A Lily of the Field: Inspector Troy series

"An unbearably tense account of two musicians whose lives and careers are shattered in the aftermath of the Anschluss . . . Technically dazzling. Lawton keeps his historical perspective on the war while introducing new characters and adding layers of political subtext to the plot."—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times

"Lawton has always pushed the boundaries of the series crime novel, edging ever closer to broad-canvas historical fiction, but this time he has leaped the fence altogether. Like Dennis Lehane in The Given Day, Lawton introduces multiple characters and stories in a sweeping tale that comes together at a particular historical moment, but unlike Lehane, he does all that without abandoning his series hero or the continuity established in the previous volumes . . . A truly multitextured tale."—Booklist (Starred Review)

“Another complex and compellingly readable historic thriller from Lawton, full of profound questions and memorable characters.”—Kirkus Reviews

“If you love mystery and history, run out and pick up a book by Lawton, author of the superb Inspector Troy novels.”—Mary Ann Gwinn, The Seattle Times

“If the previous six installments in John Lawton's Inspector Troy series haven't made the point adequately, the seventh, A Lily of the Field, makes it again, and solidly: Lawton's thrillers provide a vivid, moving and wonderfully absorbing way to experience life in London and on the Continent before, during and after World War II.”—Gerald Bartell, The Washington Post

“John Lawton finds himself in the same boat as the late Patrick O’Brian—a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack but overlooked by too many readers for too long. Like O’Brian, he inhabits his periods’ 20th-century tipping points witnessed by the rich and richly ambivalent sleuth Troy—with an ownership that leaves most history-bothering authors looking like day-trippers.”—Daily Telegraph

“Lawton writes with authority. His characters convince, and so does their world. Admirable, ambitious and haunting, this is the sort of thriller that defies categorisation. I look forward with enthusiasm to the next one.”—Spectator

“John Lawton’s books contain such a wealth of period detail, character description and background information that they are lifted out of any category. Every word is enriched by the author’s sophistication and irreverent intelligence, by his meticulous research and his wit.”—Literary Review

“Lawton’s Troy books are less detective stories or intelligence thrillers than novels which include both murders and spies—novels as much about how people and societies grow and change as about the complex messes that Troy finds himself tidying up for his adopted country.”—Independent

“Lawton handles the chronology with exemplary ease and intelligence.”—Guardian