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Inspector Brant #5
Vixen
For the Southeast London police squad, it's rough, tough, dirty business as usual. The Vixen, the most sensuous, crazed female serial killer ever, is masterminding a series of lethal explosions. She is unpredictable, wild, angry--and the cops don't even know she exists.
Meanwhile, Inspector Roberts is helpless to stop the explosions and his subordinates aren't doing much better. Brant is consumed with an even-bigger-than-usual mean streak, and fast-rising Porter Nash finds himself facing serious health problems--everything to do with needles. PC MacDonald is determined to soldier on, whatever the cost, and the career of a new addition to the squad, WPC Andrews, starts spectacularly but with Falls as her mentor she's not expected to last long. At the top, Superintendent Brown is close to a coronary, and arresting the wrong man in a blaze of publicity is only the beginning of his problems.
If the squad survives this incendiary installment in Ken Bruen's blazingly intense series, they'll do so with barely a cop left standing.
Meanwhile, Inspector Roberts is helpless to stop the explosions and his subordinates aren't doing much better. Brant is consumed with an even-bigger-than-usual mean streak, and fast-rising Porter Nash finds himself facing serious health problems--everything to do with needles. PC MacDonald is determined to soldier on, whatever the cost, and the career of a new addition to the squad, WPC Andrews, starts spectacularly but with Falls as her mentor she's not expected to last long. At the top, Superintendent Brown is close to a coronary, and arresting the wrong man in a blaze of publicity is only the beginning of his problems.
If the squad survives this incendiary installment in Ken Bruen's blazingly intense series, they'll do so with barely a cop left standing.
201 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Ken Bruen
134 books787 followersKen Bruen, born in Galway in 1951, is the author of The Guards (2001), the highly acclaimed first Jack Taylor novel. He spent twenty-five years as an English teacher in Africa, Japan, S.E. Asia and South America. His novel Her Last Call to Louis Mac Niece (1997) is in production for Pilgrim Pictures, his "White Trilogy" has been bought by Channel 4, and The Guards is to be filmed in Ireland by De Facto Films.
He has won Two Shamus awards by Private Eye Writers of America for the best detective fiction genre novel of the year for The Guards(2004) and The Dramatist(2007).
He has also received The Best series Award in February 2007 for the Jack Taylor novels from The Crime Writers Association
He has won Two Shamus awards by Private Eye Writers of America for the best detective fiction genre novel of the year for The Guards(2004) and The Dramatist(2007).
He has also received The Best series Award in February 2007 for the Jack Taylor novels from The Crime Writers Association
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 13, 2018
Years ago I used to watch a tv show called Hill Street Blues.There was a nasty little detective named Belker who referred to perps as hairball,dirtbag,barfbag etc.Brant is like that only nastier.I liked this,didn't quite understand the ending and I really admire the brits facility with sarcasm.
February 22, 2023
i was laughing at how bad this was while reading it. very misogynistic, very racist, lots of slurs, the only characters that have actual traits are the men, the women are written horribly. there were also spelling mistakes??? i’m laughing while writing this it was just so bad
March 31, 2015
Bruen's a very prolific writer of whose work I haven't read nearly enough -- this is just the third of his novels that I've read, the others being The Guards, which I enjoyed, and American Skin, which impressed me less. Both readings were a few years ago.
In Vixen the "vixen" of the title is a psycho called Annie who's teamed up with small-time crooks Ray and Jimmy Cross to extort money from the police through setting off minor bombs in London venues and promising a bigger one unless the rozzers cough up. There are other plot strands going on, but this is the central one. As I was reading, I felt very strongly that what Bruen was doing in this book -- part of an established series -- was essentially to recreate Ed McBain's 87th Precinct for a modern audience. Yes, this is a police procedural; yes, it's fairly short; yes, it reads like a rocket; yes, it's interested in the interplay between its various characters. Imagine my smugitude when, seemingly in recognition of this, Bruen introduces a completely gratuitous reference to McBain's Fat Ollie's Book, one of my favorites of the 87th Precinct yarns.
There's a carelessness in places for which McBain would never have stood. The proofreader seems to have fallen asleep for a dozen or so pages near the end. A minor character undergoes a name change from Bob to Bill between introduction and his reappearance some while later. I think another does something similar, going from Rachel to Karen, but in this instance it may be deliberate.
As with the precursor series, it seems to me that it's best to assess Bruen's tales of the Southeast London police squad as a body, rather than title-by-title. I have another already on my shelf, so I imagine it'll be pulled down soon . . .
In Vixen the "vixen" of the title is a psycho called Annie who's teamed up with small-time crooks Ray and Jimmy Cross to extort money from the police through setting off minor bombs in London venues and promising a bigger one unless the rozzers cough up. There are other plot strands going on, but this is the central one. As I was reading, I felt very strongly that what Bruen was doing in this book -- part of an established series -- was essentially to recreate Ed McBain's 87th Precinct for a modern audience. Yes, this is a police procedural; yes, it's fairly short; yes, it reads like a rocket; yes, it's interested in the interplay between its various characters. Imagine my smugitude when, seemingly in recognition of this, Bruen introduces a completely gratuitous reference to McBain's Fat Ollie's Book, one of my favorites of the 87th Precinct yarns.
There's a carelessness in places for which McBain would never have stood. The proofreader seems to have fallen asleep for a dozen or so pages near the end. A minor character undergoes a name change from Bob to Bill between introduction and his reappearance some while later. I think another does something similar, going from Rachel to Karen, but in this instance it may be deliberate.
As with the precursor series, it seems to me that it's best to assess Bruen's tales of the Southeast London police squad as a body, rather than title-by-title. I have another already on my shelf, so I imagine it'll be pulled down soon . . .
July 4, 2016
Angie ist clever, sie ist die titelgebende „Füchsin“ in Ken Bruens Kriminalroman (erschienen im Polar Verlag in der Übersetzung von Karen Witthuhn, mit einem Nachwort von Alf Mayer). Angie hat einen Plan. Florida, dort sich einen stinkreichen Typen angeln, das ist das Ziel ihrer Träume. Schmackhaft hat ihr dies ihre ehemalige Zellengenossin gemacht. Aber um dort hinzukommen braucht sie Bares, und zwar in größeren Mengen. Angie agiert zielorientiert und ist eine begnadete Manipulatorin. Und sie ist nicht nur außergewöhnlich schön, sondern auch absolut skrupellos. Um ihr Ziel zu erreichen, ist ihr jedes Mittel recht.
Da trifft es sich gut, dass sie Ray und Jimmy kennerlernt. Letzteres ist nicht das hellste Licht, aber Ray hat die im wahrsten Sinn des Wortes zündende Idee. Sprengstoffanschläge gepaart mit Erpressung, das sollte das nötige Geld in die Kasse bringen. Nur dumm, dass seine telefonisch gestellten Forderungen bei der Southeast London Police eingehen, der Einheit um DS Brant, bestens bekannt aus dem Vorgänger „Kaliber“ (der im Original aber nach der „Füchsin“ erschienen ist). Und mit denen sollte man sich besser nicht anlegen…
Gut und Böse, wer in diesen Kategorien denkt, wird von dem irischen Autor schnell eines Besseren belehrt. Seine Londoner Polizisten, sind Psychopathen, allen voran Detective Sergeant Brant, haben mit Recht und Gesetz so überhaupt nichts am Hut und unterscheiden sich von den Kriminellen nur durch Uniform und Dienstmarke. Sie machen sich ihre eigene Moral, leben ihre Vorurteile und die Gewalt aus, kennen keine Skrupel und füllen sich mit Vorliebe die eigenen Taschen.
Bruen schreibt hart und präzise, ist nicht zimperlich in der Wortwahl. Und diese Präzision lässt er auch seiner Story angedeihen, die er gradlinig angelegt hat und schnörkellos hämmernd in seiner flapsigen Sprache auf 173 Seiten durchpeitscht. Schwarzhumoriger Highspeed von Anfang bis Ende. Große Klasse!
Da trifft es sich gut, dass sie Ray und Jimmy kennerlernt. Letzteres ist nicht das hellste Licht, aber Ray hat die im wahrsten Sinn des Wortes zündende Idee. Sprengstoffanschläge gepaart mit Erpressung, das sollte das nötige Geld in die Kasse bringen. Nur dumm, dass seine telefonisch gestellten Forderungen bei der Southeast London Police eingehen, der Einheit um DS Brant, bestens bekannt aus dem Vorgänger „Kaliber“ (der im Original aber nach der „Füchsin“ erschienen ist). Und mit denen sollte man sich besser nicht anlegen…
Gut und Böse, wer in diesen Kategorien denkt, wird von dem irischen Autor schnell eines Besseren belehrt. Seine Londoner Polizisten, sind Psychopathen, allen voran Detective Sergeant Brant, haben mit Recht und Gesetz so überhaupt nichts am Hut und unterscheiden sich von den Kriminellen nur durch Uniform und Dienstmarke. Sie machen sich ihre eigene Moral, leben ihre Vorurteile und die Gewalt aus, kennen keine Skrupel und füllen sich mit Vorliebe die eigenen Taschen.
Bruen schreibt hart und präzise, ist nicht zimperlich in der Wortwahl. Und diese Präzision lässt er auch seiner Story angedeihen, die er gradlinig angelegt hat und schnörkellos hämmernd in seiner flapsigen Sprache auf 173 Seiten durchpeitscht. Schwarzhumoriger Highspeed von Anfang bis Ende. Große Klasse!
July 6, 2018
I thought this was one of the better tales of brant. short, energizing and fast paced. perhaps a favorite brant novel...
August 9, 2020
Well, I guess you could say I have read Bruen in reverse. Finished all the Jack Taylor novels. Enjoyed them very much. Now I have to go back further, I guess. This was great, funny, short read. Bruen at his earlier writings. But, still the same caustic, irreverent, leave no characters alive, Ken Bruen. Now I hope to read the earlier novels, to Inspector Brant, #1.
February 15, 2010
"Inspector Brant is back in the latest from Shamus, Barry, Macavity, and Edgar Award finalist Ken Bruen For the Southeast London police squad, it's rough, tough, dirty business as usual. The Vixen, a sensuous, crazed female serial killer, is masterminding a series of lethal explosions across London. She is unpredictable, wild, angry-and the cops don't even know she exists."
Police work as you've always suspected it is carried out - a separate set of rules for the men and women in blue. Great pace, interesting characters and fun to read.
Police work as you've always suspected it is carried out - a separate set of rules for the men and women in blue. Great pace, interesting characters and fun to read.
December 21, 2016
As 'Vixen' is a superfast read, I'm keeping this review short: the book is a good example of condensed hard-boiled crime with a lot of big talk, most of it politically incorrect, some of it funny. The police are nearly as degenerated as the bad guys, and the lifes of most of the protagonists are totally fucked up. Unfortunately there are too many of way too stereotypical characters so at least I couldn't connect – positively or negatively – to any of the dramatis personae. I don't say this often, but this novel is too short, too overhasty and too rugged.
October 20, 2012
Same gallery of twisted coppers, same deranged arch-villains, same incredible pace... but the initial surprise of Bruen's particular way of spinning his yarn is now past, so the book may have felt just a hair less thrilling... not a big hair though...
May 28, 2019
Doesn't seem to have been spell checked very well. The way he moved from sentence to sentence was cringe worthy.
April 28, 2023
Vixen is the first Ken Bruen novel I didn’t like and couldn’t pass off as being the fault of a co-writer like Jason Starr. It’s the fifth book in his Inspector Brant series, a series I’m not familiar with (besides seeing the 2011 film adaptation of Blitz starring Jason Statham - it actually wasn’t bad considering it starred Jason Statham) and a series I’m not going to pick up further books from.
A large part of why I didn’t like this one is the absence of any decent characters. I suppose Brant is the main character given the series is about him, but he comes off as someone who���s trying way too hard to be cool which is really off-putting. He doesn’t care about rank, he has sex with prostitutes, he does drugs - but he’s a copper whaaaa? He also says “yo” a lot - the novel was published in 2003 so maybe that was just the done thing back then, I don’t really remember, but it only adds to his formidable uncoolness.
The rest of the much-too-large police cast all kind of blur together into a similarly generic male character whose general twatishness makes them unlikeable and impossible to care about. Nash, McDonald, Roberts - they’re all just names rather than characters. If your idea of hard-boiled is a story featuring a cast of dickheads, you’ll love this one.
The story is about a femme fatale called Angie who hooks up with a couple of brain donors, stumbles across some dynamite and decides to randomly bomb parts of London for money. With such a meticulously put-together plan, how could they fail?? Having read Bruen’s later, far better Jack Taylor books with a similar structure/characters, like Galway Girl and The Ghosts of Galway, Vixen suffers from the comparison and reads like a dummy run for those later books.
The story isn’t particularly memorable or interesting and isn’t helped by the unrelentingly unimpressive and irritating cast, both cops and robbers. The prose is fine, so Vixen is a smooth read like all of Ken Bruen’s novels, but this was definitely the easiest one of his to put down. Brant, I hardly knew ye, and that was too much - Bruen’s Jack Taylor books are the ones to read over this weaker series and I would recommend checking those out instead of picking up anything featuring Brant.
A large part of why I didn’t like this one is the absence of any decent characters. I suppose Brant is the main character given the series is about him, but he comes off as someone who���s trying way too hard to be cool which is really off-putting. He doesn’t care about rank, he has sex with prostitutes, he does drugs - but he’s a copper whaaaa? He also says “yo” a lot - the novel was published in 2003 so maybe that was just the done thing back then, I don’t really remember, but it only adds to his formidable uncoolness.
The rest of the much-too-large police cast all kind of blur together into a similarly generic male character whose general twatishness makes them unlikeable and impossible to care about. Nash, McDonald, Roberts - they’re all just names rather than characters. If your idea of hard-boiled is a story featuring a cast of dickheads, you’ll love this one.
The story is about a femme fatale called Angie who hooks up with a couple of brain donors, stumbles across some dynamite and decides to randomly bomb parts of London for money. With such a meticulously put-together plan, how could they fail?? Having read Bruen’s later, far better Jack Taylor books with a similar structure/characters, like Galway Girl and The Ghosts of Galway, Vixen suffers from the comparison and reads like a dummy run for those later books.
The story isn’t particularly memorable or interesting and isn’t helped by the unrelentingly unimpressive and irritating cast, both cops and robbers. The prose is fine, so Vixen is a smooth read like all of Ken Bruen’s novels, but this was definitely the easiest one of his to put down. Brant, I hardly knew ye, and that was too much - Bruen’s Jack Taylor books are the ones to read over this weaker series and I would recommend checking those out instead of picking up anything featuring Brant.
November 21, 2019
A fine British hard boiled police procedural where one character, a doctor, sums it up best… “God help us all if they’re the good guys.” This is the fifth in a series of Inspector Brant stories and an ensemble cast of recurring characters, like the nick DCI Erika Foster is stationed in. But unlike Bryndza, this novella of Bruen’s follows several characters not focusing on one central character’s perspective.
Written in a terse, almost staccato style, the story starts literally with a bang as a small explosive is set off in a cinema. Then we jump into lives in progress with pompous Superintendent Brown asking officious Chief Inspector Roberts where the flamboyant Sergeant Brant, the chip-on-her-shoulder DC Falls and the anxious Porter Nash aren’t on the scene already.
Interspersed between the scenes of interpersonal drama and heavy drinking we follow as the team pursues a scantily-clad, sociopathic siren and her two henchmen, a pair of two bothers, a would-be brains and pure brawn pair of formerly petty criminals as they extort a ransomed from the police to stop the bombings they’ve started. A broad stroke story of colorful characters cast on a canvas of South London’s lesser known drinking establishments.
Written in a terse, almost staccato style, the story starts literally with a bang as a small explosive is set off in a cinema. Then we jump into lives in progress with pompous Superintendent Brown asking officious Chief Inspector Roberts where the flamboyant Sergeant Brant, the chip-on-her-shoulder DC Falls and the anxious Porter Nash aren’t on the scene already.
Interspersed between the scenes of interpersonal drama and heavy drinking we follow as the team pursues a scantily-clad, sociopathic siren and her two henchmen, a pair of two bothers, a would-be brains and pure brawn pair of formerly petty criminals as they extort a ransomed from the police to stop the bombings they’ve started. A broad stroke story of colorful characters cast on a canvas of South London’s lesser known drinking establishments.
December 19, 2020
Bruen writes tautly.. He conveys the mood, atmosphere, and tension so well with an economy of words. Vixen is also dialogue-heavy, yet so much of the meaning (and subtle sarcasm) comes through as well as rich character depictions. I admire that.
This was a short novel and an incredibly quick read. It's hard to put down, but I forced myself not to drop everything else I was doing to finish this.
If you like your police characters gritty, nasty, street savvy and darkly humorous, then you'll want to read Bruen's books featuring police inspector Brant.
There are an incredible number of side stories involving other officers as well as the criminals, and Bruen manages to fit it all in with his incredible concise style. The ending of this one was especially satisfying as regards the fortune/misfortune of several characters.
I rate this 3.5 stars, wishing that Goodread would include fractional ratings.
This was a short novel and an incredibly quick read. It's hard to put down, but I forced myself not to drop everything else I was doing to finish this.
If you like your police characters gritty, nasty, street savvy and darkly humorous, then you'll want to read Bruen's books featuring police inspector Brant.
There are an incredible number of side stories involving other officers as well as the criminals, and Bruen manages to fit it all in with his incredible concise style. The ending of this one was especially satisfying as regards the fortune/misfortune of several characters.
I rate this 3.5 stars, wishing that Goodread would include fractional ratings.
August 10, 2018
This is not great. It moves fast but not in a good
way. It is sort of a police ensemble, but the main
policeman is someone named Brant and he is
totally unlikeable.
The book proceeds on a lot of coincidences and
conveniently the crooks are dumb enough to
pretty much capture themselves.
Yesterday I had read "Slide" by this same author
and it at least had some redeeming value to
it as a straight crime novel. But this one just
did not agree with me.
way. It is sort of a police ensemble, but the main
policeman is someone named Brant and he is
totally unlikeable.
The book proceeds on a lot of coincidences and
conveniently the crooks are dumb enough to
pretty much capture themselves.
Yesterday I had read "Slide" by this same author
and it at least had some redeeming value to
it as a straight crime novel. But this one just
did not agree with me.
March 23, 2019
Maybe 3 1/2. I had read Bruen's "Slide",which is is a Hard Case Crime,and liked it. This is not a mystery per se, you know who did it, who the bad guy is, and it isn't twisty in anyway.
It is the character stuff that is cool, and some of the situations...
It also is deals with homophobia, prejudice, presents a world where prostitutes are respected more than gay people.
Not sure I would read another, but it had it's moments.
It is the character stuff that is cool, and some of the situations...
It also is deals with homophobia, prejudice, presents a world where prostitutes are respected more than gay people.
Not sure I would read another, but it had it's moments.
April 5, 2019
Perfect depiction of predatory isolation and infliction of pain. It is done by criminals and cops alike. There is nothing left for these people except assertion of violent self-preservation. Ken Bruen levels out any contrast between law enforcement, rapist, terrorist, and politician. That makes Bruen’s stories gut wrenching comment on our time. The quotations from Jerome Charyn, James Sallis, Elmore Leonard and others are seamlessly worked in.
January 22, 2024
Interesting fact, a female fox (the animal) is called a Vixen. A vixen is also slang for "a spirited, fierce woman who is sexually attractive." Angie is definitely the latter. She is an amoral female who uses both her good looks and violence to get what she wants. And Inspector Brant is once again his amusing, charming self as he effectively handles the criminals.
June 15, 2021
The last 4 Brant novels are a little more like actual books than the first three, albeit short. I really liked this one best of all. Lots of story lines winding up. One part of the ending left me stumped, but it was fast and funny and I recommend the whole series highly.
December 16, 2017
not quite 5 stars for this one, but typical Bruen, which is very good.
October 9, 2018
Lean, mean, and a lot of dark fun
March 14, 2021
A fast-reading, hard-edged cop noir in which it's hard to tell the difference between the good and bad guys. Fun, but forgettable.
April 19, 2021
Only Bruen can do Bruen.
There is no other.
There is no other.
June 17, 2023
BEGGING the editors to actually y'know edit
December 26, 2023
Painfully lazy writing.
April 17, 2012
Fifth in the Inspector Brant crime series set in London around a small group of coppers.
My Take
The thing I like about this series is the realism. It's brutal. It's short and to the point. It's fascinating. Bruen has created a small cast of cops in a London suburb who range from young and eager to old and...oh man...mean, stupid, realistic. There's a line that most cops would probably empathize with "He's the public---they never mean well."
Bruen includes a quote from other authors at the start of each chapter that resonate with the contents of this series. Be sure to read them.
His characters are real with all the problems that cops have to face everyday. With all the psychological issues that come with those problems---the weaknesses, the strengths. The lousy coping mechanisms. The bigotry. Porter's jerk of a dad. Andrews' jerk of a mother.
Hmmm, I wanna try the Club Milks trick…
Oh, oh, I love it! Ellen Dunne, attorney for the defense, "darling of the Left and the scourge of the Met" is so hot to trot to defend her precious client, only to realize when her precious client tells her how to twist the woman she's poisoning into lying to cover up what she did...LOL. Ellen makes a quick exit---stage left!
Oh, that ending! I love the windfall, but I don't understand why she'd share the wealth with McDonald…?
The Story
It's a great trick that Angie learned in prison. Claim you'll set off a bomb unless you get paid. Start small and build your way up. Then set up the frame. On a cop. On your partners.
