Κλεμμένες ψυχές

Jack Lennon #3

by Stuart Neville, Βάσια Τζανακάρη (translator)

Μια γυναίκα ξυπόλυτη τρέχει στους δρόμους του Μπέλφαστ. Οι διώκτες της είναι μόλις μια ανάσα πίσω της. Την έφεραν στην Ιρλανδία με την υπόσχεση μιας καλύτερης ζωής, τώρα όμως το μόνο που θέλει η Γκάλια είναι να γυρίσει σπίτι της.
Μοναδική της ελπίδα ένας άντρας που της έδωσε έναν σταυρό και το τηλέφωνό του. Θα αφεθεί στο έλεός του αφού δεν έχει πουθενά αλλού να στραφεί.

Ο επιθεωρητής Τζακ Λένον το μόνο που θέλει είναι να περάσει ήσυχα τις διακοπές του με την κόρη του. Όμως η επιθυμία του δεν θα πραγματοποιηθεί καθώς ο πόλεμος ανάμεσα σε δυο αντίπαλες συμμορίες αφήνει μια σειρά από πτώματα σε όλο το Μπέλφαστ. Το σκοτεινό μονοπάτι της έρευνάς του θα τον οδηγήσει στην αλήθεια που είναι πολύ πιο απειλητική απ’ ό,τι είχε ποτέ φανταστεί – σε μια θανατηφόρα κούρσα ανάμεσα σε δυο πολύ διαφορετικούς δολοφόνους.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Ireland, Irish Literature, Audiobook

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2011

About the author

I have been a musician, a composer, a teacher, a salesman, a film extra, a baker and a hand double for a well known Irish comedian, but I'm currently a partner in a successful multimedia design business in the wilds of Northern Ireland.

I have published short stories in Thuglit, Electric Spec and Every Day Fiction. THE TWELVE is my first novel, and will be published in the UK and Commonwealth by Harvill Secker, an imprint of Random House, on July 2nd 2009. It will be published in the USA as THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST by Soho Press, New York, and by Random House Kodansha in Japan.

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuart Neville's Detective Inspector Jack Lennon must be one of the most tortured cops on the planet. He alienated many members of his family by joining the Belfast police force during the time of the "Troubles," and his life since has been filled with tragedy. But he pushes doggedly forward, doing the best he can to resolve the crimes that come his way while at the same time attempting to raise his young daughter, Ellen, as a single parent.

It's no easy job and it becomes increasingly complicated at Christmastime. A young woman named Galya Petrova had been lured to Ireland by Lithuanian gangsters who promised her a job as a nanny. Once in Ireland, though, the gangsters intend to put her to work as a prostitute along with any number of other stolen souls. But Gayla manages to kill one of the gangsters who has decided to "break her in." She escapes the apartment where she was being held and is on the run.

The man she killed was the brother of a major Lithuanian crime boss named Arturas Strazdas. A furious Strazdas orders Gayla hunted down and killed, but she then manages to fall into the hands of a man who may be even more dangerous than Strazdas, at least in the near term. As the hunt for Gayla goes on, the bodies begin falling left and right, and Lennon's plans for a happy, quiet Christmas with his daughter go out the window as well.

It's a harrowing story that takes the reader deep into the tragedy of the modern-day trade in sex slaves. Gayla proves to be a smart and determined young woman, but the odds against her are overwhelming and those weighing against Jack Lennon aren't all that much better. This is another very good entry in this series.

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Είχε το θράσος να χωθεί σφήνα στα μισά της Πόλης των οστών του Connelly,και ήταν τόσο ανέλπιστα καλό(δεν με είχε συνηθίσει ο Λένον σε τέτοιες πολυτέλειες😂),που το ολοκλήρωσα σε λιγότερο από δύο μέρες.Γρήγορος ρυθμός,ωραία ιστορία,με εξαίρεση τα Φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ που ήταν ενα αριστούργημα(δεν έπαιζε ο Τζακ,βοήθησε κι αυτό😂),τούτο είναι το καλύτερο της υπόλοιπης σειράς.Θα μπορούσα να δώσω 5⭐,αλλά η απόπειρα να χρησιμοποιήσει "μεταφυσικό" στοιχείο μέσω των ονείρων ήταν χλιαρή κι αδιάφορη-ας τα αφήσει αυτά τα κόλπα για τον John Connolly που είναι μάστορας του είδους.4,5⭐

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Δείτε επίσης και στο Chill and read

Όπως έχω πει και στο παρελθόν, τα pocket βιβλία είναι τέλεια για να τα παίρνεις μαζί σου όπου πας και ειδικά σε ταξίδια, όπου χρειάζεσαι και το βάρος που μπορεί να σου προσθέσει ένα βιβλίο, αλλά και τον όγκο του. Έτσι, στο ταξίδι που πήγα πρόσφατα πήρα μαζί μου τον Κοκκινολαίμη που ήδη διάβαζα και ήθελα να τελειώσω και ήταν αρκετά μεγάλο, άπειρα ηλεκτρονικά βιβλία στο κινητό μου για να μην ξεμείνω και τις «Κλεμμένες Ψυχές» που είχα σε pocket έκδοση!

Δεν είχα ξαναδιαβάσει κάτι δικό του, παρόλο που έχω «Τα φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ» στη βιβλιοθήκη μου, οπότε αυτή ήταν και η πρώτη γνωριμία μου με τον επιθεωρητή Τζακ Λένον. Δεν είναι κακός τύπος, αν και πρέπει να διαβάσω και τα δύο προηγούμενα βιβλία για να μάθω τι ακριβώς έγινε με την κόρη του και τη μητέρα της. Εντούτοις τα συναισθήματα που μου άφησε ήταν θετικά και με ωθούν να διαβάσω και τα άλλα βιβλία της σειράς.

Η ιστορία ξεκινάει με μια γυναίκα που σκοτώνει κάποιον και στο αμέσως επόμενο κεφάλαιο περνάμε στο Λένον που ξυπνάει μες στη νύχτα από τα ουρλιαχτά της κόρης του που είδε έναν εφιάλτη. Είναι σχεδόν Χριστούγεννα και έχει απίστευτο κρύο στο Μπέλφαστ. Σύντομα η γυναίκα του πρώτου κεφαλαίου τρέχει ξυπόλυτη στους δρόμους της πόλης, μέχρι να μπορέσει να βρει κάποιο ασφαλές μέρος. Αλίμονο όμως, εκείνος που περίμενε να της προσφέρει ασφάλεια, δεν είναι αυτός που νόμιζε.

Ο Λένον καλείται να αναλάβει την υπόθεση που ώθησε τη γυναίκα να τρέχει μες τη νύχτα, αφού είχε υπηρεσία μια τέτοια νύχτα. Τα πράγματα δείχνουν από την αρχή τι μπορεί να συνέβη, όμως δεν ξέρει όλη την εξέλιξη της ιστορίας. Οι υποθέσεις του είναι πολύ κοντά στην πραγματικότητα και οδεύει προς το σωστό σημείο. Παλιοί εχθροί του θα του βάλουν εμπόδια και θα τον τρομάξουν, όμως εκείνος θα προσπαθήσει να κάνει αυτό που πιστεύει σωστό, ακόμα κι αν τον φέρει σε δύσκολη θέση.

Η πλοκή κινείται με γρήγορους ρυθμούς και πάει από την έρευνα του επιθεωρητή στην έρευνα των κακοποιών, οι οποίες κινούνται παράλληλα. Το στοιχείο το οποίο τονίζεται στη συγκεκριμένη ιστορία είναι το εμπόριο λευκής σαρκός που μολύνει και το Μπέλφαστ όπως και τόσες άλλες πόλεις της Ευρώπης. Γυναίκες αλλά και άντρες από τις ανατολικές χώρες όπως η Ουκρανία και η Λιθουανία, μεταφέρονται στην Ιρλανδία με την υπόσχεση μιας θέσης εργασίας. Μπορεί αρχικά να τους δίνουν δουλειά, δεν είναι όμως εκεί που είχαν συμφωνήσει να πάνε ούτε και οι συνθήκες εργασίας είναι οι ενδεδειγμένες, στη συνέχεια όμως μπορεί να βρεθούν σε κάποιο παράνομο οίκο ανοχής παρά τη θέλησή τους. Η δουλειά αυτή, όπως και σε πολλές άλλες χώρες, ελέγχεται από αλλοδαπούς που έχουν το κατάλληλο κύκλωμα και στις χώρες προέλευσης αυτών των δύσμοιρων ανθρώπων.

Το άλλο κακό που υπάρχει παντού και φυσικά στον υπόκοσμο και τα κυκλώματα που συναντάμε στο βιβλίο, είναι τα ναρκωτικά. Η άσπρη σκόνη που καλύπτει όλες τις επιφάνειες και κρατά το χρήστη σε εγρήγορση έχει την τιμητική της και αναφέρεται τόσες πολλές φορές σαν να πρόκειται για κάτι απλό και συνηθισμένο. Μπορεί να είναι όντως κάτι το αμελητέο για τον υπόκοσμο του Μπέλφαστ, δεν είναι όμως για το μέσο άνθρωπο και ως ένα σημείο φτάνει να γίνεται ενοχλητικό. Φαντάζομαι πως ο συγγραφέας θέλει να δείξει την εξάρτηση που προκαλεί αλλά και τις «παρενέργειες» που μπορεί να έχει.

Ένα σημείο που έχει ενδιαφέρον αλλά δεν αποδόθηκε εξίσου καλά είναι το μεταφυσικό στοιχείο που πήγε να εισάγει. Δεν το δόμησε όμως με την πρέπουσα σημασία. Το άφησε να αιωρείται με την απορία αν θα συνεχιστεί σε επόμενο βιβλίο. Αν ήταν απλά ένα εισαγωγή, ένας πρόλογος που θα συνεχιστεί σε επόμενο βιβλίο τότε καταλαβαίνω γιατί δεν το ανέπτυξε. Διαφορετικά ήταν πολύ φτωχό και καλύτερα να μην το έβαζε καθόλου.

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μετά τα «Φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ» και τη «Συνωμοσία της Φωτιάς» ο Stuart Neville επιστρέφει με το τρίτο βιβλίο του με τις περιπέτειες του αστυνομικού Τζακ Λένον.

Στις «Κλεμμένες Ψυχές» ο συγγραφέας ασχολείται με ένα ιδιαίτερα λεπτό και ευαίσθητο θέμα, αυτό του trafficking γυναικών από την Ανατολική προς την υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη. Η ηρωίδα αυτού του βιβλίου είναι η Γκάλια, μια νεαρή κοπέλα από την Ουκρανία, η οποία έφτασε στην Ιρλανδία για να δουλέψει –υποτίθεται– στο σπίτι μιας οικογένειας, στην πραγματικότητα όμως έπεσε θύμα ενός κυκλώματος που εκμεταλλεύεται αθώες γυναίκες και τις εξαναγκάζει να εκπορνεύονται. Η Γκάλια καταφέρνει να δραπετεύσει από το μέρος όπου την κρατούν φυλακισμένη κι αρχίζει την αγωνιώδη αναζήτηση ενός συμμάχου, προκειμένου να τη βοηθήσει να επιστρέψει στην πατρίδα της.
Και κάπως έτσι θα βρεθεί στο δρόμο του Τζακ Λένον, ο οποίος δεν διανύει και την καλύτερη περίοδο της ζωής του. Από τη μία προσπαθεί να τα βγάλει πέρα με τη δουλειά του και την τεταμένη ατμόσφαιρα που επικρατεί εκεί, και από την άλλη να έρθει πιο κοντά με την κόρη του, εν όψει και των χριστουγεννιάτικων εορτών. Όταν ο αστυνομικός αποφασίσει να βοηθήσει τη νεαρή κοπέλα να επιστρέψει στο σπίτι της, θα συνειδητοποιήσει πως έχει μπλέξει σε μια κατάσταση πολύ πιο επικίνδυνη και περίπλοκη απ’ ότι φανταζόταν· και πως διακινδυνεύει όχι μονάχα την καριέρα του, αλλά και τη ζωή του.

Ο Neville γράφει ένα ακόμα συναρπαστικό μυθιστόρημα, σκληρό και ωμά ρεαλιστικό. Ένα αξιόλογο δείγμα του ιρλανδικού νουάρ. Έχοντας συνηθίσει τις βίαιες αναμετρήσεις των συμμοριών στο Μπέλφαστ, τις οποίες εξιστόρησε ο συγγραφέας στα προηγούμενα βιβλία του, ο αναγνώστης ξέρει πάνω κάτω τι να περιμένει κι εδώ: μια ακόμα υπόθεση με σκοτεινή πλοκή κι ανατρεπτικές εξελίξεις, απαλλαγμένη από κάθε στολίδι προς χάριν της αναγνωστικής τέρψης και έναν αστυνομικό πιστό στα ιδανικά του, ο οποίος ζει μέσα σε έναν διεφθαρμένο κόσμο που ενδιαφέρεται κυρίως για την προσωπική του καλοπέραση.
Όμως εδώ ο συγγραφέας δεν ασχολείται απλά με μια υπόθεση συμμοριών, ένα φαινόμενο οικείο στην συγκεκριμένη περιοχή της Ιρλανδίας, αλλά με ένα κοινωνικό φαινόμενο που απασχολεί ένα μεγάλο μέρος της κοινωνίας και για το οποίο έχουν χυθεί τόνοι μελάνης. Το ‘στοίχημα’ για τον Neville είναι να καταφέρει να αποδώσει την κατάσταση στις πραγματικές της διαστάσεις και να μη χάσει το μέτρο – και τα καταφέρνει. Η περίπτωση της Γκάλια συγκινεί, προβληματίζει, βάζει σε σκέψεις τον αναγνώστη, τον κάνει να αγωνιά για την τύχη της. Ίσως τον κάνει να αναλογιστεί πόσες ακόμα σαν αυτήν υπάρχουν εκεί έξω και το τι μπορεί να απέγιναν. Όμως, σε καμία περίπτωση η πλοκή δεν ξεφεύγει από τα πλαίσια που έχει θέσει ο συγγραφέας, μετατρέποντας την ιστορία σε άλλη μία μελοδραματική εξιστόρηση μιας κλεμμένης ψυχής. Ψυχρά, αντικειμενικά, μετρημένα, ισορροπημένα αλλά ταυτόχρονα με ένα έμμεσο ‘κα��ηγορώ’ προς πάσα υπεύθυνο γι’ αυτήν την κατάσταση που διαιωνίζεται, ο συγγραφέας παρουσιάζει τις συνθήκες της ζωής αυτών των γυναικών από τη στιγμή που τις γεμίζουν με κάλπικες υποσχέσεις οι υποτιθέμενοι ‘σωτήρες’ τους, μέχρι την προδιαγεγραμμένη μοίρα τους. Και το καλύτερο είναι πως καταφέρνει, αληθινά με αξιοθαύμαστο τρόπο, να διατηρήσει τη ζητούμενη ισορροπία.
Ταυτόχρονα, υπάρχουν στο βιβλίο και οι δυνατές στιγμές του Τζακ Λένον, κυρίως σε ό,τι αφορά τα προσωπικά του και τη σχέση με την κόρη του. Υπάρχει μια εξαιρετική και ομαλή εναλλαγή σκηνών και παραστάσεων – η μοναχική κυνηγημένη γυναίκα που προσπαθεί να γυρίσει στο σπίτι της και ο μοναχικός άντρας που προσπαθεί να δημιουργήσει ένα σπίτι για εκείνον και την κόρη του. Η εναλλαγή αυτή είναι εξίσου ενδιαφέρουσα αναγνωστικά με τη σταδιακή κλιμάκωση της υπόθεσης, μέχρι την τελική κορύφωσή της.

Οι «Κλεμμένες ψυχές» είναι ένα αξιόλογο βιβλίο, κάτι παραπάνω από ένα απλό αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα. Είναι μια ιστορία με έντονα κοινωνικά στοιχεία, με πολλές και διαφορετικές συναισθηματικές αποχρώσεις, ένα βιβλίο που θα μείνει στην μνήμη του αναγνώστη για αρκετό καιρό αφότου θα το ‘χει διαβάσει. Χωρίς βέβαια να απουσιάζουν η δράση και η κινητικότητα που χαρακτηρίζουν ένα καλό αστυνομικό στόρυ. Ακόμα και αν δεν σας αρέσει γενικά η γραφή ή το περιεχόμενο των βιβλίων του Neville, το συγκεκριμένο σίγουρα αξίζει μια θέση στα ράφια της βιβλιοθήκης σας!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the series which doesn’t form part of a trilogy but instead narrates a standalone tale with Inspector Jack Lennon being the lead investigator in a murder on Christmas Eve in Belfast which then morphs into a further double homicide, then suspected gang warfare between the Lithuanian interlopers & the local remnants of a UDF gang. There’s reference to the ongoing story which was started in book 1 & keenly followed in the 2nd of the series.

It’s a cracking series & there are plenty of twists in this episode & the pace keeps you on yer toes all the way until the end.

Very good & highly recommend for followers of crime Noir.

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το ''Κλεμμένες ψυχές'' είναι ένα καλογραμμένο αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα. Κυλάει γρήγορα, χωρίς να κουράζει τον αναγνώστη. Αν και το θέμα του trafficking που πραγματεύεται το μυθιστόρημα είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέρον, έχει όμως απασχολήσει αρκετούς συγγραφείς. Βέβαια και η ιστορία είναι λίγο τετριμμένη. Επίσης, μου έλειπαν οι ανατροπές. Ο συγγραφέας δεν κατάφερε να με εκπλήξει σε κανένα σημείο. Ένιωσα ότι από την αρχή ήξερα που το πηγαίνει ο συγγραφέας. Παρόλα αυτά δεν με κούρασε καθόλου. Ευχαρίστως θα το πρότεινα σε κάποιο φίλο μου που θα ήθελε να διαβάσει ένα ανάλαφρο αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα. Τέλος, νομίζω ότι θα διάβαζα και άλλα βιβλία του Stuart Neville.

[For The Love of books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️. The continuation of the story of Lennon, a detective in Belfast. This story sees Lennon come up against evil in 2 forms. The boss of a trafficking gang whose brother is killed by a trafficked woman and a man who promises to save her from her situation, only he wants to deliver her to God… directly. I enjoyed the story, I was kept on my toes and it was also engaging to find out how Lennon had progressed in life since the last book, or lack of progression. Highly readable. I suspect this will not be my last Lennon novel.

[Eva Maraki · Rating 5 out of 5]

"ΚΛΕΜΜΕΝΕΣ ΨΥΧΕΣ" ST.NEVILLE

Είναι οι "κλεμμένες ψυχές "απλά ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα;Πολύ απλα όχι.Είναι ένα βιβλίο πολυδιάστατο.Μια περιπέτεια στο μουντο Μπέλφαστ που παίρνει σάρκα&οστα με τη δυνατή πένα του Neville&θίγει ένα βαθιά κοινωνικό θέμα.Το εμποριο λευκης σαρκός,που εξευτελίζει την ανθρώπινη αξιοπρέπεια&σε ωθεί να σκεφτεις ποσο αδυσώπητα απάνθρωπος είναι ο κόσμος μας.Ο επιθεωρητής Τζακ Λένον παραμονές Χριστουγεννων θέλει να περασει τις γιορτές με την κόρη του.Όμως ο πόλεμος των συμμοριών του Μπέλφαστ&το ανθρωποκυνηγητό μιας "κλεμμένης ψυχής",μιας ανυπεράσπιστης πορνης,τον οδηγει σε μια σοκαριστική έρευνα.Δε θα αποκαλύψω άλλα στοιχεία της πλοκής.Το μονο που μπορώ αβίαστα να καταγράψω είναι πως είναι ένα βιβλίο γροθιά στο στομαχι,σκληρό αλλα ταυτόχρονα ανθρώπινο&ρεαλιστικό.Ο Νeville κατορθώνει να κλιμακώνει σταδιακά την ένταση&η καθε σειρα του να πάλλεται από σασπενς.Αν αποζητατε ένα αστυνομικο συγχρονο μυθιστόρημα που διαβάζεται απνευστί με καθηλωτική πλοκη,κοινωνικά θέματα που σοκάρουν αλλα δυστυχώς υπαρχουν&γραφή που ρέει αβιαστα χωρίς υπερβολές αλλα με περισσή ζωντάνια ,αυτό θα "σας κλέψει την προσοχή"όσο το διαβαζετε.

[Rob Twinem · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an average solid offering from Stuart Neville but not as good as the brilliant DCI Serena Flanagan...."Those we left behind" and "So say the fallen". DI Lennon is a typical over worked detective, the sole parent to his 6 year old daughter Ellen, mum having tragically passed away in a fire. He is helped in this endeavour by his one and only admirer Susan. It's almost Christmas on the streets of Belfast and a body has been discovered. Soon Lennon will be embroiled in the hunt for a killer and an investigation into the illegal importation of young girls from Europe for the purposes of prostitution. If we add to this a demented lonely killer then it is highly unlikely the dutiful detective will be sitting down to his turkey roast anytime soon....A book to pass away the time but instantly forgotten.

[Normita Normito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Νομίζω μου άρεσε λίγο περισσότερο από τα άλλα δύο. Δεν έμπλεξε πολύ την ιστορία της Ιρλανδίας. Εμπόριο λευκής σαρκός, απαγωγή, ναρκωτικά, ωραίο σκηνικό. Μερικά κεφάλαια τα διάβαζες πραγματικά με κομμένη την ανάσα.
Τι να κάνει άραγε ο Λένον....

[Vi ~ Inkvotary · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read all my reviews on my blog Gone With The Books too.

I am a cover girl! Yes, I admit it. If the cover doesn´t look good (in my eyes!), I am hard to convince to read the book that´s behind it. And I tell you something else: I was sneaking around Stolen Souls for quite some time now. My library moved into new rooms and there it was that I noticed that title for the first time. I didn´t know the author before but the German cover has kind of drawn me in.

The text on the back sounded interesting too, so I took it; and what can I say? This thriller was WOW!


Jack Lennon is called to a crime scene. It is Christmas and he´s actually off duty, but one of his bosses has become his enemy and so he has no other choice but to take the night shift – very much to the displeasure of his little girl. A corps, a hurt police officer, and a missing suspect, Jack digs into a scene he is somehow familiar with and discovers things that make him rethink how he used to handle a few certain things himself. And when he finally finds the real evil in this cruel and bloody game, his life is as much at stake as the life of the ones he´s trying to protect.


Stuart Neville has a haunting writing style, simple but very thrilling. The reading speed is efficient, every few seconds happens something you totally don´t expect to happen and the scenery is quite something. Bloody scenes go hand in hand with barbarous ones, the figures have their own demons to deal with, and there isn´t one figure in here who has none.

Stolen Souls is a wonderful to read thriller where you don´t need to have any knowledge about Jack Lennon at all and the plot itself is a self-contained story, but the backstory about Jack and his life seems to be something you can watch develop through the first two books of this series. And since in the plot is a lot of back reference to the former two books, I suggest you better read them in turn, to get the full picture – because it seems that Jack already had a lot to deal with and that those things still affect his private life as well as his job.

The thriller is written in the figural narrative situation and structured in four parts. Each part has the name of a character and as the story unfolds the reader gets to know a bit more of what´s behind all this. It isn´t always pretty what you get to read because most of the figures share hardship and poverty and you discover how they made their way out of it – and not all those ways are nice and legal. But how the author describes them, how he gives you those information bit by bit, is wonderful put into words and scenes.

Stuart Neville uses words with grace and a high standard without losing the sharpness the plot requires. There is a strength in his sentences, a power between in every page – it won´t leave you cold.


There is a character who is a cocaine addict and rich as hell, a figure who does all the dirty work for him, a young woman who has an inner strength that is beyond anything and there is Jack Lennon.

Stuart Neville created a bunch of figures in this thriller that couldn´t be any darker or convincing. He gives an insight into prostitution and human trafficking and shows how evil has its share in it.

Galya is one hell of a fantastic young woman. I don´t know where she took her strength from to do what she did in this great story. She is only one tiny little woman, slim as a stick but you don´t want to mess with her.

Jack has quite a past behind him and a future in front of him that usually would be a wonderful one. He got his daughter with him, they both start to heal from all the evil they had to suffer in the past and everything could be fine for them, if there weren´t the family of his daughter´s dead mother. Frankly said he has to fight for anything.


Stolen Souls is a great thriller, with the right combination of dark, hate, passion, pain and the beauty of a great landscape.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stolen Souls is the third book in the Jack Lennon series. Lennon is a cop in Belfast, a Catholic in a traditional Protestant force. He is in an isolated position, abandoned by Catholic family and friends for what they view as traitorous behaviour and not fully accepted by his colleagues. This brings an interesting dynamic to these books.

In this outing, Lennon is called to a location with a dead body and close by an injured Harbour police officer. The case will involve human trafficking and gang clashes. This book did not resonate with me as much as the first two, primarily because I find the topic of sex trafficking so disturbing. However, there is an ongoing story line that connects the novels and that was intriguing. I'm definitely looking forward to the fourth and final book in this series.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the previous two books in the series. Pretty standard plot that could have taken place in any EU country so I felt the fascinating Belfast setting was a bit wasted. The writing flowed well though and the audio narration by Gerard Doyle was excellent.

[Diogenis Papadopoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 στα 5, αν και ο ήρωας (Τζακ Λέμον) δεν είναι σαν τον Φέγκαν στα πρώτα δυο...
πάντως, "ο τύπος ξέρει να γράφει" όπως αναφέρει και ο J.Ellroy.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast paced and enjoyable Thriller. Plot moved along quickly and I enjoyed the authors portrayal of the-lead characters struggles in professional and personal life. Recommended.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that immediately immerse me within their pages. Opening chapters, lines, or paragraphs are paramount to making that first up reader impression and in STOLEN SOULS the opening was vice-grip like:

"Blood hot on her hands. Red. The brightest red Gayla had ever seen. Her mind tilted, her vision disappearing down a black tunnel."

And the momentum carried through until the very end.

The third Jack Lennon book continues to distance the series from the opening installment, THE TWELVE, all but abandoning the paranormal elements to be a fully fledged crime thriller - which is a good thing (though THE TWELVE is an exceptionally good read). This time round Lennon faces fearsome competition from within the force and outside via a dangerous serial killer and a sex trafficking ring. It's a thrill ride that reads more noir than mainstream crime fiction.

Stuart Neville has a way of making his characters connect with the reader and those that appear in STOLEN SOULS are no different. Gayla Petrova is a victim of people smuggling and sex trafficking. However, this is one 19yr old who isn't ready to succumb to a shortened life of pain and prostitution. With a shard of glass she becomes and instant murderer and survivor only to fall into the hands of a more sinister predator; one who is as sadistic as his misguided religious beliefs (linking murder with acts of faith). Lennon, the series protagonist and police officer with a solid moral compass forgoes his personal life to save Gayla and bring the sex peddlers to justice.

STOLEN SOULS is very readable - the chapters are short jabs to the stomach, the action is fast, the characterization is deep but efficiently concise and the twists and turns (especially towards the ending) are awe inspiring. This is a must read book but beware, STOLEN SOULS is not new-reader friendly (something I talk a lot about with series books) and does contain spoilers of the events that occurred in its predecessors.

This review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time Lennon gets caught up with Lithuanian mobsters and sex trafficking. I've read several of these NI thrillers and when immigrants from the former USSR, or Eastern Europe are featured, they wonder how they ended up in a place that is worse than home. The intricacies of NI society and history baffle and maybe even bore them. This story is well wrought, and Lennon comes off as a hero, rescuing trafficked women, and trying to balance his job with caring for a young daughter who his in-laws want to take away from him.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty, violent, and fast paced. The human trafficking storyline is realistic and heartbreaking.

It's not as good as Ghosts of Belfast, which is one of my favorites. But the characters are well drawn... strong with weaknesses, flawed and likeable and sympathetic.

Switched between Kindle reading and Audible listening. Loved listening to the native Irish reader, Gerard Doyle. It lent even more realism to the tale.

[Vasilis Kalandaridis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το περίμενα πως και πως.Το τρίτο βιβλιο του Neville μετά τα Φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ και τη Συνομωσία της Φωτιάς ειναι άλλο ενα κοκτέιλ δράσης,τρόμου και ξέφρενου ρυθμού.Παλι στο Μπέλφαστ,εμπόριο λευκής σαρκός,διαφθορά στην αστυνομία,τέτοια πράματα.

[Michael Martz · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Stolen Souls', Stuart Neville's 3rd in his Jack Lennon series, is a competently written, well plotted police procedural/mystery novel of a victim of white slavery crossing paths with a serial killer. It's OK, but nothing special.

Detective Inspector Lennon, the star of the series, just doesn't get and hold my attention throughout this series. As with every law enforcer/detective in the genre, he has a shtick (or in his case, several), which is that he's a Catholic working for a mostly Protestant police force in Belfast, Northern Ireland. That's a big deal; his family hates him for it, as do most of the other Catholics he knows. Therefore he works, and mostly lives his life, solo. He's also a single father as a result of something that happened in a previous book. And, oh yeah, he's a nice guy at heart. The problem is that his shtick(s) just isn't all that exciting.

Neville's books are well done and he clearly knows police procedures. Dialogue is usually solid and the stories are realistic. I like the setting in Northern Ireland- it's a place with a history of violence, it's 'Irish' yet is part of Great Britain, and it's a big city (for over there, anyway) with big city problems.

Stolen Souls begins with a young lady from Eastern Europe, who'd been 'tricked' into entering the sex-slave trade, killing one of her captors, escaping on foot, and then crossing paths with Belfast's very first serial killer. The dead guy's family is unhappy with his demise and begin an all-out effort to locate the young lady, while the serial killer begins his preparations for what sounds like a really nasty end for his victim. Lennon catches the case, and the remainder of the novel takes us through his efforts to connect the dots. The conclusion is the best part, as a number of aspects of the investigation intersect and it's all wrapped up in a surprising way.

Stolen Souls is a nice addition to a relatively unexciting series. Other readers may find it extremely well done, but for me the main character, although sympathetic, is just a bit too bland.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Engaging and enticing

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in Stuart Neville's Jack Lennon series. The series is starting accumulate a cast of recurring characters and a history that has to be revisited in each new volume, as ongoing series are wont to do, but so far it hasn't gotten to the "cozy" level of the detective series that run for a dozen volumes.

Jack Lennon, following the events of Collusion, is on his boss's shit list, which means he's constantly getting mandatory night and weekend shifts, called in unexpectedly at the most inconvenient times, all to disrupt his personal life and make him miserable enough to quit or transfer elsewhere, or so they hope. But he's too stubborn to do that, plus he doesn't really have anywhere to go. So one dreary Christmas when he's been forced to leave his daughter with his new girlfriend, he gets a call involving an escaped prostitute, a beaten cop, and a case that drags him into Belfast's seedy underworld, and the collusion with law enforcement we are all too familiar with.

The MacGuffin of this book is Galya Petrova, a young girl trafficked from the Ukraine who kills one of her captors and escapes. This earns her the enmity of the brother of the man she killed, who runs the trafficking ring, but is in fact, despite being a crime lord coke-fiend, a scared little boy whenever his momma calls. His mother, the hard bitch who brought him up in the world of organized crime and trafficking women, demands he kill the whore who killed his brother. So Galya is a marked woman. Unfortunately, making matters worse, the first man she comes across, who offers to help her, turns out to be a serial killer.

And that's where Detective Lennon steps into it, trying to find Galya before either her former "employer's" killers do or her captor makes her into another set of keepsakes to bury under his floorboards. Complicating Lennon's life is the continual corruption of his superiors, and a threatening phone call from his old friend the Traveller.

Galya's story wraps up tidily - perhaps a bit too tidily - while Lennon naturally ends the book in even worse shape. I've been enjoying this series quite a lot, as it hasn't run out of steam yet and I'm curious to see whether it will come to a resolution or if Jack Lennon will just keep plugging along as the one honest if imperfect cop in the Belfast police force.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having thoroughly enjoyed Collusion, Stuart Neville's second novel, I was thrilled to be offered the chance to review a proof copy of his third and latest novel, Stolen Souls and what a page-turner it is!

Galya hoped for a new life in Ireland, a better life than her old existence in the Ukraine but she soon finds herself enmeshed in the grimy underworld of Belfast, on the run from Lithuanian gangsters. The man she thinks might save her has other plans for her "salvation" but she won't give up without a fight. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Jack Lennon (who featured in Neville's first two books) hopes for a peaceful Christmas with his daughter but he too becomes caught up in a deadly race to save Galya from her predators.

Stolen Souls is one of the most gripping reads I have ever read, I had to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to discover Galya and Lennon's fate. Stuart Neville has the knack of drawing you in from the very first lines and keeping you in a headlock until the final pages. Like his other novels, the chapters are short and snappy, sweeping you like a whirlwind through the streets of Belfast - a Belfast not designed to appeal to tourists!

Yes, it's an extremely fast-paced narrative but the characters still stand out with the author somehow showing the human qualities of even the most grotesque and psychotic individuals. I particularly liked the back stories to the Lithuanian mobsters and Galya's story - if they expected Belfast's streets to be paved with gold, then they were sorely disappointed. Even our "hero", Jack Lennon, has his flaws and recognises his double standards but you have to fight dirty in a police force mired in corruption.

This is certainly not a novel for the faint-hearted - there's blood, gore, mindless thuggery and violence with morality thin on the ground but if you can cope with all that you're in for a treat with this unputdownable story. I certainly feel different walking along the streets of Belfast now!

PS. In the New Year, I will hopefully be hosting a giveaway for several signed copies of the hardback edition. So watch out for it on the blog in January 2012.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'd think that Northern Ireland had enough troubles without importing them but that's exactly what happens in this fast paced, action packed thriller. Lithuanian gangster, Arturas Strazdas, has set up a scheme to con young Eastern European girls into coming to Ireland for high paying jobs such as nannies but are actually turned into slave call girls. One of the girls, Galya, has some gumption and murders Strazdas' brother and escapes. Unfortunately, her "savior" puts her into an even scarier position. Meanwhile Detective Inspector Jack Lennon, working on Christmas Eve due to a vengeful co-worker, is working frantically to save her.
This is my first Stuart Neville book and I am going back to read his other ones. I was that impressed. It was interesting to read how Ireland's immigration of Eastern Europeans is impacting lives. I found it fascinating to read about other countries struggle with immigration issues. I also find it interesting to
read about other people's law enforcement. It's remarkably similar to ours and yet so different. Neville's writing reminds me of Robert Parker's. Short chapters, sparse and clean writing and full of nonstop action.
I couldn't put this down and wanted to see what would happen next. There was a lot of things that happened that were completely unexpected by me. That's a compliment. I highly recommend this book.



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[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently had the pleasure of reading Stuart Neville's novel "Stolen Souls". The plot settles around a sixteen year old Ukrainian girl who was raised on a farm. Recent family financial problems force her to seek employment in order to help her family avoid losing their farm. Galya, the Ukrainian girl, believes she is accepting a job teaching English to a Russian family living in Belfast, Ireland. The ugly and terrible truth is that she has been sold to a brothel and forced into the world of human slavery and prostitution.

Well, not without a fight, she kills her first customer who happens to be the brother of the very powerful crime boss who runs the mob in this part of Ireland. Galya escapes but the hunt and lust for revenge and retribution is on. Galya runs to a stranger who professes to be religious and sincere in his desire to help her escape this awful lifestyle and return home. He is not what he appears to be (no spoilers).

Enter Inspector Jack Lynley who is searching for the missing girl and wants to protect her from the two folks who want her dead.

This is an excellent book with great character development and a fast paced credible plot (depressingly so) which makes it difficult to put down. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Neville's work and would encourage people who like a good thriller to give him a try.

[Gloria Feit · Rating 4 out of 5]

After two previous harrowing D.I. Jack Lennon novels set in the time of the Troubles in Belfast and Northern Ireland, “Stolen Souls” centers instead on the subject of sex trafficking. A young woman lured from the Ukraine with the promise of working with a family, teaching its children English, instead ends up in a brothel from which she escapes only to wind up in mortal danger at the hands of a madman.

To get out of the brothel she murders the brother of a powerful gangster, setting off a chain of events, including three more murders, which brings the detective inspector into the picture. He finally traces the whereabouts of the woman on Christmas Eve (all the action takes place during that holiday) and the plot involves rescuing her from the thug’s attempt to murder her in revenge.

The novel is written in powerful prose, with increasing tension and vivid characterizations. It is quite a switch from the previous noir tales of the violence and fragility of the Irish peace. But it is welcome proof that the author has the wherewithal to continue writing a series beyond its original dramatic theme. Jack Lennon is a human and sympathetic policeman with plenty of room to grow.

Recommended.

[Ann Collette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Stuart Neville's snappy prose and snappier pacing, cliched characters and a predictable plot are turned on end, with the result being a zippy if forgettable take on familiar material. Investigating a murder, Detective Inspector Jack Lennon stumbles across a case where a young woman from the Ukraine has been kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery in Belfast. And if that weren't enough bad luck for the woman in question, she finds herself rescued from forced prostitution by a serial killer who thinks his slaughter of pretty girls has been ordained by God. Yes, if you like thrillers you've read this story many, many times before but you'll hang in there until the end of the book, not because you want to know what's going to happen (you already do) but because you want to know how Neville will WRITE it, since his prose is so clean and sharp. I'd like to see him slow down his output and exercise his imagination a bit more in his next book, and come up with distinctive characters with real depth, as he did in his first novel, the great THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third thriller written by Stuart Neville and he does it very well. He is able to combine that genre very successfully with a good degree of character development and background. His characters are memorable in the midst of all that fast paced action. Excellent writing and enjoyable reading. His series should be read in the order in which they were written to get the most out of it, starting with the excellent The Ghosts of Belfast.

I would put Neville's books a good notch above the recent efforts of Michael Connelly (he used to be better), Jo Nesbo (he has pretty much gone "Hollywood"), and others who are seemingly intent on sweeping us along with the action, but they have neglected to set the stage for us to care much about how it all goes. By contrast, in the case of Neville, I anxiously await the next novel.

[Kit Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neville's first novel was mind-blowingly amazing and still one of the best recent crime novels I've read in years; by comparison, I was a little let down by the followup mostly since it came in the wake of such an amazing beginning. His third book kinda splits the difference, but skewed a little towards the second. Kinda wasn't nuts about it becoming a cop procedural series, especially since his original protagonist was such a fascinating character. Will probably stick with this series for a little bit longer, but I hope he's able to recapture some of the darkly Irish-gothic mastery of book no. 1.

[Mary Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another stunning page turner from Stuart Neville. As with his other books, this is not for the faint hearted, it contains as much violence as is possible to stand. The villains get enough background story to allow for understanding, maybe not sympathy. All with the bonus of local South Belfast settings.
It’s hard to know what’s next for Jack Lennon, who is only just keeping ahead of the pack