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The Unwanted Dead

Winner of the HWA Gold Crown for Best Historical Fiction
3.82 goodreads logo

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( 687 ratings, 81 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Unwanted Dead by Chris Lloyd is a gripping crime thriller set in Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II. The story follows Eddie Giral, a French police detective, who finds himself caught between loyalties as he investigates a series of murders linked to sensitive political tensions. As Eddie delves deeper, he faces moral dilemmas and personal struggles amidst the chaos and challenges of the occupation.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by atmospheric historical settings combined with gripping crime investigations. It's set in Nazi-occupied Paris, weaving a tale of intrigue, murder, and political tension. If you enjoy crime stories where the setting plays a pivotal role and characters must navigate through complex moral landscapes, this is a thrilling choice.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The first in a new gritty, edgy historical crime series for fans of Philip Kerr and Mick Herron.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'A gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German Occupation.' — ANDREW TAYLOR

WINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD

'Terrific'SUNDAY TIMES, Best Books of the Month

'A thoughtful, haunting thriller' — MICK HERRON

'Sharp and compelling'THE SUN

*

Paris, Friday 14th June 1940.

The day the Nazis march into Paris, making headlines around the globe.

Paris police detective Eddie Giral - a survivor of the last World War - watches helplessly on as his world changes forever.

But there is something he still has control over. Finding whoever is responsible for the murder of four refugees. The unwanted dead, who no one wants to claim.

To do so, he must tread carefully between the Occupation and the Resistance, between truth and lies, between the man he is and the man he was.

All the while becoming whoever he must be to survive in this new and terrible order descending on his home...

*

Lloyd's Second World War Paris is rougher than Alan Furst's, and Eddie Giral, his French detective, is way edgier than Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther ... Ranks alongside both for its convincingly cloying atmosphere of a city subjugated to a foreign power, a plot that reaches across war-torn Europe and into the rifts in the Nazi factions, and a hero who tries to be a good man in a bad world. Powerful stuff.THE TIMES

A tense and gripping mystery which hums with menace and dark humour as well as immersing the reader in the life of occupied ParisJudges, HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD

Excellent ... In Eddie Giral, Lloyd has created a character reminiscent of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther, oozing with attitude and a conflicted morality that powers a complex, polished plot. Historical crime at its finest.VASEEM KHAN, author of Midnight at Malabar House

Monumentally impressive ... A truly wonderful book. If somebody'd given it to me and told me it was the latest Robert Harris, I wouldn't have been surprised. Eddie Giral is a wonderful creation.ALIS HAWKINS

A terrific read - gripping and well-paced. The period atmosphere is excellent.MARK ELLIS

The best kind of crime novel: gripping, thought-provoking and moving. In Detective Eddie Giral, Chris Lloyd has created a flawed hero not just for occupied Paris, but for our own times, too.KATHERINE STANSFIELD

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Unwanted Dead by Chris Lloyd has garnered praise for its haunting and thoughtful narrative, set in wartime Paris. The book's rich atmosphere and meticulous research vividly recreate the city's occupation under Nazi control, offering a gripping murder mystery. Eddie Giral, the edgy and morally complex detective, has been compared favourably to iconic characters in similar historical crime novels, making this an impressive addition to the genre.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781409190271

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 March 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 320g

Pages: 464

About the Author

Straight after graduating in Spanish and French, Chris Lloyd hopped on a bus from Cardiff to Catalonia and stayed there for over twenty years, falling in love with the people, the country, the language and Barcelona Football Club, probably in that order. Besides Catalonia, he's also lived in the Basque Country and Madrid, teaching English, travel writing for Rough Guides and translating. He now lives in South Wales, where he works as a Catalan and Spanish translator, and returns to Catalonia as often as he can.

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    A page-turning, morally complex thriller. SUNDAY TIMES, Best Historical Fiction Books of 2023 'More than a historical crime novel, it's a tour de force.' ALIS HAWKINS 'You have a choice which way you go in this war...' Paris, September 1940. After three months under Nazi Occupation, not much can shock Detective Eddie Giral. That is, until he finds a murder...
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    Fantastic! A must read for fans of Philip Kerr STEVE CAVANAGH An excellent historical series VASEEM KHAN THE BRAND NEW NOVEL IN THE AWARD-WINNING OCCUPATION SERIES In the city of light, some deals are only made in the shadows. When a corrupt art dealer is killed, Detective Eddie Giral descends into an underground world of stolen paintings, forged identities, and...
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