What a wild ride! I haven't read too many historical thrillers set in the 1860s in Manchester! This book is immersive and so well researched. It's definitely dark, and I do think the tension could have been better. But overall, a good thriller!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction set in 1867 and beyond in Manchester. The Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish republican organization created as a rebellion to end British rule, is planning an attack after 3 of their members are publicly hanged. The Fenians bring in Stephen Doyle, a ruthless Civil War veteran who is willing to do anything for the cause to seek retribution for those deaths. Constable James O'Connor, who came to Manchester to Dublin still grieving the loss of his wife, is on the other side of the conflict - with spies in all areas of the brotherhood. Their storylines collide culminating in an unexpected ending.

This is a book with great potential but as it kept going, it seemed as though the author knew how he wanted the book to go but didn't know how to transition the plot smoothly. There are obvious distinct sections in the book, but going from one major section to the next never felt natural. It was abrupt how quickly the book went from the plot about Stephen Doyle and the Fenians to the next storyline with O'Connor to the finale. It was almost like reading three separate books, except without the proper buildup or payoff for any of the books. The last chapter of the book was risky and an interesting way to conclude things, but also felt like an unnecessary addition added for shock value.

The characters never go beyond their elevator pitch characteristics. O'Connor as a protagonist seems to have life happening to him rather than actually being the real cause of anything in his life. The section that deals with him seems to verge on existentialism but never quite reaches a real point. While both Doyle and O'Connor are examples of how rough and difficult childhoods can affect what people are like as adults, we're also not given enough of their childhoods for that to really resonate either.

Like with [author:Ian McGuire|3004686]'s previous book [book:The North Water|30006578], Stephen Doyle is a character that embodies something close to sociopathy. McGuire is once again trying his best to create a villain similar to something created by [author:Cormac McCarthy|4178] but there's not enough depth in either the protagonist or antagonist to reach those heights.

I think a few additional scenes/chapters would have really helped the book. It was almost jarring how quickly the plot changed and how quickly the previous plots were dropped. With how much obvious research McGuire put into the history and setting the scenes to put the reader into 1860's Manchester, it's a shame that he couldn't commit on a proper storyline to go with it.

Thanks, I assigned a review of the book with a freelance writer that ran the story in 11 newspapers and websites in the Southern California News Group including the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News. I include 2 of the 11 links below.

They say the Irish have luck, but Jimmy O'Connor must have the dozing on Distribution Day because this Irishman sure got the short end of the shillelagh. An unhappy incident in Dublin causes Constable O'Connor to be exiled to Manchester, England, where Irish nationalists are engaging in thuggery in the service of patriotism. It's the mid-19th century and the hapless O'Connor gets tangled up in the Fenian Feud. McGuire is a master of the brutal, as he ably demonstrated in this book's peerless predecessor, The North Water. The dialogue is as sharp as the retort of a pistol; the characters are finely drawn and if the denouement is more bottled Guinness than draft, there are pleasures to be had nonetheless. So don't abstain and don't complain; your blood will run hot soon enough.

Published by Random House on September 15, 2020

The two key characters in The Abstainer are both bent on revenge. They must each decide whether satisfaction is worth its cost. Those decsions are difficult because the true cost of vengeance is often hidden.

James O’Conner drank himself into oblivion after his wife died. Having disgraced himself as a police officer in Ireland, he is transferred to Manchester, where he has the chance to make a new life. He stops drinking and develops a network of Irish informers who give him tips when the Fenians are planning a crime to further their rebel cause. The English officers tolerate O’Connor but they will never accept an Irishman as one of their own, no matter how often he proves himself. “He knows he is better off here in England were no one knows or cares about him, where he is free alike from history and expectation, but he wonders too how long this balancing act can last and how it will end.”

Stephen Doyle fought for the Union in the Civil War. He is the kind of man who only finds purpose in war. He believes war rescued him from “faithless years of lassitude and drift.” Traveling to England in the cause of Irish rebellion suits him, gives him a purpose and a use for his skills. Three members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood have been hanged in Manchester. Doyle has been sent from America “to take revenge for the hangings, show the world that we’re not weak or afraid.”

Michael Sullivan meets Doyle on the ship from America. Sullivan is O’Conner’s nephew. He’s running from trouble of his own making. Sullivan volunteers, and is later coerced, to spy on Doyle and the Fenians. He hopes to use his contact with Doyle to infiltrate the Fenians and learn the details of their plan.

Events do not go well for any of the characters. One of O’Connor’s informants is identified and killed. His sister Rose tells O’Connor she can’t stay in Manchester, having been branded as the sister of a traitor to the Irish cause. O’Connor flirts with the idea of making a life with her, but his plans are derailed by a moment of bad judgment and more deaths. O’Connor finds himself suspected of loyalty to the Fenians. His career in shambles, O’Connor decides to seek his own revenge by tracking down Doyle.

The story is dark but riveting. Like most stories of revenge, one killing leads to another. “There’s always another wrong to be made right, another lesson to be taught or learned.” O’Connor blames himself for the deaths of Doyle’s victims. “The dead are in command, he thinks, now and always. Each step away is a step toward, every turning is part of the same circle, and what we call love or hope is just an interlude, a way of forgetting what we are.”

Doyle's life is less complicated than O'Connor's, but they are similar characters, both groping for a path forward, uncertain of their destination. After Doyle leaves Manchester, not knowing that O’Connor is on his heels, he wonders if he will lose his resolve, grow soft and weak. To an outsider, the question is whether a life of contentment might be worthier than a life spent in pursuit of an unattainable cause.

Doyle and O’Connor each have a chance to walk away from vengeance. Whether they will do so, or whether they established their fates as soon they set revenge in motion, is the question that gives the novel its suspense. The ending is depressing and the last chapter seems disconnected from the rest of the novel, but the story as a whole is a compelling examination of the way in vengeance destroys lives, including the lives of the avengers.

RECOMMENDED

This was a great read overall. The last chapter was just not necessary and I feel added nothing to the rest of the story. O'Connor vs Doyle is one for the books. The story did seem to kind of peter out in the end, and I wasn't expecting such a dull ending after so much time invested, but I can see where the intention came from.

Nice historical read with dark and dirty undertones.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Set in London, 1867. Jimmy O'Connor is a copper running from his demons. He starts to chase Stephen Doyle, a Fenian.

This was a slow (frustrating) read for me, I had a tough time getting into the story and the characters. Jimmy just wanted to go get a whiskey and Doyle just wanted to prove his murdering people was justified.

2.75☆

Allen, Larkin and O’Brien. If you are Irish, you probably know who these three people are. For those of us who are not, they are members of the Fenian brotherhood who in 1867 were executed for the murder of a British policeman. They became martyrs for Irish independence. The protagonist is fictional Head Constable James O’Connor, a British policeman, stationed in Manchester. He’s concerned the execution will only encourage others to join the Fenians. He’s also the abstainer. After the death of his daughter and wife in Dublin, he started drinking, but since moving to Manchester, he hasn’t had a drop. The story revolves around O’Connor’s assignment to capture an Irish American who has returned. Sounds like an ominous book, doesn’t it? Well, it is not, it’s a really enjoyable cat and mouse chase.

This is brilliant gritty historical fiction. Set in Manchester in 1867, it's the story of James O'Connor, a constable, and Stephen Doyle, an American Civil War veteran. The two face off over the Fenians. The novel opens with planned retaliation by the Fenians for the hanging of three men; a mole of sorts named Thomas Flannagan is murdered for passing the info along to O'Connor. O'Connor's nephew Michael then joins the Fenians as a penetration. Both O'Connor and Doyle are tortured men - for different reasons- and both carry a heavy load of guilt. Can O'Connor find Doyle and stop whatever the Fenians have planned? No spoilers from me but this is a complex novel that demands your attention. You might quibble with the ending but it's consistent with the tone and themes that precede it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.

I absolutely loved “The North Water” by Ian McGuire, so I’m excited to read and review his new novel, “The Abstainer”. Once again, McGuire knocks it out of the park. He has a unique writing and storytelling style, bold and honest with shades of Cormac McCarthy, not meant for the weak at heart.
Two strong-willed men face off in this historical fiction taking place in England, 1867. Chief Constable James O’Connor has worked in Manchester for nine months after leaving Dublin under a cloud of slipshod work and drunken behavior. James is understandably fighting his drinking addiction once you learn more about his personal life. He struggles with interacting with people, especially his coworkers, who pay him no respect or allegiance.
Coming to the country from America is a hired assassin, Stephen Doyle, brought in by the Fenians in their ongoing war with the British over Irish rule. Doyle is a seriously dark character; you can imagine the grass dying as he walks by.
These two lead characters face off in increasingly dangerous and elusive ways, a constant battle that takes them from the muddy streets of Manchester to the quiet farms of Pennsylvania. The tension never lets up; Doyle is a calculated and well-supported man of evil; O’Connor is a dedicated lawman with absolutely no trust or support from his compatriots.
I strongly recommend this new book by Ian McGuire. Be sure to read his first novel, too. I’m looking forward to more from this wonderful author.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for making it available.)

The Abstainer is a compulsive crime noir from the author of the fantastic novel North Water. A deep look into the Irish independence effort from England. McGuire has crafted a highly readable character driven novel. Highly recommended.

Following up the fantastic The North Water, McGuire delivers another great novel steeped in historical fact and intrigue with engaging, realistic characters and a defining literary tone. A great read that I will recommend upon release.

I found the setting interesting, but not well developed. The author paints a grim picture of revolution in 19th century Ireland and the corrupt constables who fight it.
I was engaged with the book until the last few pages. It ends abruptly without any meaning or closure. Maybe that is the point. Life is cruel and unfair and death is meaningless. I had hoped for more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book from Ian McGuire that I have read, The North Water was the first. Both books take place in similar period of time, 1859 for The North Water and 1867 for this one, though there are no similarities between them. The North Water takes place on a whaling ship, this one takes place in Manchester England and the author does a magnificent job of transporting you to that time. James O’Connor is the head constable for the police, he’s overseeing the hanging of three men who are Fenians (a sort of secret society of Irish loyalists) who were charged and convicted of killing a policeman. O’Connor has a network of spies that report to him on Fenian activities, he believes there will be retaliation for the hanging. The story is told from O’Connor’s point of view, we also hear from Stephen Doyle a veteran of the American Civil war that has been brought in by the Fenians to cause unrest. The story moves at a good clip, a subplot involving a nephew of O’Connor adds tension. The author describes sights and smells of the time period that make you feel like you’re there. Overall, a very good read, I highly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Damaged boys grow into damaged men, and this book is full of examples of that. James O’Conner, with vengeance as his heritage, is still mourning his wife. Now a Constable in Manchester he is tasked with ferreting out a plot by the Fenians, a not-so-secret society determined to end British rule in Ireland. The Fenians have acquired assistance from America in the form of Stephen Doyle who ran from a difficult childhood and became a soldier. He’s still looking for wars to fight. Other boys become collateral damage in the interplay between these two. This is definitely not a run of the mill police procedural.

This book kept going in sad, dark directions until the heartbreaking ending which I was not expecting. The writing was beautiful and I’m very glad that I read the book. I was actually reluctant to read it because I hated the author’s much-lauded book “The North Water”. I was repelled and disgusted by everything in that book from the first chapter. Fortunately for me, I gave the author another chance.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Now this is what historical fiction should be! The Abstainer truly transports you to 1867 Manchester England. Three Fenians are due to be hanged and the worry is whether retribution will be sought. Head Constable O’Connor has left Ireland to start anew in England. His job is to discover what the Fenians’ plans might be.
The Fenians have brought in Doyle from the US. A Civil War vet. “They say you’ve come to cause trouble.”
The book pits man against man, both fighting for a cause they believe in. Each with an entirely different idea of justice. McGuire shows us each man’s mindset and makes them feel very real.
McGuire does a wonderful job of giving us a time and place, even down to the smells. Even the insignificant scenes, like a ratting contest, seem thoroughly researched and laid out. The writing is gorgeous. “He remembers the taste of whiskey on his tongue, like a long, deep cavern he could crawl into and be safe.”
This is a dark, gruesome story. It’s not for the faint of heart. I was totally invested in this book. Towards the end, it went in a very different direction than I anticipated. And I can’t say I appreciated or even understood the ending. So, what would have been a five star book, ends up as a four star.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.