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Jack Taylor #15
Galway Girl
Jack Taylor has never quite been able get his life together, but now he has truly hit rock bottom. Still reeling from a violent family tragedy, Taylor is busy drowning his grief in Jameson and uppers, as usual, when a high-profile officer in the local Garda is murdered. After another Guard is found dead, and then another, Taylor’s old colleagues from the force implore him to take on the case. The plot is one big game, and all of the pieces seem to be moving at the behest of one dangerously mysterious team: a trio of young killers with very different styles, but who are united their common desire to take down Jack Taylor. Their ring leader is Jericho, a psychotic girl from Galway who is grieving the loss of her lover, and who will force Jack to confront some personal trauma from his past.
As sharp and sardonic as it is starkly bleak and violent, Galway Girl shows master raconteur Ken Bruen at his best: lyrical, brutal, and ceaselessly suspenseful.
As sharp and sardonic as it is starkly bleak and violent, Galway Girl shows master raconteur Ken Bruen at his best: lyrical, brutal, and ceaselessly suspenseful.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2019
176 people are currently reading
1855 people want to read
About the author
Ken Bruen
132 books851 followersKen Bruen was an Irish writer of hardboiled and noir crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
October 15, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up.
Another tale of murder in Galway, Ireland. Jack Taylor is an ex Garda(police), now private eye. Jack is depressed and drinking heavily, grieving over the murder of his daughter in a previous book. There is a trio of psychopaths murdering people and Jack is a suspect. The murders are resolved. This is a dark book with sarcastic comments on Irish society.
One quote: "The days after my daughter was murdered right before my eyes, I was Briste, broken, in Irish."
#GalwayGirl #NetGalley
Thanks to Grove Atlantic for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
Another tale of murder in Galway, Ireland. Jack Taylor is an ex Garda(police), now private eye. Jack is depressed and drinking heavily, grieving over the murder of his daughter in a previous book. There is a trio of psychopaths murdering people and Jack is a suspect. The murders are resolved. This is a dark book with sarcastic comments on Irish society.
One quote: "The days after my daughter was murdered right before my eyes, I was Briste, broken, in Irish."
#GalwayGirl #NetGalley
Thanks to Grove Atlantic for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
July 27, 2019
Oh, Jack, Jack, Jack. I think you're slipping. Think maybe the large amounts of Jameson you inbibe may finally be doing you in. I mean really, when did you get so trusting? You let two sob stories manipulate you. Not good! How do these people manage to find you. Why you are a walking magnet for danger and every psychopath in Galway. God knows, you have had more than your fair share of tragedy and sorrow. You are such a dark, dark man, your saving graces, loyalty to those you love, though not many of them left, the books you read, and the habit you have of wanting to protect the week. You are so flawed, but incredibly interesting, maybe the most interesting character in my reading ouvre.
So, I'll be back, but we will never be friends. Bad things happen to those who get too close. See you soon.
ARC from Edelweiss.
So, I'll be back, but we will never be friends. Bad things happen to those who get too close. See you soon.
ARC from Edelweiss.
December 22, 2019
I am a complete sucker for Ken Bruen's Galway based Jack Taylor series, at this stage given the trauma, losses and grief that Jack has endured, it comes as something of a shock and a biblical miracle that the man is still alive. As per usual, the psychotic narrative feels like a nightmare of a surreal drug fueled trip with an unholy trinity of the young girl psychopath that is Jericho, Scott, and Terry killing guards, with Taylor in their sights. Clients try to frame him for murder, and Malachy is now a bishop in waiting, wanting Jack to keep Jericho away from his famous actress sister, Jess. The Irish referendum on abortion is underway and the Pope is visiting. Once more Jack has to endure losses he cannot forgive, as he finds himself dabbling in falconry with his rescued Peregrine falcon. Whilst Jack may not be a human friendly presence, he is however a unforgettable one. A joy to re-enter the madness, chaos, blood letting and mayhem that is Jack's world with its literary and crime fiction references. Irish noir at its best.
September 13, 2019
Every time I start one of these books, I’m mildly surprised Galway’s best known fixer is still alive & kicking. Well…kicking may be an exaggeration. Jack Taylor is in a bit of a funk. All the years of hard living are catching up with him & a recent loss has him in a tailspin.
If that weren’t bad enough, people around him are dropping like flies. A lovely young cop who made the mistake of being seen with him, another he used to work with…both were killed in brazen attacks. If he didn’t know better, Jack might think he’s the common denominator. Oh wait…
Jack has always been a well read guy so I hope he’s up on his Faulkner because the past has just come roaring back to haunt him. The story picks up on events from book #11 (Green Hell) one of the best in the series IMHO. In this instalment, someone is out to destroy everyone Jack cares about before finishing him off. The reason? Well, that would be telling. But we soon learn why an unlikely trio of killers has painted a target on his back.
Jericho is a young Galway girl who’s….uh….a little different (really don’t want to tick her off). She’s come back to get revenge for a loved one & as far as she’s concerned it’s all Jack’s fault. But she needs help & quickly recruits a couple of locals who have their own bones to pick with the former guard. And so begins a deadly game designed to make him suffer. Let’s face it, Jack doesn’t have a lot of friends left & he’s in no shape to take another emotional hit. But having nothing to lose can be very liberating.
Jeez Louise, this one had me looking over MY shoulder, never mind Jack’s. The first “Holy Crap” moment comes at 5% in & the narrative keeps you nervous as you try to anticipate Jericho’s next move. In typical style, the author mixes violence with Jack’s darkly humorous observations on books, sport, politics & Irish culture. It should come across as the story of a bitter man who’s hit rock bottom but Bruen includes small moments that give us a glimmer of hope for his long suffering anti-hero. I had no idea where this was going & I defy any reader to predict how it ends. All I’ll say is if you happen to suffer from ornithophobia you might want to follow Jack’s lead & keep the Jameson nearby.
It’s bleak, Irish noir laced with the blackest of humour. In other words, it’s Bruen. So I’ll end with this. Jack, we have to chat. I love you like a brother & worry about you between books. But after the events of this one, I’m rethinking our relationship. Maybe we should keep it casual. You know, like pen pals or something 😳
If that weren’t bad enough, people around him are dropping like flies. A lovely young cop who made the mistake of being seen with him, another he used to work with…both were killed in brazen attacks. If he didn’t know better, Jack might think he’s the common denominator. Oh wait…
Jack has always been a well read guy so I hope he’s up on his Faulkner because the past has just come roaring back to haunt him. The story picks up on events from book #11 (Green Hell) one of the best in the series IMHO. In this instalment, someone is out to destroy everyone Jack cares about before finishing him off. The reason? Well, that would be telling. But we soon learn why an unlikely trio of killers has painted a target on his back.
Jericho is a young Galway girl who’s….uh….a little different (really don’t want to tick her off). She’s come back to get revenge for a loved one & as far as she’s concerned it’s all Jack’s fault. But she needs help & quickly recruits a couple of locals who have their own bones to pick with the former guard. And so begins a deadly game designed to make him suffer. Let’s face it, Jack doesn’t have a lot of friends left & he’s in no shape to take another emotional hit. But having nothing to lose can be very liberating.
Jeez Louise, this one had me looking over MY shoulder, never mind Jack’s. The first “Holy Crap” moment comes at 5% in & the narrative keeps you nervous as you try to anticipate Jericho’s next move. In typical style, the author mixes violence with Jack’s darkly humorous observations on books, sport, politics & Irish culture. It should come across as the story of a bitter man who’s hit rock bottom but Bruen includes small moments that give us a glimmer of hope for his long suffering anti-hero. I had no idea where this was going & I defy any reader to predict how it ends. All I’ll say is if you happen to suffer from ornithophobia you might want to follow Jack’s lead & keep the Jameson nearby.
It’s bleak, Irish noir laced with the blackest of humour. In other words, it’s Bruen. So I’ll end with this. Jack, we have to chat. I love you like a brother & worry about you between books. But after the events of this one, I’m rethinking our relationship. Maybe we should keep it casual. You know, like pen pals or something 😳
October 13, 2019
My first Ken Bruen and what an interesting read it was - quirky, violent, lyrical, Irish noir. Perhaps number 15 in the series is not the best place to be introduced to Jack Taylor, but despite the pared back style of the writing I caught the sense of the man and his backstory pretty quickly.
Garda officers are being killed, initially by the son of a revered officer who soon pairs up with the son of a man killed by Jack Taylor and a psychotic Galway girl by the name of Jericho to form an unholy trio of killers. Ex Guard and now PI, Jack Taylor, drowning his sorrows with Jameson and drugs over the brutal murder of his daughter, refuses to help the Garda until it becomes personal and he takes matters into his own hands, wreaking a most unusual revenge.
