the writing pulls no punches, short on content but big on impact.
Despite being the 4th book in the series it reads perfectly well as a standalone, however I wish I had tracked down the first three books to gain a better understanding of where the characters were at in their professional and personal lives pre-cop killer Blitz being thrown into the mix.
My rating: 5/5, I thought I knew what I was going to get with this book, having firstly watched the film adaptation a while back, however, Blitz is a vastly different book compared to the film version (as is usually the case). Where the film focuses on cop killer Blitz and Brant's pursuit of him, the original story is more character-centric.
Despite being the 4th book in the series it reads perfectly well as a standalone, however I wish I had tracked down the first three books to gain a better understanding of where the characters were at in their professional and personal lives pre-cop killer Blitz being thrown into the mix.
My rating: 5/5, I thought I knew what I was going to get with this book, having firstly watched the film adaptation a while back, however, Blitz is a vastly different book compared to the film version (as is usually the case). Where the film focuses on cop killer Blitz and Brant's pursuit of him, the original story is more character-centric.
July 31, 2016
Another instalment in Inspector Brant series.
The blitz ... A cop killer haunts the police in London. Would Brant be able to catch him ?
The cast and characters are still as they are ... Binge drinking and enjoying the life of a copper
Snitches are hard to maintain and some go out of their way and something nasty happens to them
Bruen is as good as always... I enjoyed the quotations Between chapters and how they gave a hint to the chapters content.
It sucks that there are only 7 books in this series and now I'm heading to start the 5th book The Vixen about a female serial killer
The blitz ... A cop killer haunts the police in London. Would Brant be able to catch him ?
The cast and characters are still as they are ... Binge drinking and enjoying the life of a copper
Snitches are hard to maintain and some go out of their way and something nasty happens to them
Bruen is as good as always... I enjoyed the quotations Between chapters and how they gave a hint to the chapters content.
It sucks that there are only 7 books in this series and now I'm heading to start the 5th book The Vixen about a female serial killer
August 11, 2018
Blitz is part of a series of books by Ken Bruen. It did not detract from my reading experience in any way to have not read any of the other books in this series. I think the best way to describe this novel would be to compare it to a fifteen round boxing match with Muhammad Ali-a young Ali at the height of his prowess. Blitz is written in a staccato style I can best compare to a series of jabs by a skilled pugilist-you are moved round the squared circle and have no recourse but to take it as you are pummeled mercilessly. Supremely enjoyable and visceral read. This book owes a lot to Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels, which Bruen freely acknowledges quite directly. Good stuff.
October 18, 2012
This book was sent to us by a friend from France, and until we received it, the only thing I knew about Ken Bruen is that he had written the story behind the movie "London Boulevard". I am not sure how the book reads in French, but I have to say that I read this book in 2 hours or so and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Actually, I flew through the novel.
It is a simple "whodunit" story with really bad criminals and really bad cops. Everyone bends the rules, everyone blurs the line. Simple, almost formulaic, no twists and turns, no gaping mouths... but an impeccable pace. With its quick chapters packing a good punch, the book just rolls with the pedal to the metal, and the ride is so very enjoyable.
I am starting the other Bruen our friend had included in the package tonight!
It is a simple "whodunit" story with really bad criminals and really bad cops. Everyone bends the rules, everyone blurs the line. Simple, almost formulaic, no twists and turns, no gaping mouths... but an impeccable pace. With its quick chapters packing a good punch, the book just rolls with the pedal to the metal, and the ride is so very enjoyable.
I am starting the other Bruen our friend had included in the package tonight!
January 29, 2012
Just like the title would indicate this was a quick read.
Having already seen the movie I was surprised how faithful it was to the book
Though I thought the character and motivations of the killer were better fleshed out in the film and the plot was a bit more streamlined.
Bruen manoeuvres about a dozen characters in this book and somehow he makes them come alive with only a few lines of description. This was my first Brant book and it was a lot faster and less contemplative than the Jack Taylor novels, which almost seem like Dostoevsky in comparison. The literary references were absent as well, mainly because Brant is more a man of action and he only reads Ed McBain.
There was a lot of violence but it was softened by the author's usual wit. Bruen's characters are quite unlikeable but somehow he always manages to find some humanity in them.
Although I enjoyed Blitz, I feel like it could have been better with a bit more effort. It felt a bit rushed, almost like a skeleton of a book or a screenplay. I hope this is not the direction Bruen will be taking in the future. Still, you forgive the man a lot, because he is so damn funny.
Having already seen the movie I was surprised how faithful it was to the book
Though I thought the character and motivations of the killer were better fleshed out in the film and the plot was a bit more streamlined.
Bruen manoeuvres about a dozen characters in this book and somehow he makes them come alive with only a few lines of description. This was my first Brant book and it was a lot faster and less contemplative than the Jack Taylor novels, which almost seem like Dostoevsky in comparison. The literary references were absent as well, mainly because Brant is more a man of action and he only reads Ed McBain.
There was a lot of violence but it was softened by the author's usual wit. Bruen's characters are quite unlikeable but somehow he always manages to find some humanity in them.
Although I enjoyed Blitz, I feel like it could have been better with a bit more effort. It felt a bit rushed, almost like a skeleton of a book or a screenplay. I hope this is not the direction Bruen will be taking in the future. Still, you forgive the man a lot, because he is so damn funny.
March 8, 2013
They made a film of this. Jason Statham. Not too shabby. Bruen doesn't mince words.
August 20, 2013
I'm pretty much obsessed with this author now and especially love this series. Good, good stuff.
March 1, 2020
Blitz is the fourth in Ken Bruen's crime series about London cop Detective Sergeant Brant (the first three are collected in The White Trilogy), and it's the best one yet. While retaining the character focus, the gritty tone, and the dark gallows humor of the previous entries, Bruen crafts a tighter narrative this time, with a plot that has a satisfying conclusion instead of veering off into a dozen different odd directions.
Barry Weiss, a thuggish young barfly, snaps and starts murdering cops throughout London, calling himself the Blitz and seeking to emulate the serial killers in his favorite books. Brant is on the case, but his usual superior, Chief Inspector Roberts, is on leave after losing his wife in a car accident. Brant is instead paired with Sergeant Porter Nash, a gay officer recently transferred to the precinct. As Brant and Nash hunt for Weiss, Roberts tries to get back into policework in the wake of his wife's death, Police Constable Falls continues her spiral into depression, and PC MacDonald tries to rise in status.
*SPOILERS*
The characters are the best part of these books, and Brant in particular. He's still a violent, angry, alcohol-soaked hard case, but he shows a softer side in Blitz>. When Nash is assigned to lead the investigation into the Blitz's murders, everyone assumes Brant will blow his top, but quite the opposite is true: Brant actually likes Nash, not bothered at all by his homosexuality in the way some of the other cops (including the astoundingly bigoted Superintendent), and actively pursues a friendship with him. Brant tells Nash that he's been depressed of late, barely able to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and he latches onto Nash as a means of support. Is it because Roberts is busy coping with his loss, or is there something more going on? When MacDonald tries to spread the rumor that Brant and Nash are lovers, Brant is mildly amused. And when Brant agrees to go with Nash to his father's wedding, he tells him he's "on for anything." Is Brant attracted to Nash? Is he a bisexual, or possibly a newly-budding homosexual? It isn't spelled out, but it's an interesting wrinkle to Brant.
Brant is also explored through the villain. Barry Weiss hates cops, and after three run-ins with police officers in the same day, he gets hold of a Glock and starts executing them throughout London. Now, Weiss is clearly a psychopath, and he likely would have become a murderer no matter what, but what was the genesis of his cop hatred? It was an incident where he was causing a disturbance at a bar and a young officer showed up and beat the shit out of him, hurting him and humiliating him in front of a bar full of people cheering Brant on (not that this isn't warranted). Weiss and his rampage are the results of Brant's ruthlessness and cruelty, and it's being visited on innocent cops. It's a representation of how cops like Brant reflect on the whole police force, getting the public to distrust and even resent them, and pushing lunatics like Weiss over the edge to murder. Brant is dangerous in more ways than one, and the saddest part is that he never even realizes it.
