“It’s not that the Irish are cynical. It’s simply that they have a wonderful lack of respect for everything and everybody.” – Brendan Behan

Jack Taylor returns in “The Ghosts of Galway” with the “lack of respect” to which author Ken Bruen alludes in his Behan quote, but also with a healthy dose of cynicism. The all-weather Garda coat and the hurley return too along with “newish 501s, and the scuffed Doc Martins. You never knew when you might need to kick someone in the face.” And, as always, kicking is only the beginning of the violence meted out, and suffered, by Jack as the story proceeds and he deals with a strangely named Ukrainian; a Ron Hubbard wannabe and his enforcers; dead animals being dumped in Eyre Square; a girl with an imaginary brother; his former best friend, and now sworn enemy, Garda Ridge; and, most troubling, the return of “Emily and her diffuse weirdness” who made Taylor’s life such a “Green Hell” in his last outing. As Jack muses,

“…a thriller writer would throw out all these strands and then, presto, wrap them all up with a rugged hero, battered but unbowed, heading into an award-winning future.”

Of course, Jack Taylor, often battered, is not the traditional ‘rugged hero’ but then Ken Bruen is anything but a typical ‘thriller writer’…. There really is nothing like a Ken Bruen novel – the lyrical, poetic prose; the wry commentaries on current affairs (this time the 2016 deaths of musical heroes, the rise of Trump and Brexit; water charges…); the humour in the darkest of dark noir; the unique way he uses language, not only in the words he chooses to use but also
The
Way
Bruen
Puts
Words
On
The
Page
No other novels read like Ken Bruen’s. Brutal realism collides with stream of consciousness surrealism, commentary on the Kardasians with extreme bloody violence. The dialogue is rhythmic and musical… And profane.

For avenging angel Jack Taylor there is little redemption but, for the reader, there are few experiences to rival these books. I couldn’t put this down. Said,
“I can’t put this down.”

Unfortunately, it was over far too quickly.

“The Ghosts of Galway” is not published until November and I thank Mysterious Press and NetGalley for the early review copy and look forward to doing it all again on publication date.

Nobody does dark Irish noir like Bruen. This short but intense novel explores his series protagonist. Jack Taylor's demons and the troubles in Galway through the prisms of violence and crime. Characters from previous novels make appearances and the ending will shock you. As they say, Bruen never disappoints.

Jack Taylor could use some good luck. The poor guy has been suffering after getting the wrong diagnosis from his doctor and has tried to kill himself. He’s also badly in need of an infusion of cash. That’s where the Ukrainian comes in. He wants Jack to track down The Red Book, something that could knock the Vatican for a loop. At last best guess the book was in the possession of a priest who’s run away from the Vatican and is now hiding out in Galway. Jack has a serious dislike of the Church, and priests in particular, but money is money. The whole thing gets even more complicated when the woman Jack has loved for years also gets involved in the search for the book, leaving him wondering who he can trust and if he will live to see another sunrise. This is a tense and sometimes violent story and one that grabbed me from the first page. Jack is the hero you know you shouldn’t like, but you can’t help yourself