Book description
John Lawton’s debut novelfirst published by Viking in 1995, and now being reissued by Grove Pressis a stunning, war-time thriller that cements his place among the greatest crime writers of our era. The first of the Inspector Troy novels, Black Out singularly captures the realities of wartime London, weaving them…
Why read it?
1 author picked Black Out as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This book is the the first in a gripping and atmospheric wartime thriller series featuring London policeman, Detective Sergeant Troy.
Troy has an unusual background for a police officer in that he is the son of an immensely rich Russian emigré businessman. In this story, set in 1944, a man’s severed arm is found on a bomb site. Troy investigates and discovers the arm belongs to a refugee German scientist working for British intelligence.
This is a marvelous thriller from a writer once selected in a Time all-time list of detective authors to savor.
From Mark's list on The best novels set on the British home front in World War II.
If you love Black Out...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
Want books like Black Out?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Black Out.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
165
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Black Out, you might also like...
The Tao of Poison
A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.
The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…
Big Ideas... For Small Businesses
Big Ideas… for Small Businesses is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guide to growing a small business without sacrificing your lifestyle. Written by a former civil servant turned entrepreneur, the book challenges hustle culture and instead champions the idea of an "ambitious lifestyle business" - one that provides freedom and financial stability,…
