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margaret21's review against another edition
3.0
This is an extremely fast-paced detective story set in Paris in 1949, just as the Germans have invaded Paris and taken control. Our very flawed hero is Inspector Eddie Giral: and he's flawed and deeply damaged thanks to his experiences as a soldier in WWI. His complex character brings grit and substance to this book, as do the vivid descriptions of a city shocked and bruised by the shame and fear engendered by its capture. But as the book moved on, I got increasingly left behind. So many characters. So many plots, sub-plots and characters who were not what they had seemed. I accept that in wartime Paris, it must have been very difficult to know who you could rely upon, but I rather lost the thread. I liked that the characters were not one-dimensional, that Lloyd made clear that there really was no one who was a 'baddie' because he fought for the enemy, or 'goodie' because he was on the side of the angels. In fact it's not simply Giral who's complex, and we, like him, really don't know who to trust. If only the plot hadn't tumbled twist upon twist, I'd have enjoyed it more. Will I read more from this series? I don't know. I need time to digest this one first, that's for sure. And anyway, the next one's not been written - yet.
judefire33's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My followers should know by now that I am a huge fan of WW2 historical crime fiction, I was kindly given a copy of Paris requiem by Orion Books, and before I read it, I wanted to read the first in the Eddie Giral novels by Chris Lloyd, The Unwanted Dead.
The Unwanted Dead is an absolute tour de force of a historical fiction novel. The opening chapter lets us meet our protagonist, Paris Police Detective Eddie Giral. It’s June 1940 and the Nazis have just waltzed into Paris and have taken over everything. For Eddie as a Detective in the French Police, this now means that he is working for the Nazis… however this does not sit well with him!
In The Unwanted Dead the reader is taken back in time into an immersive novel that is extraordinary in how it depicts life during the occupation of Paris. Eddie Giral is a fantastic character who I instantly grew to like – his use of sarcastic humour and comments to Nazi Officers had me laughing out loud! Chris Lloyd has managed to write with such realism that I really felt I was actually there by Eddies side during this complex but unputdownable thriller. The plot and storyline are exquisite and I can quite see why The Unwanted Dead won the HWA Gold Crown Award for Historical Fiction. To be able to transport the reader to another time is a real feat and to make it during the WW2 occupation in France is just brilliant.
I loved The Unwanted Dead and raced through it, it’s a great storyline and the plot is tense and vividly written! I especially liked how we got inside Eddie Girals mind and found out how he really felt trying to do his Detective job under increasing interference from his Nazi oppressors.
If you like WW2 fictional thrillers then I urge you to buy The Unwanted Dead, Im looking forward to reading the next in the series – Paris Requiem.
My rating is 4 stars.
juxtabook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
saml82's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
silviaclxrx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
teganbell's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe I’ve just overdone WWII fiction, but I really couldn’t get into this book. Nothing against the writing- that in itself was quite good, but I struggled to really get into this. Possibly just not my cup of tea.
hannahdawson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Suicide, Mental illness, Child death, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Hate crime
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