My first taste of Ken Bruen has made me curious for more of his flawed, dissolute character and his brilliant, sardonic writing laced with quotes from music and books.
With many thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a digital ARC to read.
Garda officers are being killed, initially by the son of a revered officer who soon pairs up with the son of a man killed by Jack Taylor and a psychotic Galway girl by the name of Jericho to form an unholy trio of killers. Ex Guard and now PI, Jack Taylor, drowning his sorrows with Jameson and drugs over the brutal murder of his daughter, refuses to help the Garda until it becomes personal and he takes matters into his own hands, wreaking a most unusual revenge.
My first taste of Ken Bruen has made me curious for more of his flawed, dissolute character and his brilliant, sardonic writing laced with quotes from music and books.
With many thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a digital ARC to read.
August 2, 2019
I've read every Bruen and really liked them all. His sensibility, sense of noir, love of noir authors and movies, etc...But to be honest, I didn't love GalwayGirl—just too much stream of consciousness type writing—not linear-jumping from thought to thought. There were glimmers of the kind or writing I fell in love with but it was hard to find. So i would recommend this for Bruen completists.
July 7, 2020
Another enjoyable Jack Taylor book. I have a feeling Jack has met a like-minded individual. I wonder if we’ll see that character in the future.
I’m caught up now. Next book is due out this coming November.
I’m caught up now. Next book is due out this coming November.
October 16, 2019
This book is a wondrous literary tribute to various authors as well as musicians (e.g. Rolling Stones) and experiences of another era. It cannot be compared to other books that are referred to as "Murder Mysteries" for it is not that, nor a police procedural. For all the good the Garda does in preventing or solving murders in Galway they can be regarded as background noise or buzzing mosquitoes that descend on Taylor occasionally with no impact or results that lead to justice.
Yes, there are people killed by a psychopath as well as other random murders. Garda members are being killed. The psychopath has her eyes set on Taylor, however, and anyone he may care about even though he is not close to recovery after the death of his daughter (previous book).
There are mostly dark moments but also sparks of restoration and hope in contacts between Taylor and his nun friend, for example. Prior to preparations in the area for a papal visit Jack gets to exchange friendship with a nun who gives him a new jacket to replace his Garda jacket. "'Will you try it?' I said, 'To tell the truth (always a precursor to a lie) I kind of associate wax jackets with the royal family and toffs massacring pheasants.' She began to laugh, said, 'You're a holy terror.'" A sad ending to that visit being marked by the psychopath to be sure.
As Galway is busy with pope preparations, Jack gets busy with falcon training from a new friend he is connected to via his father. "His voice, I would learn, was a blend of Hipster (the sixties type), Scottish, Surfer, Biker. If he'd been literary, he could have played Hemingway or James Crumley."
Of course, Taylor continues his drinking ways...or the beat goes on. This is a good read.
Thanks to Grove Atlantic for advanced copy through Net Galley
Yes, there are people killed by a psychopath as well as other random murders. Garda members are being killed. The psychopath has her eyes set on Taylor, however, and anyone he may care about even though he is not close to recovery after the death of his daughter (previous book).
There are mostly dark moments but also sparks of restoration and hope in contacts between Taylor and his nun friend, for example. Prior to preparations in the area for a papal visit Jack gets to exchange friendship with a nun who gives him a new jacket to replace his Garda jacket. "'Will you try it?' I said, 'To tell the truth (always a precursor to a lie) I kind of associate wax jackets with the royal family and toffs massacring pheasants.' She began to laugh, said, 'You're a holy terror.'" A sad ending to that visit being marked by the psychopath to be sure.
As Galway is busy with pope preparations, Jack gets busy with falcon training from a new friend he is connected to via his father. "His voice, I would learn, was a blend of Hipster (the sixties type), Scottish, Surfer, Biker. If he'd been literary, he could have played Hemingway or James Crumley."
Of course, Taylor continues his drinking ways...or the beat goes on. This is a good read.
Thanks to Grove Atlantic for advanced copy through Net Galley
November 16, 2020
The usual wonderful woe that has come to mark the “Jack Taylor” series much as a dog does with piss, Bruen does it in tears.
Goes terrific with Explosions In The Sky and This Will Destroy You and El Ten Eleven for soundtrack material.
September 22, 2019
Jack Taylor's best years, if you could call them that, seem to be behind him. The brutal murder of his daughter has left him just barely coping, drowning his sorrow in Jameson and drugs. When Garda ask him to help in a case, he declines. As the body count rises and the dead approach his own doorstep both literally and figuratively, Jack begins to suspect these murders aren't random, that they are meant as a personal message to him. And he is not far wrong because an unholy trinity of killers has come together to wreak revenge and they won't stop until everyone he cares about is dead.
Galway Girl, the fifteenth in the Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen clearly follows another story (or maybe several) in the series, one I haven't read, but I was able to follow the tale easily. It is told from the perspective of both Jack and one of the perpetrators, a woman named Jericho, the Galway girl of the title, whose love of murder and pain goes back a long, long way.
Ken Bruen is the master of Irish noir and Galway Girl is an excellent example of the genre. It is dark, violent, almost poetic in its descriptions, suffused with cynicism and black humour, with Jack, the quintessential amoral hero, a loner soaked in booze and personal tragedy. The characters themselves tend to be one-dimensional, black and white representations of good and evil. For those who are not used to noir, this may be off-putting but the short sentences and paragraphs keep the story moving at a frenetic pace and the staccato beat to the dialogue make it highly readable, in fact, well-nigh unputdownable.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Galway Girl, the fifteenth in the Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen clearly follows another story (or maybe several) in the series, one I haven't read, but I was able to follow the tale easily. It is told from the perspective of both Jack and one of the perpetrators, a woman named Jericho, the Galway girl of the title, whose love of murder and pain goes back a long, long way.
Ken Bruen is the master of Irish noir and Galway Girl is an excellent example of the genre. It is dark, violent, almost poetic in its descriptions, suffused with cynicism and black humour, with Jack, the quintessential amoral hero, a loner soaked in booze and personal tragedy. The characters themselves tend to be one-dimensional, black and white representations of good and evil. For those who are not used to noir, this may be off-putting but the short sentences and paragraphs keep the story moving at a frenetic pace and the staccato beat to the dialogue make it highly readable, in fact, well-nigh unputdownable.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
July 25, 2019
Ken Bruen never disappoints. His Jack Taylor series continues with members of the garda being knocked off one by one, and it's not so much a whodunnit, but why, told with Bruen's trademark mix of Black Irish wit and poetry. Earlier installments should be read if any sense is to be made of Jack and his motivations.
August 23, 2022
This is a belated review as the book was read in late Nov. 2019. Blame it on teaching woes, Covid, and moving, but I'm catching up. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Ken Bruen for the ARC for my honest review.
This was another interesting Ken Bruen thriller featuring our fave ex-guarda, Jack Taylor, as our down and dirty protagonist. From a window, Jack witnesses the murder of a high-ranking woman guarda. Other guardas have been targeted as well, so we have to beg and hope that Jack gets his act together and discovers what's going on in his beloved Galway. He sure knows his town and we are treated to Jack's unorthodox way of doing things, as well as his savvy street-smarts for catching clues that others miss.
The Galway Girl of this book is a total psychopathic killer called Jericho and she's not to be confused with the wonderful Irish song of the same name by Steve Earle. Could it be that Jack has a past with Jericho?! As their paths cross, Bruen doesn't hold back, so hold onto your seats. He takes us through some very dark, gritty, and suspenseful twists and turns while Jack pulls it together. This might be one of the darkest stories of the series, which bothered me in a few places, but don't worry, it's still worth it. It's Bruen's ability to have us love Jack Taylor with all his miserable issues because Jack is a true hero and well, lovable.
I am curious how many of you book fans are also fans of the TV-series featuring the ruggedly handsome Iain Glen as Jack Taylor? I watched a lot of the series when it was on in 2010-2015 or so.
This was another interesting Ken Bruen thriller featuring our fave ex-guarda, Jack Taylor, as our down and dirty protagonist. From a window, Jack witnesses the murder of a high-ranking woman guarda. Other guardas have been targeted as well, so we have to beg and hope that Jack gets his act together and discovers what's going on in his beloved Galway. He sure knows his town and we are treated to Jack's unorthodox way of doing things, as well as his savvy street-smarts for catching clues that others miss.
The Galway Girl of this book is a total psychopathic killer called Jericho and she's not to be confused with the wonderful Irish song of the same name by Steve Earle. Could it be that Jack has a past with Jericho?! As their paths cross, Bruen doesn't hold back, so hold onto your seats. He takes us through some very dark, gritty, and suspenseful twists and turns while Jack pulls it together. This might be one of the darkest stories of the series, which bothered me in a few places, but don't worry, it's still worth it. It's Bruen's ability to have us love Jack Taylor with all his miserable issues because Jack is a true hero and well, lovable.
I am curious how many of you book fans are also fans of the TV-series featuring the ruggedly handsome Iain Glen as Jack Taylor? I watched a lot of the series when it was on in 2010-2015 or so.
November 28, 2019
Ken Bruen has such an unique style that it is hard to rate. The plot is always over the top. In this novel he seems to be using the same technique as his other novels.
February 9, 2020
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
GALWAY GIRL by Ken Bruen is the 15th book in the series of Jack Taylor, the abrasive and cynical ex-Garda who defies those he previously worked with and for as he has since having left the force years ago.
Jack still hasn’t had time to process the recent death of a loved one; actually Jack really never gets over those that he’s lost where he shoulders the blame, as guilt has always been part of his life since being instilled in him a long time ago at the hands of his Mother, who continues to haunt him from the grave.
Surprisingly, it is members of the force who have made his life miserable for years that plead with him to look into the recent string of deaths of members of the force, as his ability to go into dark places and use unconventional methods they cannot seem to give him an advantage in finding the killer(s) if possible.
Jericho is the name of the manipulative and psychotic leader of a group that has terrorized the locals while developing their plans for attacking the Garda officers, and Jack figures into their plans as well, as usually occurs when he agitates while provoking a response from those he goes up against.
Assistance to Jack comes from an unlikely source when he’s seriously injured and in need of a hiding place in the form of a rugged ex-roadie with years of experience with impressive credentials that have made him a loner with survival skills that he uses to prepare Jack in defense of the threat he faces.
Will Jack again come out on top in this one as he has in the past, or will he finally find he’s unable to physically face up against the brutality and psychotic nature of his opponent this time around?
Classic Jack Taylor action in this one, with the dry dark humor always present in the thoughts and words that cut to the bone at the hypocrisy and foolishness he experiences on a daily basis.
Highly recommended for those interested in police procedural novels with a rough around the edges protagonist who succeeds in spite of himself, as he’s his own worst enemy.
5 stars.
GALWAY GIRL by Ken Bruen is the 15th book in the series of Jack Taylor, the abrasive and cynical ex-Garda who defies those he previously worked with and for as he has since having left the force years ago.
Jack still hasn’t had time to process the recent death of a loved one; actually Jack really never gets over those that he’s lost where he shoulders the blame, as guilt has always been part of his life since being instilled in him a long time ago at the hands of his Mother, who continues to haunt him from the grave.
Surprisingly, it is members of the force who have made his life miserable for years that plead with him to look into the recent string of deaths of members of the force, as his ability to go into dark places and use unconventional methods they cannot seem to give him an advantage in finding the killer(s) if possible.
Jericho is the name of the manipulative and psychotic leader of a group that has terrorized the locals while developing their plans for attacking the Garda officers, and Jack figures into their plans as well, as usually occurs when he agitates while provoking a response from those he goes up against.
Assistance to Jack comes from an unlikely source when he’s seriously injured and in need of a hiding place in the form of a rugged ex-roadie with years of experience with impressive credentials that have made him a loner with survival skills that he uses to prepare Jack in defense of the threat he faces.
Will Jack again come out on top in this one as he has in the past, or will he finally find he’s unable to physically face up against the brutality and psychotic nature of his opponent this time around?
Classic Jack Taylor action in this one, with the dry dark humor always present in the thoughts and words that cut to the bone at the hypocrisy and foolishness he experiences on a daily basis.
Highly recommended for those interested in police procedural novels with a rough around the edges protagonist who succeeds in spite of himself, as he’s his own worst enemy.
5 stars.
November 9, 2019
Irish noir!
Jack Taylor, ex Garda, Jameson whiskey glugging alcoholic, and private investigator, attracts tragedy and psychotics in equal amounts. Jack has hit an all time low with the murder of his daughter. The last thing he needed was to become emerged in random acts of murder targeting the Gardai.
How is it that this man limps or more often than not, slides from one disastrous situation to another just by being?
The action in Galway Girl is brutal and swift buoyed along by the protagonists who are involving themselves in a deadly game of one upmanship. And when Jack becomes the target, well anything can and does happen.
