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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
First in the Inspector Brant crime series set in some part of a contemporary London.
SPOILER ALERT
Since the series is named for him, I'd say it's safe to say Brant survives the knife in his back at the end. Brant is a corrupt asshole who ends up showing us a softer sider. But it is a difficult to comprehend story due to the language Bruen uses and its syntax. It amazes me that Bruen managed to pull me into the story in spite of the language or the brutality of their speech and their actions towards others.
It's interesting that the Inspector Brant series overflows with book and music references as does Bruen's Jack Taylor series and both are settled in the dregs of humanity except that Jack is a decent man despite his addictions while Brant is a right git.
Mostly we are introduced to the characters and their interrelationships via a couple of serial killer cases and Brant's oh-so-charming personality that kicks out amongst criminals, fellow officers, and civilians.
There's the equal opportunity "E" crowd inspired by mercenary magazines and movies—including the Umpire's favorite, The Dogs of War---doing anyone they believe are criminals so that society may be preserved—while the Umpire has his way of offing cricketeers, each time with a different weapon while Inspector Brant is out and about spreading his particular brand of xenophobic cheer extorting cigarettes from the corner shop, putting his delivered pizzas on the slate, and blackmailing criminals and victims.
Until Brant reveals himself at dinner with one of his victims. When the Umpire torches the dog he rescued.
Even so, a number of Brant's victims start to fight back. Via complaints to Scotland Yard. Seems that the beggars are fighting back as well.
Inspector Brant partners up, so to speak with CI Roberts. Brant is a corrupt, perverted asshole who has no consideration for anyone at all. He believes that Ed McBain novels are the ultimate in police procedurals. Except. Brant does exhibit some slight hints of tenderness.
Chief Inspector Roberts is even more of an asshole who treasures his daughter, Sarah, a typical teenager, and despises his wife, Fiona. A Fiona who opens herself up to all sorts of trouble when she splurges along with her friend Penelope on a boytoy. Chief Superintendent Brown is not particularly impressed with Roberts either.
WPC Falls who learns a terrible secret about her new love, Eddie Dillon. PC Tone was brilliant with his O- and A-levels and an utter idiot in his admiration of Brant with a total lack of streetsmarts. Rosie is a fellow WPC with whom Falls can joke and survive the "wit" of her fellows. CID Durham has been sent to their station to assess them; we can only pray he never achieves a higher position. Admittedly, the station does need work. Their public image sucks and CI Roberts keeps thinking without his brain.
Cora, a.k.a., Maggie Johnson, is the madame for the CA Club, a male brothel catering to the ladies.
Kevin leads the other three of the "E" team: his brother Albert, Doug, and Fenton in bashing anyone they decide are criminals. Although blacks are their primary target, they're not averse to taking out the occasional white man. The Umpire is a psychopath denied his fame as a cricketeer and determined to take his frustrations out on those who are in the game.
The title refers to the ultimate arrest. The kind that can win you promotion. Wipe out your black marks. A White Arrest.
SPOILER ALERT
My Take
Since the series is named for him, I'd say it's safe to say Brant survives the knife in his back at the end. Brant is a corrupt asshole who ends up showing us a softer sider. But it is a difficult to comprehend story due to the language Bruen uses and its syntax. It amazes me that Bruen managed to pull me into the story in spite of the language or the brutality of their speech and their actions towards others.
It's interesting that the Inspector Brant series overflows with book and music references as does Bruen's Jack Taylor series and both are settled in the dregs of humanity except that Jack is a decent man despite his addictions while Brant is a right git.
Mostly we are introduced to the characters and their interrelationships via a couple of serial killer cases and Brant's oh-so-charming personality that kicks out amongst criminals, fellow officers, and civilians.
The Story
There's the equal opportunity "E" crowd inspired by mercenary magazines and movies—including the Umpire's favorite, The Dogs of War---doing anyone they believe are criminals so that society may be preserved—while the Umpire has his way of offing cricketeers, each time with a different weapon while Inspector Brant is out and about spreading his particular brand of xenophobic cheer extorting cigarettes from the corner shop, putting his delivered pizzas on the slate, and blackmailing criminals and victims.
Until Brant reveals himself at dinner with one of his victims. When the Umpire torches the dog he rescued.
