Smoke and Embers by John Lawton
5/13/25; 416 pages
Grove/Atlantic
Inspector Troy Novel #9
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.
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