Does Jack walk on the wild side, flatlining his emotional needs in a bottle of whiskey or has he just become so inured to what normal people are horrified by that he just can't seem to care?
(My visual image of Jack is as always tied to the onscreen detective as portrayed by Iain Glen in his Gardai coat, a few days stubble on his chin, decidedly rumpled, lurching through various mishaps, often without conscious intent).
Jack, always a puzzle and a pleasure!
A Mysterious Press ARC via NetGalley
Jack Taylor, ex Garda, Jameson whiskey glugging alcoholic, and private investigator, attracts tragedy and psychotics in equal amounts. Jack has hit an all time low with the murder of his daughter. The last thing he needed was to become emerged in random acts of murder targeting the Gardai.
How is it that this man limps or more often than not, slides from one disastrous situation to another just by being?
The action in Galway Girl is brutal and swift buoyed along by the protagonists who are involving themselves in a deadly game of one upmanship. And when Jack becomes the target, well anything can and does happen.
Does Jack walk on the wild side, flatlining his emotional needs in a bottle of whiskey or has he just become so inured to what normal people are horrified by that he just can't seem to care?
(My visual image of Jack is as always tied to the onscreen detective as portrayed by Iain Glen in his Gardai coat, a few days stubble on his chin, decidedly rumpled, lurching through various mishaps, often without conscious intent).
Jack, always a puzzle and a pleasure!
A Mysterious Press ARC via NetGalley
October 23, 2019
3.5 stars
I finally caught my breath after reading this fast paced, action full book about Jack Taylor. I can't believe he's still alive and kicking after the death of his daughter in a previous book. Sunk in his alcoholic stupor, he seems to have his defenses lowered and gets sucked into several scams that get him arrested. A murder of someone close snaps him out his reverie and he plots revenge.
Meanwhile three depraved young people start killing members of the Garda and then a famous person. They have ties to Taylor. It's up to him to stop the murders. I am not sure if there is anyone left who is close to him so I have no idea where another book would go.
This is a dark read full of literary references. It kind of just flows and there are times when I wasn't sure of who was narrating. Still the action was nonstop and I kept reading to find out what would happen next.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I finally caught my breath after reading this fast paced, action full book about Jack Taylor. I can't believe he's still alive and kicking after the death of his daughter in a previous book. Sunk in his alcoholic stupor, he seems to have his defenses lowered and gets sucked into several scams that get him arrested. A murder of someone close snaps him out his reverie and he plots revenge.
Meanwhile three depraved young people start killing members of the Garda and then a famous person. They have ties to Taylor. It's up to him to stop the murders. I am not sure if there is anyone left who is close to him so I have no idea where another book would go.
This is a dark read full of literary references. It kind of just flows and there are times when I wasn't sure of who was narrating. Still the action was nonstop and I kept reading to find out what would happen next.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
July 31, 2019
The best taylor book in years. While I have enjoyed all of them, this one is back to what some of the early book were. A lot of violence in this one. Loved it.
November 14, 2019
I would NOT want to be known as a friend of Jack Taylor. It's worse than being related to Jessica Fletcher; you're very likely to be accused of murder sooner or later, but Jessica would eventually find the true criminal. With Jack - not so much. Being known as someone close to him is like having your name on a death warrant, needing only the date to be filled in. This is, without a doubt (and I've said it before) the darkest series I've ever read. One by one, the bright spots in his life have been extinguished, and the only relief in his life is revenge. Here, as always, he's "relieved"...very relieved.
November 10, 2019
Deeply depressed over the death of his daughter, Jack Taylor wanders the streets and pubs of Galway in an alcoholic search for some kind of redemption. Unfortunately for Jack, he agrees to look into situations on behalf of sketchy characters with suspicious motives, one homicidal young woman and a thrill killer of Guarda officers. This is clearly one of the standout books in this long running crime fiction series because author Ken Bruen expands the life and times of an aging Jack Taylor in directions I haven't seen before. It's a dark Irish tale of sadness and revenge, if not euphoria.
January 17, 2020
A good entry in the long-running novel featuring Jack Taylor, former Irish Garda who has the unfortunate fate to be a doom magnet. Unfortunately, bad things happen to his friends as well as to Jack himself. Usually, they die leaving a battered, grieving Jack to dive back info the bottle.
“ Galway Girl” depends greatly upon the most recent previous entries in the Saga, so new readers may be a bit at a loss. But for fans of Mr. Bruen, the book has the usual lyrical writing, caustic observations that make the stories flow swiftly. What it does not have is the impact of “The Ghosts of Galway” the previous book in the series, and depends on a more contrived plot, especially the ending. It is an ending that seems forced and unsatisfying. There are some poignant moments, painful to Jack and the reader which are depicted with the author’s elegiac descriptions that are very touching.
“ Galway Girl” is not one of the better novels of Mr Bruen, in my opinion. To me it seemed as if the author just lost interest and wanted it over.c
But it is entertaining, filled with an interesting supporting cast, crackling dialog and a acerbic wit. All the better to alleviate the dark clouds the Fates weave around Jack Taylor, an anti-hero for the ages.
Cautions: violence, swearing and cynicism abound. Some references to sexual action.
“ Galway Girl” depends greatly upon the most recent previous entries in the Saga, so new readers may be a bit at a loss. But for fans of Mr. Bruen, the book has the usual lyrical writing, caustic observations that make the stories flow swiftly. What it does not have is the impact of “The Ghosts of Galway” the previous book in the series, and depends on a more contrived plot, especially the ending. It is an ending that seems forced and unsatisfying. There are some poignant moments, painful to Jack and the reader which are depicted with the author’s elegiac descriptions that are very touching.
“ Galway Girl” is not one of the better novels of Mr Bruen, in my opinion. To me it seemed as if the author just lost interest and wanted it over.c
But it is entertaining, filled with an interesting supporting cast, crackling dialog and a acerbic wit. All the better to alleviate the dark clouds the Fates weave around Jack Taylor, an anti-hero for the ages.
Cautions: violence, swearing and cynicism abound. Some references to sexual action.
December 19, 2019
Ken Bruen is unique and brilliant. How in the world do you write a dark noir that leaves the reader feeling good? Because Jack Taylor takes care of his friends and the downtrodden and damn the rules; don't we all wish we had friends like that? Or could be like that ourselves? The various plots weave together effortlessly and the ending is a thing of beauty. Anyone not reading this series is missing out. Anyone already a fan will fly through this one. Loved it.
August 27, 2019
And yet again... another Bruen gem featuring ex-Guarda and present day private eye, Jack Taylor.. Since his daughter was killed in his presence, he has teetered on the abysss. … attempting to drown himself in Jameson and drugs.. Jack is a lush …. who revels in his sarcastic ballsy behavior .....a virtual pain in the ass. His Guarda friends try to enlist his aid in solving the senseless assassinations of Guarda officers.
Implemented in the complex plot is a demented trio of misfits. The murders appear to be perpetrated by the son of a beloved officer … in a bizarre sense of revenge and rebellion. While the drunken Jack enters the fray, he is stalked by two others who seek revenge and his demise. Stapleton is the son of former friend of Jack … who Jack decided needed killing. Next enter the Galway Girl … a beautiful psychotic young women who goes by the nom de plume of Jericho. In one of many altercations involving Jack , he found it necessary to kill Jericho's friend, lover and muse. Jericho , using her feminine wile, brings the trio together in a gang determined to exact the ultimate revenge on Jack.
Ken Bruen with his magnificent skills as a storyteller manages to whip this complex and twisted narrative into an entertaining yarn with an unexpected denouement. Along the way he created a noir gem, littered with multiple literary and musical allusions. Although this can be enjoyed as a standalone …. readers will want to read the other 14 Jack Taylor novels to appreciate his rich back story. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic & Mysterious Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
Implemented in the complex plot is a demented trio of misfits. The murders appear to be perpetrated by the son of a beloved officer … in a bizarre sense of revenge and rebellion. While the drunken Jack enters the fray, he is stalked by two others who seek revenge and his demise. Stapleton is the son of former friend of Jack … who Jack decided needed killing. Next enter the Galway Girl … a beautiful psychotic young women who goes by the nom de plume of Jericho. In one of many altercations involving Jack , he found it necessary to kill Jericho's friend, lover and muse. Jericho , using her feminine wile, brings the trio together in a gang determined to exact the ultimate revenge on Jack.
Ken Bruen with his magnificent skills as a storyteller manages to whip this complex and twisted narrative into an entertaining yarn with an unexpected denouement. Along the way he created a noir gem, littered with multiple literary and musical allusions. Although this can be enjoyed as a standalone …. readers will want to read the other 14 Jack Taylor novels to appreciate his rich back story. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic & Mysterious Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2019
If there can be a "best" novel in the Jack Taylor series, this is it.
