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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Fifth in the Inspector Brant crime series set in London around a small group of coppers.
My Take
The thing I like about this series is the realism. It's brutal. It's short and to the point. It's fascinating. Bruen has created a small cast of cops in a London suburb who range from young and eager to old and...oh man...mean, stupid, realistic. There's a line that most cops would probably empathize with "He's the public---they never mean well."
Bruen includes a quote from other authors at the start of each chapter that resonate with the contents of this series. Be sure to read them.
His characters are real with all the problems that cops have to face everyday. With all the psychological issues that come with those problems---the weaknesses, the strengths. The lousy coping mechanisms. The bigotry. Porter's jerk of a dad. Andrews' jerk of a mother.
Hmmm, I wanna try the Club Milks trick…
Oh, oh, I love it! Ellen Dunne, attorney for the defense, "darling of the Left and the scourge of the Met" is so hot to trot to defend her precious client, only to realize when her precious client tells her how to twist the woman she's poisoning into lying to cover up what she did...LOL. Ellen makes a quick exit---stage left!
Oh, that ending! I love the windfall, but I don't understand why she'd share the wealth with McDonald…?
The Story
It's a great trick that Angie learned in prison. Claim you'll set off a bomb unless you get paid. Start small and build your way up. Then set up the frame. On a cop. On your partners.
The Characters
Sergeant Brant is rather calm in this story, even with his new snitch, Caz. Chief Inspector Roberts seems to be "returning to the fold". He's sold his house and is off the sauce. For the most part. The gay Sergeant Porter Nash is still in charge, but it's one phone call that tips his health over the edge.
WPC Falls is on the downhill slide, but it's really not her fault in this installment. It's circumstances. And, okay, she probably shouldn't be drinking… It's thanks to Detective Inspector Bob Nelson that she got into rehab, kicked the coke. Unfortunately for Nelson, Falls wants nothing more to do with him. WPC Andrews is new meat and it's Falls' job to introduce her to the job. Now, if Andrews would just listen...
PC McDonald's approach could well be the death of him. And in many ways, it could be the best thing for everyone. Superintendent Brown is an idiot and has really stuck his foot in his mouth this time!
Angie is the brains of the outfit. And probably the most sociopathic. Ray and Jimmy are brothers; he's the smart one, Jimmy's a bit more simple. Well, of the two. As part of this last plan, Jimmy gets a job and he's enjoying it. He likes the camaraderie and wants to keep the job.
The Cover
The cover is a contrast in brights versus pastels, graphic versus softness. A woman in a sexy bra sits smoking a cigarette, the glowing lamp behind her casting her in shadow while a bright yellow band with the author's name separates her from the bright red bottom that showcases the title in black.
The title itself is about a vicious criminal in this installment. A Vixen in truth. Sexy. Bitch. Violently spiteful.
My Take
The thing I like about this series is the realism. It's brutal. It's short and to the point. It's fascinating. Bruen has created a small cast of cops in a London suburb who range from young and eager to old and...oh man...mean, stupid, realistic. There's a line that most cops would probably empathize with "He's the public---they never mean well."
Bruen includes a quote from other authors at the start of each chapter that resonate with the contents of this series. Be sure to read them.
His characters are real with all the problems that cops have to face everyday. With all the psychological issues that come with those problems---the weaknesses, the strengths. The lousy coping mechanisms. The bigotry. Porter's jerk of a dad. Andrews' jerk of a mother.
Hmmm, I wanna try the Club Milks trick…
Oh, oh, I love it! Ellen Dunne, attorney for the defense, "darling of the Left and the scourge of the Met" is so hot to trot to defend her precious client, only to realize when her precious client tells her how to twist the woman she's poisoning into lying to cover up what she did...LOL. Ellen makes a quick exit---stage left!
Oh, that ending! I love the windfall, but I don't understand why she'd share the wealth with McDonald…?
The Story
It's a great trick that Angie learned in prison. Claim you'll set off a bomb unless you get paid. Start small and build your way up. Then set up the frame. On a cop. On your partners.
The Characters
Sergeant Brant is rather calm in this story, even with his new snitch, Caz. Chief Inspector Roberts seems to be "returning to the fold". He's sold his house and is off the sauce. For the most part. The gay Sergeant Porter Nash is still in charge, but it's one phone call that tips his health over the edge.
WPC Falls is on the downhill slide, but it's really not her fault in this installment. It's circumstances. And, okay, she probably shouldn't be drinking… It's thanks to Detective Inspector Bob Nelson that she got into rehab, kicked the coke. Unfortunately for Nelson, Falls wants nothing more to do with him. WPC Andrews is new meat and it's Falls' job to introduce her to the job. Now, if Andrews would just listen...
PC McDonald's approach could well be the death of him. And in many ways, it could be the best thing for everyone. Superintendent Brown is an idiot and has really stuck his foot in his mouth this time!
Angie is the brains of the outfit. And probably the most sociopathic. Ray and Jimmy are brothers; he's the smart one, Jimmy's a bit more simple. Well, of the two. As part of this last plan, Jimmy gets a job and he's enjoying it. He likes the camaraderie and wants to keep the job.
The Cover
The cover is a contrast in brights versus pastels, graphic versus softness. A woman in a sexy bra sits smoking a cigarette, the glowing lamp behind her casting her in shadow while a bright yellow band with the author's name separates her from the bright red bottom that showcases the title in black.
The title itself is about a vicious criminal in this installment. A Vixen in truth. Sexy. Bitch. Violently spiteful.
gimpyknee's review against another edition
3.0
It's "Pog Mo Thoin" not "Pog Mo Tobin". That said, Vixen is every bit as good reading the second time around as the first. It especially helps being old and forgetful since its like reading a new Brant novel after a passage of of eight years between readings.
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
Love this series featuring the most dangerous cop in London.
laurapf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
yorugua1891's review against another edition
4.0
Another solid installment in this series.
I absolutely love Bruen's writing, and even though this book was not my favorite in the series, there was enough to make me like it. The darkness of the plot is there, as in most of the author's works. The usual characters are still dealing with their inner demons while they carry out their lives as best as they can. The bad guys are interesting enough but present a more common motivation than the ones seen typically in the series. The trio threatens to blow up stuff and people unless the police pays a ransom to prevent this.
In this book the character of Brant does not really evolve as was seen in the past. He is involved in the case, but we don't really learn more about him or what drives he to be as he is. There is quite a bit more attention put on Falls, which works for me, since she is a very intriguing character. Following the events at the end of the previous books that led Falls to cross the line, we have seen this character evolve quite a bit, and she is pretty much stealing the show.
This is a book that you can easily read in one or two sittings. The author keeps it fast-paced and the dialogues are witty and raw. If you are looking for a noir novel, Bruen is the way to go, and even though this is not his finest effort, it does the job.
I absolutely love Bruen's writing, and even though this book was not my favorite in the series, there was enough to make me like it. The darkness of the plot is there, as in most of the author's works. The usual characters are still dealing with their inner demons while they carry out their lives as best as they can. The bad guys are interesting enough but present a more common motivation than the ones seen typically in the series. The trio threatens to blow up stuff and people unless the police pays a ransom to prevent this.
In this book the character of Brant does not really evolve as was seen in the past. He is involved in the case, but we don't really learn more about him or what drives he to be as he is. There is quite a bit more attention put on Falls, which works for me, since she is a very intriguing character. Following the events at the end of the previous books that led Falls to cross the line, we have seen this character evolve quite a bit, and she is pretty much stealing the show.
This is a book that you can easily read in one or two sittings. The author keeps it fast-paced and the dialogues are witty and raw. If you are looking for a noir novel, Bruen is the way to go, and even though this is not his finest effort, it does the job.
gabitheaustrian's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
zzzrevel's review against another edition
2.0
This is not great. It moves fast but not in a good
way. It is sort of a police ensemble, but the main
policeman is someone named Brant and he is
totally unlikeable.
The book proceeds on a lot of coincidences and
conveniently the crooks are dumb enough to
pretty much capture themselves.
Yesterday I had read "Slide" by this same author
and it at least had some redeeming value to
it as a straight crime novel. But this one just
did not agree with me.
way. It is sort of a police ensemble, but the main
policeman is someone named Brant and he is
totally unlikeable.
The book proceeds on a lot of coincidences and
conveniently the crooks are dumb enough to
pretty much capture themselves.
Yesterday I had read "Slide" by this same author
and it at least had some redeeming value to
it as a straight crime novel. But this one just
did not agree with me.
reader44ever's review
3.0
I liked this story, but it lost a lot of punch simply due to the huge number of characters and incidents involved in the plot. I actually had to go backwards a few times to clear some things up in my mind. Rereading for pleasure is one thing, but needing to reread for clarity is rarely a good thing.
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