Blitz: A Novel (Inspector Brant Series, 4)

...he'd probably ask Ken Bruen to write his scripts.Ken Bruen's "Blitz" is a rock `em, sock `em, no-holds-bar brawl of violent men and hard women on both sides of the law - an in-your-face tale told from the wrong side of London.Remember the days when Lawrence Sanders was bringing crime fiction to the masses with NYPD's tough Captain Delaney and gripping crime drama like "The First Deadly Sin?" Well, carve up Sander's pedestrian prose with a broken-off beer bottle, run Captain Delaney through the gutters for some edge, strip out any regard for political correctness or social redeeming value, and you'll start getting a feel for Bruen's brand of raw drama on the mean streets. There's no genius in the story - a maniac decides to declare open season on London's cops, and starts indiscriminately killing them. In tracking down the murderer, this is not as much a police procedural as it is a character study in misfits and miscreants - and that's just the good guys.This is black prose that finds beauty along its jagged edges - a searing journey through vicious deeds and twisted minds that builds to an unexpected and cynically satisfying climax. Ken Bruen is the real deal - if you're hooked on Lehane, Child, Huston, Rankin, or Gischler and haven't added Bruen to your reading list, don't wait another day.

After years of reading George Pelecanos, James Lee Burke, John Harvery, George V. Higgins, Raymond Chandler, Ross Thomas, and others who can turn a phrase while inducing me to turn a page, I've finally started reading Ken Bruen. "Blitz" introduced me to a world so sloppy and hungover it feels as real as anything the aforementioned writers have created.Here's the 3rd person narrator on Brant, one of the protagonists: "Brant considered asking her for a ride but she looked the deep type. She'd have issues and want to talk after. He hated that." Sharp, politically incorrect, perfectly believable. And the killer, who decides to create his public persona as a vicious murderer who only takes out cops? A complete, drunken screw-up.Bruen is the real deal. The most exciting thing about finishing "Blitz" was knowing that he's written a shelf and I'm just starting him.

If one can't have Jack Taylor then Bruen offers Brant as a darn good stand in. The witty, gritty prose is still there and the characters and plot lines keep you interested. Damn good read!!

I just love the characters in this series. Ken Bruen has created an ensemble of seriously disturbed people. His characters all have problems that go well beyond the mundane.Combine some really great writing and seriously sick characters and we have a winning book.

There is something magic about the writing of Ken Bruen. The inspector Brant series is like a demented hard rock opera with sentences short and lethal as bullets.The streets are not just violent and dangerous, they seem much more like the dark tunnels of our childhood fears. The ogres and boogeymen that inspite all of protection, will definitely get you in the end. Ken Bruen seems to be a tortured soul, and a true artist. Those two almost always go together.

I always enjoy Bruen's writing. I like his style and his books are hard to put down. His storyline is sometimes predictible, but i don't care. I wish he wrote more books quicker......his intelligence is obvious and his background in music and the written word is pretty impressive.

The book was written about 10 yrs before the movie came out and it wasn't as good as the movie. The movie had more interesting and humorous dialogue. And it starred Jason Statham!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!

Not that impressed, the Irish Inspector Jack policeman were better stories. Another story about a disorganised drunken policeman. maybe next book will be better. If the library has one digitally.

Excellent read fast pace all the way through character's very believable knows the underworld of London very well ready for more

This read like a long conversation where one isn't sure who or indeed how many people are taking part. I didn't particularly enjoy reading this and have no desire to read any of his other work.

Quite happy the book was printed in large letters. Great quality!

Not as good as the film, but not too bad. A little short and therefore more predictable than I was expecting.

I enjoyed reading this book but I do not think they are as good as the Jack Taylor books