Bad Catholics

Jimmy Costello Mystery #1

by James Green

Meet Jimmy Costello. Quiet, respectable, God-fearing family man? Or thuggish street-fighter with a past full of dark secrets? Perhaps the answer is somewhere in between ... After Jimmy's wife dies the conflict inside him is too much and the violent assault he commits on a gangster forces him to leave London and his job with the police and disappear for a while. Now he's back, on what you might call a divine mission ... and to settle a few old scores too. Through the eyes of his hard-boiled ex-cop, James Green takes us on a thrilling journey from 1960s Kilburn, through war-torn 1970s Africa to the modern streets of a London that seems to have cleaned up its act ... until you scratch the surface.

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James "Jim" Green is a British writer and broadcaster who turned to writing as a full time profession after a 25 year career in teaching. He has had over 40 titles published in various genres, from educational text books to travel guides to crime novels. His latest publication is called Bad Catholics (2008 Luath), the first of a trilogy chronicling the exploits of reformed gangster Jimmy Costello.

Series:
* Jimmy Costello Mystery
* U.S Historical Spy Thriller Series

Reviews

[Elif · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kitap gerçekten kötüydü. Hiçbir şey anlamadım. Ana olay olmadı. Sürekli bir günümüz bir geçmiş başım döndü. Çok sıkıcıydı ve hiçbir şey anlamamak da çekilmez yaptı kitabı. Ben beğenmedim 👎🏻

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could have I would have given this two and a half stars as that would be a more accurate rating.

For a thriller it was lacking in thrills, and I also worked out who had committed the murders long before the end. I felt this was very predictable also because I already have the sequel on my bookshelf I knew that the lead character would survive no matter what else happened.
I'll be reading the sequel because it is part of a bookgroup challenge but unless it is a lot better than this book I won't be looking out for anymore.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read with some strong catholic overtones (to be fair the title gives a strong heads up). Main character comes back to London and two arcs unfold one why he left and the second in the present deals with the consequences of that history. Reminded me of the Jake Arnott series in many ways and it is copper and villain clicheland but still fun.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had it all, gangsters, police corruption, IRA, a strong and gritty story.
Jimmy Costello is back after 3 years when he as a Detective Sergeant went missing. People start to die, and the mission where he helps Sister Philomena as a volunteer, is under threat.
It is set in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 90's which gives a great depth of understanding of the principle characters.
I liked it.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading these out of order thanks to a giveaway. Though this is not the same style as the fourth book, I loved them both. They are both packed with adventure and mystery and a certain something that strikes home with all lapsed catholics. I wish I had read this one first, however, as it gives a lot of background info on Jimmy that changed the meaning for me on some of his reactions in the fourth book, so read in order, if possible.

[Christi Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars
A story of crime, intrigue and the Catholic faith. This story was good and kept me guessing until the very end. I did not figure out who commuted the murders beforehand which is rare for me It was a little slow-going, jumping between the present and the past. There were a ton of gangsters and a lot of backstabbing and plotting to keep track of - a little too much. I don't think I'll read the rest of the series. It was well-written and keeps the reader involved

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Multiple story lines set in different years weave in and out. A Catholic policeman balances his religion with some not so holy acceptance of bribes and payoffs. He knows how to play both sides of the game with skill but in the end that life does not bring the fulfilment he had planned for.

[Kayleigh Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult start in the book. Storyline went from
Left to right making it hard to follow. Not really a thriller in my opion. Book was okay.

[Sinead · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would, despite the chopping and changing from past to present. I liked the character of Jimmy and how his lifestyle often conflicted with his faith