Bent

Guardian Best Book of 2020<BR>Irish Times Best Crime Fiction of 2020<BR>Times Book of the Month <BR>Mail on Sunday Thriller of the Month<BR>The Spectator Crime Fiction of the Month<BR>Crime Time Book of the Year 2020<BR><BR>'Vivid, stylish, funny' Mick Heron<BR><BR><BR> The first time I met Harold Challenor, he frisked me for weapons - I was ten years old. <BR><BR>Bent is the explosive story of the rise and fall of SAS commando, and notorious Detective Sergeant, Harold 'Tanky' Challenor. <BR><BR>During the Second World War, Challenor was parachuted behind enemy lines into Italy and France, performing remarkable feats of bravery. <BR><BR>In the grimy underbelly of 1960s Soho, he was a ferocious and controversial presence, mediating between factions of club owners and racketeers, and cultivating informers. <BR><BR>But just how far will he go to break the protection gang that has a grip on his manor?<BR><BR> It can be a fine line that divides hero and villain. <BR><BR>PRAISE FOR JOE THOMAS <BR><BR>'Brilliant' The Times <BR>'Feverish energy' Guardian <BR>'Wonderfully vivid' Mail on Sunday<BR>'Sophisticated, dizzying' GQ<BR>'Vivid and visceral' The Times<BR>'Superbly realised vivid and atmospheric' Guardian<BR>'Original' Mail on Sunday<BR>'A stylish, atmospheric treat an inspired blend of David Peace and early Pinter' Irish Times <BR>'Sparse, energetic, fragmented prose' The Spectator <BR>'Vibrant, colourful, and complex' Irish Independent <BR>'Stylish, sharp-witted, taut. A must for modern noir fans' NB Magazine <BR>'Definitive confident and energetic' Crime Time <BR>'Brilliant manic energy' Jake Arnott <BR>'Wildly stylish and hugely entertaining' Lucy Caldwell <BR>'Vivid, stylish, funny' Mick Herron <BR> 'Gripping, fast-paced, darkly atmospheric' Susanna Jones <BR>'Snappy, thoughtful, moving' John King <BR> 'Exciting, fresh, incredibly assured' Stav Sherez <BR> 'Happy days!' Mark Timlin <BR>'Utterly brilliant' Cathi Unsworth <BR>'Had James Ellroy and David Peace collaborated on a novel they'd have written something like this' Paul Willets