A Lily of the Field, John Lawton
A Lily of the Field, John Lawton
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

A Lily of the Field
An Inspector Troy Novel

Author: John Lawton

Narrator: Sara Coward, Lewis Hancock

Unabridged: 13 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/08/2018

Synopsis

Spanning the tumultuous years of 1934 to 1948, John Lawton’s A Lily of the Field is a brilliant historical thriller from a master of the form. The book follows two characters—Méret Voytek, a talented young cellist living in Vienna at the novel’s start, and Dr. Karel Szabo, a Hungarian physicist interned in a camp on the Isle of Man. In his seventh Inspector Troy novel, Lawton moves seamlessly from Vienna and Auschwitz to the deserts of New Mexico and the rubble-strewn streets of postwar London, following the fascinating parallels of the physicist Szabo and musician Voytek as fate takes each far from home and across the untraditional battlefields of a destructive war to an unexpected intersection at the novel’s close. The result, A Lily of the Field, is Lawton’s best book yet, a historically accurate and remarkably written novel that explores the diaspora or two Europeans from the rise of Hitler to the postatomic age.

About John Lawton

John Lawton is the author of the Inspector Troy series, the Joe Wilderness series, Sweet Sunday, and 1963, a volume of history. He has also edited reissued books by H. G. Wells, D. H. Lawrence, and Joseph Conrad. His Inspector Troy novels have been named Best Books of the Year by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times Book Review. He lives in the north of England and Italy.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kathy

I did read the first book of this series and had trouble with it. I must admit I had some of the same complaints as I read this book. One is simply the length of the book wherein I mentally edit away many sections as I read, believing the book would be a better read. I was able to see the value in s......more

Goodreads review by David

Lawton's novels are masterpieces of time and place, and they are irresistible to me. The Troy series is set in London at various times in the WWII era -- before, after, and during -- involving layers of culture and society, the business of murder detection, and international strands. Characters are......more

Goodreads review by Sam

A number of writers are doing interesting things with historical espionage fiction set against the background of the epic catastrophe that was the middle decades of the twentieth century. (Philip Kerr, Joseph Kanon, Alan Furst) John Lawton may be the best of these. He has written stand-alones as wel......more

Goodreads review by Tracyk

Like some other books in this series, A Lily of the Field covers a span of years. It starts in 1934, leading up to World War II, covers some events during World War II, and picks up again after the war is over. The first portion of the book is called "Audacity" and features Méret Voytek, a talented......more

Quotes

“Lawton ties everything together with expert timing, breathtaking revelations, and one…genuinely frightening action scene that punctuates the ending.” Washington Post

“Lawton vividly limns a world weariness contrasted with earth-shaking historical events, all the while unraveling a complex and compelling mystery that will not be quickly forgotten. Highly recommended.” Library Journal

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

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List