Aside from Brant, Roberts is still funny, sarcastic, and entertaining. In the wake of his wife's death, he's struck initially by how little he cares. He and his wife didn't get along, and as he explains to the Superintendent, while he loved her, he didn't like her. However, he is now all alone, as his miserable brat of a daughter only wants money from him. It's sad seeing him adrift at the supermarket, unsure of what he needs, but it's invigorating when he comes back to work and starts solving cases left and right like a wrecking ball bashing London crime. Roberts' replacement, Porter Nash, is also a great character, very different from Roberts and Brant, and a good counterpoint to both. He's more professional than Brant, but not an opportunistic ass-kisser like MacDonald, and it's suggested that, deep down, he may have a bit of a monster longing to escape, something that would make him more like Brant than he's comfortable being. Falls returns as well, coping with her friend's death as well as trying to keep in touch with black culture while being immersed in white British London. What's so fascinating about this is how alien it is to her as well, and while she tries her best to embrace it, it takes a lot of work. She experiences more loss this time, with the skinhead who became her friend sacrificing himself to save her from Weiss, and she eventually loses herself in cocaine, shaking down dealers for a fix. By the end, she's off the drugs, but it looks like she may have traded one addiction for another.
The seediness of Bruen's London is alive and well in Blitz, but what's more interesting than the dive bars and drug pushers are the facets of government and other authorities that are portrayed with much contempt. The Superintendent is brazenly racist and bigoted against homosexuals, and Roberts relishes sticking it to him. But the book actively shows how wrongheaded his thinking is by having him back MacDonald, the straight white guy who kisses his ass, then shows MacDonald to be incompetent, and ultimately capable of allowing an innocent person to die to cover himself, something Falls and Nash would never do. Brant is ordered to see the department's psychiatrist, and he assaults the man, forces him to drink on the job, then calls the British equivalent of internal affairs and pretends to be MacDonald when ratting him out. The shrink isn't evil, but he's incapable of curbing someone like Brant. And when Falls goes to rehab, it's a torture chamber run by smug, uncaring sadists who dehumanize those who need their help. And rather than letting them break her, Falls knocks around the worst of them and makes him apologize to those he torments. This seems particularly brave, as things like rehab are considered above reproach. Bruen's work feels rebellious because of things like this, and that makes it all the more fun to read.
Blitz is a fun, cool, brisk read for fans of crime fiction, especially British crime fiction. I wish I had the next Brant story on hand, but it won't be long.
Barry Weiss, a thuggish young barfly, snaps and starts murdering cops throughout London, calling himself the Blitz and seeking to emulate the serial killers in his favorite books. Brant is on the case, but his usual superior, Chief Inspector Roberts, is on leave after losing his wife in a car accident. Brant is instead paired with Sergeant Porter Nash, a gay officer recently transferred to the precinct. As Brant and Nash hunt for Weiss, Roberts tries to get back into policework in the wake of his wife's death, Police Constable Falls continues her spiral into depression, and PC MacDonald tries to rise in status.
*SPOILERS*
The characters are the best part of these books, and Brant in particular. He's still a violent, angry, alcohol-soaked hard case, but he shows a softer side in Blitz>. When Nash is assigned to lead the investigation into the Blitz's murders, everyone assumes Brant will blow his top, but quite the opposite is true: Brant actually likes Nash, not bothered at all by his homosexuality in the way some of the other cops (including the astoundingly bigoted Superintendent), and actively pursues a friendship with him. Brant tells Nash that he's been depressed of late, barely able to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and he latches onto Nash as a means of support. Is it because Roberts is busy coping with his loss, or is there something more going on? When MacDonald tries to spread the rumor that Brant and Nash are lovers, Brant is mildly amused. And when Brant agrees to go with Nash to his father's wedding, he tells him he's "on for anything." Is Brant attracted to Nash? Is he a bisexual, or possibly a newly-budding homosexual? It isn't spelled out, but it's an interesting wrinkle to Brant.
Brant is also explored through the villain. Barry Weiss hates cops, and after three run-ins with police officers in the same day, he gets hold of a Glock and starts executing them throughout London. Now, Weiss is clearly a psychopath, and he likely would have become a murderer no matter what, but what was the genesis of his cop hatred? It was an incident where he was causing a disturbance at a bar and a young officer showed up and beat the shit out of him, hurting him and humiliating him in front of a bar full of people cheering Brant on (not that this isn't warranted). Weiss and his rampage are the results of Brant's ruthlessness and cruelty, and it's being visited on innocent cops. It's a representation of how cops like Brant reflect on the whole police force, getting the public to distrust and even resent them, and pushing lunatics like Weiss over the edge to murder. Brant is dangerous in more ways than one, and the saddest part is that he never even realizes it.
Aside from Brant, Roberts is still funny, sarcastic, and entertaining. In the wake of his wife's death, he's struck initially by how little he cares. He and his wife didn't get along, and as he explains to the Superintendent, while he loved her, he didn't like her. However, he is now all alone, as his miserable brat of a daughter only wants money from him. It's sad seeing him adrift at the supermarket, unsure of what he needs, but it's invigorating when he comes back to work and starts solving cases left and right like a wrecking ball bashing London crime. Roberts' replacement, Porter Nash, is also a great character, very different from Roberts and Brant, and a good counterpoint to both. He's more professional than Brant, but not an opportunistic ass-kisser like MacDonald, and it's suggested that, deep down, he may have a bit of a monster longing to escape, something that would make him more like Brant than he's comfortable being. Falls returns as well, coping with her friend's death as well as trying to keep in touch with black culture while being immersed in white British London. What's so fascinating about this is how alien it is to her as well, and while she tries her best to embrace it, it takes a lot of work. She experiences more loss this time, with the skinhead who became her friend sacrificing himself to save her from Weiss, and she eventually loses herself in cocaine, shaking down dealers for a fix. By the end, she's off the drugs, but it looks like she may have traded one addiction for another.
The seediness of Bruen's London is alive and well in Blitz, but what's more interesting than the dive bars and drug pushers are the facets of government and other authorities that are portrayed with much contempt. The Superintendent is brazenly racist and bigoted against homosexuals, and Roberts relishes sticking it to him. But the book actively shows how wrongheaded his thinking is by having him back MacDonald, the straight white guy who kisses his ass, then shows MacDonald to be incompetent, and ultimately capable of allowing an innocent person to die to cover himself, something Falls and Nash would never do. Brant is ordered to see the department's psychiatrist, and he assaults the man, forces him to drink on the job, then calls the British equivalent of internal affairs and pretends to be MacDonald when ratting him out. The shrink isn't evil, but he's incapable of curbing someone like Brant. And when Falls goes to rehab, it's a torture chamber run by smug, uncaring sadists who dehumanize those who need their help. And rather than letting them break her, Falls knocks around the worst of them and makes him apologize to those he torments. This seems particularly brave, as things like rehab are considered above reproach. Bruen's work feels rebellious because of things like this, and that makes it all the more fun to read.
Blitz is a fun, cool, brisk read for fans of crime fiction, especially British crime fiction. I wish I had the next Brant story on hand, but it won't be long.
June 15, 2018
I read this in no time flat.Far too violent,black humor,nasty,nasty people.Just my cup of tea.Or whiskey,or poteen.On to the next Ken Bruen.
January 20, 2012
Fourth in the Inspector Brant suspense series set in London and revolving around Sergeant Tom Brant, a corrupt, brutal cop with a heart.
My Take
Oh, I was so hoping the opening scene with the shrink would be Brant! It's one of the things I like about Brant---he has no compunctions about destroying self-righteous know-it-alls like Dr. Hazel. Then there's Falls' treatment of a group therapy leader...oh yeah….
It's an interesting mix of cops helping each other and, metaphorically, beating on each other. Bruen writes such a realistic "day in the life" for cops that you can't help but feel the brutality, the frustration, and the negativity even as Bruen slides in bits of hope.
Very unexpectedly Brant and Nash seem to be developing a friendship??! As a result of their tenuous friendship, Nash asks Brant to come to his dad's wedding---hoo boy! It's pretty obvious that Brant considers Nash a friend when you read his putdown of Nash, Senior. Nelson's concern for Falls also seems to be hopeful, eventually.
It's fascinating how beautifully Bruen writes a scene, a story with so few words and yet totally conveys the atmosphere, the slogging frustrations, the despairing hopes. The truths.
The Story
Brant puts the department shrink in his place even as Falls asks Nash for backup the night she fails her sergeant's exam. The same night the Blitz strikes for the first time. WPC Sandra Miller is the first victim. Roberts is on leave with his wife's death and Porter Nash is put in charge bypassing Brant---the powers-that-be are hoping he'll screw up and they can get rid of Nash. Hey, maybe hit the Trifecta and get rid of Brant as well.
We get a peek into Falls' friendship with a skinhead even as she sinks into alcohol and drugs in an attempt to ward off the depression of her recent past. It's her friendship with Metal that saves her life...again and again. Metal has confessed to beating a sand nigger and Falls reaches out to the assigned detective---with an ultimatum for Metal. A detective whom Falls was not expecting to be such a hunk, at least from Roberts' description. Good thing for Falls that Nelson is attracted...it's all that'll save her ass even if she is angry at him over nothing.
Meantime, pensioners are getting mugged the day they pick up their checks at the post office and Roberts, as part of his increased energy, points McDonald in the right direction. Too bad, McDonald just can't seem to engage his brain on the work side; his emotions end in disaster.
The reality of police work intrudes with arresting Barry and having to let him go in the morning, in spite of McDonald's pathetic attempts at empathy, but it all comes "right" in the end.
The Characters
Sergeant Brant rips off shopkeepers and criminals and has the back of his fellow cops. Chief Inspector Roberts is another corrupt cop with fewer redeeming values than Brant, but his wife's death seems to spur him on. Says something when his own daughter rags on him to sell the house because she wants her share of the money! WPC Falls has had a slew of ups and downs: her best friend on the force's suicide, a beating that results in a miscarriage, and more. Now she's trying to re-connect with her black side. Sergeant Porter Nash is openly gay and works at being supportive with his fellow cops. PC McDonald is the unit suck-up. He prefers to get ahead by ratting out his fellow cops as opposed to actually doing the work of detecting. Superintendent Brown has ties with crime through his Masonic connections, has all the sensitivity of a dead toad, and hates Brant and Roberts.
Detective Inspector Bob Nelson is the lead on the beating of a young Arab.
John "Metal" Wales is a young skinhead Falls befriends; she figures if you can "turn him, you could turn anything, anyone". Barry Weiss is a "misunderstood lad" in his eyes. He plans to make a name for himself killing coppers. Radnor Bowen is a lower-class snitch who dresses up to play a better confidence game. Too bad he isn't more careful.
Dr. Hazel is the department psychiatrist. A petty bully who "had the backup of "Brutish orderlies, restraints, straitjackets…[and] Thorazine" until he met Sergeant Brant. Harold Dunphy is the news reporter Weiss latches onto to provide the scoop that will set him up.
The Cover
The cover is a bit peekaboo with its white top border and black bottom; the middle strip is tired eyes looking through with a bright red title and deep yellow author's name.
The title is the police work and the name of the serial killer, a Blitz of crime and activity.
My Take
Oh, I was so hoping the opening scene with the shrink would be Brant! It's one of the things I like about Brant---he has no compunctions about destroying self-righteous know-it-alls like Dr. Hazel. Then there's Falls' treatment of a group therapy leader...oh yeah….
It's an interesting mix of cops helping each other and, metaphorically, beating on each other. Bruen writes such a realistic "day in the life" for cops that you can't help but feel the brutality, the frustration, and the negativity even as Bruen slides in bits of hope.
Very unexpectedly Brant and Nash seem to be developing a friendship??! As a result of their tenuous friendship, Nash asks Brant to come to his dad's wedding---hoo boy! It's pretty obvious that Brant considers Nash a friend when you read his putdown of Nash, Senior. Nelson's concern for Falls also seems to be hopeful, eventually.
It's fascinating how beautifully Bruen writes a scene, a story with so few words and yet totally conveys the atmosphere, the slogging frustrations, the despairing hopes. The truths.
The Story
Brant puts the department shrink in his place even as Falls asks Nash for backup the night she fails her sergeant's exam. The same night the Blitz strikes for the first time. WPC Sandra Miller is the first victim. Roberts is on leave with his wife's death and Porter Nash is put in charge bypassing Brant---the powers-that-be are hoping he'll screw up and they can get rid of Nash. Hey, maybe hit the Trifecta and get rid of Brant as well.
We get a peek into Falls' friendship with a skinhead even as she sinks into alcohol and drugs in an attempt to ward off the depression of her recent past. It's her friendship with Metal that saves her life...again and again. Metal has confessed to beating a sand nigger and Falls reaches out to the assigned detective---with an ultimatum for Metal. A detective whom Falls was not expecting to be such a hunk, at least from Roberts' description. Good thing for Falls that Nelson is attracted...it's all that'll save her ass even if she is angry at him over nothing.
Meantime, pensioners are getting mugged the day they pick up their checks at the post office and Roberts, as part of his increased energy, points McDonald in the right direction. Too bad, McDonald just can't seem to engage his brain on the work side; his emotions end in disaster.
The reality of police work intrudes with arresting Barry and having to let him go in the morning, in spite of McDonald's pathetic attempts at empathy, but it all comes "right" in the end.
The Characters
Sergeant Brant rips off shopkeepers and criminals and has the back of his fellow cops. Chief Inspector Roberts is another corrupt cop with fewer redeeming values than Brant, but his wife's death seems to spur him on. Says something when his own daughter rags on him to sell the house because she wants her share of the money! WPC Falls has had a slew of ups and downs: her best friend on the force's suicide, a beating that results in a miscarriage, and more. Now she's trying to re-connect with her black side. Sergeant Porter Nash is openly gay and works at being supportive with his fellow cops. PC McDonald is the unit suck-up. He prefers to get ahead by ratting out his fellow cops as opposed to actually doing the work of detecting. Superintendent Brown has ties with crime through his Masonic connections, has all the sensitivity of a dead toad, and hates Brant and Roberts.
Detective Inspector Bob Nelson is the lead on the beating of a young Arab.
John "Metal" Wales is a young skinhead Falls befriends; she figures if you can "turn him, you could turn anything, anyone". Barry Weiss is a "misunderstood lad" in his eyes. He plans to make a name for himself killing coppers. Radnor Bowen is a lower-class snitch who dresses up to play a better confidence game. Too bad he isn't more careful.
Dr. Hazel is the department psychiatrist. A petty bully who "had the backup of "Brutish orderlies, restraints, straitjackets…[and] Thorazine" until he met Sergeant Brant. Harold Dunphy is the news reporter Weiss latches onto to provide the scoop that will set him up.
The Cover
The cover is a bit peekaboo with its white top border and black bottom; the middle strip is tired eyes looking through with a bright red title and deep yellow author's name.
The title is the police work and the name of the serial killer, a Blitz of crime and activity.
December 24, 2013
Pure Bruen genius!
When thinking about authors that write noir well, no one comes to mind quicker than Ken Bruen. He has a remarkable ability to present us with characters that are rotten inside but still manages to makes us care for them. In the Inspector Brant series we get to read about the despicable policeman who has little regard for the law, tramples over people as if they were a small bump on the road and acts as tough as any character out there. But the mesmerizing part is that once you get to know him you see something in there that makes you a huge fan!
It is not only the main character that drives this series, we have a collection of mesmerizing characters joining the ensemble. From the taciturn Roberts, who hits rock bottom in this book, to the explosive Falls, a police woman that mixes it up with the toughest guys, this series has it all. It is not limited to the normal characters either, since Bruen likes to frequently introduce new faces and the bad guys are a riot and have their own surprising characteristics.
I am convinced. It doesn't matter what the story is in each book, Bruen can take any plot and make it riveting and dark as night. This is no exception, and the cops are in pursuit of a ruthless killers who has picked them as a target. As is usual the case, Bruen has no compunction about killing familiar characters, so brace yourself. Whatever the case may be, those looking for a hard-boiled crime novel cannot go wrong with this one.
When thinking about authors that write noir well, no one comes to mind quicker than Ken Bruen. He has a remarkable ability to present us with characters that are rotten inside but still manages to makes us care for them. In the Inspector Brant series we get to read about the despicable policeman who has little regard for the law, tramples over people as if they were a small bump on the road and acts as tough as any character out there. But the mesmerizing part is that once you get to know him you see something in there that makes you a huge fan!
It is not only the main character that drives this series, we have a collection of mesmerizing characters joining the ensemble. From the taciturn Roberts, who hits rock bottom in this book, to the explosive Falls, a police woman that mixes it up with the toughest guys, this series has it all. It is not limited to the normal characters either, since Bruen likes to frequently introduce new faces and the bad guys are a riot and have their own surprising characteristics.
I am convinced. It doesn't matter what the story is in each book, Bruen can take any plot and make it riveting and dark as night. This is no exception, and the cops are in pursuit of a ruthless killers who has picked them as a target. As is usual the case, Bruen has no compunction about killing familiar characters, so brace yourself. Whatever the case may be, those looking for a hard-boiled crime novel cannot go wrong with this one.
October 3, 2009
RATING: 3.5
PROTAGONIST: Detective Sergeant Brant
SETTING: London
SERIES: Follow-on to The White Trilogy
SUMMARY: Ostensibly, the book is a police procedural with the police squad chasing down a serial killer who is targeting cops in different beats around London. Nicknamed "Blitz", he is not a particularly brilliant killer. In fact, Brant and company are on to him rather quickly. Where the book excels is in its character studies. Brant is a confounding, rough, tough but somehow, against all odds, intriguing character; the other members of the department are all well drawn and have their very individual quirks and outlooks. The unexpected humor incorporated in the book is very welcome, as well as Bruen's unflinching way of looking at life.
PROTAGONIST: Detective Sergeant Brant
SETTING: London
SERIES: Follow-on to The White Trilogy
SUMMARY: Ostensibly, the book is a police procedural with the police squad chasing down a serial killer who is targeting cops in different beats around London. Nicknamed "Blitz", he is not a particularly brilliant killer. In fact, Brant and company are on to him rather quickly. Where the book excels is in its character studies. Brant is a confounding, rough, tough but somehow, against all odds, intriguing character; the other members of the department are all well drawn and have their very individual quirks and outlooks. The unexpected humor incorporated in the book is very welcome, as well as Bruen's unflinching way of looking at life.
August 25, 2015
I'm not sure I like this book. I'm not even sure I'm supposed to like the book, what with the assholes for characters and the rather thin plot.
But oh, Brant and Nash - I would have loved to read more about their blossoming... work relationship ;)
But oh, Brant and Nash - I would have loved to read more about their blossoming... work relationship ;)
September 24, 2009
Read the whole book in one day while home sick. Hardboiled and fastpaced - soon to be a movie starring Jason Statham.
September 6, 2018
It was a bit pants!
February 4, 2018
I didn't have high expectations, but come on.
I felt like the book is trying so hard to be as badass and as violent as possible. It really wanted to show the bad villain and descent but also bad cops, which nevertheless have some morality when it comes to fighting crime, although their methods don't differ that much from being the acts of crime. This took the whole attention for the author, who apparently forgot all about the plot. The main plot was a bit hmm cliche? but the subplots are just terrible. I have no idea why would there be a subplot with McDonalds (the worst one for me, killing that student? come on) or even Falls drug addiction and her Nazi friend. Roberts losing his wife? Falls losing her friend? Yeah, let's just get drunk legless everyday and hit the rock bottom just to be saved by one friendly conversation with someone. Because every human being reacts this way. The villain? Please, his motivation for killing cops is getting stopped for DUI and urinating under the church? Of course he could be mental, but is he really depicted like that? Every character in this book has the same personality, which is being a stone cold drinking-all-the-time action-movie-motherfucker.
I also felt like there's no CCTV cameras (although mentioned once specifically not to be working on the main train station), no cellphones in this world. What year is this? Is it supposed to be like this? Or does it just cover the plot hole of some guy going around London and killing everyone in the broad daylight.
I have yet to see the movie, which could actually turn alright if it focuses on showing some action and dynamism of the main plot and completely disregarding the side plots, which are totally unnecessary.
Pros? Big font on 200 pages, might be good for a quick skim, but I had enough after 10 pages.
I felt like the book is trying so hard to be as badass and as violent as possible. It really wanted to show the bad villain and descent but also bad cops, which nevertheless have some morality when it comes to fighting crime, although their methods don't differ that much from being the acts of crime. This took the whole attention for the author, who apparently forgot all about the plot. The main plot was a bit hmm cliche? but the subplots are just terrible. I have no idea why would there be a subplot with McDonalds (the worst one for me, killing that student? come on) or even Falls drug addiction and her Nazi friend. Roberts losing his wife? Falls losing her friend? Yeah, let's just get drunk legless everyday and hit the rock bottom just to be saved by one friendly conversation with someone. Because every human being reacts this way. The villain? Please, his motivation for killing cops is getting stopped for DUI and urinating under the church? Of course he could be mental, but is he really depicted like that? Every character in this book has the same personality, which is being a stone cold drinking-all-the-time action-movie-motherfucker.
I also felt like there's no CCTV cameras (although mentioned once specifically not to be working on the main train station), no cellphones in this world. What year is this? Is it supposed to be like this? Or does it just cover the plot hole of some guy going around London and killing everyone in the broad daylight.
I have yet to see the movie, which could actually turn alright if it focuses on showing some action and dynamism of the main plot and completely disregarding the side plots, which are totally unnecessary.
Pros? Big font on 200 pages, might be good for a quick skim, but I had enough after 10 pages.
August 21, 2019
Well paced. To the point, yet still gripping. Finished in two days. Couldn't put it down. Love the reality and gang of hardboiled but diverse police and detectives. Where he lacks in visual detail, makes up for it in dialogue. Yeah, the dialogue is the sh!t. I started the series on this book (the fourth installment), and I'll help myself to another healthy serving of Ken Bruen. Writing is truly phenomenal as it is defined. I enjoyed being a couch potato until I got to the last page. He's mastered the art of storytelling with his own aesthetic that is to die for. Blunt. Jagged. Still human. Yes, still human. 10/10.
October 10, 2024
I'm not a fan of detective novels but I do like Ken Bruen's hard-hitting, minimalist style plus the dark and sinister atmosphere of his books. I found, like others of his before, I couldn't put it down and whizzed through it in a couple of sessions.
On the negative side, despite my four star rating, it's really just another cop versus cop killer story, another formulaic rough cop, hard hitting, maverick 'hero' together with an oddball set of dysfunctional characters. The cops always win, the outcome is predictable from the start, it's run of the mill stuff but the style of writing and story telling must somehow appeal to me and I can't say I didn't enjoy it.
On the negative side, despite my four star rating, it's really just another cop versus cop killer story, another formulaic rough cop, hard hitting, maverick 'hero' together with an oddball set of dysfunctional characters. The cops always win, the outcome is predictable from the start, it's run of the mill stuff but the style of writing and story telling must somehow appeal to me and I can't say I didn't enjoy it.
July 1, 2019
Brant and his continuing escapades.
One thing it's worthy to note, if reading Ken Bruen for the first time, he often begins each chapter with a quote from the book of a favoured writer. Clearly he's a big fan of Ed McBains. I'm not particularly, but it's worth noting those authors you may not be familiar with and looking up their books. I was familiar with most of the books quoted from, so i was more interested in those i wasn't familiar with.
Good reading.
One thing it's worthy to note, if reading Ken Bruen for the first time, he often begins each chapter with a quote from the book of a favoured writer. Clearly he's a big fan of Ed McBains. I'm not particularly, but it's worth noting those authors you may not be familiar with and looking up their books. I was familiar with most of the books quoted from, so i was more interested in those i wasn't familiar with.
Good reading.
January 26, 2020
Ok this book was a chore. It didn't get goodish till at least half way through the book and even at that it didn't improve much.
The constant over use of commas was like reading in William Shatners voice. Over use of certain derogitive words relating to sexuality and skin colour is on practically every page. Any depth to the story and improvement in writing style came in the second half of the book. Which i enjoyed slightly more than i hated the first half.and the reason for the 3 star rating.
The constant over use of commas was like reading in William Shatners voice. Over use of certain derogitive words relating to sexuality and skin colour is on practically every page. Any depth to the story and improvement in writing style came in the second half of the book. Which i enjoyed slightly more than i hated the first half.and the reason for the 3 star rating.
December 8, 2025
This is the first book I’ve read from this author. Picked up a few of his books years ago and never got around to reading them. I quite enjoyed this book. I love that the chapters are short. So if you only have a few minutes, you can easily get through a chapter. The book itself is also short, which makes the story fun and bite sized. Can’t wait to read the other books of his that I have. Lastly, great last chapter. Love how the story was written.
February 4, 2018
this is actually fourth in the series but it's the first one I read. I am really looking forward to reading the next 3 and will soon. I found the cop's lives to be really fascinating, the characters very interesting (some likable, some not) and this book focuses more on the cops themselves than the crime. Toward the ending it got a little unrealistic, but I liked this book a lot anyway.
April 6, 2019
Although the story has plenty of plot-holes, the pace of the novel keeps the reader's interest until the end. There are a few strands that remain unclear at the end, which probably means that this series will be continued.
June 15, 2018
an intense thrill-ride - I dig it. quick read; almost started + finished it on the bus to Dubrovnik
February 12, 2019
Good crime novel. A little too violent for my tastes.
May 24, 2020
This felt like an early Guy Ritchie movie. Fun hijinx with bad polis
May 27, 2020
Brant is blisteringly profane, brutally violent, a walking disaster. He is also one of the most fascinating character in fiction. Read Bruen, now! Highest recommendation!
February 20, 2021
Savage, exciting, satisfying. High speed ride/read.
March 13, 2021
Didn't really enjoy this book, found the way it was written to be very strange and the storyline was very vague. Probably wouldn't recommend this one.
May 6, 2021
Bruen is the man.
He never, ever misfires.
He never, ever misfires.
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