No Hearts, No Roses

April 4, 2011
Set in 1955, this complex but satisfying series debut from British author Murray (After a Dead Dog) introduces Tony Gérard, a London "producer's assistant" trained as an accountant who soon finds himself in the role of tough guy sleuth. On retainer to Les Jackson's Hoxton Films, Gérard must locate Jonathan Harrison, film star Beverley Beaumont's missing brother. The quest for Harrison leads Gérard, who served in France as a special ops soldier during WWII, into a deadly world of bodies, drugs, and diamond smuggling. A dangerous complication arrives in the form of Ghislaine Rieux, the beautiful wife of a former French comrade of Gérard's, the "frighteningly ruthless" Robert Rieux, who's sure to follow. Murray's 1950s England, with men hardened by war and willing to take long chances, is the perfect milieu for the unflappable Gérard, who manages to keep himself in play, despite threats, beatings, and occasional gunfire.

May 1, 2011

Although postwar England is slowly recovering from destruction and depravation, the propensity for violence never seems to goes away.

Tony Gerard has left behind a heroic past helping the French resistance. Now he does a little bookkeeping and sorts out problems for Les Jackson of Hoxton Films. The latest such problem is Beverly Beaumont, a starlet who claims to have misplaced her brother Jon, a Cambridge student. Before Tony can even begin to look for Jon, he runs into trouble in the form of Ghislaine Rieux, a wartime flame now married to Robert, a charmingly ruthless resistance fighter. Fed up with his faithlessness, Ghislaine has left Robert in Paris. Tony feels obliged to offer her a bed even though he's certain the accommodation will lead to trouble. His pursuit of Jon is far from easy, especially once he runs into others who also want him and are not nice about asking questions. Events go from bad to worse when Jon's roommate is garroted and when Jon hands Tony a package containing some valuable diamonds for his sister. The package is the property of a tough character named Jenkins who may be a crook or a government agent. Tony will be very lucky to stay alive as he tries to sort out the good guys from the bad.

Murray's second thriller (After a Dead Dog, 2007) combines dollops of postwar atmosphere with thrills aplenty.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2011
Fans of the offbeat will doubtless enjoy this quirky, engaging, Chandleresque detective story set in 1950s London. Tony G'rard has never quite settled down to civilian life after returning from WWII. He mostly does odd jobs for Les Jackson, head of Hoxton Films. So when Les asks Tony to help find attractive starlet Beverly Beaumont's missing brother, Jon, Tony agrees. But from the minute he starts searching, he realizes there's something odd about the case. For one thing, when he manages to find Jon, the kid hands him a package for Beverlya package of diamonds. Then, when a beautiful Frenchwoman whom Tony knows from the war turns up in the investigation, along with her husband, a man with dubious, possibly criminal, connections, Tony realizes the Beaumont case may be a lot more complex than he thought. Car chases, a mysterious Cambridge don, a gang of European thugs, and a climactic shoot-out keep the action hot and heavy. The likably lackadaisical hero (Tony is surprised when he solves the case) and the vividly rendered '50s setting make this an engaging and unusual read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)