He Kills Coppers

by Jake Arnott

Book Overview

The smoking-hot bestseller from London A chance encounter in broad daylight. Three London policemen pull over a car and are gunned down. A number of people are irrevocably affected. Sid, a tabloid... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1569472718
• ISBN13: 9781569472712
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Soho Press
• Length: 327 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Ignore the review above

Arnott's second volume is part of a three volume series, all covering many of the same characters, and time from the "swinging" 60's through the Thatcher era into the mid-90's in London's world of crime/police/media. Focused on London's criminal class, police, and some odd psychopaths, the three books cover intertwined stories, some of which begin in volume 1, and others that wind-up in volume 3. No its not Ellroy, but that is a stupid comparison, style wise, and story wise. Instead, compare Arnott's work to Martin Amis, and see the difference -- intersting, albeit homicidal, characters, people aware of their own fame, like professional athletes, except their event is evil doing, violaters of England's class system, yet slaves to it. To Americans, the characters are sometimes not easily accessible - the "bent" coppers do love their wives, fall out with their children, and range from kingpin masonic evildoers, to members of "the firm within the firm" who beleive in their work of keeping order, and seedy members of the aristocracy. American readers will marvel at the "middle class" villains, living in Surrey mansions next door to rock stars, and miss the jab of class consciousness. The struggle within the "Met" to gain control over the police aparatus, separated between the "uniform" versus the "suits" stands our view of police on its head. Here the "uniforms", the working class "plod" seize control from the "suits" of Scotland Yard (and TV fame), the corrupt aspiring middle class of policedom ---JUST AS in crime, the same sort of revolution takes place. By the end of volume three, the "great stately" villains of voloume 1, have become media darlings under Tony Blair, selling juicy biographies, the stars of trendy 90's movies like "The Krays." Ellroy and other Americans should be so lucky to get this story organized -- Ellroy especially is dynamite on 40's and 50's police corrpution in LA. the dawn of 60's arayan opression. BUT, where is the time of Rodney King's abusers, the OJ police more concerend with their hairstyles and appearances on "E" TV than how much evidence was planted (as in the Rampart scandal) or the LAPD "gang bang" mentality which lead young patrol and CHP officers to create, and proudly wear their own "gang tattoos." Arnott opens up a wonderful window into London's underground.. openly gay mob bosses (recall what happened to Tony Sporano's underling, 40 years later than these stories), serial killer tabloid hacks, bent to corrput cops, academic crime groupies, and the emerging 90's industry of gangster nostalgia (Guy Ritchie's movie career). Together these three volumes make as magnetic a read as Ellroy, with a lower voltage style, but just as sharp a shot to the jaw pacing and story telling, and a unique and undiscovered world for American readers. I'm only sorry there isn'at a fourth volume???

Arnott does it again.

More, please! I whipped thorugh this book in one day. It very satisfyingly weaves another story into the world of The Long Firm - a fictional mostly-London underworld of fascinating characters and delicious detail. This time the story ends in the mid-80s where we get more perspective on the mysterious fate of sleazy police inspector George Mooney. Along the way we meet some familiar characters - Maltese ponces, beautiful tarts, Harry Starks, Ronnie Kray, musically tasteful skinheads, and the ever-decadent Lord Thursby. And, as in The Long Firm, Arnott brings this reality-spiced fictional world to life right in front of our eyes. If Mr Arnott keeps going he'll get no complaints here.

Funny, violent and vintage Arnott

If you loved The Long Firm, you'll really love He Kills Coppers. Arnott is a master at crafting round characters and each of the 3 narrators here jump from the page. Its nice to know that British noir is alive and well in Jake Arnott's hands.

fabulous

I've been on a London binge: LONDON FIELDS (M. Amis), CAPITAL (M. Duffy), and now HE KILLS COPPERS. So good I read it one sitting. And like passive people everywhere I am into detail, which Arnott provides so artfully. Especially good is an English soccer riot. What do you call these guys? Hooligans? Rude boys? Anyway, this mass-spectacle is right up there with DeLillo's awesome crowd episodes: the Moonie wedding at Yankee Stadium in MAO II, the epic Giants game in UNDERWORLD. So satisfying.

I loved this book!

The writing is so excellent & London is done with the acuity of Dickens. Arnott's depiction of Great Britain teetering toward dissolution is truly amazing, like a Red Giant about to blow.