Dublin

by Sean Moncrieff

Dublin was mucky and vulgar. Like a tourist who gets drunk and wakes up with a huge tattoo. This is what it's like for your name is Simon Dilion. You're 35. You're a failure. Too hungover to go to work, too lazy to get a new job, too keen to blame everyone your mad father, your estranged wife, your so-called friends. Blame them. Blame Dublin. You'd rather do a few lines of coke, but there's a beautiful French woman you can't remember meeting, cops banging on the door asking about a dead woman you don't know, Russian gangsters asking questions you can't answer. Murders all over the city; bombs in O'Connell Street. And it's got nothing to do with you. Except that it's all your fault. A needle-sharp, funny and scathing thriller, set in a Dublin most people don't read about - the real one.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[MacDara Conroy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another book about my fair city that turned out to be crap. I know Ulysses is a hard act to follow, but you could at least make an effort.

[Kori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this thing killed any desire I ever had to go to Dublin! Violent and vulgar. A "trashy thriller" is what it's dubbed as, but not thrilling, so much. Maybe it would've felt like a thriller if there was a more heroic protagonist instead of a weak, addicted, morally vacuous loser. And his martial-art-expert-hottie mystery companion? I can't even go there. Clearly this is the male version of the trashy romance novel. I had no idea such a thing existed... I wanted to give it 2 stars, but Moncrieff actually has some writing talent and within this train wreck the one can find some hidden gem phraseology- it's kind of like an Easter egg hunt in hell to find them though.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me a long time to read. Partly because i was just in a slump. But i believe mainly just because it wasn't very good. I was determined to finish it but i can see it being a cheap Liam Neeson film. I was very eager to get to my next read but wanted to finish this first. I wouldn't blame the controversially regularly dissapointing low life of a main character on my rating, as i believe others are. I believe a flawed character is good but there was no substance and the story was repetitive and just not enticing. May have made a good short story.

[Betty Poppins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good thriller with a great plot. Always enjoyable to read something based in Dublin..

[Keith Kavanagh · Rating 1 out of 5]

rough stuff

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read - very enthralling book made all the more exciting because I finished it while in Dublin! The story should be a trashy thriller but Moncrieff uses some brilliant imagery and the book was more well-written than I had expected. Favourite line... 'I saw threat everywhere: it stalked behind the sunlight, coruched in the glare, just out of sight.'

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! I recognised so many of the characters...