Philly MC

by Jim Wills

Philly MC is the story of Jack Kavanagh, grandson of Danny Kavanagh of A Few Men Faithful, the first of the Kavanagh stories. Jack's is a twisted, tortured life. He struggles with his Irish Republican heritage; whether to side with the IRA, even join them, or follow in his father's footsteps and reject violence as a solution. This the dark backdrop for the even darker streets of inner city Philadelphia during the 1960s and 70s. Jack's world is a motorcycle underground peopled by the eccentric, the criminal, the crooked cops and agents, the outlaw clubs, mobsters, hookers, junkies and crazies that almost lead to his death by stabbing during the Mummers' Parade on Broad Street. He loves twice and loses. Only a high speed flight out of the country saves him. Only a hideout in the far, far north gives him the anonymity he needs. Only killing the one man who has pursued him all his life quiets his deeply buried demons. Only the final love of his life gives him the personal peace he has been seeking all his life. Written in the first person, Philly MC portrays a murky, high speed world of violence, betrayal and blood. Ultimately, it concerns a qualified salvation.

514 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2009

About the author

Jim Wills, author of A Hard Gemlike Flame, the fourth of the Kavanagh stories, and the three other chronologically arranged titles in the Kavanagh saga: A Few Men Faithful I, Philly MC II, and Shooter in a Plague YearIII, has had careers as varied as the novels he writes. He has been a motorcycle mechanic, academic, hard rock miner, book editor, commercial writer, baker and an author.
His lifelong interest in Irish history and literature, with all their triumphs and failures, forms the bedrock for these novels. Each one stands on its own, but they are more rewarding read as a continuous history of the Kavanagh family, in Ireland, in North America, from 1916 to 2020. His fascination with dialect, street vocabulary, and musical lyrics that define a place, a culture, and a time are evident throughout.
He lives in rural Ontario with his partner, Wendy Carlson and, betimes, Wendy's daughter, Kate Amies.
Other works by the same author include Tools Are Made, Born Are Hands: Baking True Artisan Breads in a Wood Fired Oven.

Reviews

[Christoph Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Philly MC" by Jim Wills is the second in his Kavannagh series. Having read the first book I was quite surprised by this second instalment, but it was a very pleasant surprise. In a series of books I often expect to see repetition and the same formula but in this book Wills has not only changed time and place, he has also taken on a new concept.
In Philly MC he focuses much more on just one man and his inner torment, making this a brilliant character study and a rewarding experience. Jack's moody personality was as interesting as the setting, a very authentic portrayal of the 1960s, which admittedly I know only from Television, but it seemed very real and right.
Having started his series with historical fiction with a lot of issues dictated by the setting, this book is much more playful and shows a great versatility and an admirable ability to keep the reader interested with less props.
A great book.