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Jack Taylor #3
The Magdalen Martyrs
In the third Jack Taylor novel from acclaimed crime writer Ken Bruen, Jack has sunk to all new lows with his alcoholism. Knowing his next visit to the hospital will be his last, his days of deep depression are punctuated only by nights of tense insomnia. But when he gets a tip off about a missing girl named Rita Monroe, his ex-cop brain pulls his body into action. Rita had been one of the Magdalen girls, a group of unmarried mothers who had been consigned into slavery in a nun-run laundry. With his uncanny ability to look in all the right places, Jack sets out on Rita's trail.
308 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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1072 people want to read
About the author
Ken Bruen
132 books850 followersKen Bruen was an Irish writer of hardboiled and noir crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
April 9, 2024
The 3rd book in the Jack Taylor series finds Taylor in the position of dealing with a slew of addictions following a near death experience yet still somehow managing to keep himself in a functioning state. Meanwhile there’s a case to be conducted and the Galway, Ireland ex-Guard is trying to make a go of his private investigation gig in this bleak but compelling tale.
Jack has been put to work by a former colleague and hard man Bill Cassell who has called in a favour to get him to find a missing woman. The woman once worked in the hellish Magdalen laundries where the unfortunate workers were put through all manner of tortures and shocking treatment. Regardless of the fact that Jack is in the process of succumbing to the drink and drugs that have started to dominate his life, he manages to carry out his finder mission quite admirably.
He also takes on a second job, investigating the death of a rich man, thought to have died at the hands of his second wife. The man’s son insists she was responsible and wants Jack to get to the bottom of it. It’s hardly surprising that the investigation uncovers far more than he could ever have imagined.
As has been the case with each of the books in the series, there’s far more to take in than the ongoing investigations that Jack somehow manages to navigate. There’s the dark mind of Jack himself, littered with literary references and quotes from the classics, there’s the internal fight with his addictions (alcohol - always the alcohol plus whatever drug he can get his hands on) and the self-doubt that threatens to completely cripple him. To top things off there’s the ever present slideshow of tragedies that somehow manage to find their way to his front door.
Taking on the Celtic noir sub-genre may require a little bit of mental preparation and the grim scenes thrown at you one on top of the other by Ken Bruen can be confronting. But the dark and unrelenting mood is masterfully interwoven with some of the most startlingly witty humour that serves to lift the atmosphere. The fine line of sobriety being walked by Taylor in the early parts of the story gradually devolves into full-blown drug and alcohol dependence later on and we witness a man at risk of completely falling apart. It’s all part of the downward spiral that comprises the complex personality of Taylor.
This is a powerful book that sings in the mood that’s captured by Bruen. It’s clear that Jack Taylor has baggage and, although it’s well covered by his ability to spout literary quotes at will, is threatening to take over his life. The dialogue crackles with lively exchanges between Jack and his friends and foes alike providing plenty of light, wryly amusing moments.
This was a quick read for me with something always happening while the story had a habit of veering crazily off course. By the time The Magdalene Martyrs wraps up it becomes apparent that the outcome of his various investigations is not nearly as important as Jack’s frame of mind and where he’s likely to go next.
Jack has been put to work by a former colleague and hard man Bill Cassell who has called in a favour to get him to find a missing woman. The woman once worked in the hellish Magdalen laundries where the unfortunate workers were put through all manner of tortures and shocking treatment. Regardless of the fact that Jack is in the process of succumbing to the drink and drugs that have started to dominate his life, he manages to carry out his finder mission quite admirably.
He also takes on a second job, investigating the death of a rich man, thought to have died at the hands of his second wife. The man’s son insists she was responsible and wants Jack to get to the bottom of it. It’s hardly surprising that the investigation uncovers far more than he could ever have imagined.
As has been the case with each of the books in the series, there’s far more to take in than the ongoing investigations that Jack somehow manages to navigate. There’s the dark mind of Jack himself, littered with literary references and quotes from the classics, there’s the internal fight with his addictions (alcohol - always the alcohol plus whatever drug he can get his hands on) and the self-doubt that threatens to completely cripple him. To top things off there’s the ever present slideshow of tragedies that somehow manage to find their way to his front door.
Taking on the Celtic noir sub-genre may require a little bit of mental preparation and the grim scenes thrown at you one on top of the other by Ken Bruen can be confronting. But the dark and unrelenting mood is masterfully interwoven with some of the most startlingly witty humour that serves to lift the atmosphere. The fine line of sobriety being walked by Taylor in the early parts of the story gradually devolves into full-blown drug and alcohol dependence later on and we witness a man at risk of completely falling apart. It’s all part of the downward spiral that comprises the complex personality of Taylor.
This is a powerful book that sings in the mood that’s captured by Bruen. It’s clear that Jack Taylor has baggage and, although it’s well covered by his ability to spout literary quotes at will, is threatening to take over his life. The dialogue crackles with lively exchanges between Jack and his friends and foes alike providing plenty of light, wryly amusing moments.
This was a quick read for me with something always happening while the story had a habit of veering crazily off course. By the time The Magdalene Martyrs wraps up it becomes apparent that the outcome of his various investigations is not nearly as important as Jack’s frame of mind and where he’s likely to go next.
February 27, 2017
Description: Jack is hired by Maggie McCarthy, the daughter of a recently deceased former inmate at St Monica's, an infamous Magdalen laundry in Galway, who wishes to identify the sadistic nun mentioned in her mother's diary, known only as Lucifer. The investigation is quickly hampered when Cody discovers that incriminating church records have vanished; while Jack is warned to drop the case by local criminal, Bill Cassell. As the diary reveals the depth of Lucifer's brutality, Jack discovers a 50-year-old family secret that leads him to the nun's identity, and an unexpected connection to the recent deaths of two brothers, the sons of local matriarch Brendan Flood. When Jack is threatened by Cassell, he is forced to hand over the diary. Realising that is the only piece of evidence which lead him to Lucifer, he sets out to get it back – with tragic consequences. Kate is forced to once again suppress evidence from the crime scene in order to ensure Jack's freedom – but will he discover the link between the cases before the killer strikes again?
As with every encounter with these nefarious Irish practices, this was gruelling; how similar Ireland and Australia are with their dark histories of abuse at the hands of Roman Catholics.
3.5* The Guards
4* The Pikemen (tv only)
4* The Magdalen Martyrs
As with every encounter with these nefarious Irish practices, this was gruelling; how similar Ireland and Australia are with their dark histories of abuse at the hands of Roman Catholics.3.5* The Guards
4* The Pikemen (tv only)
4* The Magdalen Martyrs
August 13, 2019
Jack Taylor is back. Investigating the death of a rich husband ? Could the wife have killed him ? Jack has to pay back Bill's favor from the last book. Who are those Magdalen girls and why is Bill interested in one of them.
Jack is still at Mrs Bailey hotel. Reading crime fiction. Using drugs more designer stuff this time and pints of beer and double Jameson.
Enjoyable. .smooth and book 4 should be awesome.
Read it again
Still solid the second time around
Jack is still at Mrs Bailey hotel. Reading crime fiction. Using drugs more designer stuff this time and pints of beer and double Jameson.
Enjoyable. .smooth and book 4 should be awesome.
Read it again
Still solid the second time around
March 29, 2019
The Magdalen Martyrs (Jack Taylor #3)
Who could not love the Jack Taylor books by Ken Bruen
This 3rd book of a 14 book series
“Jack Taylor is walking the delicate edge of a sobriety he doesn't trust when his phone rings. He's in debt to a Galway tough named Bill Cassell, what the locals call a "hard man." Bill did Jack a big favor a while back; the trouble is, he never lets a favor go unreturned”
Full of demons of life with plenty of addictions – but it is the dialogue that keeps you coming back!
Who could not love the Jack Taylor books by Ken Bruen
This 3rd book of a 14 book series
“Jack Taylor is walking the delicate edge of a sobriety he doesn't trust when his phone rings. He's in debt to a Galway tough named Bill Cassell, what the locals call a "hard man." Bill did Jack a big favor a while back; the trouble is, he never lets a favor go unreturned”
Full of demons of life with plenty of addictions – but it is the dialogue that keeps you coming back!
August 5, 2021
Série na Netflix
March 24, 2014
This is book #3 of the Jack Taylor series. If you read the reviews, you'll see they are polarizing novels. Some see them as a celtic noir take on pulp fiction, others find them unrelentingly grim & derivative.
Jack's past is well established & informs his situation & choices. Hopelessly addicted to booze & anything else that blurs his reality, this is a man desperate to forget the past while trying to decide if he wants a future. The books are narrated in the first person, full of Jack's personal allusions to literary snippets that speak to him & brutal self awareness.
This instalment follows the author's typical format of weaving together two stories: a new missing persons investigation & Jack's current position on his downward spiral. After being hospitalized for seizures, Jack is back on the wagon. He's contacted by Bill Cassell, a hard man who calls in a favour. Bill is dying & wants Jack to find Rita Monroe, a woman who helped his mother when she was an inmate at the infamous Magdalen laundries.
Jack is anxious to clear his debt & takes the job. In fleeting moments of sobriety, he excels as a finder & soon has a second case. Terry Boyle, a smug young businessman, wants Jack to prove his step mother killed his father. Officially it was labelled a heart attack but Terry believes his dad got a little help from Kirsten the trophy wife.
Jack enlists the help of Brendan Flood, another ex-guard who found religion. He investigates the Magdalen while Jack tracks down Rita. Meanwhile, two young men who are college students are assassinated in seemingly random attacks.
Both of his cases lead Jack to women who will play pivotal roles. One is Kirsten, a manipulative pleasure seeking widow with friends in high places. The other is Rita. She used to work as a matron at the Magdalen in the 1950's & is not exactly what Jack is expecting.
Interspersed with the current events are short vignettes of daily life at the laundry. It was a home for "troubled" girls, unwed mothers, petty thieves & those whose parents couldn't afford to keep them. This was an actual facility run by the church & when the truth about the living conditions/treatment of the girls was later revealed, the resulting scandal shook all of Ireland.
How you rate this book is not really a question of whether or not it's well written. It's a matter of taste. The reader spends a lot of time in Jack's head, an interesting if bleak place. He's a compelling guy. He changes his vices like his socks & when he temporarily stops drinking it's a small victory as he shifts to a diet of pharmaceuticals. Of all the people out to get him, he is his own worst enemy.
The one constant in his life are his beloved books & he has a quote for every occasion. The author leaves the flowery prose to these writers, telling his story in lean, spare sentences that run the gamut from starkly poetic to the blackest humour from a character who is brutally honest with himself.
The rest of the cast are not exactly little rays of sunshine either. With 2 possible exceptions, these are not nice people. They are unburdened by morals, users with hidden agendas & we gradually learn Jack is being set up. In spite of his commitment to self destruction, he shows a surprising talent for survival. And some of the characters who underestimated his resilience will pay.
This is not a beach book. It's dark, violent, sad & meditative. But there also moments when you catch a glimpse of something bearing a passing resemblance to hope. The story of the Magdalen is heartbreaking because it's true. But the investigation aspect of the plot takes a back seat to the character study of our "hero".
It all boils down to Jack. It can be like watching an impending train wreck & if you find him compelling, you'll enjoy this. If not, you probably won't give the series a second chance.
Jack's past is well established & informs his situation & choices. Hopelessly addicted to booze & anything else that blurs his reality, this is a man desperate to forget the past while trying to decide if he wants a future. The books are narrated in the first person, full of Jack's personal allusions to literary snippets that speak to him & brutal self awareness.
This instalment follows the author's typical format of weaving together two stories: a new missing persons investigation & Jack's current position on his downward spiral. After being hospitalized for seizures, Jack is back on the wagon. He's contacted by Bill Cassell, a hard man who calls in a favour. Bill is dying & wants Jack to find Rita Monroe, a woman who helped his mother when she was an inmate at the infamous Magdalen laundries.
Jack is anxious to clear his debt & takes the job. In fleeting moments of sobriety, he excels as a finder & soon has a second case. Terry Boyle, a smug young businessman, wants Jack to prove his step mother killed his father. Officially it was labelled a heart attack but Terry believes his dad got a little help from Kirsten the trophy wife.
Jack enlists the help of Brendan Flood, another ex-guard who found religion. He investigates the Magdalen while Jack tracks down Rita. Meanwhile, two young men who are college students are assassinated in seemingly random attacks.
Both of his cases lead Jack to women who will play pivotal roles. One is Kirsten, a manipulative pleasure seeking widow with friends in high places. The other is Rita. She used to work as a matron at the Magdalen in the 1950's & is not exactly what Jack is expecting.
Interspersed with the current events are short vignettes of daily life at the laundry. It was a home for "troubled" girls, unwed mothers, petty thieves & those whose parents couldn't afford to keep them. This was an actual facility run by the church & when the truth about the living conditions/treatment of the girls was later revealed, the resulting scandal shook all of Ireland.
How you rate this book is not really a question of whether or not it's well written. It's a matter of taste. The reader spends a lot of time in Jack's head, an interesting if bleak place. He's a compelling guy. He changes his vices like his socks & when he temporarily stops drinking it's a small victory as he shifts to a diet of pharmaceuticals. Of all the people out to get him, he is his own worst enemy.
The one constant in his life are his beloved books & he has a quote for every occasion. The author leaves the flowery prose to these writers, telling his story in lean, spare sentences that run the gamut from starkly poetic to the blackest humour from a character who is brutally honest with himself.
The rest of the cast are not exactly little rays of sunshine either. With 2 possible exceptions, these are not nice people. They are unburdened by morals, users with hidden agendas & we gradually learn Jack is being set up. In spite of his commitment to self destruction, he shows a surprising talent for survival. And some of the characters who underestimated his resilience will pay.
This is not a beach book. It's dark, violent, sad & meditative. But there also moments when you catch a glimpse of something bearing a passing resemblance to hope. The story of the Magdalen is heartbreaking because it's true. But the investigation aspect of the plot takes a back seat to the character study of our "hero".
It all boils down to Jack. It can be like watching an impending train wreck & if you find him compelling, you'll enjoy this. If not, you probably won't give the series a second chance.
April 8, 2017
Back to Jack. Cannot help it. I love Ken Bruen's books - the Jack Taylor series. This is the third. The ex-Garda protagonist, hapless alcoholic, one might say hopeless as well, Jack staggers through life in Galway as a kind of honorary private detective and a mess of a human being. Hired by thugs who recognise his tough-guy bravado. Doesn’t quite work out for Jack, never does. He does get laid; the drugs help. This is real Irish noir. I know there are those that don’t like this series. But I enjoy Jack’s company. He loves reading and festoons his narrative with apt quotes from favourite authors. His hangovers are legendary. But somehow he always finds a way back. And the plot, for what it is, ingeniously incorporates the Magdalen laundry, a notoriously harsh home for wayward girls.
This series is a treat. Number three is dark, bleak and very funny at times. The best so far, for me.
This series is a treat. Number three is dark, bleak and very funny at times. The best so far, for me.
March 25, 2017
From IMDb:
Galway Private Investigator JACK TAYLOR is hired by the daughter of a former inmate of the infamous Magdalen Laundries to find the identity of a former nun, known only as LUCIFER, who was notorious for taking pleasure in torturing the girls.
4* The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)
3* The Magdalen Martyrs (Jack Taylor, #3)
3* Cross (Jack Taylor, #6)
Galway Private Investigator JACK TAYLOR is hired by the daughter of a former inmate of the infamous Magdalen Laundries to find the identity of a former nun, known only as LUCIFER, who was notorious for taking pleasure in torturing the girls.
4* The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)
3* The Magdalen Martyrs (Jack Taylor, #3)
3* Cross (Jack Taylor, #6)
March 2, 2015
"I feel the guilt and recriminations still. The line of the dead who accuse me at every turn of sleep, they come in silent dread, the eyes fixed on me as I twist and moan in vain hope of escape.
So I drink."
If there is one author I turn to when I want to read a readers book, it's got to be Ken Bruen. His Jack Taylor series is poetic poison in a purely positive way. His perennial drunk and drug addled private investigator is a book junkies binge of choice. Not only are the Jack Taylor books laced with evocative quotes such as the above, but they absorb the imagination, drowning it in whisky to lull the senses before smacking it in the face with heart racing coke - kind of like Jack himself.
The third installment THE MAGDALEN MARTYRS continues Jack's downfall while still providing glimpses of goodness. The two distinct cases he investigates includes the search of the sadistic 'Angel of the Magdalen' for a local hardman who was introduced in the previous book - second to this quest for belated vengeance is a murder investigation - or rather, a presumed murder, with a young man questioning his fathers death and pointing the finger at his own estranged mother. Two different cases which get the same ad-hoc PI treatment Jack's known for.
Ken Bruen is a master at putting his most renowned character through the blender and, as you'd come to expect, Jack gets the same treatment here; a lover with a touch of crazy, a friend with a touch of death, a recovery undone by temptation. THE MAGDALEN MARTYRS is pitch perfect Bruen.
Review first appeared on my blog:http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
So I drink."
If there is one author I turn to when I want to read a readers book, it's got to be Ken Bruen. His Jack Taylor series is poetic poison in a purely positive way. His perennial drunk and drug addled private investigator is a book junkies binge of choice. Not only are the Jack Taylor books laced with evocative quotes such as the above, but they absorb the imagination, drowning it in whisky to lull the senses before smacking it in the face with heart racing coke - kind of like Jack himself.
The third installment THE MAGDALEN MARTYRS continues Jack's downfall while still providing glimpses of goodness. The two distinct cases he investigates includes the search of the sadistic 'Angel of the Magdalen' for a local hardman who was introduced in the previous book - second to this quest for belated vengeance is a murder investigation - or rather, a presumed murder, with a young man questioning his fathers death and pointing the finger at his own estranged mother. Two different cases which get the same ad-hoc PI treatment Jack's known for.
Ken Bruen is a master at putting his most renowned character through the blender and, as you'd come to expect, Jack gets the same treatment here; a lover with a touch of crazy, a friend with a touch of death, a recovery undone by temptation. THE MAGDALEN MARTYRS is pitch perfect Bruen.
Review first appeared on my blog:http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
April 22, 2008
Third in the series featuring Jack Taylor, Magdalen Martyrs continues the story of the ex-Guard. In this installment, his old nemesis Bill Galway, a local tough guy no one wants to mess with, is calling in his debt (you had to have read the earlier books to understand what I mean). Cassell didn't ask for payment from Jack when he did him an earlier favor, but now he's calling in his marker. It seems he wants the whereabouts of one Rita Monroe, who used to work in a Magdalen laundry (read about them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalen...). Simple task, right? Well, not if you're Jack. He's concurrently working another case in which an arrogant idiot hired him to find some evidence that his father had been killed by his stepmother. Both cases take some unexpected turns (as usual), leading Jack deeper into his own personal abyss.
As you read this series, you're not really doing so for the mystery aspect. Jack's character is what absolutely makes these novels. The other recurring characters are also drawn very well, but Taylor is definitely the star here.
You could read these novels individually as stand alones (meaning following the series), but I think the reading experience is enhanced if you follow them in order. There are recurring characters, continuing subplots and frankly, you gain a better and more full understanding of the character of Jack Taylor if you begin with the first one, The Guards and work your way through.
I'd definitely recommend the book to anyone following the series; if you're reading them solely as mystery novels, you're going to miss a lot.
As you read this series, you're not really doing so for the mystery aspect. Jack's character is what absolutely makes these novels. The other recurring characters are also drawn very well, but Taylor is definitely the star here.
You could read these novels individually as stand alones (meaning following the series), but I think the reading experience is enhanced if you follow them in order. There are recurring characters, continuing subplots and frankly, you gain a better and more full understanding of the character of Jack Taylor if you begin with the first one, The Guards and work your way through.
I'd definitely recommend the book to anyone following the series; if you're reading them solely as mystery novels, you're going to miss a lot.
July 6, 2023
Не зовсім класичний детектив, як я очікувала, але як же дотепно написано
April 16, 2018
As I work my way through Bruen’s extraordinary Jack Taylor series – this being number three – I keep looking for patterns. I find myself enjoying it all tremendously, and Bruen makes it all look so easy that I figure there has to be a secret weaving throughout it. If I could only bottle what he does, I’d be a better writer than I am.
There are clear elements: Jack disappoints everyone who gets close to him, especially the women foolish enough to fall for him. He stumbles through a crime that seems merely an excuse for much of the forward motion of the story, but it turns out to be neatly plotted as well, ending – as it does again here – with a nice twist that Bruen leaves largely to the imagination. (This after he spells out what will happen, setting up the downfall of someone who’s otherwise outsmarted him.) He reads a lot, hates his mother, and stumbles from the wisdom of one rundown, hard-luck Galwegian after another.
That is, I can see how the lyrics go, but I can’t imagine singing them with anything like his tune.
This one is, at last, a modest drop from the first two. (The Guards, well, good luck finding better noir than that. When you start on top of that mountain, you can go a long way down before you hit bottom. And, if these books are gradually getting less inspired, they’re doing so pretty slowly.) For me, the first sign of that is the way the paragraphs get longer. There’s a little more of the obligatory series business of explaining what happened in previous stories, of bringing people up to speed who’ve either not read the earlier ones or forgotten them.
That aside, there’s a similar despair running throughout this – a despair tempered by humor. In one scene, he’s lying in ambush for a tough guy who’s nearly killed him. He’s in a skid row alley, sweltering in the stink and the dark. It makes sense when a young drunk comes out and urinates nearby. What makes this Bruen, though, is that Jack shouts back at him that the least he can do is wash his hands.
Or there’s the time he tracks down an old frenemy. The guy’s in hospice, dying slowly from an awful cancer. So Jack leans in to him to whisper, and then punches him two or three good times in the face. It’s awful, but it’s beautiful too. It’s got that noir edge, and it’s got the old Dylan Thomas rage against the dying of the light. Where there’s life there’s anger, and Jack, if his despair never quite flares into rage, will nonetheless go down swinging.
It may be worth noting that Jack keeps changing his chemical dependency as well. In The Guards it’s alcohol. In The Killing of the Tinkers it’s cocaine. Here it’s Quaaludes. To Bruen’s credit, each book seems to respond to that changing addiction; thinking of it now, I can forgive some of the longer, slower paragraphs because, of course, that’s how such downers would work.
Anyway, read this guy. I’ve enjoyed some of the out-of-series Bruen I’ve read, but this is a great place to start. Give The Guards a chance, and I think it’s likely you too will find yourself jonesing for number four in the series before long.
There are clear elements: Jack disappoints everyone who gets close to him, especially the women foolish enough to fall for him. He stumbles through a crime that seems merely an excuse for much of the forward motion of the story, but it turns out to be neatly plotted as well, ending – as it does again here – with a nice twist that Bruen leaves largely to the imagination. (This after he spells out what will happen, setting up the downfall of someone who’s otherwise outsmarted him.) He reads a lot, hates his mother, and stumbles from the wisdom of one rundown, hard-luck Galwegian after another.
That is, I can see how the lyrics go, but I can’t imagine singing them with anything like his tune.
This one is, at last, a modest drop from the first two. (The Guards, well, good luck finding better noir than that. When you start on top of that mountain, you can go a long way down before you hit bottom. And, if these books are gradually getting less inspired, they’re doing so pretty slowly.) For me, the first sign of that is the way the paragraphs get longer. There’s a little more of the obligatory series business of explaining what happened in previous stories, of bringing people up to speed who’ve either not read the earlier ones or forgotten them.
That aside, there’s a similar despair running throughout this – a despair tempered by humor. In one scene, he’s lying in ambush for a tough guy who’s nearly killed him. He’s in a skid row alley, sweltering in the stink and the dark. It makes sense when a young drunk comes out and urinates nearby. What makes this Bruen, though, is that Jack shouts back at him that the least he can do is wash his hands.
Or there’s the time he tracks down an old frenemy. The guy’s in hospice, dying slowly from an awful cancer. So Jack leans in to him to whisper, and then punches him two or three good times in the face. It’s awful, but it’s beautiful too. It’s got that noir edge, and it’s got the old Dylan Thomas rage against the dying of the light. Where there’s life there’s anger, and Jack, if his despair never quite flares into rage, will nonetheless go down swinging.
It may be worth noting that Jack keeps changing his chemical dependency as well. In The Guards it’s alcohol. In The Killing of the Tinkers it’s cocaine. Here it’s Quaaludes. To Bruen’s credit, each book seems to respond to that changing addiction; thinking of it now, I can forgive some of the longer, slower paragraphs because, of course, that’s how such downers would work.
Anyway, read this guy. I’ve enjoyed some of the out-of-series Bruen I’ve read, but this is a great place to start. Give The Guards a chance, and I think it’s likely you too will find yourself jonesing for number four in the series before long.
January 15, 2019
Again, the style is more.......focused? than in the first novel. He's moving away from the lists. Jack's addictions take up so much of his time/the space in this novel, but then again, I suppose that's the way it is in real life. A little more detective work here, but I think what puts people off is that you don't always see his thought process when it comes to the detection, but definitely see the thought process when it comes to the addiction. Bruen takes the shoutouts to a whole new level, with regard to the books that Jack reads. There are quotes at the beginning of the chapters, within the chapters....again, it makes it look very unfocused, and I think the idea of books and ideas grounding Jack when he's in withdrawal would have come across without being so heavy-handed.. Still, this one is good--there's a bit of a gut-puncher in the middle of the book.
I'm still trying to get over a detective who has no problem handing out punishment. If his murders were notches on his belt, he might be feeling corseted by now, and it's only the third book in the series. At the same time, I'm aware that it's a small city (heck, it's a small country, everyone seems to know everyone), and this novel in particular communicates the sense that if he doesn't do something about the situation, trouble will continue to hound him. You get a sense of the "dog eat dog" nature of the country/city, especially near the end. Yep, Jack really got played in this one.
As happens in the Harry Hole series, it can be pretty dangerous, even lethal, to be a friend of Jack's. Another former garda, someone who has helped Jack in the past, passes the torch on to another garda, a family member, in this novel. If this pair continues to work together, it should be interesting. I don't have high hopes for it, though.
I'm still trying to get over a detective who has no problem handing out punishment. If his murders were notches on his belt, he might be feeling corseted by now, and it's only the third book in the series. At the same time, I'm aware that it's a small city (heck, it's a small country, everyone seems to know everyone), and this novel in particular communicates the sense that if he doesn't do something about the situation, trouble will continue to hound him. You get a sense of the "dog eat dog" nature of the country/city, especially near the end. Yep, Jack really got played in this one.
As happens in the Harry Hole series, it can be pretty dangerous, even lethal, to be a friend of Jack's. Another former garda, someone who has helped Jack in the past, passes the torch on to another garda, a family member, in this novel. If this pair continues to work together, it should be interesting. I don't have high hopes for it, though.
December 15, 2016
This is the third book in the Jack Taylor series, and we find that not much has changed with Jack. He's still living in the same third rate hotel and being looked after by the octogenarian woman who owns the establishment. He is still drinking, smoking and taking all kinds of drugs. And he keeps finding himself in personal danger as he pursues his lines of enquiries. Jack is fully aware of his shortcomings, and he has oodles of coping mechanisms to help him deal with his self-loathing. For example he is a voracious reader, and he retreats to his books whenever he needs to find time to think. Only the best for our Jack - books from his favourite used bookstore, clothes from the charity shops and a full pharmacopia of drugs in the floorboards of his room. I love these books. Bruen's writing is spare and to the point. He says more in such few words than most novelists can manage in large tomes. We see the dark underside of Galway, Ireland through Jack's jaded eyes (and usually through an alcoholic fog). In this book we pursue some of the history and the horror stories from the now-closed Magdalen Laundry in Galway. Many young girls were left here and forgotten when they found themselves unmarried and pregnant, or on the wrong side of the law. The establishment opened in the 18th century and were finally closed sometime in the mid-20th century. The stories that come from these Catholic institutions are horrendous and heartbreaking and Jack finds himself drawn into them while he's trying to find someone who used to work in the laundry at one time. This is a quick read, but a very good one. Kept me turning pages for sure.
December 30, 2018
Ken Bruen is as dark as they come. Yet out of his darkness there always seems to be a flicker of light to give the reader hope. He is literate of both books and music allowing the reader some pride when he/she actually gets the references, or drives desire to find out when the references are obscure. Breen's main character is a wreck of a human being still drifting like a ghost ship on the seas of life. Few of the minor characters are likable and those that are often meet bad ends. Bruen's take on Ireland as it is now, and where it came from seems to be the source of his darkness and when he touches on the role of the Catholic church in all of that he is particularly scathing. This particular novel deals with the true horrors of the Magdalene Laundries and the legacies they left behind both personal and social. The writing is compellingly excellent. I highly recommend.
September 1, 2016
There is a lot of wit in this satisfying crime thriller. Loved the visit to the anti smoking drug dealer.
November 22, 2016
One picks up one of Ken Bruen's crime novels featuring his protagonist, ex-Garda Jack Taylor hoping that this time, at least for a while, Jack will get himself together. He is an alcoholic, a stone, two-fisted drinker. Repentant? Oh, yes, all the times he is suffering from a killer hangover or a blackout which lands him hospital . But that feeling lasts only as long as the terrible need, the want overcomes his resolve to quit. Or at least , to slow down. Or pace his boozing. Or not. Yes, the hangovers are brutal, but that is what the pills are for, to ease things out , to soften the pain. Not to mention the occasional white powder, to lift his crushed spirit.Jack is an addict, and it going to kill him, if someone does't do it first.
In spite of his notariety as a drinker, people seek out his services as a man who can find people or to find out why something bad has happened to them. That is what goes on as, Jack, sober for a while after a stint in the hospital, recovering from his latest bender, is sitting in a pub, having coffee. He is approached by a young man who looks like he has the world by the arse. His story is that his father died, of supposedly natural causes, but the man, his son, thinks that his stepmother killed him.
"Look into it, for me, " he asks/orders, as he slaps a thick enevlope on the table before Jack.
Of course Jack snarls back not appreciating the tone, but he takes on the job because needs the money. The same day, Jack also receives another job order, this one a real command. It is from a loan shark, thug and big-time crook who calls in a favor Jack owes. He must find a certain woman, fans do it fast or, else. Why, because or else you will wish you had., the order giver states.
Jack never does anything the easy way, because he does not know one. Rather, his nature and that of the booze makes every day the Lost Weekend. The investigation meanders along as Jack looks into things, although , neither of his two clients appreciate his slow, boozy pace of work. The crook suggests that Jack apply himself, the suggestion made at the end of pistol to Jack's head. The bereaved stepmother tells Jack that she is wide-innocent as she plies him with a full bottle and a full bra. When Jack is around things do happen.
Ken Bruen writes in sharp biting sentences that reveal, without much sympathy, Jack's nature. Bruen won't allow much hope for Jack; he is a man who has lost all hope. He has alienated almost everyone. His past haunts him, and his future is starkly apparent. But he goes on. And as readers of the novels know so well, we will be caught up, rooting for him, giving another chance, and picking him up from the floor, helping him to put his forlorn life back together.
I love these books sad as they can be as the story of Jack Taylor is one that haunts and compels the reader to return for the next episode.
Warning: if you expect a happy ending, or a light at the end of the tunnel of Jack's story- it is just a neon Guinness sign.
In spite of his notariety as a drinker, people seek out his services as a man who can find people or to find out why something bad has happened to them. That is what goes on as, Jack, sober for a while after a stint in the hospital, recovering from his latest bender, is sitting in a pub, having coffee. He is approached by a young man who looks like he has the world by the arse. His story is that his father died, of supposedly natural causes, but the man, his son, thinks that his stepmother killed him.
"Look into it, for me, " he asks/orders, as he slaps a thick enevlope on the table before Jack.
Of course Jack snarls back not appreciating the tone, but he takes on the job because needs the money. The same day, Jack also receives another job order, this one a real command. It is from a loan shark, thug and big-time crook who calls in a favor Jack owes. He must find a certain woman, fans do it fast or, else. Why, because or else you will wish you had., the order giver states.
Jack never does anything the easy way, because he does not know one. Rather, his nature and that of the booze makes every day the Lost Weekend. The investigation meanders along as Jack looks into things, although , neither of his two clients appreciate his slow, boozy pace of work. The crook suggests that Jack apply himself, the suggestion made at the end of pistol to Jack's head. The bereaved stepmother tells Jack that she is wide-innocent as she plies him with a full bottle and a full bra. When Jack is around things do happen.
Ken Bruen writes in sharp biting sentences that reveal, without much sympathy, Jack's nature. Bruen won't allow much hope for Jack; he is a man who has lost all hope. He has alienated almost everyone. His past haunts him, and his future is starkly apparent. But he goes on. And as readers of the novels know so well, we will be caught up, rooting for him, giving another chance, and picking him up from the floor, helping him to put his forlorn life back together.
I love these books sad as they can be as the story of Jack Taylor is one that haunts and compels the reader to return for the next episode.
Warning: if you expect a happy ending, or a light at the end of the tunnel of Jack's story- it is just a neon Guinness sign.
January 14, 2019
Why you would hire a drug addled alcoholic to investigate anything is beyond me. But here is Jack Taylor who is ex Garda, hired to find a woman by local thug Bill Cassell. This woman, he says, was known as The Angel at the dreadful Magdalene Laundries. Jack doesn’t really ask why he wants to find her. This is his style. Don’t ask too much, till it’s too late.
Another man wants Taylor to prove his femme fatale of a stepmother actually killed his father.
Jack is a good man, ruined by addiction and a mother who despises him. His deductions are more intuitive than proper investigating. He knows who to ask and his knowledge is aided by the books he avidly collects and reads. He is not, however, averse to using violence when really pushed and is often on the receiving end of it too.
He’s an annoyingly frustrating character but you can’t help but like him.
I watched Iain Glen play him, really well, on the TV series including this story so this drew me to the book. The one does the other justice.
Another man wants Taylor to prove his femme fatale of a stepmother actually killed his father.
Jack is a good man, ruined by addiction and a mother who despises him. His deductions are more intuitive than proper investigating. He knows who to ask and his knowledge is aided by the books he avidly collects and reads. He is not, however, averse to using violence when really pushed and is often on the receiving end of it too.
He’s an annoyingly frustrating character but you can’t help but like him.
I watched Iain Glen play him, really well, on the TV series including this story so this drew me to the book. The one does the other justice.
December 4, 2017
Bruen is three for three. Jack Taylor is a healthy mix of everything that is bad about people and those parts that we all wish we could do better.
In The Magdalen Martyrs, Jack is hired by a local thug to find the woman who was in charge of managing and disciplining the young girls in a home for wayward girls. We don't get a complete picture of what she's done; however, Bruen offers just enough of a view to make our insides turn to jelly. Jack does as asked, and paid for (calling in favors and such along the way to his discovery), but not all is as it seems.
Another rip-roaring ride with Jack where no matter how much we hold on, we almost lose our grip. Wonderful snappy wit/sarcasm and book references that will make mostly well-rounded readers weep.
In The Magdalen Martyrs, Jack is hired by a local thug to find the woman who was in charge of managing and disciplining the young girls in a home for wayward girls. We don't get a complete picture of what she's done; however, Bruen offers just enough of a view to make our insides turn to jelly. Jack does as asked, and paid for (calling in favors and such along the way to his discovery), but not all is as it seems.
Another rip-roaring ride with Jack where no matter how much we hold on, we almost lose our grip. Wonderful snappy wit/sarcasm and book references that will make mostly well-rounded readers weep.
January 19, 2018
I expected a lot from Ken Bruen's prose, and he delivered. The spare style made the book flow easily for me. I wish I could have found the first couple of books in the series, but sometimes starting in the middle of things is good introduction. Jack Taylor is an absolutely despicable character that I now have the pleasure to know. I look forward to reading of more of his strife.
April 5, 2020
Un nou roman cu Jack Taylor. Aceleași metehne, aceeași lentoare. Cazuri violente care par să se rezolve uneori de la sine. Însă vocea fostului polițist, excelentă și greu de rescris! Pentru vocea asta citesc romanele și sper să se mai traducă pentru că în engleză sunt cam scumpe :)
Mai jos o scurtă recenzie:
https://vderevlean.wordpress.com/2020...
Mai jos o scurtă recenzie:
https://vderevlean.wordpress.com/2020...
January 18, 2024
I think I may have listened to too many books in this series too quickly after each other. I still enjoyed the writing and the dark humour, but not quite as much as the first two in the series. Will wait a month or two before starting the next one.
October 20, 2025
Більше про книжки у Telegram-каналі.
Складно якось класифікувати цю книгу, бо це не детектив і не трилер. Скоріше це потік депресивної свідомості головного героя під різним опіатами, яка наскрізно перемежовується якимись розслідуваннями. Можливо, це нуарний роман, але це не точно.
Це така серія, яку читаєш швидко, із задоволенням та головною думкою "Яке моє життя прекрасне, не те, що в Джека". Мене заспокоює ця оповідь пригніченого, а кримінальні сюжетні лінії - зацікавлюють.
Не певна, що це мастрід, бо книга написана про людську гріховність у багатьох її проявах. Але от мені - зайшло, ідеальне осіннє читання. До того ж читається максимально просто, бо мова кострубата, без зайвих описів та деталей, все тільки по ділу.
Складно якось класифікувати цю книгу, бо це не детектив і не трилер. Скоріше це потік депресивної свідомості головного героя під різним опіатами, яка наскрізно перемежовується якимись розслідуваннями. Можливо, це нуарний роман, але це не точно.
Це така серія, яку читаєш швидко, із задоволенням та головною думкою "Яке моє життя прекрасне, не те, що в Джека". Мене заспокоює ця оповідь пригніченого, а кримінальні сюжетні лінії - зацікавлюють.
Не певна, що це мастрід, бо книга написана про людську гріховність у багатьох її проявах. Але от мені - зайшло, ідеальне осіннє читання. До того ж читається максимально просто, бо мова кострубата, без зайвих описів та деталей, все тільки по ділу.
December 5, 2013
Talk of the town just now is Philomena, the movie. It tells the story of a woman who was a victim of one of the wicked manifestations of the Catholic Church. The film looks OK. I may see it one day, perhaps on DVD. However it plays out, I’m pretty sure it won’t be able to shine a prayer-candle to Ken Bruen’s The Magdalen Martyrs.
I loved Jack Taylor before arriving at this novel. It’s difficult not to. He articulates his inner workings with charm, humour and a good deal of learned profundity.
Here, he becomes involved in 2 cases. The first is to investigate a rather interesting woman who likes her drink and whose ex-husband suspects is guilty of murder. The second, a job from a killer whom he couldn’t turn down, is to track down an old lady with associations with the Magdalen Laundry.
The cases are hugely interesting in themselves and give the book its movement and superbly dimensioned characters. Although that’s crucial to the plot, the main story is one of addiction – the effects of intoxicants, withdrawal, black-outs, extreme actions, hallucination, self-loathing, guilt, depression, the works.
Jack moves from the booze to pills to periods of abstinence. As he plods through each phase, he sees his reflection the world and the people around him. He talks about his life and his failings in such an articulate and entertaining way that I doubt there can have been many better accounts of these extremes. Bruen would argue with this last statement and win because he knows far more than I – each chapter begins with a quote that has been selected perfectly to set a tone or underline a point.
Talking of quotes, here’s one of his own that I rather cared for:
“I can’t blame books for the chaos of my life, but they’ve always been there on the journey.”
This novel works wonderfully on so many levels. It’s a brilliant piece and one that only emphasises Bruen’s right to be accorded such a high status within the crime-writing world and the world of literature.
I loved Jack Taylor before arriving at this novel. It’s difficult not to. He articulates his inner workings with charm, humour and a good deal of learned profundity.
Here, he becomes involved in 2 cases. The first is to investigate a rather interesting woman who likes her drink and whose ex-husband suspects is guilty of murder. The second, a job from a killer whom he couldn’t turn down, is to track down an old lady with associations with the Magdalen Laundry.
The cases are hugely interesting in themselves and give the book its movement and superbly dimensioned characters. Although that’s crucial to the plot, the main story is one of addiction – the effects of intoxicants, withdrawal, black-outs, extreme actions, hallucination, self-loathing, guilt, depression, the works.
Jack moves from the booze to pills to periods of abstinence. As he plods through each phase, he sees his reflection the world and the people around him. He talks about his life and his failings in such an articulate and entertaining way that I doubt there can have been many better accounts of these extremes. Bruen would argue with this last statement and win because he knows far more than I – each chapter begins with a quote that has been selected perfectly to set a tone or underline a point.
Talking of quotes, here’s one of his own that I rather cared for:
“I can’t blame books for the chaos of my life, but they’ve always been there on the journey.”
This novel works wonderfully on so many levels. It’s a brilliant piece and one that only emphasises Bruen’s right to be accorded such a high status within the crime-writing world and the world of literature.
September 18, 2012
I thought I would spend a little more time with Jack Taylor and I'm not sure I'm happy I did. This series is dark and not in a spooky, creepy kind of way, just a sad, lonely depressing kind of way. I'm not sure how much longer I can stomach this series but I have two more books so I will tackle those and hope there is some redemption.
Jack is a broken man, and if the alcohol doesn't kill him, someone else surely will. He used to be a good cop now he just stumbles through life making drastic mistakes and taking drastic measures to clean up his mess. That's how he became indebted to Bill Cassell in the first place.
Jack's saving grace is books and if you ever wanted a small sampling of all different books this is where to find them because he is often quoting different books and authors to get him through his life.
The Magdalen story line is very interesting - The Magdalen Martyrs were unwed mothers who were placed in a Franciscan home until they had their babies. They were routinely tortured and beaten as sinners and the worst offender was a woman they called Lucifer. Jack is charged with finding a woman who used to work in this home. Throughout the book are little stories about what went on in the home which were sad and dark but gave the story depth between the drunken, drug induced binges.
All in all I felt this one was better than the last two - the pacing was better and it wasn't as all over the place.
Jack is a broken man, and if the alcohol doesn't kill him, someone else surely will. He used to be a good cop now he just stumbles through life making drastic mistakes and taking drastic measures to clean up his mess. That's how he became indebted to Bill Cassell in the first place.
Jack's saving grace is books and if you ever wanted a small sampling of all different books this is where to find them because he is often quoting different books and authors to get him through his life.
The Magdalen story line is very interesting - The Magdalen Martyrs were unwed mothers who were placed in a Franciscan home until they had their babies. They were routinely tortured and beaten as sinners and the worst offender was a woman they called Lucifer. Jack is charged with finding a woman who used to work in this home. Throughout the book are little stories about what went on in the home which were sad and dark but gave the story depth between the drunken, drug induced binges.
All in all I felt this one was better than the last two - the pacing was better and it wasn't as all over the place.
January 15, 2015
Ken "Will I ever write a long book? Only if there's a cat in it." Bruen interview snippets:
Probably the best example of a rage-fuelled novel is The Hackman Blues. It's my favourite of your standalones. A wounded animal roar of a book, but you had real trouble getting it published, didn't you?
My agent dropped me because I went ahead with publication, said it would kill my career. I had a letter from her last year saying she was retiring and I wrote back, "Who's going to notice?"
One can't go far in any of the Jack Taylor novels without it being obvious that Jack is a hopeless alcoholic. Does alcoholism run in your family?
Alcoholism doesn't run in my family, it bloody gallops, and my beloved brother, brilliant in every way, was found dead, a derelict in the Australian outback. Jack was formed from thus. I wanted to shatter the myth that Irish boys, like Italians, always love their mommas, and so Jack says, "My mother is a walking bitch."
Most Irish literature shows booze as a jolly caper. I wanted to show the truth: no one can ever say Jack has a good time drinking.
What are you trying to say with your books?
That even though we're fucked, and we are, there's moments of humour and that in the darkness you may find a separate peace.
Easy, Ken. That was almost spiritual.
Whoops, can't be having any of that spiritual gig. Ruins a decent pint.
Probably the best example of a rage-fuelled novel is The Hackman Blues. It's my favourite of your standalones. A wounded animal roar of a book, but you had real trouble getting it published, didn't you?
My agent dropped me because I went ahead with publication, said it would kill my career. I had a letter from her last year saying she was retiring and I wrote back, "Who's going to notice?"
One can't go far in any of the Jack Taylor novels without it being obvious that Jack is a hopeless alcoholic. Does alcoholism run in your family?
Alcoholism doesn't run in my family, it bloody gallops, and my beloved brother, brilliant in every way, was found dead, a derelict in the Australian outback. Jack was formed from thus. I wanted to shatter the myth that Irish boys, like Italians, always love their mommas, and so Jack says, "My mother is a walking bitch."
Most Irish literature shows booze as a jolly caper. I wanted to show the truth: no one can ever say Jack has a good time drinking.
What are you trying to say with your books?
That even though we're fucked, and we are, there's moments of humour and that in the darkness you may find a separate peace.
Easy, Ken. That was almost spiritual.
Whoops, can't be having any of that spiritual gig. Ruins a decent pint.
February 18, 2014
В первой книге Джек Тейлор бухал по-черному, во второй – сидел на коксе, в третьей – начал употреблять вещества и теперь окончательно потерял связь с реальностью. Бродит по Голуэю, разговаривает с несуществующими людьми, раздумывает над суицидом.
В начале романа Джек приходит в сознание на больничной койке после приступа белой горячки. Врачи говорят: бросай пить – иначе подохнешь. Билл Касселл говорит: с тебя должок, Джекки, найди для меня человечка. Старую монахиню из всем известного приюта святой Магдалины. Найдешь и тогда мы, считай, в расчёте.
Билл не врёт, но слишком сильно давит, а Тейлор этого не любит. Не по нраву ему и новый клиент - яппи-гей Терри Боулс, подозревающий мачеху в убийстве своего отца. Нет-нет, Джек Тейлор от работы не отлынивает, просто играет всегда по своим правилам. Очень жёстким правилам. В итоге, людей и врагов вокруг детектива становится с каждым днём все меньше и меньше.
Кто-то повесится, кто-то станет овощем после инсульта, кого-то убьёт рак, кто-то впадёт в кому из-за наркотиков. А еще ведь есть ребенок-дебил, но это уже отдельная песня. Пусть и не Джонни Дюхэйна.
В начале романа Джек приходит в сознание на больничной койке после приступа белой горячки. Врачи говорят: бросай пить – иначе подохнешь. Билл Касселл говорит: с тебя должок, Джекки, найди для меня человечка. Старую монахиню из всем известного приюта святой Магдалины. Найдешь и тогда мы, считай, в расчёте.
Билл не врёт, но слишком сильно давит, а Тейлор этого не любит. Не по нраву ему и новый клиент - яппи-гей Терри Боулс, подозревающий мачеху в убийстве своего отца. Нет-нет, Джек Тейлор от работы не отлынивает, просто играет всегда по своим правилам. Очень жёстким правилам. В итоге, людей и врагов вокруг детектива становится с каждым днём все меньше и меньше.
Кто-то повесится, кто-то станет овощем после инсульта, кого-то убьёт рак, кто-то впадёт в кому из-за наркотиков. А еще ведь есть ребенок-дебил, но это уже отдельная песня. Пусть и не Джонни Дюхэйна.
January 19, 2019
Another really good Jack Taylor story. These books are so unique. He is not the best or most dedicated private investigator. In fact, he's more destructive than anything else. Most of the time he appears to be using people. And his friends are very few. More like "acquaintances that can stomach him" than "friends." It reminds me of something I read recently about how you don't necessarily have to like your protagonist. I do like Jack, but in the sense that he is the dark side of what we all could be. And he breaks the law repeatedly. As a matter of course, he does what Matthew Scudder would only do in the most dire of circumstances. To me, he is the dark and less dedicated Matthew Scudder. I love that he is a persistent reader.
The Magdalen Martyrs is easily the darkest of the Jack Taylor series so far. Had the character called Lucifer been more of a focus, the book could have become unbearably dark. Luckily, Bruen keeps that character in the background so we don't lose our appetites while we read. I am completely hooked on this series. Four stars easily.
The Magdalen Martyrs is easily the darkest of the Jack Taylor series so far. Had the character called Lucifer been more of a focus, the book could have become unbearably dark. Luckily, Bruen keeps that character in the background so we don't lose our appetites while we read. I am completely hooked on this series. Four stars easily.
May 10, 2012
This is the third book in Ken Bruen’s Jack Taylor series. And I am addicted to these books! Fast paced, full of suspense, laced with despair, hard-core crime, and the dark side of humanity. Wrap all of this up together and you have a Ken Bruen book that you don’t want to put down once you read the first page. This series is my new go-to when I just want to read and be fully entertained.
Jacket notes: “In the third Jack Taylor novel from acclaimed crime writer Ken Bruen, Jack has sunk to all new lows with his alcoholism. Knowing his next visit to the hospital will be his last, his days of deep depression are punctuated only by nights of tense insomnia. But when he gets a tip off about a missing girl named Rita Monroe, his ex-cop brain pulls his body into action. Rita had been one of the Magdalen girls, a group of unmarried mothers who had been consigned into slavery in a nun-run laundry. With his uncanny ability to look in all the right place, Jack sets out on Rita's trail.”h
Jacket notes: “In the third Jack Taylor novel from acclaimed crime writer Ken Bruen, Jack has sunk to all new lows with his alcoholism. Knowing his next visit to the hospital will be his last, his days of deep depression are punctuated only by nights of tense insomnia. But when he gets a tip off about a missing girl named Rita Monroe, his ex-cop brain pulls his body into action. Rita had been one of the Magdalen girls, a group of unmarried mothers who had been consigned into slavery in a nun-run laundry. With his uncanny ability to look in all the right place, Jack sets out on Rita's trail.”h
July 31, 2014
I love Ken Bruen’s character, Jack Taylor, and have watched all the episodes available to me on Acorn TV, including the Magdalen episode. There were a few differences from the book and the TV show but I enjoyed them both. I liked the literary references that seem much more prominent in this book than the previous ones in the series. There is even reference to this being a pathology of Jack’s, retreating into examination of the literary world. This book centers on the infamous Magdalen laundry, the nuns and the women imprisoned there. Jack has a favor called in and investigates what happened there.
Jack is a great character and I am always drawn into his world in these books and in the TV show. The setting, characters and mystery are always superbly done. I would definitely suggest reading the books in order to see Jack’s changes over time. Great read!
Jack is a great character and I am always drawn into his world in these books and in the TV show. The setting, characters and mystery are always superbly done. I would definitely suggest reading the books in order to see Jack’s changes over time. Great read!
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