What do you think?
Rate this book
Thirty Pieces of Silver
Jimmy Kingston is the head of a Dublin crime family and has been his entire life. Nothing or nobody stands in the way of what he wants. He uses money and power to control all those around him, and when that isn’t enough, violence and intimidation work just as well. Jimmy’s empire is threatened when a gang, led by the Griffin brothers, decide to lay claim to the heart of his territory. Events soon escalate out of control and Jimmy enlists the services of The Ferryman, the most feared killer in the city. As Detective Adams tries to quell the rising tide of savagery, Jimmy Kingston sucks an innocent friend of his son’s into the shady world he inhabits. When betrayal and bloodlust are in the air, there is no joy in second place. It is win at all costs, or die trying.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2017
8 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 24, 2020
Solid read
This book deals with rival Irish gangs and how their interactions affect them and people close to them. The story starts out strong and continues that way until the end. A few times I was sure something was bound to happen only to see that I was dead wrong. Well written and quite enjoyable. Recommended.
This book deals with rival Irish gangs and how their interactions affect them and people close to them. The story starts out strong and continues that way until the end. A few times I was sure something was bound to happen only to see that I was dead wrong. Well written and quite enjoyable. Recommended.
April 6, 2021
This book is about a couple of Irish gangs feuding over their drug territories but it is also about the people who get caught up in the war, wives and children, drug runners, and Garda officers. The author fooled me a few times in the book. I was expecting a lot of the usual cliches in crime novels, but then he would veer in a totally different direction that wound up working in the end. One thing I really liked? (Semi-spoiler) It didn't have a fairy tale ending. This is a brutal business and people are going to get hurt. Some deserve it, but most don't.
One last sidebar, I have visited Dublin a half dozen times, but this was a side of the city you don't see on the Duck Tour.
One last sidebar, I have visited Dublin a half dozen times, but this was a side of the city you don't see on the Duck Tour.
March 9, 2018
Mixing gritty action with complex schemes and characters, McFinnigan paints a visceral and dramatic portrait of gang warfare in the streets of modern Dublin.
For decades, Jimmy Kingston has owned the drug trade in most of Dublin, a situation maintained by favours for those who accept his rule and the threat of dire retribution for those who don’t. So, when the Griffin Brothers attempt to expand their territory into his, Kingston both wants and needs to strike back hard. As violence escalates between the factions, family and friends are drawn ever closer to the conflict, the original dispute over territory is lost to brutal feuding, and the police face greater pressure to act now.
From the opening scene on, McFinnigan reveals a world of violence and criminality that exists half-a-step from the comfortable lives of ordinary Dubliners. While there are moments of loyalty and bravery, there are no glamorous anti-heroes or commendable motives to leaven the grit and brutality of this drugs war.
As such, while McFinnigan does not seek shock for shock’s sake, the novel contains graphic descriptions of injury and torture.
Shifting the narrative back and forth between those allied with Jimmy Kingston and those allied with the Griffins, Mc Finnigan provides readers with both a greater immersion into the expanding conflict, and a greater understanding of how each apparent side is filled with tensions.
Interwoven through the events of the gang war are scenes following the police investigation lead by Detective Adams. The slower, more ordered, nature of this thread contrasts with the scenes of gang war both making the violence more stark and the delays caused by due process more frustrating.
As McFinnigan freely admits in his author’s note, the events of the novel are written to entertain rather than provide an authentic picture of the drugs’ trade in Dublin. However—while some readers might notice inaccuracies—the story feels like a plausible way for drug dealers and violent criminals to act, so most readers are unlikely to notice deviations from reality or care if they do.
McFinnagan’s characterisation is similarly a skilled balance of contrasts. Whether criminal, police, or unaligned, each character is driven by a combination of motives: a gangster might both love their brother and seek to seize power from him; a youth might both fear to turn down a drug gang and have no opportunities for legitimate work. As such, while many of the classic crime-thriller tropes are present, none of the characters are merely a long-suffering elder sister, sadistic lieutenant, or cynical detective. McFinnagan’s ability to craft sympathetic characters is such that—while a few of the view-point characters seem solely villains—it is likely that readers will find themselves rooting for both members of each gang and the police team seeking to stop them.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a fast-paced, crime thriller that neither shies from nor revels in the grimness of life outside the law.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
For decades, Jimmy Kingston has owned the drug trade in most of Dublin, a situation maintained by favours for those who accept his rule and the threat of dire retribution for those who don’t. So, when the Griffin Brothers attempt to expand their territory into his, Kingston both wants and needs to strike back hard. As violence escalates between the factions, family and friends are drawn ever closer to the conflict, the original dispute over territory is lost to brutal feuding, and the police face greater pressure to act now.
From the opening scene on, McFinnigan reveals a world of violence and criminality that exists half-a-step from the comfortable lives of ordinary Dubliners. While there are moments of loyalty and bravery, there are no glamorous anti-heroes or commendable motives to leaven the grit and brutality of this drugs war.
As such, while McFinnigan does not seek shock for shock’s sake, the novel contains graphic descriptions of injury and torture.
Shifting the narrative back and forth between those allied with Jimmy Kingston and those allied with the Griffins, Mc Finnigan provides readers with both a greater immersion into the expanding conflict, and a greater understanding of how each apparent side is filled with tensions.
Interwoven through the events of the gang war are scenes following the police investigation lead by Detective Adams. The slower, more ordered, nature of this thread contrasts with the scenes of gang war both making the violence more stark and the delays caused by due process more frustrating.
As McFinnigan freely admits in his author’s note, the events of the novel are written to entertain rather than provide an authentic picture of the drugs’ trade in Dublin. However—while some readers might notice inaccuracies—the story feels like a plausible way for drug dealers and violent criminals to act, so most readers are unlikely to notice deviations from reality or care if they do.
McFinnagan’s characterisation is similarly a skilled balance of contrasts. Whether criminal, police, or unaligned, each character is driven by a combination of motives: a gangster might both love their brother and seek to seize power from him; a youth might both fear to turn down a drug gang and have no opportunities for legitimate work. As such, while many of the classic crime-thriller tropes are present, none of the characters are merely a long-suffering elder sister, sadistic lieutenant, or cynical detective. McFinnagan’s ability to craft sympathetic characters is such that—while a few of the view-point characters seem solely villains—it is likely that readers will find themselves rooting for both members of each gang and the police team seeking to stop them.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a fast-paced, crime thriller that neither shies from nor revels in the grimness of life outside the law.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
March 17, 2018
Thirty Pieces of silver is a well written and entertaining story created by Squid McFinnigan. The story starts out in the city of Dublin, where Jimmy Kingston commands the streets with his powerful crime syndicate. Jimmy uses force and money to take what he wants. Soon though he finds that there is another crime syndicate that is just as ruthless as he is.
The Griffins are a group of four brothers who are determined to take Jimmy’s empire and make it their own. What starts out as a few brawls soon escalates into a full-scale gang war where some people end up being brutally murdered in cold blood. To make things even worse for Jimmy and the Griffins, a detective named Adams is bent on taking apart both of the groups piece by piece. Though, all of them may soon find that the price of victory may be far too high.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was well thought out and the characters are all really well developed. The story is filled with many interesting ideas and concepts about crime and why people take up that kind of life. I recommend this book for anyone who loves to learn about crime and the worlds underbelly.
The Griffins are a group of four brothers who are determined to take Jimmy’s empire and make it their own. What starts out as a few brawls soon escalates into a full-scale gang war where some people end up being brutally murdered in cold blood. To make things even worse for Jimmy and the Griffins, a detective named Adams is bent on taking apart both of the groups piece by piece. Though, all of them may soon find that the price of victory may be far too high.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was well thought out and the characters are all really well developed. The story is filled with many interesting ideas and concepts about crime and why people take up that kind of life. I recommend this book for anyone who loves to learn about crime and the worlds underbelly.
February 3, 2018
A hard hitting, take-no-prisoners look inside the lives of warring Dublin crime gangs. A sequel of sorts to Honeysuckle Lane, Thirty Pieces of Silver is relentless in its portrayal of the violence, avarice and raw human emotion that drive the people who’ve turned to life’s dark side.
Squid McFinnigan is at his best when offering his insight into the actual lives and loves of the people in his fiction, rather than focusing on archetypes. As I noted in my review of his previous novel, and as is to be expected, McFinnigan writes with the voice of a true Irishman.
To call this novel fast paced and addictive is accurate. I found myself reaching for it at every opportunity. Spoiler: don’t expect happy endings.
Squid McFinnigan is at his best when offering his insight into the actual lives and loves of the people in his fiction, rather than focusing on archetypes. As I noted in my review of his previous novel, and as is to be expected, McFinnigan writes with the voice of a true Irishman.
To call this novel fast paced and addictive is accurate. I found myself reaching for it at every opportunity. Spoiler: don’t expect happy endings.
January 31, 2018
This gritty crime drama centres on two warring gangs in the streets of Dublin. There is all the expected action and violence, but also an exploration of character and motivations. The author has managed to convey the turns of plot through a variety of characters' eyes as we see the ripples of every decision. We get the depth of each major gang figure as well as peeks into the lives of the detectives trying to stop the bloodshed, the hitman hired to strike one leader, the bagman coerced into criminal involvement and a variety of innocents and hangers on. Despite all this introspection, the pace never flags, and you're kept turning pages until the tragic end.
February 3, 2018
I loved this book. I lived on the edge of my seat the entire book. A gangster story full of crime, betrayal, family ties, evil and compassion. The way each character is presented inflates them with character and depth they become real within a couple of pages, drawing the reader in so much they we are vested in each one and their outcomes.
The author takes you on journeys to city’s that are so well written. He describes the atmosphere and pulse of the place so eloquently that you feel as if you could navigate the area like a local.
I am never disappointed when I read Squid McFinnigan, he always delivers and writes stories that will be enjoyable for ages.
The author takes you on journeys to city’s that are so well written. He describes the atmosphere and pulse of the place so eloquently that you feel as if you could navigate the area like a local.
I am never disappointed when I read Squid McFinnigan, he always delivers and writes stories that will be enjoyable for ages.
May 27, 2020
Loved this book. Great story telling once again by Squid McFinnigan. The characters are well developed, and the story compels you to think and understand why they do what they do. Lots of depth and realism to the book. I hope the author comes out with a new book soon!
June 21, 2018
This book was a little long and violent but I think it all comes together in the end for a realistic, heart-wrenching story.
February 6, 2019
Great read.
May 30, 2018
Great read
I couldn't set this book down great story so real and I'm sure in a lot of cases very true do your
self a favour and buy this book I had the pleasure of meeting the author in a hotel in killlarny a real nice guy as well as a great storyteller
I couldn't set this book down great story so real and I'm sure in a lot of cases very true do your
self a favour and buy this book I had the pleasure of meeting the author in a hotel in killlarny a real nice guy as well as a great storyteller
October 18, 2020
Not that I know much about gangs and the mafia but this book seems to bring realism to that lifestyle. I appreciate the effort that went into achieving that level of realism. I became emotionally invested in the characters, rooting for the good guys and disliking the activities of the bad guys, although there were few good guys in this story. That's doesnt make the story less interesting. Well written, a good read IMHO.
December 18, 2021
I really enjoyed this well written crime/gang novel that pits the Griffins against the Kingston crime families. Joey's storyline is particularly good and helped tie the novel into a great ending. I also enjoyed the scenes with The Ferryman.
Over-all, I was quite entertained and read this book in one sitting.
Over-all, I was quite entertained and read this book in one sitting.
July 1, 2020
Excellent read. Squid nailed another one
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews