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Jack Taylor #9
Headstone
Acclaimed Irish crime writer Ken Bruen has won numerous awards for his hard-charging, dark thrillers, which have been translated into ten languages. In Headstone, an elderly priest is nearly beaten to death and a special-needs boy is brutally attacked. Evil has many guises and Jack Taylor has encountered most of them. But nothing before has ever truly terrified him until he confronts an evil coterie named Headstone, who have committed a series of random, insane, violent crimes in Galway, Ireland.
Most would see a headstone as a marker of the dead, but this organization seems like it will act as a death knell to every aspect of Jack’s life. Jack’s usual allies, Ridge and Stewart, are also in the line of terror. An act of appalling violence alerts them to the sleeping horror, but this realization may be too late, as Headstone barrels along its deadly path right to the center of Jack’s life and the heart of Galway. A terrific read from a writer called “a Celtic Dashiell Hammett,” Headstone is an excellent addition to the Jack Taylor series (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Most would see a headstone as a marker of the dead, but this organization seems like it will act as a death knell to every aspect of Jack’s life. Jack’s usual allies, Ridge and Stewart, are also in the line of terror. An act of appalling violence alerts them to the sleeping horror, but this realization may be too late, as Headstone barrels along its deadly path right to the center of Jack’s life and the heart of Galway. A terrific read from a writer called “a Celtic Dashiell Hammett,” Headstone is an excellent addition to the Jack Taylor series (Philadelphia Inquirer)
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2012
162 people are currently reading
748 people want to read
About the author
Ken Bruen
134 books852 followersKen Bruen was an Irish writer of hardboiled and noir crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
October 12, 2018
I'm afraid this series may be........................
past its sell-by date.
First off, what on earth is up with...................
all the ellipses? It took enough to grow accustomed to Jack's
Constant
Incessant
Intrusive
list-making. But now, 9 books in, Bruen's finger has got stuck on the period key. It's not charming.
The Headstone group came off as unrealistic and the lack of Guard or media interest in the killings (or at least the lack of mention of same) felt off. Jack had some fine moments and zingy comebacks as always, but the plot felt forced and as in the last few books, his sudden ability to take his drink habit in stride was quite an about face from early in the series.
Bruen is a master of poetic Irish prose and he definitely created a masterful & memorable series around Jack, but I'm afraid it's time to wrap it up and try starting anew with someone else.
past its sell-by date.
First off, what on earth is up with...................
all the ellipses? It took enough to grow accustomed to Jack's
Constant
Incessant
Intrusive
list-making. But now, 9 books in, Bruen's finger has got stuck on the period key. It's not charming.
The Headstone group came off as unrealistic and the lack of Guard or media interest in the killings (or at least the lack of mention of same) felt off. Jack had some fine moments and zingy comebacks as always, but the plot felt forced and as in the last few books, his sudden ability to take his drink habit in stride was quite an about face from early in the series.
Bruen is a master of poetic Irish prose and he definitely created a masterful & memorable series around Jack, but I'm afraid it's time to wrap it up and try starting anew with someone else.
March 18, 2017
Description: . In Headstone, an elderly priest is nearly beaten to death and a special-needs boy is brutally attacked. Evil has many guises and Jack Taylor has encountered most of them. But nothing before has ever truly terrified him until he confronts an evil coterie named Headstone, who have committed a series of random, insane, violent crimes in Galway, Ireland.
Most would see a headstone as a marker of the dead, but this organization seems like it will act as a death knell to every aspect of Jack’s life. Jack’s usual allies, Ridge and Stewart, are also in the line of terror. An act of appalling violence alerts them to the sleeping horror, but this realization may be too late, as Headstone barrels along its deadly path right to the center of Jack’s life and the heart of Galway.
Most would see a headstone as a marker of the dead, but this organization seems like it will act as a death knell to every aspect of Jack’s life. Jack’s usual allies, Ridge and Stewart, are also in the line of terror. An act of appalling violence alerts them to the sleeping horror, but this realization may be too late, as Headstone barrels along its deadly path right to the center of Jack’s life and the heart of Galway.
June 5, 2017
The most brutal and brilliant of the Jack Taylor series, HEAD STONE, the 9th book in the series elevates Taylor to a whole new level - one where his demons escape his maddened mind and find their way towards the surface.
Jack is pursued by a gang calling themselves Headstone, their purpose to eradicate the perceived ‘weak’ in Darwinism like fashion – targeting special needs people, drunks, druggies, and homosexuals. For Jack, his inner circle all feel the brunt of this senseless violence, naturally he can’t let that stand and sets out to wipe out their bloody carbon footprint before too many innocents are lost.
Like any Jack Taylor book, Bruen provides Jack with multiple cases, and HEADSTONE is no different. Here we see Jack’s services enlisted to find a thieving man of the cloth, locate a missing person, and be a heavy to a thug wanting to take care of some family business - all while avoiding the Headstone’s sharpened knives.
Violence is as much a part of Jack Taylor as is the lingering waft of alcohol that emanates from his pores. Bruen’s poetic prose exemplifies Jack in all his blood letting glory while also balancing it out with acts of generosity and an underlying notion of goodness.
Jack does the Garda’s work, albeit in dark alleyways instead of courtrooms and jailhouses, yet that line between right and wrong is becoming increasingly blurred. I've read this book twice and, like a pot and a Jay is to Taylor, I can see me coming back for more of the good stuff.
Jack is pursued by a gang calling themselves Headstone, their purpose to eradicate the perceived ‘weak’ in Darwinism like fashion – targeting special needs people, drunks, druggies, and homosexuals. For Jack, his inner circle all feel the brunt of this senseless violence, naturally he can’t let that stand and sets out to wipe out their bloody carbon footprint before too many innocents are lost.
Like any Jack Taylor book, Bruen provides Jack with multiple cases, and HEADSTONE is no different. Here we see Jack’s services enlisted to find a thieving man of the cloth, locate a missing person, and be a heavy to a thug wanting to take care of some family business - all while avoiding the Headstone’s sharpened knives.
Violence is as much a part of Jack Taylor as is the lingering waft of alcohol that emanates from his pores. Bruen’s poetic prose exemplifies Jack in all his blood letting glory while also balancing it out with acts of generosity and an underlying notion of goodness.
Jack does the Garda’s work, albeit in dark alleyways instead of courtrooms and jailhouses, yet that line between right and wrong is becoming increasingly blurred. I've read this book twice and, like a pot and a Jay is to Taylor, I can see me coming back for more of the good stuff.
January 22, 2015
Ken Bruen has redeemed himself with this addition to the Jack Taylor series after the experiment with the over the top previous book in the series.
Once you introduce "the devil" as the antagonist into a detective series it could have been a struggle to recover. Mr. Bruen blames it on the Xanax.
In this installment of the series the antagonist calls himself "Headstone", a character that Jack Taylor had a run in with in his past.
Taylor is an Irish PI who loves his whiskey and loves Ireland he is a disgraced former cop and perhaps has found love.
The bad guys are truly bad. Jack had his friends, a Zen practitioner Stewart who used to be a drug dealer, and Garda Ridge, a lesbian in a marriage of convenience, are summoned to aid him in his quest to right wrongs.
Once you introduce "the devil" as the antagonist into a detective series it could have been a struggle to recover. Mr. Bruen blames it on the Xanax.
In this installment of the series the antagonist calls himself "Headstone", a character that Jack Taylor had a run in with in his past.
Taylor is an Irish PI who loves his whiskey and loves Ireland he is a disgraced former cop and perhaps has found love.
The bad guys are truly bad. Jack had his friends, a Zen practitioner Stewart who used to be a drug dealer, and Garda Ridge, a lesbian in a marriage of convenience, are summoned to aid him in his quest to right wrongs.
October 29, 2011
Violent but interesting as usual. Hard to not appreciate the character Jack Taylor and his own special brand of ethics. Feels touched when blessed by a nun but wants as little to do with the church as possible. Loves books and quotes from two of my favorite authors, James Lee Burke and Carol O'Connell, loyal to his friends, well for the most part, and helps those less fortunate them himself. Yet I wonder how much more violence his own body can withstand though he never backs down nor backs away. Love these books and love these characters.
March 16, 2012
What could be more fitting on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day than to read the ninth book in the Jack Taylor series, perhaps as good as they come. It is a kick-off novel from a new imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Otto Penzler’s Mysterious Press, and serves well as a guide to the future.
As in the previous volumes in the series, the troubled Irish PI wallows in drinks and drugs, violence and evil. It begins with the brutal beating of a priest, where no love is lost between Jack and the victim. Then Jack, his buddy Stewart, and Ridge, the female Garda, receive miniature headstones, apparently the targets of a person or persons bent on some form of aggression. Along the way are a variety of side issues occupying Jack’s attention, including the church and the precarious economy.
Jack Taylor is a unique character. Beyond that, one can read Ken Bruen and enjoy the writing, the sad commentaries on Ireland, life in general, and the awesome adventures of Jack Taylor. The book is, obviously, highly recommended.
As in the previous volumes in the series, the troubled Irish PI wallows in drinks and drugs, violence and evil. It begins with the brutal beating of a priest, where no love is lost between Jack and the victim. Then Jack, his buddy Stewart, and Ridge, the female Garda, receive miniature headstones, apparently the targets of a person or persons bent on some form of aggression. Along the way are a variety of side issues occupying Jack’s attention, including the church and the precarious economy.
Jack Taylor is a unique character. Beyond that, one can read Ken Bruen and enjoy the writing, the sad commentaries on Ireland, life in general, and the awesome adventures of Jack Taylor. The book is, obviously, highly recommended.
December 27, 2017
Another book I grabbed so I could complete a challenge task (headstone on the cover). What a mistake! I absolutely hate hardboiled noir fiction and had Goodreads book page shown this as such, I would have passed it up. Add to that the disjointed writing style (very lyrical but difficult to read and comprehend) and the plot jumping all over the place, and what I found was a hot mess. Definitely not a series I would continue.
Check out this passage on page 5
I was coming off the worst case of my bedraggled career.
Literally a brush with the devil. I muttered.
"Darkness visible."
Had sworn,
"Never, never going down that dark path again."
Whatever it was,
the occult,
devilment,
Xanax,
delusion,
it had shaken me to the core.
Seriously, who the hell writes noir fiction in this format? What a waste of 4 hours that I'll never get back.
Check out this passage on page 5
I was coming off the worst case of my bedraggled career.
Literally a brush with the devil. I muttered.
"Darkness visible."
Had sworn,
"Never, never going down that dark path again."
Whatever it was,
the occult,
devilment,
Xanax,
delusion,
it had shaken me to the core.
Seriously, who the hell writes noir fiction in this format? What a waste of 4 hours that I'll never get back.
April 20, 2019
What can I say? I'm in the tank for Bruen and his Jack Taylor.
10/10
10/10
October 10, 2012
In HEADSTONE, like other novels by Ken Bruen, the prose lifts off the page and sings for the reader. Bruen is a great stylist. If Cormac Mccarthy co-wrote a book with James Lee Burke, it would come out a Ken Bruen novel. Bruen is easy to read, but his stories and his characters always leave me feeling slightly soiled, like I've just peeked in the dresser drawers while visiting a friend's house. And that is the lighter side of a Ken Bruen book. Bruen's main character, Jack Taylor, is an alcoholic; he also is a destroyer. Like Burke's main character in his Louisiana mysteries, Dave Robicheaux, Taylor has a savior complex, and in the manner consistent with saviors, it's the people around him that wind up suffering. Never having been a alcoholic, I find the amount of time given to describing drinking binges and their aftermath tedious. But mostly, I find the character of Jack Taylor, like James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux, sad. Both are burdened with enough guilt to sink any religion. In HEADSTONE, Jack Taylor stands by and lets a friend be murdered. His response is to feel guilty, get drunk, and finally revenge the death. Even so, Taylor is consistent. Unhappiness is his chosen way of life. Watching Jack Taylor is like watching a train wreck. It's too fascinating to look away from. Afterward, the viewer asks why. Why is the pain of loss greater than the joy of love? Are some people destined for sorrow. If so, why? In truth, it is not the mystery plot or even their superior writing styles but rather the exploration of existential conflicts that separates writers like Bruen and Burke from the hundreds of other mystery writers in print today.
November 24, 2017
Back to black - and a Jay. Back to Jack Taylor; cannot stay away for long, Jack.
'Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win.' Irish saying, appropriate for Taylor who often bites off more than he can chew. A group called Headstone, enough to terrify Jack, this manifestation of pure evil. Who are these monsters who beat up an elderly priest. A special needs boy is brutally attacked. They appear to have an agenda as their violent spree spreads through Galway.
Jack needs to act, needs to fight back, needs to settle a score after he is ruthlessly disfigured by 'Bine' who controls Headstone. And Jack will cross the line... contacts a serious hard case named Kosta, a man completely at ease with violence for whom Jack had done a major service in the past. "I need a Mossberg pump" (not exactly something you can ring up Tesco and order.) No hesitation: : "Give me your address, I'll swing by round seven".
Jack's kind of guy....
All hell is going to break loose...
Headstone/Jack Taylor #9 - innovative noir at its best. A relentlessly paced page turner from the get go. Ken Bruen does it for me...
'Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win.' Irish saying, appropriate for Taylor who often bites off more than he can chew. A group called Headstone, enough to terrify Jack, this manifestation of pure evil. Who are these monsters who beat up an elderly priest. A special needs boy is brutally attacked. They appear to have an agenda as their violent spree spreads through Galway.
Jack needs to act, needs to fight back, needs to settle a score after he is ruthlessly disfigured by 'Bine' who controls Headstone. And Jack will cross the line... contacts a serious hard case named Kosta, a man completely at ease with violence for whom Jack had done a major service in the past. "I need a Mossberg pump" (not exactly something you can ring up Tesco and order.) No hesitation: : "Give me your address, I'll swing by round seven".
Jack's kind of guy....
All hell is going to break loose...
Headstone/Jack Taylor #9 - innovative noir at its best. A relentlessly paced page turner from the get go. Ken Bruen does it for me...
May 20, 2012
This book was really brilliant in the ways that count in a book like this. Jack Taylor was a strong voice,great black humor,the social commentary on Ireland which is common in this series and his friends Stewart,Ridge was great as supporting cast. I also liked that for the first time in this series, you read the story from POV of other characters than first person Taylor. That was fresh,different take.
It feels weird to think he wrote the best book in this series in the 9th book. I rate this one highest along with the 4th book The Dramatist.
It feels weird to think he wrote the best book in this series in the 9th book. I rate this one highest along with the 4th book The Dramatist.
November 13, 2018
I'll admit that I'm a sucker for flawed characters (think John Rebus). Well, Jack Taylor is over-the-top flawed, and yet still maintains some spark of decency within him. It's just that the spark doesn't always come in what most of us would call "good deeds." I found myself holding my breath at times while reading this - kind of like watching a movie through spread fingers over my eyes. But it all made sense and tied together in a "noirish" way.
March 28, 2018
Probably the best book in the Jack Taylor series so far. As in the other entries the plot takes a back-seat, as character development of Taylor, and the gritty writing style are the real highlights.
March 6, 2012
No one writes a flawed character better that Ken Bruen. Jack Taylor is an alcoholic, pill popping ex Guard in Galway, Ireland. He has a caustic tongue but a heart of gold. His nemesis, Father Malachy, is assaulted and ends up in a coma. Soon after, Jack is assaulted and two of his fingers cut off. Someone is mailing his friends tiny tombstones identical to one Jack had received. He realizes someone is targeting what they consider to be social misfits: Jack’s friends, Ridge and Stewart who are gay; a young man with Downs Syndrome; Jack who is an alcoholic. The attackers have a plan, one that Jack has to figure out before more attacks take place. As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate, Father Gabriel hires him to locate a priest who had taken off with the money belonging to The Brethren. Jack doesn’t trust Gabriel but takes the job anyway. Jack deals with his enemies in ways not for the faint at heart but humor softens the blow to the reader. Bruen offers large dollops of Ireland’s past and present as well as quotes from some of Taylor’s favorite books. As an aside, HEADSTONE has one of the most striking covers I have ever seen.
October 25, 2011
After I finish a "Jack Taylor" novel by Ken Bruen, I say to myself: the next novel can not get any darker. This one does and is probably one of his better ones. It has everything a "crime noir" novel needs to have to be great. Great dialogue, truly evil bad people, a truly flawed and screwed up good guy, a great setting and a couple of great sidekicks: Ridge and Stewart.
In this story a former nemesis of Taylor reappers to carry out his own version of Darwinism. Along the way Taylor deals with a couple other cases and in a way reunites with his female garda friend Ridge. The story is so mesmerizing that you wish you could jump into the story line and help Taylor with the elimination of all evil. His use of alleyway justice is satisfying. For all of you that enjoy "crime noir", this is a great one. I can compare it to the early work of Lehane's Kenzie and Gennaro and to James Lee Burke original work of Robicheaux and Purcell.
In this story a former nemesis of Taylor reappers to carry out his own version of Darwinism. Along the way Taylor deals with a couple other cases and in a way reunites with his female garda friend Ridge. The story is so mesmerizing that you wish you could jump into the story line and help Taylor with the elimination of all evil. His use of alleyway justice is satisfying. For all of you that enjoy "crime noir", this is a great one. I can compare it to the early work of Lehane's Kenzie and Gennaro and to James Lee Burke original work of Robicheaux and Purcell.
March 16, 2012
It's been a while since I've sought out and read an entire series back to back -- not since the Banks noels of Peter Robinson. These Jack Taylor novels, with one exception, were totally addictive. By setting them in Galway, Bruen gives us witness to its change from a remote Irish community to one fully in the 21st century, changes not aways to the good. With big city problems. Jack Taylor, approaching 50, lifelong resident, does not aways wrap up cases at the end of each book, rendering the series as more one long Dickensian serial than individual standalones. They do need to be read in sequence, since references abound to earlier installments, and Jack's observations of Galway's alteration build as they progress. These are brutal, funny, at times viscous. Not always by a felon, Taylor, Bruen's book loving, music appreciating, jaded former Garda dispenses his own justice but is quintessentially the essence of an Irish soul.
September 3, 2012
Another violent and mind bending book by Ken Bruen featuring the down and trodden Jack Taylor. In this book Jack continues his downward spiral into his own soul. He is once again forced to make decisions that have dire consequences. Bruen pushes this book further than any of his other Jack Taylor books when he puts Jack into a situation where he is forced to walk with evil or save his own life. Drink, drugs and self-remorse for so many of the events in Jack's past are the continuing theme in this book...a book that you can't put down once you start it.
Jacket notes: "Most would see a headstone as a marker of the dead, but this organization seems like it will act as a death knell to every aspect of Jack’s life. Jack’s usual allies, Ridge and Stewart, are also in the line of terror. An act of appalling violence alerts them to the sleeping horror, but this realization may be too late, as Headstone barrels along its deadly path right to the center of Jack’s life and the heart of Galway."
Jacket notes: "Most would see a headstone as a marker of the dead, but this organization seems like it will act as a death knell to every aspect of Jack’s life. Jack’s usual allies, Ridge and Stewart, are also in the line of terror. An act of appalling violence alerts them to the sleeping horror, but this realization may be too late, as Headstone barrels along its deadly path right to the center of Jack’s life and the heart of Galway."
March 27, 2012
I almost didn't finish this one. Ken Bruen's style of writing is abrupt and hard to follow. I'm glad I did though, because the story was good, if frustrating. He never really reveals everything, so you're left to fill in a lot by yourself. There are about 20 different languages he throws in there for reasons I'm not sure of. However, I enjoyed the characters. I only wish I had read some of the other Jack Taylor novels first. That seems to always be a problem for me. When I go to the library, I walk directly to the new arrivals and I guess all of the crime writers are writing these series about a central detective now. I constantly pick up interesting books to discover I've missed all the previous novels.
December 28, 2011
An excellent thriller, dark and totally scary. The writing is so understated and the prose so expertly done that it leaves you reeling in shock at what's happening in the story. A fantastic read if you love dark, thrillers. Not gory, bloody, but psychologically scary and riveting. The language of place and the insights into local world view are bonuses on top of the great characters and story.
December 24, 2017
Trying to imagine the color of "Irish Noir"; if it's a really, really dark green, then Jack Taylor's world must be bottom-of-the-ocean dark. He's been sacrificing body parts for too long; he needs to, somehow, re-connect with Laura, enjoy life for a book or two...before someone sends him her head in a box.
September 14, 2018
Disjointed and disappointing
These books have always been nihilistic, and this one is that times 20. The carnage Jack wreaks on himself and others are a cornerstone of the series but I always felt that Jack had some moral grounding that made him empathetic, But that was completely lacking in this book. He seems to wallow in Self-pity while he lashes out at the few remaining friends he has. On top of that, while the mysteries in this series have always been lackluster, this one is So nonsensical I wouldn’t even call it a mystery. It’s just a series of grisly deaths, lame one liners, repetitive comments about the economy, pop culture, and authors I enjoy more than Bruen. What makes it worse is that you’ve heard all of it before, ad infintum in the last five books over. But the worst part is that the author has managed to take a character that I used to like and turn him into It repulsive and despicable character.
These books have always been nihilistic, and this one is that times 20. The carnage Jack wreaks on himself and others are a cornerstone of the series but I always felt that Jack had some moral grounding that made him empathetic, But that was completely lacking in this book. He seems to wallow in Self-pity while he lashes out at the few remaining friends he has. On top of that, while the mysteries in this series have always been lackluster, this one is So nonsensical I wouldn’t even call it a mystery. It’s just a series of grisly deaths, lame one liners, repetitive comments about the economy, pop culture, and authors I enjoy more than Bruen. What makes it worse is that you’ve heard all of it before, ad infintum in the last five books over. But the worst part is that the author has managed to take a character that I used to like and turn him into It repulsive and despicable character.
August 5, 2020
I've been up to my eyeballs in crime fiction lately and was looking for a different Bruen book but could borrow this one immediately - so I did. I had no familiarity with the series and didn't necessarily realize I was jumping into one - though I don't know if that would have changed my opinion dramatically. A kind of gorier, more nihilistic take on the "dad-fiction" that form the basis for many popular and straight to streaming thrillers where an older guy with a host of infirmities manages to get the absolute drop on everybody in between pop culture references and musing about how things ain't what they used to be. Not my usual brand but I enjoyed this one even if it caused some significant eye-rolling. Didn't hurt that the audiobook narrator had a cool accent and there's nearly lyrical profanity throughout.
May 3, 2025
Number 9 in the Jack Taylor series, and I think this is the best so far. These books are not for the faint-of-heart. They are hard-hitting, graphically detailed, and no attempts are made to soften the blows. The books are almost poetical in their brevity, and in getting a lot said and done with a bare minimum of words. The plots are tight, and the hero (jack Taylor) is so real and so likeable that you can't help but keep rooting for him as he stumbles along trying to right all the wrongs in his Galway. Jack and his friends come against a particularly violent and scary group of people this time. It all starts for the victims of these killers rampages with the receipt of a small carved headstone in the mail. BOLO after that as Jack finds out to his everlasting regret--this group of psychos mean business. This is an excellent book in a stellar series.
August 8, 2019
Allow me to get something off my chest right off the bat: no one writes like Ken Bruen. You might think his award-winning prose is the best of any Irish crime writer ever or consider his minimalist approach a simple gimmick. However, regardless of opinions, the fact remains: if you've read him once, you don't have to look at the name on the cover of a book to know you're reading Bruen. Headstone, the most recent entry into the Jack Taylor series, brings us Bruen, not surprisingly, in fine form.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
November 10, 2022
Head Stone – A Jack Taylor Novel of Terror – 2011 - **** - Jack Taylor character is unique but not necessarily likable. He has few real friends and a personality of sarcasm, wisecracks and put downs. The author tries to bring some humanity to the character with random gifts of charity and kindness. In this book, Taylor is faced with wacko goths wanting to get rid of all the less fortunate of the world. This is my first Bruen novel and it took a little getting used to with the non-traditional layout and jerky paragraphs. In the end it was a good novel by a successful author. I just find the character unrealistic and somewhat unbelievable ruining what was an interesting plot. Too much violence just to move the book through some slow spots for my taste.
July 21, 2017
In this entry to the Jack Taylor novels by Shamus Award award winning author Ken Bruen, finder Jack Taylor confronts a cruel cadre of criminals known as Headstone. Headstone is targeting and killing the weakest members of the Galway citizenry. Jack himself interferes and is attacked. Finding these killers and stopping them becomes personal.
The series is hard-charging, bleak and violent. But Bruen writes brilliant noir detective novels. Fans of Ian Rankin and Peter May will want to give one a try. Start with The Guards for insight into what turned this ousted member of the Garda Siochana into the hard drinking and obsessive private eye that he is.
The series is hard-charging, bleak and violent. But Bruen writes brilliant noir detective novels. Fans of Ian Rankin and Peter May will want to give one a try. Start with The Guards for insight into what turned this ousted member of the Garda Siochana into the hard drinking and obsessive private eye that he is.
June 28, 2022
I have been reading all of this series and find it is so well written and the storylines and characters tie together really well. In Headstone, we see a revisit of a young man who Jack dealt with in an earlier book. We also see the rise of a violent "club" of young people, who seed to kill and maim those in their city who are not typical. Jack finds himself on the receiving end of their abuse. As in most of the Jack Taylor books, Jack's life is a mess but his focus on his form of justice is razor sharp. I loved this and highly recommend this series for readers who like tragic protagonists and aren't really looking for happy endings.
December 19, 2017
Jack Taylor- with all his bad habits, i.e., booze, drugs, a vicious temper, a smart mouth, nihilism, hopeless idealism, failure in friendship and love-you love reading the novels of his life. You find yourself rooting for the guy to find some peace, other than in the bottom of a glass, some love that he does not destroy with a nasty verbal slap to the face or some friend who lives another day.
Jack Taylor does live another day. The question is, for his long?
The books fly by and always reward the reader with rueful sadness.
Jack Taylor does live another day. The question is, for his long?
The books fly by and always reward the reader with rueful sadness.
April 20, 2019
My first Jack Taylor novel, and I'm not impressed. He's a private dick who clearly loathes himself to the point that makes others loathe him as well, and surround him with an ex-con drug dealer and a lesbian cop as his only friends and you've got a recipe for me not much caring about any of them. The story of misguided Irish youths misinterpreting Darwin and trying to recreate Columbine isn't horrible, and it has a couple of side stories that give Jack opportunities to demonstrate just what an unfeeling prick he is.
December 28, 2019
Billed as 'a gripping read from one of our greatest living crime writers', "Headstone" was not as good as hoped.
Gritty edgy and dark this novel had immense potential but for me, the story fell a bit short. The language was on the wrong side of colourful and ended up being crude and slightly offensive. The protagonist was interesting and deeply flawed. The fact that some of his decisions defied logic and rational explanation certainly did not help me to care about him or his ultimate fate.
In summary, 'Headstone' was an acceptable read which did not live up to it's initial promise.
Gritty edgy and dark this novel had immense potential but for me, the story fell a bit short. The language was on the wrong side of colourful and ended up being crude and slightly offensive. The protagonist was interesting and deeply flawed. The fact that some of his decisions defied logic and rational explanation certainly did not help me to care about him or his ultimate fate.
In summary, 'Headstone' was an acceptable read which did not live up to it's initial promise.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews