“Terrific.”

– The Sunday Times (London)

“The detective ekes partial wins out of this amoral game: 'Private triumphs I could share with no one'—except the spellbound reader.”

– Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

“British author Lloyd makes his U.S. debut with a stellar sequel to 2020’s The Unwanted Dead.

– Publishers Weekly (starred review) 

“Sharp and compelling.”

– The Sun (London)

“[A] superbly atmospheric thriller, which oozes moral ambiguity.”

– Booklist (starred review)

“A thoughtful, haunting thriller.”

– Mick Herron, international bestselling author of Slough House

"This smart historical thriller centers on a WWII-era Paris policeman who finds himself working on behalf of the occupiers, pushing him into a moral crisis and a new case that forces him to confront the true extent of the damage being done to the soul of his city."

– Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads Editor-in-Chief

“In Detective Eddie Giral, Chris Lloyd has created a flawed hero not just for occupied Paris, but for our own times, too.”

– Katherine Stansfield, author of The Mermaid’s Call

"Lloyd paints a vivid picture of Paris: the lines of people trying to buy highly rationed food, the jazz clubs where they try to escape their miseries, and their persistent attempts to block out the brutal facts of the occupation. The plot action is suspenseful and intense. The characters—both heroes and villains—are vividly drawn. This is definitely a captivating read!"

– Historical Novel Society

“Such a powerful and morally nuanced crime novel. A gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German occupation.”

– Andrew Taylor, author of The Royal Secret

Praise for Chris Lloyd’s Detective Eddie Giral series:

“A terrific read—it put me in mind of Alan Furst and Philip Kerr. Gripping and well-paced. The period atmosphere is excellent.”

– Mark Ellis, author of Princes Gate

“A police story with a difference, sepia-painted to match the time and circumstances, with a convincing background and atmosphere, skillfully drawn to encompass the fates of the lead characters as if you were there by their side. Well-written and carefully researched, it is one to stay with you long after you have finished reading.”

– Shots Magazine

“Chris Lloyd's wartime 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 (London)

“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. I'm blown away. 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, author of Not One of Us