Even so, a number of Brant's victims start to fight back. Via complaints to Scotland Yard. Seems that the beggars are fighting back as well.
The Characters
Inspector Brant partners up, so to speak with CI Roberts. Brant is a corrupt, perverted asshole who has no consideration for anyone at all. He believes that Ed McBain novels are the ultimate in police procedurals. Except. Brant does exhibit some slight hints of tenderness.
Chief Inspector Roberts is even more of an asshole who treasures his daughter, Sarah, a typical teenager, and despises his wife, Fiona. A Fiona who opens herself up to all sorts of trouble when she splurges along with her friend Penelope on a boytoy. Chief Superintendent Brown is not particularly impressed with Roberts either.
WPC Falls who learns a terrible secret about her new love, Eddie Dillon. PC Tone was brilliant with his O- and A-levels and an utter idiot in his admiration of Brant with a total lack of streetsmarts. Rosie is a fellow WPC with whom Falls can joke and survive the "wit" of her fellows. CID Durham has been sent to their station to assess them; we can only pray he never achieves a higher position. Admittedly, the station does need work. Their public image sucks and CI Roberts keeps thinking without his brain.
Cora, a.k.a., Maggie Johnson, is the madame for the CA Club, a male brothel catering to the ladies.
Kevin leads the other three of the "E" team: his brother Albert, Doug, and Fenton in bashing anyone they decide are criminals. Although blacks are their primary target, they're not averse to taking out the occasional white man. The Umpire is a psychopath denied his fame as a cricketeer and determined to take his frustrations out on those who are in the game.
The Title
The title refers to the ultimate arrest. The kind that can win you promotion. Wipe out your black marks. A White Arrest.
newson66's review against another edition
3.0
Unlike his earlier novels this ones's a bit of a mad dog's dinner. May have been the intention of Bruen and if it was then the joke's on me.
yorugua1891's review against another edition
4.0
Early Bruen work that delivers with raw passion.
I am one of the many readers that discovered Bruen through his Jack Taylor series and was hooked forever. Since I have devoured all his books in that series, it was time to expand my horizons while I waited for the next installment. That is how I ended up getting the first book in the Brant and Roberts series. What I found was a noir that is as raw as noir can be, delivering a myriad of characters, with none of them being the good guy or gal. I am used to Bruen using the anti-hero as his protagonist in the Jack Taylor series, and here we get a couple of cops that epitomize the dirty cop. Especially Brant, who abuses his power like there is no tomorrow.
The author uses a series of short passages to deliver the story. We are constantly jumping from one scene to the next, and it gets a little while to get used to figuring out who is participating in the scene and how it connects to everything else that is going on. At first it can be confusing and frustrating, but I recommend you keep at it because the final result is rewarding enough. Also, don't expect this to be a novel in which the plot revolves around investigating the crime, since that is not what this work is about. It is almost as if the cases the duo is working on are an excuse to show us everything else that is going on in the lives of these characters. We get to see details of their personal lives and relationships and these end up being the focal point of the story.
As always, Ken Bruen delivers a work that truly diverges from the well-known paths. He does not conform to what others have done in the genre. There are some similarities; in particular Brant is obsessed with the novel of McBain, but Bruen always delivers a breath of fresh air. Well maybe sometimes the air is fetid, but you still appreciate it. Those that love all types of books, like I do, will certainly enjoy the constant references to other authors and specific works throughout this story. I have found some hidden gems by looking up authors Bruen mentions in his Taylor series, and I hope I end up finding more in this one.
I am one of the many readers that discovered Bruen through his Jack Taylor series and was hooked forever. Since I have devoured all his books in that series, it was time to expand my horizons while I waited for the next installment. That is how I ended up getting the first book in the Brant and Roberts series. What I found was a noir that is as raw as noir can be, delivering a myriad of characters, with none of them being the good guy or gal. I am used to Bruen using the anti-hero as his protagonist in the Jack Taylor series, and here we get a couple of cops that epitomize the dirty cop. Especially Brant, who abuses his power like there is no tomorrow.
The author uses a series of short passages to deliver the story. We are constantly jumping from one scene to the next, and it gets a little while to get used to figuring out who is participating in the scene and how it connects to everything else that is going on. At first it can be confusing and frustrating, but I recommend you keep at it because the final result is rewarding enough. Also, don't expect this to be a novel in which the plot revolves around investigating the crime, since that is not what this work is about. It is almost as if the cases the duo is working on are an excuse to show us everything else that is going on in the lives of these characters. We get to see details of their personal lives and relationships and these end up being the focal point of the story.
As always, Ken Bruen delivers a work that truly diverges from the well-known paths. He does not conform to what others have done in the genre. There are some similarities; in particular Brant is obsessed with the novel of McBain, but Bruen always delivers a breath of fresh air. Well maybe sometimes the air is fetid, but you still appreciate it. Those that love all types of books, like I do, will certainly enjoy the constant references to other authors and specific works throughout this story. I have found some hidden gems by looking up authors Bruen mentions in his Taylor series, and I hope I end up finding more in this one.
dinatrojan's review against another edition
1.0
First and foremost: I love Ken Bruen. After reading his Jack Taylor series, it moved to my #2 all-time behind Harry Potter.....that being said, I did not enjoy A White Arrest at all, though it sounds blasphemous of me to say.
I think it's because unlike Jack, who is an asshole but still a sweetie at heart, Brant and Roberts don't really have any redeeming qualities. They are rude, brash, abrasive, not my cup of tea. Their humor isn't clever at all. I fell in love with JT because of his bedraggled yet still golden heart. Brant and Roberts just annoyed the BEJAYSUS out of me.
Unlike Bruen's smooth and relaxed writing style in JT, it seemed rushed in this. I felt like my mind had to go 100 mph just to keep up with the dialogue and what was happening. The dialogue also was a problem for me. I didn't understand half of what was being said. The crimes were boring and offered no real mystery.
Love Bruen and will continue to make my way through his works but this one just didn't do it for me.
I think it's because unlike Jack, who is an asshole but still a sweetie at heart, Brant and Roberts don't really have any redeeming qualities. They are rude, brash, abrasive, not my cup of tea. Their humor isn't clever at all. I fell in love with JT because of his bedraggled yet still golden heart. Brant and Roberts just annoyed the BEJAYSUS out of me.
Unlike Bruen's smooth and relaxed writing style in JT, it seemed rushed in this. I felt like my mind had to go 100 mph just to keep up with the dialogue and what was happening. The dialogue also was a problem for me. I didn't understand half of what was being said. The crimes were boring and offered no real mystery.
Love Bruen and will continue to make my way through his works but this one just didn't do it for me.
rosseroo's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up when it came out 15 years ago and just couldn't get past the first ten pages or so -- it felt like I'd turned the TV on in the middle of an unfamiliar show, with long-established characters bantering their way through quick scenes, and I just couldn't keep up. This time around, I was able to find the book's rhythm right away and ride it to the end -- which doesn't take long, it's very short.
The title is London cop slang for the kind of career-making bust that renders one nearly untouchable -- something two of the three protagonists are in dire need of. DS Brant is the worst kind of bully cop, smacking people around in interrogation rooms, sexually harassing pretty much any woman in his line of sight, and leaning on local merchants for all manner of freebies. His boss, Chief Inspector Roberts is on the tail end of his career and close to being forceably retired. The third protagonist is WPC Falls, whose gender and race place her on the opposite end of the spectrum from Brant, but still manages to get along with him.
Their Southeast London precinct is locus for not one serial killer, but two -- the first a total nutcase called "The Umpire" intent on killing off the English national cricket squad, the latter a foursome led by a testosterone and shame fueled vigilante thug inspired by the Death Wish movies to start lynching local drug dealers. I generally can't stand crime novels that involve serial killers -- I think they're a very lazy plot device. However, everything in this book, from the cops, to the action, to the vivid language is so bursting with outsized color that it fits in.
Make no mistake, for all the wisecracking and pop culture references, this is a violent and grim book. Definitely for fans of hard-boiled London, rather than more cerebral crime stories. It doesn't always work -- there are some subplots (one about a Roberts's wife going to a sex club, another about a sad sack police officer) that seem somewhat extraneous to the story. But it's worth checking out if you're interested in crime stories that have an unusual style to them.
Note: There are continuous references to Ed McBain's 87th Precinct books, and Bill James Harpur and Iles series get a namecheck as well.
The title is London cop slang for the kind of career-making bust that renders one nearly untouchable -- something two of the three protagonists are in dire need of. DS Brant is the worst kind of bully cop, smacking people around in interrogation rooms, sexually harassing pretty much any woman in his line of sight, and leaning on local merchants for all manner of freebies. His boss, Chief Inspector Roberts is on the tail end of his career and close to being forceably retired. The third protagonist is WPC Falls, whose gender and race place her on the opposite end of the spectrum from Brant, but still manages to get along with him.
Their Southeast London precinct is locus for not one serial killer, but two -- the first a total nutcase called "The Umpire" intent on killing off the English national cricket squad, the latter a foursome led by a testosterone and shame fueled vigilante thug inspired by the Death Wish movies to start lynching local drug dealers. I generally can't stand crime novels that involve serial killers -- I think they're a very lazy plot device. However, everything in this book, from the cops, to the action, to the vivid language is so bursting with outsized color that it fits in.
Make no mistake, for all the wisecracking and pop culture references, this is a violent and grim book. Definitely for fans of hard-boiled London, rather than more cerebral crime stories. It doesn't always work -- there are some subplots (one about a Roberts's wife going to a sex club, another about a sad sack police officer) that seem somewhat extraneous to the story. But it's worth checking out if you're interested in crime stories that have an unusual style to them.
Note: There are continuous references to Ed McBain's 87th Precinct books, and Bill James Harpur and Iles series get a namecheck as well.
samhouston's review against another edition
3.0
Ken Bruen novels are inhabited by a few (very few) good cops, a whole bunch of “bent” ones, and a few brutal criminals who happen to wear police badges while committing their crimes. His is a violent world in which criminals and cops compete on an even playing field – rules and rights, be damned. A White Arrest, the first book in Bruen’s White Trilogy, is a prime example of that world.
London’s Chief Inspector Roberts and Detective Sergeant Brant do not do things by the book. On the good cop/brutal cop spectrum, they are much closer to being characterized as criminal cops than as good cops. But, despite their wild-man tactics, they are not particularly effective at solving crimes. Consequently, their jobs are often on the line. They badly need a “white arrest,” - the high profile arrest of a criminal whose crimes have caught the imaginations of the public – if they are ever to have any real job security.
Brant, the book’s main character, abuses his police power so badly that he has long forgotten how to make a legal arrest. He physically abuses suspects, takes bribes when he can get them (and steals cash laying around crime scenes when he hopes no one is looking), runs a liquor store tab he has no intention of ever paying, and is not above stiffing the pizza delivery guy on occasion. But all that makes him the perfect cop to stop the murderers terrorizing two very different segments of the London population.
A White Arrest is Ken Bruen at his wildest – and that is really saying something. Reading this one is like reading under a bright strobe light as Bruen presents one short scene after another in such rapid succession that it is often difficult to determine which character is speaking – or, for that matter, even involved in the segment. But, frustrating as this approach often is, it works well to set the tone of the dual investigations that take on lives all their own.
Roberts and Brant, like them or not, are a forced to be reckoned with in their patch of southeast London. Criminals beware.
London’s Chief Inspector Roberts and Detective Sergeant Brant do not do things by the book. On the good cop/brutal cop spectrum, they are much closer to being characterized as criminal cops than as good cops. But, despite their wild-man tactics, they are not particularly effective at solving crimes. Consequently, their jobs are often on the line. They badly need a “white arrest,” - the high profile arrest of a criminal whose crimes have caught the imaginations of the public – if they are ever to have any real job security.
Brant, the book’s main character, abuses his police power so badly that he has long forgotten how to make a legal arrest. He physically abuses suspects, takes bribes when he can get them (and steals cash laying around crime scenes when he hopes no one is looking), runs a liquor store tab he has no intention of ever paying, and is not above stiffing the pizza delivery guy on occasion. But all that makes him the perfect cop to stop the murderers terrorizing two very different segments of the London population.
A White Arrest is Ken Bruen at his wildest – and that is really saying something. Reading this one is like reading under a bright strobe light as Bruen presents one short scene after another in such rapid succession that it is often difficult to determine which character is speaking – or, for that matter, even involved in the segment. But, frustrating as this approach often is, it works well to set the tone of the dual investigations that take on lives all their own.
Roberts and Brant, like them or not, are a forced to be reckoned with in their patch of southeast London. Criminals beware.
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