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The Gun: The Tadhg Sullivan Series: #1
Garda Detective Tadhg Sullivan leads a special unit that investigates politically motivated crime. A man known only as The Deerstalker is a cancer who has infected the Irish political system.
Sullivan teams up with journalist Helen Carty, and together they try tracking down the mysterious killer. Carty adds to Sullivan’s problems, when he finds himself falling in love with her. And further complicating things, he starts losing trust in his partner, Detective Pat Carter, who appears to be on the side of the Garda Commissioner, who Sullivan is rapidly falling out with.
Sullivan’s case is further thrown into confusion when a copycat killer, Tommy Walsh, is shot dead by the CIA. When the CIA discovers that they've killed the wrong person, the two agents involved--Simon, who has become disillusioned by his time stationed in the Middle East, and Joey, a psychopath who confuses zealotry with patriotism--are also in pursuit of The Deerstalker.
Sullivan finds himself in a race against time, if he is to arrest The Deerstalker before the CIA take him out, and use his death as a pawn in a political game of chess.
Who will win out in the end?
Sullivan teams up with journalist Helen Carty, and together they try tracking down the mysterious killer. Carty adds to Sullivan’s problems, when he finds himself falling in love with her. And further complicating things, he starts losing trust in his partner, Detective Pat Carter, who appears to be on the side of the Garda Commissioner, who Sullivan is rapidly falling out with.
Sullivan’s case is further thrown into confusion when a copycat killer, Tommy Walsh, is shot dead by the CIA. When the CIA discovers that they've killed the wrong person, the two agents involved--Simon, who has become disillusioned by his time stationed in the Middle East, and Joey, a psychopath who confuses zealotry with patriotism--are also in pursuit of The Deerstalker.
Sullivan finds himself in a race against time, if he is to arrest The Deerstalker before the CIA take him out, and use his death as a pawn in a political game of chess.
Who will win out in the end?
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2014
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 1, 2016
I enjoyed this and picked up the next one to read. I like that Tadhq is smart and thinks for himself but also that he is flawed. I liked that in the end Carter was on his side and began to see things for himself.
the story was interesting and kept you trying to figure out why the gunman was doing what he was. There was a reason the gun talked to him and it was intriguing to see his thought process. Seeing how he narrowly got away with things and that emboldened him but how wary he was about Tadhq was a great and interesting switch. With each action there was a reaction and the political aspects showed the unrest many felt.
The red herrings were a nice distraction but for me watching Tadhq let go of all pretenses and do what he does to find the shooter against everything and risk it all set this apart. That and learning what shaped the killer.
The story was fast paced and full of intrigue. It showed you different aspects of government and the unrest but also through the eyes of different people so you got different views. A interesting suspense that had you enjoying the story of the people behind the actions and the motivations of them.
the story was interesting and kept you trying to figure out why the gunman was doing what he was. There was a reason the gun talked to him and it was intriguing to see his thought process. Seeing how he narrowly got away with things and that emboldened him but how wary he was about Tadhq was a great and interesting switch. With each action there was a reaction and the political aspects showed the unrest many felt.
The red herrings were a nice distraction but for me watching Tadhq let go of all pretenses and do what he does to find the shooter against everything and risk it all set this apart. That and learning what shaped the killer.
The story was fast paced and full of intrigue. It showed you different aspects of government and the unrest but also through the eyes of different people so you got different views. A interesting suspense that had you enjoying the story of the people behind the actions and the motivations of them.
March 17, 2016
This was a great dual POV. On one hand you have the man who is the suspect. We get to get a little background on him and why he is doing what he's doing. Then on the other hand, you get the perspective of Sullivan, the main character who is trying to catch him.
I enjoyed the fact that both of these men were so different yet both so motivated by their respective missions.
There is even a bit of romance thrown in, which helped to cut the tension of the seriousness of the rest of the novel.
I enjoyed the fact that both of these men were so different yet both so motivated by their respective missions.
There is even a bit of romance thrown in, which helped to cut the tension of the seriousness of the rest of the novel.
March 12, 2026
Daithi Kavanagh certainly hits the nail on the head with this riveting crime novel which has just been released in paperback. The plot centres on a disillusioned man whose wife is confined to a wheelchair and who has seen his kids emigrate. During the Troubles one of his neighbours, a diehard republican, leaves a sniper rifle in his keep. The gun places a magnetic hold over O’Leary and when the boys come to collect the weapon he tells them he destroyed it.
Later, he begins to use the rifle by targeting key politicians who he blames for the ills of Irish society. Tasked with tracking him down is Detective Tadhg Sullivan and with a name like that you know he hails from the Kingdom - Kerry. He’s supported in this task by his partner Pat Carter. To further complicate matters he’s also in league with investigative journalist Helen Carty. This becomes something he needs to keep under wraps especially with the commissioner gunning for him.
The presence of CIA operatives in the closing stages of the book further complicates matters. The book has plenty of humour and some surprising twists and turns especially in relation to O’Leary.
The novel is set in Ireland with Wexford featuring heavily including landmarks like the Bullring and Distillery Road. Galway and Dublin feature too including the famous Bewley’s in Grafton Street.
Later, he begins to use the rifle by targeting key politicians who he blames for the ills of Irish society. Tasked with tracking him down is Detective Tadhg Sullivan and with a name like that you know he hails from the Kingdom - Kerry. He’s supported in this task by his partner Pat Carter. To further complicate matters he’s also in league with investigative journalist Helen Carty. This becomes something he needs to keep under wraps especially with the commissioner gunning for him.
The presence of CIA operatives in the closing stages of the book further complicates matters. The book has plenty of humour and some surprising twists and turns especially in relation to O’Leary.
The novel is set in Ireland with Wexford featuring heavily including landmarks like the Bullring and Distillery Road. Galway and Dublin feature too including the famous Bewley’s in Grafton Street.
June 22, 2018
I really enjoyed The Gun. Being from Ireland I felt at home with Detective Tadhg Sullivan and loved the fact that I knew who the 'bad guy' was from the beginning. The book is fast-paced from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. The characters are well developed and I liked Tadhg straight away. Looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.
July 1, 2019
A very enjoyable read
This is the first ebook I've bought and read on my kindle. I usually listen to audio books but in honour of the kindle my beloved John got me, I thought I'd try an ebook. The Gun is a very enjoyable read, and I'm heading straight away to get part 2 of the trilogy, The Brotherhood.
This is the first ebook I've bought and read on my kindle. I usually listen to audio books but in honour of the kindle my beloved John got me, I thought I'd try an ebook. The Gun is a very enjoyable read, and I'm heading straight away to get part 2 of the trilogy, The Brotherhood.
April 3, 2015
***Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for a review.***
What's Good: I liked that it was set in the UK, Ireland, which made for a nice change of pace. Lots of local flavor to help put you in the scene. Tadgh is an interesting guy- a cop on the verge of burnout looking for reasons to keep going. He finds one in the case and another in a new love interest, even though the romance feels forced. Our killer, is a bit of a character study; a large part of the book is devoted to his story- his motivations and state of mind. It's pretty mundane at times but at least you get to understand him.
What's Bad: Typical SPA fare: typos, misspellings, the occasional odd formatting. Conversations and activities are like watching sap run. Every little thing is described in excruiating detail- shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries (Hello/How are you/I'm fine/Glad to hear it/Nice weather we're having/Yes, indeed...), sitting down, standing up, etc. Copy editing was sorely needed.Lots of infodumping, even when characters are in the moment You always feel like you're checking off a list of emotions and reactions instead of being there. Everything is "telling not showing" what characters are involved in all the time; every moment is narrated to you and not felt. It gets taken to ridiculous levels; in one instance a character whose sole purpose is to be a red herring (like you won't already know) the author comes right out and tells you the CIA is going to kill him. So much for suspense. And why are we wasting so much time on this guy, anyway? What's the point of getting to know him when we already know his fate? You don't even need to read the scene; just skip ahead and continue with the story.
What's Left: an interesting attempt at a political thriller. The chapters are short and go quickly, making for easy reading and there's a few interesting moments, but they're few and far between.
The Gun is a decent SPA offering. Just needs some tightening up.
What's Good: I liked that it was set in the UK, Ireland, which made for a nice change of pace. Lots of local flavor to help put you in the scene. Tadgh is an interesting guy- a cop on the verge of burnout looking for reasons to keep going. He finds one in the case and another in a new love interest, even though the romance feels forced. Our killer, is a bit of a character study; a large part of the book is devoted to his story- his motivations and state of mind. It's pretty mundane at times but at least you get to understand him.
What's Bad: Typical SPA fare: typos, misspellings, the occasional odd formatting. Conversations and activities are like watching sap run. Every little thing is described in excruiating detail- shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries (Hello/How are you/I'm fine/Glad to hear it/Nice weather we're having/Yes, indeed...), sitting down, standing up, etc. Copy editing was sorely needed.Lots of infodumping, even when characters are in the moment You always feel like you're checking off a list of emotions and reactions instead of being there. Everything is "telling not showing" what characters are involved in all the time; every moment is narrated to you and not felt. It gets taken to ridiculous levels; in one instance a character whose sole purpose is to be a red herring (like you won't already know) the author comes right out and tells you the CIA is going to kill him. So much for suspense. And why are we wasting so much time on this guy, anyway? What's the point of getting to know him when we already know his fate? You don't even need to read the scene; just skip ahead and continue with the story.
What's Left: an interesting attempt at a political thriller. The chapters are short and go quickly, making for easy reading and there's a few interesting moments, but they're few and far between.
The Gun is a decent SPA offering. Just needs some tightening up.
December 18, 2016
A few months ago I have read the second book in this series, I liked it very much and I could not wait to read even the first one. It's a political thriller, really exciting, even if from the start we know who is the author of the murder, the story is full of suspense: the detective manages to discover him before he performs other crimes?
Tadhg Sullivan is part of a special department of Irish police. There is a shooter that hits the corrupt politicians who have forced him to separate from his sons. Sullivan must find him before he fulfilled other crimes. He's helped by a journalist but he ends up falling in love with her. But as long as they work together they should keep secret their love story.
The story is well written with a complex and well-developed plot, full of action and suspense. The pace is very fast, a page leads to another, once you start it's really hard to put it down. Excellent idea of telling the story with two different points of view: the murderess and the policeman.
A must read that I completely loved!
Tadhg Sullivan is part of a special department of Irish police. There is a shooter that hits the corrupt politicians who have forced him to separate from his sons. Sullivan must find him before he fulfilled other crimes. He's helped by a journalist but he ends up falling in love with her. But as long as they work together they should keep secret their love story.
The story is well written with a complex and well-developed plot, full of action and suspense. The pace is very fast, a page leads to another, once you start it's really hard to put it down. Excellent idea of telling the story with two different points of view: the murderess and the policeman.
A must read that I completely loved!
March 13, 2016
This book introduces you to Garda Detective Tadhg Sullivan, leading a special unit for investigating politically motivated crime. The Deerstalker case is additionally complicated as his superiors have different ideas of how to pursue the possible culprit.
With The Gun, Daithi Kavanagh has created a fast-paced political suspense with local flair. The story comprises a variety of nicely elaborated characters with sufficient depth and interesting interactions to solve this politically inspired case. I had a great time reading The Gun - it is a very enjoyable read; it drives you head-first into the Irish life. I was drawn into the story right away, enjoying the journeys from one location to the next. Tadhg, Helen and Pat are (or soon become) likeable characters - I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
This is for you if you like European political thrillers, likeable and interesting characters, series and - Ireland.
A compelling read in a series to watch out for.
Recommended!
4.4 stars
With The Gun, Daithi Kavanagh has created a fast-paced political suspense with local flair. The story comprises a variety of nicely elaborated characters with sufficient depth and interesting interactions to solve this politically inspired case. I had a great time reading The Gun - it is a very enjoyable read; it drives you head-first into the Irish life. I was drawn into the story right away, enjoying the journeys from one location to the next. Tadhg, Helen and Pat are (or soon become) likeable characters - I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
This is for you if you like European political thrillers, likeable and interesting characters, series and - Ireland.
A compelling read in a series to watch out for.
Recommended!
4.4 stars
April 3, 2015
Daithi Kavanagh has created a story set in Ireland that is filled with flawed searching characters who are dealing with political and human issues while looking for solutions…solutions to more than the most recent murder. The first chapter captured my interest and with each page and each introduction of new people and elements of the story I became more and more interested in what would happen. I was rooting for Sullivan to get his act together and to figure out who was behind the murders being carried out. I have a feeling this is a book that will appeal more to men than to women and that is mostly due to the way the interaction between the main male and female character is written. An interesting read and I thank the author for gifting me with a copy to read and review.
March 23, 2016
So the main character of the shooter in this novel is one of those guys who I had mixed feeligns about. At times I understood his motivations to feel the way he did, not to do the things he did of course. But at others I just felt that there are so many people in the world with worse circumstances who don’t go off the deep end like him.
Kudos to Daithi Kavanagh for making me feel so deeply about the main character one way or another. Having any kind of feelings towards a character in a book is a good thing.
Then you have Detective Sullivan who has had a sketchy past as it related to his work and cases and was trying to come back from that. He was a good lead and someone who I felt like I really liked.
Great pacing and a descriptive novel.
Kudos to Daithi Kavanagh for making me feel so deeply about the main character one way or another. Having any kind of feelings towards a character in a book is a good thing.
Then you have Detective Sullivan who has had a sketchy past as it related to his work and cases and was trying to come back from that. He was a good lead and someone who I felt like I really liked.
Great pacing and a descriptive novel.
March 17, 2016
Wow, Daithi Kavanagh has created a very memorable and action-packed Crime novel. I loved the fact that this was kind of multi-dimensional in the plot. There were two main things going on in tandem. You had the suspect, and the person who was trying to catch him.
The characters are interesting to read about. It had a Criminal Minds feel to it.
There are some darker themes in this novel that may not be for everyone. Overall this was a great crime fiction novel and I really enjoyed it.
The characters are interesting to read about. It had a Criminal Minds feel to it.
There are some darker themes in this novel that may not be for everyone. Overall this was a great crime fiction novel and I really enjoyed it.
March 23, 2016
Detective Tadhg is back and I was still blown away with how connected I feel to him as a character.
I enjoyed the writing style and the pacing. There were parts that moved very fast and then other parts that slowed down, just enough to let us catch our breaths.
Kavanagh is able to unfold the plot believably while stringing readers along. The characters are both different yet the same in ways and I enjoyed the balance of having both sides of the story to read about.
I enjoyed the writing style and the pacing. There were parts that moved very fast and then other parts that slowed down, just enough to let us catch our breaths.
Kavanagh is able to unfold the plot believably while stringing readers along. The characters are both different yet the same in ways and I enjoyed the balance of having both sides of the story to read about.
March 23, 2016
A solid Crime Fiction novel. I enjoyed the pacing and the authenticity of the Crime world from both the perspective of the Detective and the Shooter.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews