I HEREBY SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY DECLARE BEFORE GOD THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF A MEMBER OF THE GARDA SÍOCHÁNA . . .
Detective Garda Bridget Harney’s obsession with Séan Flannery began when he claimed his assault on an underage victim was consensual.
WITH FAIRNESS, INTEGRITY, REGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, DILIGENCE AND IMPARTIALITY . .
But the case against him fell apart. Bridget realises no rules hinder Flannery, so why should they hinder her?
UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LAW AND ACCORDING EQUAL RESPECT TO ALL PEOPLE . . .
When a severed arm is found in a pig carcass in Dublin docks, her instincts tell her Flannery is involved. Her colleagues say there is no evidence. But Bridget refuses to let Flannery slip further into the darkness.
Jane Ryan’s short stories are published online and in print. She was short-listed for the Hennessy Literary Award and the inaugural John McGahern book prize. She contributes to Image Magazine and has articles in the Irish Times and the Irish Daily Mail. Her debut novel, 47 Seconds, came out in March 2019 with the second in the series, Two Kinds of Blood out now. Jane lives in Dublin with her husband and two sons.
If you enjoy a good crime novel, this book is for you. The writing is excellent (for the most part), the protagonist likable, the antagonist dislikable, and the pace clips right along. The parts of the writing that bothered me were the typos and the author's use of phrases or words that are not common to other countries. Ms. Ryan didn't do this so much that it turned me against her story, but it did draw me out of the story on occasion. I also was not a fan of her use of multiple points of view. She changed points of view clearly (with a change of chapter), but she didn't do it often enough for me to get to know the characters featured. Without giving away too much, these ancillary characters do end up playing major roles, but especially in the beginning they're very distracting. This is partly because Ms. Ryan did such a wonderful job of designing her protagonist, Bridge. Bridge is flawed, forceful, and interesting, and her relationship with her best friend, Kay, is excellent, so I found myself wanting to spend more time with them. Which meant anytime Ms. Ryan left that story line to pursue other characters, it bothered me. The ending was also left open, I presume to allow for a sequel. But overall, if you're seeking a good detective yarn that will keep you engaged, 47 SECONDS will do that for you.
'Respect was everything. Conditioning less so. There I was, jaw pumped on nothing, words chewed until they split, husks of anger suppressed then broken, granular in my mouth, sitting on the grooves of my tongue until they felt like hairs in my mouth and I spat…’
Bridget Harney is a member of An Garda Siochána, working out of Dublin’s Harcourt Street, home of the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB). Bridget is tough. Having left a career in law to the disgruntlement of her father, a man who holds great respect in Irish legal circles, Bridget feels the need to constantly prove herself to others. Bridget has the reputation of a gung-ho attitude and her superiors have called her up for it on more than one occasion, but Bridget gets the job in hand done, garnering respect from many colleagues.
Bridget and her partner Kay are asked to attend a scene at Dublin Port where a container appears to have been tampered with. Frustrated that this is the type of job they are been asked to handle, Bridget is furious. But as they are soon to discover there is an awful lot more to this case than initially expected. They find a frozen human arm in the carcass of a pig but no other trace of remains is evident. With so little to go on, who is the victim and why?
Bridget is obsessed with a local crime gang-lord Sean Flannery, a man she has previous connections with. She is convinced that he is somehow involved in all of this, but with no leads or evidence to connect him to the scene, Bridget has a hard job convincing her superiors to take her allegations seriously. Bridget is unrelenting and with the assistance of Kay, they delve deep into their research looking for any slip up by Flannery, anything that will tie him to this victim.
Bridget Harney is a very complex individual. She works very hard, never allowing herself to stop and consider the impact of the crimes she has witnessed on her own self. As this case begins to escalate, Bridget is faced with some very difficult and traumatic demons to deal with. In her work life and home life, Bridget has challenges that she must overcome if she is to stay afloat. Her obsession with this one man could be her downfall.
47 Seconds is a very impressive start to a new series. The character of Bridget Harney is wonderfully depicted. When we get a glimpse under her shell, we see a very real person with integrity and passion, and with a hope that she can make a real difference. Described using words such as ‘mercurial’, ‘unrelenting’ and ‘challenging’, Bridget Harney is a force to be reckoned with, facing her fears on a daily basis with great fortitude and conviction.
47 Seconds hooks you in from the get-go. Jane Ryan’s writing carries you along at speed as you enter a world of vengeance and greed, a world where power and money are the ultimate goal. I did find myself getting a small bit confused toward the end but it is left open for the sequel, so I have no doubt all will be revealed as the series continues! I’m always fascinated when I close the cover on a book like this and think of it as a debut. Jane Ryan writes like a seasoned author, with a great flow and a very intriguing narrative. I am really excited to see where this series goes to and to see what’s in store for the intimidating, yet warm-hearted, Detective Bridget Harney.
With huge thanks to Poolbeg, Paula Campbell, Caroline & Jane Ryan I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review............
I HEREBY SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY DECLARE BEFORE GOD THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF A MEMBER OF THE GARDA SIOCHANA.....
When a frozen solid human arm contained in a pig carcass in Dublin docks, this provides the starting point for Detective Garda Bridget Harney and her obsession with Séan Flannery and his organised crime family began when he claimed his assault on an underage victim was consensual but the case against him fell apart. Detective Harney is based in Harcourt Square in the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) where Bridget hunts the sinister Sean Flannery, unaware of the destructive consequence of her own actions. Bridget realises no rules hinder Flannery, so why should they hinder her so her obsession intensifies even more against him and will try absolutely everything in her power and non-power to catch him out but her instincts tell her Flannery is involved. Her colleagues say there is no evidence. But Bridget refuses to let Flannery slip further into the darkness.
This is Jane Ryan’s debut crime novel and it was an excellent novel too, set in my hometown of Dublin so I could relate to so many of the scenes that are in the novel. It's a very well written, compelling and constructed novel, full of pace, a few twists to keep you in check and a few shocking and gasp out loud moments which I definitely had as I definitely didn't see coming in the storyline but I'm not going to spoil it for anyone so you're just going to have to get yourself a copy and see what I'm talking about. 47 Seconds has been described as "addictive reading" which that it certainly is, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and I really hope that it won't be too long until we get to catch up with Detective Garda Bridget Harney again?
47 Seconds is available from all good bookstores, libraries, audio and on Kindle where it is currently £0.99 at the time of publication of this review.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher.
After devouring 47 SECONDS by Jane Ryan in one sitting, it is safe to say that fiction needs to make room for another master of crime fiction. Gritty, emotional, and utterly enthralling from start to finish, this book left nothing to chance and completely blew me away and desperate for the sequel!
Detective Garda Bridget Harney has had to prove herself among her peers because not only is she a woman but she is also a judge's daughter and a qualified solicitor herself. So what if she likes to keep things to herself and go it alone in cases, with the exception of her partner and best friend Kay? Those in power can just put up with it because Bridget knows she is good at her job and she has enough on her plate with her family situation to worry about connecting with her fellow Gardaí. And when a severed arm is found in a container in Dublin Port, Bridget's senses are telling her this has Sean Flannery's paws all over it but proving it is another matter altogether. But as Bridget digs deeper and there appear to be links to another crime involving a wealthy family, how far will she go to get her man?
I thoroughly enjoyed the police procedural element of this novel as it really opened my eyes to the amount of technical work that goes hand in hand with being a Garda in Ireland, while also showing its flaws and frustrations. The characters are brimming with depth and substance, and while I didn't always agree with Bridget, I could understand her motivation to do the things she does, and my heart broke for her as she tended to her mum who has dementia. Kay is the friend we would be lucky to have and hope to be like, Bridget's confidante and conscience all rolled into one and their relationship made it easy to connect with them both as characters. 47 SECONDS by Jane Ryan has a rough, steely quality to it as the seedier side of the Emerald Isle claws through and my heart raced as Bridget and her fellow officers dug deeper and deeper to get to the truth.
Fresh, compelling, and a force to be reckoned with, 47 SECONDS by Jane Ryan is one of my favourite crime fiction reads this year and I look forward to many more from this talented author.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. I was not able to connect to the lead character, Bridge. The only characters I liked in the whole book was Kay & Chris. I got this book as part of the LibraryThing's Early reviewer's Giveaway. I finished reading it just for the sake of it. Though I must say that the twist at the end was interesting - probably, the reason I felt like giving it 2 stars.
Really enjoyed reading this book, am a big fan of crime/police novels and was a unique POV to get to read one I can relate to geographically! I amn’t a fan of first person narratives but the writing was strong enough that I soon forgot this. I didn’t really like Bridge as a person but found her compelling in a weird but interesting way! Overall this seems to have the makings of a very good new series (I hope there is a follow on book as, unless I didn’t comprehend all the twists and turns - there are still questions unanswered?).
I just could never connect with this book and it was not until toward the end that anything of relevance occurred. Thought Bridget was annoying and lacked qualifications for policing and held grudges that were childish. At times Sean and Declan seemed to be the same character and I often became confused with who was who and what female they were with. The mystery was convoluted and the characters were shallow. It just was not an enjoyable read for me.
A complex, well plotted police procedural with a minor irritating repeated error, 'the West Midlands Constabulary '. incorrect in that the Forced is a Police Service not a constabulary. Also slightly disappointing conclusion without a promise of a follow-up. Nevertheless, a complex story with multiple surprises,well explained and logical with reflection.I enjoyed the book and look forward to more good reads from Jane Ryan
Really enjoyable read. It totally drew me in and I could not put it down. Characters are beautifully drawn and subtly revealed over the course of the book. Plot is intriguing and cleverly constructed. There are shocks and surprises to keep you on edge. Highly recommend as a throughly engrossing page turner.
A great read - I really enjoyed this thriller. The principal character is complex and morally ambiguous. The novel's plot moves quickly and holds your interest. There is also a great overarching story regarding the main characters. Highly recommend!
Highly Recommend - Compelling Crime Drama Suspenseful crime drama with interesting and multi-layered characters. Thoroughly enjoyed the many twists and turns and the likeable, if prickly, protagonist Bridge. Look forward to learning more about Bridge and her nemesis, Flannery, in the sequel(s)!
I am always excited to read new irish authors. Loved the book, a gritty page turner. I hope this book is part of a series. Really looking forward to reading more from this author.
I love a good crime novel with a twist in the end ...love how the psyche of the characters is explored in detail to better understand how they behave . Can’t wait for the sequel !
I absolutely loved this book ,kept me interested ,and guessing right until the end .The characters drew me in ,the story line kept moving at a fast pace.Would love a sequel ! Yvonne
Really enjoyed reading 47 seconds. Great pace, twist and turns. Loved the fact it’s set in Dublin. Need the follow up as want to know what Bridge does next!