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Inspector Celcius Daly #2
Border Angels
A charred corpse and a set of footprints in the snow lead Celcius Daly into the twilight world of people trafficking.
Inspector Celcius Daly is hunting for a missing woman, Lena Novak, who mysteriously disappeared one winter's night along the Irish border, leaving in her wake the corpses of two men.
Daly finds himself hooked together with a prostitute and a hit man in a life-or-death chase. His investigation leads them deep into border country, a wild terrain of disappearing lanes and blown-up bridges, abandoned ghost-estates and thick forests - the ultimate refuge for anyone who does not want to be found.
Inspector Celcius Daly is hunting for a missing woman, Lena Novak, who mysteriously disappeared one winter's night along the Irish border, leaving in her wake the corpses of two men.
Daly finds himself hooked together with a prostitute and a hit man in a life-or-death chase. His investigation leads them deep into border country, a wild terrain of disappearing lanes and blown-up bridges, abandoned ghost-estates and thick forests - the ultimate refuge for anyone who does not want to be found.
252 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Quinn
10 books28 followersAnthony Quinn (b. 1971) is an Irish author and journalist. Born in Northern Ireland’s County Tyrone, Quinn majored in English at Queen’s University, Belfast. After college, he worked a number of jobs—social worker, organic gardener, yoga teacher—before finding work as a journalist.
His first novel DISAPPEARED was published by Otto Penzler's Mysterious Press in 2012, and was shortlisted for a Strand Literary Award, as judged by book critics from the LA Times, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, CNN and the Guardian. It was also selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the top ten thrillers of 2012.
BORDER ANGELS, the sequel, also features Inspector Celcius Daly and was published by Mysterious Press in 2013.
He has written short stories for years, winning critical acclaim and, twice, a place on the short list for the Hennessy Literary Awards for New Irish Writing. He also placed as runner-up in a Sunday Times food writing competition. He is represented by Paul Feldstein of the Feldstein Agency.
His first novel DISAPPEARED was published by Otto Penzler's Mysterious Press in 2012, and was shortlisted for a Strand Literary Award, as judged by book critics from the LA Times, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, CNN and the Guardian. It was also selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the top ten thrillers of 2012.
BORDER ANGELS, the sequel, also features Inspector Celcius Daly and was published by Mysterious Press in 2013.
He has written short stories for years, winning critical acclaim and, twice, a place on the short list for the Hennessy Literary Awards for New Irish Writing. He also placed as runner-up in a Sunday Times food writing competition. He is represented by Paul Feldstein of the Feldstein Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 16, 2020
"Border Angels" is a compelling crime thriller featuring Inspector Celsius Daly based in County Armagh, and the mysterious disappearance of an Eastern European woman amidst the world of sex trafficking.
It is very easy to read, and well written with a great cast of characters. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked.
Highly recommended.
It is very easy to read, and well written with a great cast of characters. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked.
Highly recommended.
January 16, 2015
Border Angels – Stunning!
Border Angels by Anthony J. Quinn is the stunning follow up to his first Inspector Celcius Daley thriller in the brilliant debut in Disappeared. From what he began in Disappeared he has taken a shot gun to what he wrote blew it away and come back with something even better. Disappeared was not just my crime thriller of the year but I was in the exalted company of The Mail and The Times. Border Angels knocks his previous Inspector Daley Thriller into a cocked hat!
Inspector Celcius Daley is based in Armagh the county town for the border country that in the times of the troubles was often referred to as bandit country where the snipers were always on duty. Since the peace the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Armagh has had its fair share of economic troubles with people smuggling to add to the fuel and tobacco smuggling. At the same time money is flowing in to various areas of the border through peace funding.
Lena Novak a Croatian brothel worker has disappeared at the same time as Jack Fowler, a former IRA man, a developed under investigation dies in mysterious circumstances. The former leaders of the IRA are worried that Fowler’s death might shine a light on some of their current dealings. While at the same time the leader of the East European Mafia, Mikolajek, is running round Armagh threatening those who put his business in danger. The IRA also brings back a former killer from Spain to help find Fowler’s money and remove any threat to them Irish or Croatian.
Celcius Daley knows that Lena Novak is the key to all that centres on what is happening in the border country, but he is competing with the IRA and the East Europeans to find Lena. He finds himself unwittingly at times working with Lena to find the truth but Lena trusts nobody especially men. His investigation takes him further in to the border country in what becomes a life or death race against time. Lena uses the country to her advantage as she really does not want to be found but is not afraid to lead the men after her to where she has power for a change.
All this is going on as the politics of the new Northern Ireland rumbles around them and Daley’s commanding officer is the supreme number cruncher who cares more about reports than catching Lena. He is the commanding officer who does not really understand policing outside of the Station and certainly not an odd ball like Celcius Daley.
The prose in Border Angels is so lyrical one could imagine the burr of Irish accents as you read the imagery it gives off is that of a hard country, a confusing country where the answer may be right but not necessarily correct. Quinn’s writing is persuasive and he lays out the deep ambivalence that hangs around Northern Ireland since the peace process and those who were once terrorists are now business men. His descriptions are haunting and unflinching of a harsh country that is coming to terms with its new none violent life.
Disappeared was good Border Angels is even better and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Border Angels by Anthony J. Quinn is the stunning follow up to his first Inspector Celcius Daley thriller in the brilliant debut in Disappeared. From what he began in Disappeared he has taken a shot gun to what he wrote blew it away and come back with something even better. Disappeared was not just my crime thriller of the year but I was in the exalted company of The Mail and The Times. Border Angels knocks his previous Inspector Daley Thriller into a cocked hat!
Inspector Celcius Daley is based in Armagh the county town for the border country that in the times of the troubles was often referred to as bandit country where the snipers were always on duty. Since the peace the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Armagh has had its fair share of economic troubles with people smuggling to add to the fuel and tobacco smuggling. At the same time money is flowing in to various areas of the border through peace funding.
Lena Novak a Croatian brothel worker has disappeared at the same time as Jack Fowler, a former IRA man, a developed under investigation dies in mysterious circumstances. The former leaders of the IRA are worried that Fowler’s death might shine a light on some of their current dealings. While at the same time the leader of the East European Mafia, Mikolajek, is running round Armagh threatening those who put his business in danger. The IRA also brings back a former killer from Spain to help find Fowler’s money and remove any threat to them Irish or Croatian.
Celcius Daley knows that Lena Novak is the key to all that centres on what is happening in the border country, but he is competing with the IRA and the East Europeans to find Lena. He finds himself unwittingly at times working with Lena to find the truth but Lena trusts nobody especially men. His investigation takes him further in to the border country in what becomes a life or death race against time. Lena uses the country to her advantage as she really does not want to be found but is not afraid to lead the men after her to where she has power for a change.
All this is going on as the politics of the new Northern Ireland rumbles around them and Daley’s commanding officer is the supreme number cruncher who cares more about reports than catching Lena. He is the commanding officer who does not really understand policing outside of the Station and certainly not an odd ball like Celcius Daley.
The prose in Border Angels is so lyrical one could imagine the burr of Irish accents as you read the imagery it gives off is that of a hard country, a confusing country where the answer may be right but not necessarily correct. Quinn’s writing is persuasive and he lays out the deep ambivalence that hangs around Northern Ireland since the peace process and those who were once terrorists are now business men. His descriptions are haunting and unflinching of a harsh country that is coming to terms with its new none violent life.
Disappeared was good Border Angels is even better and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
September 25, 2013
A mesmerising detective thriller filled with superb writing and interesting characters. Much of the book is set on the Irish border, which Quinn brings vividly to life. It’s a dark, unsettling, hostile world, one which tries to destroy Lena Novak, a trafficked women who escapes her captors, and, to some extent, Celcius Daly, the police inspector given the task of tracking her down. It’s an atmosphere that oozes with tension, as though violence could break out at any moment. And throughout the book, “border country” is used as a metaphor for the main characters’ plights: Lena Novak is literally wandering through dangerous border country, being pursued by both Celcius Daly and violent criminals. Meanwhile, Celcius’ personal life is trapped in just as dangerous a border country, but an emotional one, and his search for Lena helps him to escape its perils.
The book rounds off with a genuinely surprising ending that will have readers hooked.
The book rounds off with a genuinely surprising ending that will have readers hooked.
July 24, 2018
Not a bad book. Well plotted and reaonably well written, but Gods Above and Below, it was depressing!
Never been so pleased to finish a book in my life.
Never been so pleased to finish a book in my life.
November 22, 2013
Now, this was a great little find for me and another of those books that would have been a total travesty to escape Raven’s beady eye! With my undoubted passion for Irish crime fiction, I will swiftly add Anthony Quinn to a must-read list and a definite recommendation for fans of Brian McGilloway, Stuart Neville, Declan Hughes et al and, when time allows, I will certainly be seeking out Quinn’s first in the Police Inspector Celcius Daly series, The Disappeared.
The plot of Border Angels revolves around the trafficking of young Eastern European women to work in the sex trade around the border areas of Ireland, and as the nefarious goings-on of one brothel is exposed by Daly and his team, one young woman is found to be involved in the suspicious death of a formerly successful Irish businessman. Quinn balances perfectly not only the setting and location of the initial investigation, drawing on the borderlands violent past in the heyday of The Troubles and its wild beauty, but also the very contemporary financial difficulties experienced by Ireland in the shadow of the collapse of certain sections of the economy. Add to this the burgeoning pressures and dangers of the less salubrious side of immigration prevalent in the country today, and the scene is set beautifully for not only an engrossing tale of murder and deceit, but for a very authentic picture of Ireland today.
Since reading Mark Sullivan’s Crocodile Tears earlier in the year, I was not expecting to encounter another new-to-me detective that would so strike a chord within this reader, but Police Inspector Celcius Daly fits the bill admirably. Daly, unlike many other fictional detectives, is defined by his ordinariness- a man of a certain age coming to terms with the break-up of his marriage, and setting the shortcomings of his personal life against his professionalism as a detective. I liked his character very much- not only his natural intuitive investigative skills, but the way that he was not immune to the temptations that this particular investigation throws into his path, making for a highly believable and appealing central protagonist.
It’s always a pleasure to discover a new author in your own preferred genre of crime fiction and so Anthony Quinn was to me. An engaging investigation, good characterisation, and a seamless blending of the current face of Ireland’s social and economic make-up, enhanced the book even further. A good read.
The plot of Border Angels revolves around the trafficking of young Eastern European women to work in the sex trade around the border areas of Ireland, and as the nefarious goings-on of one brothel is exposed by Daly and his team, one young woman is found to be involved in the suspicious death of a formerly successful Irish businessman. Quinn balances perfectly not only the setting and location of the initial investigation, drawing on the borderlands violent past in the heyday of The Troubles and its wild beauty, but also the very contemporary financial difficulties experienced by Ireland in the shadow of the collapse of certain sections of the economy. Add to this the burgeoning pressures and dangers of the less salubrious side of immigration prevalent in the country today, and the scene is set beautifully for not only an engrossing tale of murder and deceit, but for a very authentic picture of Ireland today.
Since reading Mark Sullivan’s Crocodile Tears earlier in the year, I was not expecting to encounter another new-to-me detective that would so strike a chord within this reader, but Police Inspector Celcius Daly fits the bill admirably. Daly, unlike many other fictional detectives, is defined by his ordinariness- a man of a certain age coming to terms with the break-up of his marriage, and setting the shortcomings of his personal life against his professionalism as a detective. I liked his character very much- not only his natural intuitive investigative skills, but the way that he was not immune to the temptations that this particular investigation throws into his path, making for a highly believable and appealing central protagonist.
It’s always a pleasure to discover a new author in your own preferred genre of crime fiction and so Anthony Quinn was to me. An engaging investigation, good characterisation, and a seamless blending of the current face of Ireland’s social and economic make-up, enhanced the book even further. A good read.
September 25, 2013
At its heart this is a book about people, criminals, victims and police officers operating in the borderlands between captivity and freedom, hope and despair, enslavement and cruelty.
The wonderful descriptions make the reader pause and think:
"She stared at her reflection, tethered in the blackness of the window like bait to the men who roamed border country. After a while, it started to snow. She watched the wind swathe her shadowy face with flakes."
"The night air was resonant with fragments of noise—the sound of a car skidding to a halt, followed by the urgent shouts of the police officer broken into garbled echoes by the roar of the fuel tank igniting."
"She knew by intuition the hiding places in border country, and its traps—the blown-up bridges, the crumbling sheds and outbuildings occupied by gunmen, the lorries and cars driven by smugglers at breakneck speeds, as well as the obstacles posed by mountains, forests, and rivers. She dashed headlong into the deepest shadows, searching for a secret hiding place."
The characters were as vivid as looking at a photograph with multiple layers and dimensions. Finally, the author was able to do a whopper of a twist that left me with a "WOW..didn't see that coming!" moment.
The wonderful descriptions make the reader pause and think:
"She stared at her reflection, tethered in the blackness of the window like bait to the men who roamed border country. After a while, it started to snow. She watched the wind swathe her shadowy face with flakes."
"The night air was resonant with fragments of noise—the sound of a car skidding to a halt, followed by the urgent shouts of the police officer broken into garbled echoes by the roar of the fuel tank igniting."
"She knew by intuition the hiding places in border country, and its traps—the blown-up bridges, the crumbling sheds and outbuildings occupied by gunmen, the lorries and cars driven by smugglers at breakneck speeds, as well as the obstacles posed by mountains, forests, and rivers. She dashed headlong into the deepest shadows, searching for a secret hiding place."
The characters were as vivid as looking at a photograph with multiple layers and dimensions. Finally, the author was able to do a whopper of a twist that left me with a "WOW..didn't see that coming!" moment.
January 6, 2015
As a blogger I receive a small number of unsolicited books, some I'll read, some I won't. I was very pleased however to open a parcel and see this book inside. I only read Disappeared, the first book in the Inspector Celcius Daly series a few months ago and when I finished it I was left wanting more. I was unaware that Border Angels was first published over a year ago or I'd have got my hands on it much sooner! Having now finished Border Angels this series is now a 'must read' for me. I'm very much late to the party, but I don't care as I am now a huge fan.
Border Angels is a believable and complex tale. A chilling and haunting opening really sets the scene for what's to come. It is very much a mystery, and I started off trying to work it out alongside Daly and I found myself feeling incredibly relieved that I was reading the book in the comfort of my own, warm home and not out on the border finding my life in danger. There's such a sense of realism with the book that at times it was quite frightening, it's a story that feels all too real, like something you would see on the news and think 'oh isn't that awful?' Well yes, it is awful and I found myself completely consumed by this book and the characters within, wanting good to overcome evil and doubting whether it would, and at times doubting who was even good and who was bad... As I said, complex but absolutely riveting stuff.
Very rarely has a book's setting come alive in my mind more than with the two novels I have read by Anthony Quinn. I have been actively seeking out crime fiction set in Ireland for a while now, which is how I came across these books in the first place and the setting has never been brought to life more than it has with Anthony's books, his knowledge of Ireland and the subjects he writes about along with some wonderfully descriptive writing is used to create a truly authentic, atmospheric reading experience that gave me goosebumps throughout. The character development of Celcius Daly was great, I am now totally invested in this character's history and his future and I can't wait to read more. He's certainly one of the more unique and interesting characters I've read about for a while, and I like that he isn't portrayed as some sort of Supercop which you usually find in crime fiction (generally American, which is what I read a lot of). I will say however, and it's hard to explain why without discussing the plot, that at times I felt he was coming across as a little naive, and certain aspects of the story felt a little contrived, where you think 'would that really happen?' But, it's fiction and it all serves to move the story along and adds some interesting twists and turns.
It seems that I tend to be repeating myself in my reviews, but I'm realising there's only so many ways you can say you enjoyed a book. What I will say that's different though is that Border Angels reminded me why I read, and it's because of books like this. I'm constantly baffled at people who say books are boring, or that they don't read. Books like this should be used as an example of why people should read, it's brilliant. For some reason I get the impression Anthony's books aren't as popular as they should be, perhaps I'm wrong but I'd never heard of him until a few months ago and I consider myself pretty knowledgeable where crime fiction is concerned, so if you are a crime fiction fan only just hearing about Anthony, then go and check out Disappeared, you won't be disappointed. Or, start with Border Angels as it can be read as a standalone.
Border Angels is a believable and complex tale. A chilling and haunting opening really sets the scene for what's to come. It is very much a mystery, and I started off trying to work it out alongside Daly and I found myself feeling incredibly relieved that I was reading the book in the comfort of my own, warm home and not out on the border finding my life in danger. There's such a sense of realism with the book that at times it was quite frightening, it's a story that feels all too real, like something you would see on the news and think 'oh isn't that awful?' Well yes, it is awful and I found myself completely consumed by this book and the characters within, wanting good to overcome evil and doubting whether it would, and at times doubting who was even good and who was bad... As I said, complex but absolutely riveting stuff.
Very rarely has a book's setting come alive in my mind more than with the two novels I have read by Anthony Quinn. I have been actively seeking out crime fiction set in Ireland for a while now, which is how I came across these books in the first place and the setting has never been brought to life more than it has with Anthony's books, his knowledge of Ireland and the subjects he writes about along with some wonderfully descriptive writing is used to create a truly authentic, atmospheric reading experience that gave me goosebumps throughout. The character development of Celcius Daly was great, I am now totally invested in this character's history and his future and I can't wait to read more. He's certainly one of the more unique and interesting characters I've read about for a while, and I like that he isn't portrayed as some sort of Supercop which you usually find in crime fiction (generally American, which is what I read a lot of). I will say however, and it's hard to explain why without discussing the plot, that at times I felt he was coming across as a little naive, and certain aspects of the story felt a little contrived, where you think 'would that really happen?' But, it's fiction and it all serves to move the story along and adds some interesting twists and turns.
It seems that I tend to be repeating myself in my reviews, but I'm realising there's only so many ways you can say you enjoyed a book. What I will say that's different though is that Border Angels reminded me why I read, and it's because of books like this. I'm constantly baffled at people who say books are boring, or that they don't read. Books like this should be used as an example of why people should read, it's brilliant. For some reason I get the impression Anthony's books aren't as popular as they should be, perhaps I'm wrong but I'd never heard of him until a few months ago and I consider myself pretty knowledgeable where crime fiction is concerned, so if you are a crime fiction fan only just hearing about Anthony, then go and check out Disappeared, you won't be disappointed. Or, start with Border Angels as it can be read as a standalone.
September 26, 2013
What I liked most about this book was the sheer quality of the writing which is the author's real strength, apart from the interesting plot giving the reader an up-to-date view of post Troubles Northern Ireland. Here are just a few examples taken at random.
"She walked past them, back up to the ambulance, her body leaning to one side as though battling a shift in gravity. The grim look on her face said it all. The world had shed its skin and revealed its cruelty."
"Even though his voice was quiet, he felt his words punch the cold air. He looked away. Branches of sloe berries hung their frozen heads along the hedgerows. The call of a pigeon wobbled from somewhere deep within the frozen thorns."
"...and another darker recollection from the time before—the bombed framework of a building, exposed like a doll’s house, its ravaged contents spilling out onto the street, a dead body hanging in pieces. He felt his life slip slightly out of its axis."
"A folded parasol hung over the nearby table like the remnant of a summer dream. Something was missing from the scene, however, something else had been wiped from the poolside with a dreadful finality."
August 9, 2015
Border Angels is the second Inspector Celcius Daly tale set in the Irish borderlands. Daly is a sombre, listless, melancholic character, who’s experiencing a mid-life crisis. Recently divorced and living in his father’s isolated, run-down cottage on the edge of Lough Neagh he’s also somewhat alienated by his work. In this tale he’s investigating the death of a Croatian thug, burned to death in his car, and the apparent suicide of ex-IRA businessman whose empire was about to collapse. The link between them is Lena Novak, a young woman trafficked into prostitution who’s determined to win her freedom and to extract revenge on the man who enslaved her. Told through a sober voice that doesn’t shy away from the stark realities of sex trafficking and illegal immigration, Quinn charts the hesitant and uncertain dance between Daly and Novak, where at various points other people cut-in, including a republican hit-man and Novak’s pimp. The result is a meandering story that is told in a flat, lyrical style, with a strong sense of place, that matches Daly’s melancholy and uncertainty.
September 26, 2013
I enjoyed reading Quinn's debut DISAPPEARED immensely after seeing that it was shortlisted for a Strand Literary Award and picked by Kirkus Reviews as one of the top ten thrillers of 2012. See link https://www.kirkusreviews.com/feature...
BORDER ANGELS does not disappoint, continuing in the same dark and brookding vein. Quinn shows that Ireland's border country is the perfect setting for noir, with its gurgling bogs, disappearing lanes and run-down farmhouses.
It is also an interesting portrayal of a detective on the edge, afflicted by personal demons, who struggles against his commander's and society's wider indifference to the plight of trafficked women, in his search for the missing Lena.
It also has a gripping end that is totally unexpected and turns many of the assumptions made by the reader on their head.
BORDER ANGELS does not disappoint, continuing in the same dark and brookding vein. Quinn shows that Ireland's border country is the perfect setting for noir, with its gurgling bogs, disappearing lanes and run-down farmhouses.
It is also an interesting portrayal of a detective on the edge, afflicted by personal demons, who struggles against his commander's and society's wider indifference to the plight of trafficked women, in his search for the missing Lena.
It also has a gripping end that is totally unexpected and turns many of the assumptions made by the reader on their head.
September 26, 2013
I picked up the first Celcius Daly book DISAPPEARED after it was nominated for a Strand Debut Novel Literary Award, and quickly realised why the book critics from the LA Times, the Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle had nominated it for the award.
LINK: http://www.strandmag.com/htm/strandma...
BORDER ANGELS is not as deeply immersed in the Troubles as the first book, but still a riveting and dark read. If you want a peek at the darker side of life along the Irish border this is your book. Inspector Celcius Daly, although a troubled and lost man, is good company as he navigates his way through the overlapping lives of criminals, former paramilitaries, trafficked women and corrupt politicians.
I still prefer Disappeared, but Border Angels is a more entertaining read for those who only know a little about Irish politics and Northern Ireland's recent history.
LINK: http://www.strandmag.com/htm/strandma...
BORDER ANGELS is not as deeply immersed in the Troubles as the first book, but still a riveting and dark read. If you want a peek at the darker side of life along the Irish border this is your book. Inspector Celcius Daly, although a troubled and lost man, is good company as he navigates his way through the overlapping lives of criminals, former paramilitaries, trafficked women and corrupt politicians.
I still prefer Disappeared, but Border Angels is a more entertaining read for those who only know a little about Irish politics and Northern Ireland's recent history.
September 27, 2013
Not just a riveting detective novel, but an interesting portrait of post ceasefire Northern Ireland and the aftermath of the property crash. Rather like the recent BBC drama THE FALL, the country's terrorist past forms a menacing backdrop to this police procedural tale of international people traffickers and criminal gangs.Border Angels
June 9, 2018
Unputdownable! (Is that a word? Lol)
December 26, 2017
Crimes na região da fronteira entre as duas Irlandas
Tráfico de pessoas, exploração de prostituição, falsificação, contrabando e desvio de verbas públicas – além é claro, de assassinato, são os crimes nesta segunda história do Inspetor Celcius Daly, do PSNI. Mas vários outros temas estão presentes, como questões latentes da própria Irlanda do Norte após o fim dos Troubles (o conflito armado do século XX). Ou a relação entre os países da União Europeia, com implicações diversas. Por exemplo, a livre circulação de pessoas: no livro, há vários trabalhadores do leste europeu na irlanda do Norte, o que gera problemas de trabalho, pobreza, discriminação, e até motiva a presença de uma oficial antirracismo da polícia. Também os fluxos financeiros na Europa, com os fundos destinados às regiões mais necessitadas. Tema interessante, ainda mais agora, quando o reino Unido decidiu deixar a União Europeia. Ainda entram a tensão potencial entre detetive e seu alvo, a croata Lena Novak, que quase rouba a cena, e mais crise econômica, projetos imobiliários falidos e outras falcatruas.
Como sempre, é muito interessante ler uma história passada em um lugar a ser descoberto. Da Irlanda do Norte, que ocupou manchetes durante décadas no século XX devido aos conflitos político-nacionalistas e atos terroristas do IRA, cidades conhecidas são Belfast e Londonderry. Mas a história se passa mais ao Sul, na região fronteiriça com a República da Irlanda, o Eire. O Inspetor Daly mora à beira do Loch Neagh (o maior lago do Reino Unido), está sediado em Armagh, e a ação ocorre ao longo do território da fronteira, o border country, descrito como uma terra inóspita, pouco habitada, de pequenas estradas e praticamente sem lei. As localidades visitadas ou mencionadas são Aughnacloy, Keady, Crossmaglen e Newry, estas formando praticamente a linha da fronteira. Do outro lado, cidades da Irlanda como Monaghan e Dublin. O Rio Blackwater faz a fronteira entre os países, depois adentra a Irlanda do Norte e vai até o Lough Neagh. É divertido encontrar os lugares em um mapa enquanto se lê. Um bom complemento para viajantes literários, de poltrona.
Anthony Quinn é um autor e jornalista irlandês. Nascido no Condado Tyrone (ao lado do de Armagh), na Irlanda do Norte, graduou-se em Inglês na Queen’s University, em Belfast. Seu primeiro romance, Disappeared , foi publicado pela Mysterious Press, de Otto Penzler, nos EUA, em 2012, e escolhido pela Kirkus Reviews como um dos dez melhores thrillers daquele ano. O autor já foi finalista em alguns prêmios literários.
Para um escritor novo, seu primeiro livro foi, de fato, muito bem recebido. O segundo livro de todo estreante enfrenta sempre um desafio, ficar à altura do primeiro. Neste caso, embora o livro seja bom, o primeiro é superior. Veremos os seguintes. O interessante é que o autor se firmou e a série já está no quarto volume, que sairá em formato impresso em 2017, assim como os anteriores já saíram, depois de publicados primeiro como e-book Kindle.
Esta resenha foi feita a partir da edição em formato Kindle (ASIN B00FFQOAVY)
Referências
> Autor: Anthony J. Quinn (1961 –)
> Publicação: 22/10/2013, pela Mysterious Press / Open Road, nos EUA
1. Site do autor
https://www.anthonyjquinnwriter.com
Com boas informações, mas não muito atualizado. Em março de 2017 ainda não havia nada sobre o quarto livro da série, Trespass , lançado em novembro de 2106. Não obstante, tem muitas referências e links para matérias sobre seus livros, como as duas a seguir, com trechos traduzidos de lá.
“Enquanto os ficcionistas de mistério mais veteranos da Ilha Esmeralda – entre os quais Ken Bruen, Tana French, Stuart Neville, John Connolly e Adrian McKinty – em geral ganham as manchetes, Anthony Quinn, trabalhando em silêncio, construiu para si nos últimos anos uma reputação de entregar histórias habilmente engendradas, sombrias e líricas, ambientadas entre os pântanos que borbulham e as névoas que ocultam da Irlanda do Norte.”
– J Kingston Pierce, Kirkus Reviews
“Os livros de Quinn deixam a nu a indiferença que paira como um denso nevoeiro sobre comunidades da Irlanda do Norte nestes dias pós-processo de paz… Enquanto a trama de ‘Border Angels’ é altamente competente, ao escrever sobre o terreno, Quinn vai à perfeição. …. É como se cada arbusto tivesse um fantasma se esfregando propositalmente em seus espinhos, cada caminho, um pavor não dito percorrendo-o ousadamente.”
– Tony Clayton-Lea, Irish Examiner
A série de Celcius Daly em inglês
Já são quatro livros, escritos ao longo dos últimos cinco anos. Por enquanto, disponíveis só em inglês.
Ordem de publicação, (ano de publicação original), título em inglês, (informação sobre a série)
1. (2012) Disappeared (The Inspector Celcius Daly Mysteries) ***[K] *** R
2. (2013) Border Angels (Inspector Celcius Daly) ***[K] *** R
3. (2015) Silence (Inspector Celcius Daly Book 3) ***[K]
4. (2016) Trespass (Inspector Celcius Daly Book 4) ***[K]
>>> ***[K] – Todos os quatro títulos em inglês estão disponíveis em e-book Kindle na Amazon brasileira. Porém, somente os dois primeiros em formato impresso, em capa comum (em março / 2017).
>>> *** R – Livros já resenhados por mim.
Tráfico de pessoas, exploração de prostituição, falsificação, contrabando e desvio de verbas públicas – além é claro, de assassinato, são os crimes nesta segunda história do Inspetor Celcius Daly, do PSNI. Mas vários outros temas estão presentes, como questões latentes da própria Irlanda do Norte após o fim dos Troubles (o conflito armado do século XX). Ou a relação entre os países da União Europeia, com implicações diversas. Por exemplo, a livre circulação de pessoas: no livro, há vários trabalhadores do leste europeu na irlanda do Norte, o que gera problemas de trabalho, pobreza, discriminação, e até motiva a presença de uma oficial antirracismo da polícia. Também os fluxos financeiros na Europa, com os fundos destinados às regiões mais necessitadas. Tema interessante, ainda mais agora, quando o reino Unido decidiu deixar a União Europeia. Ainda entram a tensão potencial entre detetive e seu alvo, a croata Lena Novak, que quase rouba a cena, e mais crise econômica, projetos imobiliários falidos e outras falcatruas.
Como sempre, é muito interessante ler uma história passada em um lugar a ser descoberto. Da Irlanda do Norte, que ocupou manchetes durante décadas no século XX devido aos conflitos político-nacionalistas e atos terroristas do IRA, cidades conhecidas são Belfast e Londonderry. Mas a história se passa mais ao Sul, na região fronteiriça com a República da Irlanda, o Eire. O Inspetor Daly mora à beira do Loch Neagh (o maior lago do Reino Unido), está sediado em Armagh, e a ação ocorre ao longo do território da fronteira, o border country, descrito como uma terra inóspita, pouco habitada, de pequenas estradas e praticamente sem lei. As localidades visitadas ou mencionadas são Aughnacloy, Keady, Crossmaglen e Newry, estas formando praticamente a linha da fronteira. Do outro lado, cidades da Irlanda como Monaghan e Dublin. O Rio Blackwater faz a fronteira entre os países, depois adentra a Irlanda do Norte e vai até o Lough Neagh. É divertido encontrar os lugares em um mapa enquanto se lê. Um bom complemento para viajantes literários, de poltrona.
Anthony Quinn é um autor e jornalista irlandês. Nascido no Condado Tyrone (ao lado do de Armagh), na Irlanda do Norte, graduou-se em Inglês na Queen’s University, em Belfast. Seu primeiro romance, Disappeared , foi publicado pela Mysterious Press, de Otto Penzler, nos EUA, em 2012, e escolhido pela Kirkus Reviews como um dos dez melhores thrillers daquele ano. O autor já foi finalista em alguns prêmios literários.
Para um escritor novo, seu primeiro livro foi, de fato, muito bem recebido. O segundo livro de todo estreante enfrenta sempre um desafio, ficar à altura do primeiro. Neste caso, embora o livro seja bom, o primeiro é superior. Veremos os seguintes. O interessante é que o autor se firmou e a série já está no quarto volume, que sairá em formato impresso em 2017, assim como os anteriores já saíram, depois de publicados primeiro como e-book Kindle.
Esta resenha foi feita a partir da edição em formato Kindle (ASIN B00FFQOAVY)
Referências
> Autor: Anthony J. Quinn (1961 –)
> Publicação: 22/10/2013, pela Mysterious Press / Open Road, nos EUA
1. Site do autor
https://www.anthonyjquinnwriter.com
Com boas informações, mas não muito atualizado. Em março de 2017 ainda não havia nada sobre o quarto livro da série, Trespass , lançado em novembro de 2106. Não obstante, tem muitas referências e links para matérias sobre seus livros, como as duas a seguir, com trechos traduzidos de lá.
“Enquanto os ficcionistas de mistério mais veteranos da Ilha Esmeralda – entre os quais Ken Bruen, Tana French, Stuart Neville, John Connolly e Adrian McKinty – em geral ganham as manchetes, Anthony Quinn, trabalhando em silêncio, construiu para si nos últimos anos uma reputação de entregar histórias habilmente engendradas, sombrias e líricas, ambientadas entre os pântanos que borbulham e as névoas que ocultam da Irlanda do Norte.”
– J Kingston Pierce, Kirkus Reviews
“Os livros de Quinn deixam a nu a indiferença que paira como um denso nevoeiro sobre comunidades da Irlanda do Norte nestes dias pós-processo de paz… Enquanto a trama de ‘Border Angels’ é altamente competente, ao escrever sobre o terreno, Quinn vai à perfeição. …. É como se cada arbusto tivesse um fantasma se esfregando propositalmente em seus espinhos, cada caminho, um pavor não dito percorrendo-o ousadamente.”
– Tony Clayton-Lea, Irish Examiner
A série de Celcius Daly em inglês
Já são quatro livros, escritos ao longo dos últimos cinco anos. Por enquanto, disponíveis só em inglês.
Ordem de publicação, (ano de publicação original), título em inglês, (informação sobre a série)
1. (2012) Disappeared (The Inspector Celcius Daly Mysteries) ***[K] *** R
2. (2013) Border Angels (Inspector Celcius Daly) ***[K] *** R
3. (2015) Silence (Inspector Celcius Daly Book 3) ***[K]
4. (2016) Trespass (Inspector Celcius Daly Book 4) ***[K]
>>> ***[K] – Todos os quatro títulos em inglês estão disponíveis em e-book Kindle na Amazon brasileira. Porém, somente os dois primeiros em formato impresso, em capa comum (em março / 2017).
>>> *** R – Livros já resenhados por mim.
May 17, 2020
Anthony Quinn's Border Angels takes readers on a visit to Armagh town and surrounding landscapes of mountain bogs, thorn trees, and ghost estates, all linked by mazes of windy narrow rural roads. The procedural's style and characters are winning, as are the insights into how immigration and the peace process are changing this corner of Northern Ireland. Inspector Celcius Daly allows a case to become personal and soon there are chases, gunshots, a drunken night out, twists and of course the possibility of some quality bonking.
So why only three stars? If Goodreads was IMDB, there would be more entries in Border Angels' list of Goofs than Daly has chickens running around in his yard. One character walks into a farmhouse and then immediately walks into it again. Daly loses his pistol and then it's magically back. He stakes out a suspicious house for four days and never sees the front door open, only to get inside and involved in a conversation revealing that this gaff has a never-ending parade of punters. Two characters drive off in a Jeep, then have a conversation "Remember that Jeep we saw back there? I think I saw some incriminating financial documents in it." Don't even get me started on the error about Diesel fuel. Or the matter of who has possession of a certain doll. I'm from the school of critiquing where whole Diesel-fueled semesters were devoted to potential doll-related pitfalls. WOAH.
Border Angels offers a lot to enjoy and even admire. There's another Anthony Quinn novel in my TBR stack. Some time when I am yearning for a visit back to these lands I'll crack it open see what those hens are laying.
So why only three stars? If Goodreads was IMDB, there would be more entries in Border Angels' list of Goofs than Daly has chickens running around in his yard. One character walks into a farmhouse and then immediately walks into it again. Daly loses his pistol and then it's magically back. He stakes out a suspicious house for four days and never sees the front door open, only to get inside and involved in a conversation revealing that this gaff has a never-ending parade of punters. Two characters drive off in a Jeep, then have a conversation "Remember that Jeep we saw back there? I think I saw some incriminating financial documents in it." Don't even get me started on the error about Diesel fuel. Or the matter of who has possession of a certain doll. I'm from the school of critiquing where whole Diesel-fueled semesters were devoted to potential doll-related pitfalls. WOAH.
Border Angels offers a lot to enjoy and even admire. There's another Anthony Quinn novel in my TBR stack. Some time when I am yearning for a visit back to these lands I'll crack it open see what those hens are laying.
July 17, 2017
A really good read, one that's on the grittier side & ventures into the world of people traffickers.
I haven't read the first in the series & that didn't matter (other than the fact that it might have explained how Anna came to be wheelchair bound). The characters were credible & Daly a likeable lead although I would have quite liked to have heard the story from Lena & Ashe's viewpoints with the police side taking a step back.
My only criticism is that the opening chapter led me to believe that Lena & Jack had only just met but later it seemed that she had been his mistress for months- for some reason this irritated me! A good read nevertheless & I'll be happy to read more in this series :o)
I haven't read the first in the series & that didn't matter (other than the fact that it might have explained how Anna came to be wheelchair bound). The characters were credible & Daly a likeable lead although I would have quite liked to have heard the story from Lena & Ashe's viewpoints with the police side taking a step back.
My only criticism is that the opening chapter led me to believe that Lena & Jack had only just met but later it seemed that she had been his mistress for months- for some reason this irritated me! A good read nevertheless & I'll be happy to read more in this series :o)
November 20, 2017
Brutal little police detective novel about the horrible land around the Northern Ireland/Ireland border. Lawlessness abounds, and an illegal brother full of Eastern European women exists, and not much is being done for the trafficked women. When a rich man commits suicide after opening accounts in a prostitute's name, the investigation is more about the money than helping the poor women. I enjoyed the compact tightness of the way this was written--I'll read the next one in the series.
August 23, 2019
A story that revolves around people trafficking on the Irish border. But turns out to be more complex. As usual, Anthony Quinn's descriptions of the Armagh countryside and of the emotions and motivations of his central characters have a lyrical quality unusual in crime fiction.
March 23, 2019
How does Celcius survive?! Gets himself in such tricky situations...loved the book.
May 24, 2019
Steady and slow
June 22, 2021
Promising crime thriller, but suffered from a stupid conclusion.
April 27, 2022
Border Angels is an intriguing crime thriller set in Northen Ireland. It had plenty of twists and a good mystery to solve along side the main detective, Inspector Daly.
October 20, 2013
"Border Angels" is a fast paced, hard to put down read. Anthony Quinn quickly has you involved with the characters. There are the girls who willing left their homes with the promise of good jobs that would let them send money home to their family's. They are instead, forced into prostitution, their passports seized and threats of death to their family's back home.
The beautiful Lena Novak is one of these young women, kept in a ramshackle farmhouse on the Northern Ireland border. She is one of many, kept in a small bedroom, terrorized by Sergi, a brutal pimp who keeps the girls in line. On the weekends a long line of fancy cars bring the men with the money and the power to the farmhouse.
One of these men, Jack Fowler, makes Lena many promises and helps her to escape. Six months later Jack is found floating in his pool at the extravagant home he has built for his wife and family.
Jack had been losing millions of pounds, that were not his to lose. He had been funneling money to offshore accounts in Lena's name. Lena has disappeared, the mafia and the police are both wanting to find her.
Police Inspector Celcius Daly, is handling the case and he wonders if Jack wasn't a suicide, but a murder, and where Lena is? He knows he needs to find her before the mafia does, and is this divorced Inspector falling for the beautiful Lena?
Received this from Goodreads, and now am a Anthony Quinn fan!
The beautiful Lena Novak is one of these young women, kept in a ramshackle farmhouse on the Northern Ireland border. She is one of many, kept in a small bedroom, terrorized by Sergi, a brutal pimp who keeps the girls in line. On the weekends a long line of fancy cars bring the men with the money and the power to the farmhouse.
One of these men, Jack Fowler, makes Lena many promises and helps her to escape. Six months later Jack is found floating in his pool at the extravagant home he has built for his wife and family.
Jack had been losing millions of pounds, that were not his to lose. He had been funneling money to offshore accounts in Lena's name. Lena has disappeared, the mafia and the police are both wanting to find her.
Police Inspector Celcius Daly, is handling the case and he wonders if Jack wasn't a suicide, but a murder, and where Lena is? He knows he needs to find her before the mafia does, and is this divorced Inspector falling for the beautiful Lena?
Received this from Goodreads, and now am a Anthony Quinn fan!
January 28, 2014
I was fortunate to have read the first Inspector Celcius Day mystery. I remember how much I liked the author’s writing, so when I saw Border Angels, I knew that is was a must read for me.
In this story, Inspector Day is determined to connect the dots between a missing girl, what appears to be the suicide of a wealthy business man and remotely located brothel. Celcius Day decides to take an unconventional route in solving this mystery and it isn’t until the very end that the reader finds out whether this plan works.
What I like about Mr. Quinn’s writing is that it is succinct. No long, windy, overly drawn out sentences. His writing is sharp and yet we still get a good solid mystery. Well paced with believable characters. I look forward to reading more stories by this author.
Thanks to Open Road Integrated Media, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
In this story, Inspector Day is determined to connect the dots between a missing girl, what appears to be the suicide of a wealthy business man and remotely located brothel. Celcius Day decides to take an unconventional route in solving this mystery and it isn’t until the very end that the reader finds out whether this plan works.
What I like about Mr. Quinn’s writing is that it is succinct. No long, windy, overly drawn out sentences. His writing is sharp and yet we still get a good solid mystery. Well paced with believable characters. I look forward to reading more stories by this author.
Thanks to Open Road Integrated Media, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
September 20, 2013
Starting off well with all the intrigue of the comings and goings of a brothel, this novel for me just petered out. It did not maintain my interest to the end, nor did it reward me with a good ending, everything was a bit flat. It is okay, but don't expect any thrills or exciting action, it is not there.
The main character Celius Daly strikes me as one of the most incompetent police inspectors I have read. He doesn't seem to get the picture of the crime he is meant to solve, and in this episode he is diverted by his own circumstances. Set in the borderlands of Northern Ireland it does however paint a good picture of the economic downturn, and the problems created by an increasing immigrant population.
I would set this low in your priorities to read.
The main character Celius Daly strikes me as one of the most incompetent police inspectors I have read. He doesn't seem to get the picture of the crime he is meant to solve, and in this episode he is diverted by his own circumstances. Set in the borderlands of Northern Ireland it does however paint a good picture of the economic downturn, and the problems created by an increasing immigrant population.
I would set this low in your priorities to read.
June 28, 2015
Border Angels follows Inspector Celcius Daly as he investigates a charred body left in the snows in the Irish borderlands. As with Quinn's brilliant debut, Disappeared, Daly's inquiries lead him into the criminal underworld hiding amongst the twisting back roads, suspicious populace, and blackthorn bushes of peacetime Northern Ireland. In Border Angels, however, it is the world of sex trafficking and peace money that the author turns his pen and we follow the lonely policeman as he manfully tries to see justice done in a world seemingly dead set against him. As with his debut, Quinn paints Daly's world brilliantly bleak - this is more literary drama than whodunit - with the investigation as much about his character and those with whom he interacts as the crime.
October 29, 2013
Intriguing plot threads with characters just interesting enough to keep my attention and curiosity up throughout the entire book. The writing was well done but I feel it could use a bit more polishing. The author did a fine job describing the locals, the feel of the areas and the goings on. The characters felt thought through but at times I felt they were a bit flat. Overall it was an enjoyable read and has made me curious about the authors other book(s).
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2015
I found Anthony Quin describes scenes and place so well he makes you feel you know the areas of Northan Ireland well. This is unquestinably a brillant beautifully written crime novel. Anthony packs so much into his story writing. All I want to do now is read Disappeared by Anthony Quinn. Border angels is about Inspector Celcius Daly who is hunting for a missing woman Lena Novak. I do not want to include much more of the story as I do not want to give away any spoilers. I really do highly recommend Anthony Quinn novels.
February 1, 2017
As dark as the gloomy skies above Northern Ireland's border country, this tale twists the femme fatale shtick around the fragile peace in a country with a broken economy. The noir trope of the enchanting woman who can or can't be trusted is a tired one and can't be rendered without at least some measure of sexism. Quinn tries, here, to make her a whole, real character and not a caricature and he mostly succeeds. You just can't drop the baggage of past tales.
I like his atmosphere, shambling detective, and the setting but this wasn't as riveting as the first.
I like his atmosphere, shambling detective, and the setting but this wasn't as riveting as the first.
February 6, 2017
The descriptions of the countryside, weather, settings and emotions are excellent but the actual story was less gripping for me than the previous novel Disappeared. I'm not sure where Celcius's head was in his solving of the crime or how he was tolerated in his actions. The novel does lay out some of the financial backlash people experienced particularly in the housing market but somehow it didn't really work for me. The Special Branch character also lost some of his credibility for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews