London LargeUndefeated: Detective Hawkins Crime Thriller Series #6 (London Large Hard-Boiled Crime Series) by Roy Robson

London LargeUndefeated: Detective Hawkins Crime Thriller Series #6 (London Large Hard-Boiled Crime Series) Reviews

• 
  Steve

  I first encountered Harry Hawkins aka ‘H’ last year when I read the first London Large novel ‘Blood on the Streets’. Something must have resonated with me because I kept it on my Kindle App rather than deleting it. A month or two ago I read it again, and this time was irresistibly drawn in to H’s world. I signed up to Garry and Roy’s newsletter. I read ‘Tipping Point’ which filled in much of H’s backstory prior to the Paras and Scotland Yard. Then I joined Team Hawkins and began reading the other books in the series. All are good, most are very good and what’s more they are improving book by book. The latest in the series‘Undefeated’ is a great read and more of that later.
  
  It has to be said that when you enter H’s world you need to take some things with quite a large pinch of salt. For example, the amount of alcohol consumed by H and his friends while still fully functioning is truly beyond belief. I share H’s fondness for a few large scotches with pints of IPA to wash them down but these blokes could drink a brewery dry several times over and still knock out the baddies as an afterthought.
  
  But then, everything in these stories is on a grand scale. The villains are nastier, the violence more bone-shattering (intended pun!), the projected crimes more mind-boggling (regicide anyone?). H himself is like nothing you’ll meet elsewhere. ‘Force of nature’ really does not do him justice. This is a man who never takes a backward step. He never walks, he ‘barrels’ (a term I’ve only ever met in these stories). Any villain-Russian mafias, Albanian gangsters, old-school Essex hitmen, black magic-driven sex predators - none of them stand an earthly against Big H.
  
  I couldn’t help but notice some of the similarities between H’s early days in Bermondsey and my own formative years in 1950s/60s Bethnal Green. I love the way Harry calls his young son ‘boy’ rather than using his name. This is so typically working-class London- I was never Stephen or Stevie to my parents and older siblings, always ‘boy’ (even when I was middle-aged!) simply because I was the youngest, and adds real authenticity to the books.Playing on the bomb sites-still common even 30 or more years after the Blitz; the pie and mash shops; running with the pack on Saturday afternoons in the early days of football fan firms (H Millwall,me Spurs). ‘Tipping Point’ was particularly poignant for me because my dad, like H’s, was a self-employed lorry driver. He would move anything anywhere, and I can still remember riding in his cab. I lost my dad however when I was 13, Harry senior lives to a ripe old age and features strongly in ‘Undefeated’ Which brings me round to what I think is perhaps the strongest part of Garry and Roy’s stories.
  
  To Harry family is everything. When his older son Little Ronnie goes off the rails in ‘Bound by Blood’ nothing else matters to H until he has rescued him from the Albanian gangsters who have brainwashed him. As the series progresses we are constantly reminded of H’s love for his wife and baby son. Not until ‘Undefeated ‘ do we meet the rest of his extended family and learn of the intense loyalty they all feel towards each other. My extended family in the ‘60s were exactly the same. My many uncles and cousins were almost invariably self-employed, trying to support their families the only way they knew how. One of my older uncles was called Tosher. I only realised many years later that that wasn’t his given name but a reference to his occupation (look it up if you’re unfamiliar with the term).
  
  Ducking and diving, wheeling and dealing, call it what you like. Many of H’s family and many of mine occupy/occupied that shadowy hinterland we now call the black economy. But they worked, with their hands, with their heads, with their hearts. They had no choice. Families needed feeding. Which brings me, in an extremely roundabout way to this:
  
  In London, and of course in all the great industrial towns and cities of the North and Midlands, Wales and Scotland, there once existed a proud and principled working class. Before Maggie’s Children, before fake Burberry and Barbour, before tramp stamps, before benefit culture, before ‘I’m entitled’ there was a true working-class. ‘Undefeated’ in a way is somehow out of time. But it is a celebration of a class and a culture which has largely vanished. The Bethnal Green I grew up in doesn’t exist now. I’d be interested to know if H’s Bermondsey is still the same.
  
  London Large is a great, great series, written by two authors who know their setting inside out. ‘Undefeated’, to my mind, is the best so far. Of course, great literature it isn’t. If you want that try any Booker Prize short list. In the meantime I’ll wait for Garry and Roy’s next story. Keep it up fellas.
• 
  Texas

  The Undefeated #5 - I love this series and this is another well written part of H and the Hawkins family. While blending the past and present storylines into a hard to put down venture into H's world, there are glimpses into his future.
  
  Typical London Large characters that keep the reader involved with the gamut of emotions and actions faced by all. Ronnie and his cousins work on an old mystery concerning the death of and rumours about a great-uncle while H's past dealings come to haunt him when pushed through by a typical young 'Let's clean up the present dirty police by punishing past suspected dirty police' minded, fame seeking policewoman. Kind of the present day mentality of let's kill all the cattle since they have flatulence. Yep, you know where that storyline is heading.
  
  This review is too easy to turn into a book report. It is easy to get excited about the indepth, multiple layers in the London Large tapestry and the subtleties each book brings to the series. Sadly, the authors are following the disrespectful editing guidelines of using lowercase for proper and family names, which is ironic since family is so important to H and old school South London. I contacted the authors to review their books. 5*
  
  London Large, Blood on the Streets #1 - A well written, action filled, suspense novel set in present day London. The multiple battles of old school vs. new police, Russian and Albanian mafias, and the elites of government. The pace is fast and the reader is intrigued by what is on the pages. I couldn't put the book down. I contacted the authors to review their books after reading Tipping Point, the intro of the old school raising of several of the major characters. Tipping Point should be read first, if possible. 5*
  
  London Large, Bound by Blood #2 - A well written, action filled, suspense novel set, in present day London, that picks up from Blood on the Streets a few months later with the same characters plus. The prime focus is still the continuing battle against the Albanian mafia. I couldn't put this book down any more than I did the first book. I contacted the authors to review their books after reading Tipping Point, the intro the old school raising of several of the major characters. Tipping Point should be read first, if possible. 5*
  London Large, Bloody Liberties #3- Blood and thunder, to borrow a British phrase. A well written, action packed, suspense filled novel that grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go until the end. Then you think about what you've read. I couldn't put the book down; I was immersed in the horror that is so possible today. Good old fashion soldiering, new technology and human perseverance; the combination making a great read. The twisting plot was well thought out and believable; the dialog realistic; and the technology spot on. If you haven't read the prequel and the first two books, you need to do so. Liberties can be read without them, but they enhance the story and you understand the viewpoints of the characters better. 5*
  
  London Large, American Lockdown #4 - Absolutely the best of this good series. Fast paced; action packed; suspense filled; evil and deadly. It's even harder to put this book down, the others were difficult to stop reading, but this one makes the others look like child's play. Every character is well developed and we have the gang from previous books. The plot is a roller coaster ride of horror, hate, revenge, anger and love. Full of emotions: simmering to full blown; you name it, it's covered. How much can H take? I wonder what the next book will be since it will be difficult to top this one, but I'm sure the Robson Brothers can handle it. This is a 10 star book! 5*
  
  London Large, Tipping Point, Prequel- Must read Tipping Point first before LL Blood on the Streets. The introduction of the old school raising of several of the major characters of the London Large series. This intro clarify any confusion the reader may experience in LL, Blood on the Streets. 5*
  
  Sharp and Short: A collection of shorts about Harry 'H' Hawkins, which should be read, in the sequential order of time, before and during the London Large series, especially Tipping Point. Tipping Point will explain a lot about the type of man he is and how he became Harry of the London Large series. Also, there's some information in this book that is mentioned in the first book and causes confusion for the reader that hadn't read TP. The other books have background about how H develops his feelings, good and bad, of the people, good and bad, in his life and work. Also, his mates are featured. Good background stories. 5* Home Front - November, 2003. Age 45. Harry's reaction to a string of violated, murdered young girls and health scare and his marriage. Counter Punch - October, 1984; February, 1985. While still in the army, H handles an extended family problem against a crime lord, with an American GI by H's side. On Tour - 1978. Nineteen year-old H, Shy Nervous John and Ronnie as part of the Anglers Athletic under-21s on tour in Amsterdam and Hamburg. Their first time out of England. That's Life - November, 1995. Little Ronnie is born and H lives his code about his friends, his "own". Unsafe Space - November 2017. As a private investigator, a case leads him to a university where the students are brainwashed by their professor into destruction and hatred. Tipping Point - January, 1974. Prequel - Must read Tipping Point first before LL Blood on the Streets. The introduction of the old school raising of several of the major characters of the London Large series. This intro clarify any confusion the reader may experience in LL, Blood on the Streets. Sharp and Short: End
• 
  Mystee Pulcine

  I think I enjoy every London Large book a bit more. I like the evolution of the main character, and in this book, we see the evolution of the next generation and how their motivations are an amalgamation of their father's priorities, and the priorities of the world around them. Yes, it is the characters that really make this book shine, though the story is spot on as well.
• 
  A KERR

  One for Boxing Fans
  
  There are two strands in this episode of the Harry Hawkins series. The boxing side was excellent but the investigation into H's past activities was a waste of time. It felt like padding to add more pagrs.
• 
  John

  Good to catch up with H again. What a belter of a thriller.
• 
  Patricia Ann

  Harry Hawkins, or H as we've come to know him through Gary and Roy Robson's books is a man who struggles with what is THE law and his deep belief in justice, ethics, loyalty. In Undefeated, H deals with rumors about family connections with bribery in boxing from the past AND present day family difficulties dealing with the Mob and bribery in boxing. We see a more intense H as a person, struggling with the deep filings of loyalty and love for those dear to him while skirting the law.In addition, as a former police officer, he is pursued by a police commander who wants to catch him at any possible law breaking. This is a powerful , very powerful book. On one level , it enlightens about the boxing world, the struggles and pain of becoming the 'best' . At another level, and to me, the most powerful part is the struggles of all for loyalty and justice... what it would feel like to give up 'being the best' boxer vs. protecting family and dear ones. At another, there is H's struggle -- intense family feelings of love and loyalty, the deep sense of justice vs. what is the written law.... and still protecting himself from that ever pursuing police commander who is playing cat and mouse with him. This is a complex, powerful book. Thank YOU Gary and Roy for a book in exchange for my open and honest review.
• 
  Pete

  This book is a bit of a departure from the rest of the series as it is based entirely around the world of boxing and the criminal activity around fixing fights. In a way it is a shame that the police or private investigator work is missing, but for me the story is strong enough to justify the change in direction.
  There are always two aspects of the 'London Large' series that can be relied on, and these are the characters, and then there is the action, and both of these are present in spades in this book. I particularly like 'H's family who are a real cross section of working class characters, and who (mostly) support each other.
  Although this book is centred on boxing, I don't think that it is essential to have a detailed knowledge of the sport to enjoy the book.
  I received an advance copy of the book but this honest review was written voluntarily.
  
• 
  Annette

  Boxing is a sport that I have endured over the years but secretly loved. My mother would get up in the middle of the night to watch the big fights in the early 60's and it's the only sport my husband watches. I never realised what went on behind the scenes and this book brought it to life. When Harry Hawkins nephew is given the opportunity to take a crack at a title fight it seems too good to be true. Family is everything to Harry and he has always done his best for them, he knows something is not right but what?. I found the book totally absorbing and exciting, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. A worthy 5*
• 
  Barbara

  I don't usually like sports books but this combination of noir PI procedural and boxing title bout is well-crafted, PG for violence, and requires a long weekend. I had an ARC and this voluntary review is my own opinion.
• 
  Clive Willcocks

  Another great story, which is by far the best one. I would highly recommend it, as it is superb