The Characters
Sergeant Brant is rather calm in this story, even with his new snitch, Caz. Chief Inspector Roberts seems to be "returning to the fold". He's sold his house and is off the sauce. For the most part. The gay Sergeant Porter Nash is still in charge, but it's one phone call that tips his health over the edge.
WPC Falls is on the downhill slide, but it's really not her fault in this installment. It's circumstances. And, okay, she probably shouldn't be drinking… It's thanks to Detective Inspector Bob Nelson that she got into rehab, kicked the coke. Unfortunately for Nelson, Falls wants nothing more to do with him. WPC Andrews is new meat and it's Falls' job to introduce her to the job. Now, if Andrews would just listen...
PC McDonald's approach could well be the death of him. And in many ways, it could be the best thing for everyone. Superintendent Brown is an idiot and has really stuck his foot in his mouth this time!
Angie is the brains of the outfit. And probably the most sociopathic. Ray and Jimmy are brothers; he's the smart one, Jimmy's a bit more simple. Well, of the two. As part of this last plan, Jimmy gets a job and he's enjoying it. He likes the camaraderie and wants to keep the job.
The Cover
The cover is a contrast in brights versus pastels, graphic versus softness. A woman in a sexy bra sits smoking a cigarette, the glowing lamp behind her casting her in shadow while a bright yellow band with the author's name separates her from the bright red bottom that showcases the title in black.
The title itself is about a vicious criminal in this installment. A Vixen in truth. Sexy. Bitch. Violently spiteful.
My Take
The thing I like about this series is the realism. It's brutal. It's short and to the point. It's fascinating. Bruen has created a small cast of cops in a London suburb who range from young and eager to old and...oh man...mean, stupid, realistic. There's a line that most cops would probably empathize with "He's the public---they never mean well."
Bruen includes a quote from other authors at the start of each chapter that resonate with the contents of this series. Be sure to read them.
His characters are real with all the problems that cops have to face everyday. With all the psychological issues that come with those problems---the weaknesses, the strengths. The lousy coping mechanisms. The bigotry. Porter's jerk of a dad. Andrews' jerk of a mother.
Hmmm, I wanna try the Club Milks trick…
Oh, oh, I love it! Ellen Dunne, attorney for the defense, "darling of the Left and the scourge of the Met" is so hot to trot to defend her precious client, only to realize when her precious client tells her how to twist the woman she's poisoning into lying to cover up what she did...LOL. Ellen makes a quick exit---stage left!
Oh, that ending! I love the windfall, but I don't understand why she'd share the wealth with McDonald…?
The Story
It's a great trick that Angie learned in prison. Claim you'll set off a bomb unless you get paid. Start small and build your way up. Then set up the frame. On a cop. On your partners.
The Characters
Sergeant Brant is rather calm in this story, even with his new snitch, Caz. Chief Inspector Roberts seems to be "returning to the fold". He's sold his house and is off the sauce. For the most part. The gay Sergeant Porter Nash is still in charge, but it's one phone call that tips his health over the edge.
WPC Falls is on the downhill slide, but it's really not her fault in this installment. It's circumstances. And, okay, she probably shouldn't be drinking… It's thanks to Detective Inspector Bob Nelson that she got into rehab, kicked the coke. Unfortunately for Nelson, Falls wants nothing more to do with him. WPC Andrews is new meat and it's Falls' job to introduce her to the job. Now, if Andrews would just listen...
PC McDonald's approach could well be the death of him. And in many ways, it could be the best thing for everyone. Superintendent Brown is an idiot and has really stuck his foot in his mouth this time!
Angie is the brains of the outfit. And probably the most sociopathic. Ray and Jimmy are brothers; he's the smart one, Jimmy's a bit more simple. Well, of the two. As part of this last plan, Jimmy gets a job and he's enjoying it. He likes the camaraderie and wants to keep the job.
The Cover
The cover is a contrast in brights versus pastels, graphic versus softness. A woman in a sexy bra sits smoking a cigarette, the glowing lamp behind her casting her in shadow while a bright yellow band with the author's name separates her from the bright red bottom that showcases the title in black.
The title itself is about a vicious criminal in this installment. A Vixen in truth. Sexy. Bitch. Violently spiteful.
August 26, 2008
Witchy Woman
If you're a fan of intricate crime novels - arcane forensics and brainy CSI babes running around in lab coats - Ken Bruen's brand of bare knuckled police work in London's seedy southeast side is probably not your cup of, um, formaldehyde. In fact, about the only tools the rude and crude but bone-breaking-ly efficient Inspector Brant and his misfit cronies employ in reducing London's crime rate are brass knuckles and .38's. Likewise, Bruen's prose is about a subtle as a sledgehammer - raw edged stories told without apology, refreshing free of political correctness and daring to offend.
"Vixen" is another gem of the author's twisted brilliance - a simple and stripped down story wrapped around Angie, as cold and heartless a female killer to hit the pages since Caleb Carr's "Angel of Darkness". Recently released from prison, the foxy Angie seduces a pair of small time criminal brothers who are soon blowing up buildings and extorting cops. Typical of Bruen, the plot is merely a convenient background frame the banter and antics of the southeast London's eccentric police force. As expected, this is a fast moving, hard hitting drama laced with black humor and told in Bruen's unique and quirky vernacular. He may not be for everyone, but he is fresh and uninhibited - that rare writer who eschews convention and sets his own course. If you haven't discovered Ken Bruen yet, "Vixen" is as good as any a place to start.
Comment
If you're a fan of intricate crime novels - arcane forensics and brainy CSI babes running around in lab coats - Ken Bruen's brand of bare knuckled police work in London's seedy southeast side is probably not your cup of, um, formaldehyde. In fact, about the only tools the rude and crude but bone-breaking-ly efficient Inspector Brant and his misfit cronies employ in reducing London's crime rate are brass knuckles and .38's. Likewise, Bruen's prose is about a subtle as a sledgehammer - raw edged stories told without apology, refreshing free of political correctness and daring to offend.
"Vixen" is another gem of the author's twisted brilliance - a simple and stripped down story wrapped around Angie, as cold and heartless a female killer to hit the pages since Caleb Carr's "Angel of Darkness". Recently released from prison, the foxy Angie seduces a pair of small time criminal brothers who are soon blowing up buildings and extorting cops. Typical of Bruen, the plot is merely a convenient background frame the banter and antics of the southeast London's eccentric police force. As expected, this is a fast moving, hard hitting drama laced with black humor and told in Bruen's unique and quirky vernacular. He may not be for everyone, but he is fresh and uninhibited - that rare writer who eschews convention and sets his own course. If you haven't discovered Ken Bruen yet, "Vixen" is as good as any a place to start.
Comment
January 4, 2014
Another solid installment in this series.
I absolutely love Bruen's writing, and even though this book was not my favorite in the series, there was enough to make me like it. The darkness of the plot is there, as in most of the author's works. The usual characters are still dealing with their inner demons while they carry out their lives as best as they can. The bad guys are interesting enough but present a more common motivation than the ones seen typically in the series. The trio threatens to blow up stuff and people unless the police pays a ransom to prevent this.
In this book the character of Brant does not really evolve as was seen in the past. He is involved in the case, but we don't really learn more about him or what drives he to be as he is. There is quite a bit more attention put on Falls, which works for me, since she is a very intriguing character. Following the events at the end of the previous books that led Falls to cross the line, we have seen this character evolve quite a bit, and she is pretty much stealing the show.
This is a book that you can easily read in one or two sittings. The author keeps it fast-paced and the dialogues are witty and raw. If you are looking for a noir novel, Bruen is the way to go, and even though this is not his finest effort, it does the job.
I absolutely love Bruen's writing, and even though this book was not my favorite in the series, there was enough to make me like it. The darkness of the plot is there, as in most of the author's works. The usual characters are still dealing with their inner demons while they carry out their lives as best as they can. The bad guys are interesting enough but present a more common motivation than the ones seen typically in the series. The trio threatens to blow up stuff and people unless the police pays a ransom to prevent this.
In this book the character of Brant does not really evolve as was seen in the past. He is involved in the case, but we don't really learn more about him or what drives he to be as he is. There is quite a bit more attention put on Falls, which works for me, since she is a very intriguing character. Following the events at the end of the previous books that led Falls to cross the line, we have seen this character evolve quite a bit, and she is pretty much stealing the show.
This is a book that you can easily read in one or two sittings. The author keeps it fast-paced and the dialogues are witty and raw. If you are looking for a noir novel, Bruen is the way to go, and even though this is not his finest effort, it does the job.
March 22, 2012
Blitz aus dieser Reihe wurde schon verfilmt. Der Haudegen Jason Stratham spielt Brant. Man kann sich also vorstellen, was das für ein Typ Bulle ist. Vixen ist das fünfte Buch der Brant-Reihe, kann aber ohne Kenntnis der vorherigen gelesen werden. Bombenanschläge in London und die Bombenleger erpressen die Polizei.
Der Roman ist zweigeteilt. Einerseits folgt man den Verbrechern, die fast Stereotype sein könnten, wenn Ken Bruen dafür nicht zu clever wäre: Angie, die femme fatale und zwei Brüder, der eine durchgeknallt, der andere einfältig. Andererseits ist es auch police procedural, wobei eine ganze Polizeieinheit in den Fokus gerückt wird. Kleine Geschichten über die unterschiedlichen Persönlichkeiten kommen da zustande und die sind nicht unbedingt die Guten, besonders nicht Sergeant Brant, der Drecksack. Hier wird dann auch schon einmal Bezug auf frühere Begebenheiten genommen, aber wenn man davon nichts weiß, ist es nicht so, dass einem da entscheidendes Wissen fehlt.
Sehr straight erzählt, mit nicht nur einer, sondern gleich zwei fiesen Schlusspointen. Nicht mittelmäßig, eher durchschnittlich plus Bruen-Bonus.
Der Roman ist zweigeteilt. Einerseits folgt man den Verbrechern, die fast Stereotype sein könnten, wenn Ken Bruen dafür nicht zu clever wäre: Angie, die femme fatale und zwei Brüder, der eine durchgeknallt, der andere einfältig. Andererseits ist es auch police procedural, wobei eine ganze Polizeieinheit in den Fokus gerückt wird. Kleine Geschichten über die unterschiedlichen Persönlichkeiten kommen da zustande und die sind nicht unbedingt die Guten, besonders nicht Sergeant Brant, der Drecksack. Hier wird dann auch schon einmal Bezug auf frühere Begebenheiten genommen, aber wenn man davon nichts weiß, ist es nicht so, dass einem da entscheidendes Wissen fehlt.
Sehr straight erzählt, mit nicht nur einer, sondern gleich zwei fiesen Schlusspointen. Nicht mittelmäßig, eher durchschnittlich plus Bruen-Bonus.
September 7, 2007
VIXEN – G+
Ken Bruen – 5th in Brant Series
For the south-east London police Squad, it's rough, tough, dirty business. The Vixen - the most sensuous, crazy, female serial-killer ever - is masterminding a series of lethal explosions. Meanwhile, Porter-Nash is facing a serious health problem, PC McDonald finds himself looking down the wrong end of a .38, the career of WPC Andrews starts spectacularly but, she is about to discover that dynamite doesn't just mean explosive substances, and Superintendent Brown is close to a coronary, and arresting the wrong man in a blaze of publicity is only the beginning of his problems.
***This is a continuation of White Trilogy/Blitz series. As always, there is Bruen’s precise, spare writing, which remind me just a bit of McBain, which lets you get to know the characters without excessive description. He characters are not particularly likable, but always interesting. Not as dark as his Jack Taylor books but still very well done.
Ken Bruen – 5th in Brant Series
For the south-east London police Squad, it's rough, tough, dirty business. The Vixen - the most sensuous, crazy, female serial-killer ever - is masterminding a series of lethal explosions. Meanwhile, Porter-Nash is facing a serious health problem, PC McDonald finds himself looking down the wrong end of a .38, the career of WPC Andrews starts spectacularly but, she is about to discover that dynamite doesn't just mean explosive substances, and Superintendent Brown is close to a coronary, and arresting the wrong man in a blaze of publicity is only the beginning of his problems.
***This is a continuation of White Trilogy/Blitz series. As always, there is Bruen’s precise, spare writing, which remind me just a bit of McBain, which lets you get to know the characters without excessive description. He characters are not particularly likable, but always interesting. Not as dark as his Jack Taylor books but still very well done.
January 23, 2012
Damn you, Ken Bruen. Why do I keep getting your books? There I was planning to get some writing of my own done, but no -- I cracked open this book just to see how it started out and then I was too far in to stop. Worse than crisps. I'm fond of the Jack Taylor books, but I love the part of London this is set in, so I got a kick out of seeing familiar places. It took a bit to keep the characters straight, my only complaint -- maybe because I'm always reading things out of order, but as usual I was sucked in and flipping pages until I got to the end. And I'll be back for more, oh don't you know it.
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