November 11, 2019
GALWAY GIRL works very well, even though it shouldn’t. The same can be said, more or less, of all of Ken Bruen’s novels featuring Jack Taylor, who is a difficult figure to behold.
Taylor is a former Galway Garda turned informal private investigator who alternates between almost perpetual drunkenness and abbreviated bouts of sobriety. He is bent but not broken, damaged but not destroyed, even as he slides further toward those respective endgames with each installment of the series. This is due to his propensity to make bad choices and engage in worse actions with unfortunate consequences that ripple elliptically from his epicenter.
Bruen’s prose style consists of short, choppy sentences shot full of grim street poetry and relayed for the most part (with occasional shifts of perspective) in Taylor’s first-person voice. It is noteworthy that, as a result, readers sometimes know what Taylor is going to do before he tells them, which provides plenty of opportunity for cringing.
Cringing? Oh yes, indeed. GALWAY GIRL is cringeworthy and more, in all the best ways. Even when you anticipate what Taylor or any other character is going to do, you still hope against hope that they won’t. Hopes such as these are repeatedly dashed. But the tale is so beautifully and bleakly told that one simply cannot stop reading.
Let’s discuss specifics for a bit. The novel shares its title with a marvelous Steve Earle song (as well as a better known but less appealing number by Ed Sheeran), which is referenced frequently throughout the story. I listened to Earle’s tune nonstop while reading the book and recommend that you do as well. It is about a lady who breaks Earle’s heart; Taylor’s Galway girl is a woman who is out to kill him. Her name is Trish, but she goes by Jericho and has a major mad-on for Taylor, specifically because of a prior action of his.
A note here: Each of Bruen’s Jack Taylor thrillers builds on the last --- isn’t life just like that? --- but he does a prime job of giving newcomers (and those of us who have difficulty remembering where we left the phone, let alone what happened a year ago) just enough information to follow along.
Jericho recruits two other somewhat twisted Galway residents into her scheme, which involves inflicting as much pain, psychic and otherwise, upon Taylor as she can. But Taylor performs an act of kindness that, instead of badly boomeranging on him and everyone around him, actually carries the seeds of his potential salvation (however temporary) with a few twists, turns and curves. The result is an ending that is dark in pitch but oddly satisfying.
Bruen gives readers more than a top-flight story here. There are a number of cultural recommendations disguised as stream-of-consciousness mentions, commentary on current events (I guarantee that you won’t agree with everything), and, if I am not mistaken, an occasional third-person sighting of the author in his own book. It is but one indication of the casual power of Bruen’s writing that I am already cringing over what might happen in his next Taylor tale, even as I eagerly and impatiently anticipate it.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Taylor is a former Galway Garda turned informal private investigator who alternates between almost perpetual drunkenness and abbreviated bouts of sobriety. He is bent but not broken, damaged but not destroyed, even as he slides further toward those respective endgames with each installment of the series. This is due to his propensity to make bad choices and engage in worse actions with unfortunate consequences that ripple elliptically from his epicenter.
Bruen’s prose style consists of short, choppy sentences shot full of grim street poetry and relayed for the most part (with occasional shifts of perspective) in Taylor’s first-person voice. It is noteworthy that, as a result, readers sometimes know what Taylor is going to do before he tells them, which provides plenty of opportunity for cringing.
Cringing? Oh yes, indeed. GALWAY GIRL is cringeworthy and more, in all the best ways. Even when you anticipate what Taylor or any other character is going to do, you still hope against hope that they won’t. Hopes such as these are repeatedly dashed. But the tale is so beautifully and bleakly told that one simply cannot stop reading.
Let’s discuss specifics for a bit. The novel shares its title with a marvelous Steve Earle song (as well as a better known but less appealing number by Ed Sheeran), which is referenced frequently throughout the story. I listened to Earle’s tune nonstop while reading the book and recommend that you do as well. It is about a lady who breaks Earle’s heart; Taylor’s Galway girl is a woman who is out to kill him. Her name is Trish, but she goes by Jericho and has a major mad-on for Taylor, specifically because of a prior action of his.
A note here: Each of Bruen’s Jack Taylor thrillers builds on the last --- isn’t life just like that? --- but he does a prime job of giving newcomers (and those of us who have difficulty remembering where we left the phone, let alone what happened a year ago) just enough information to follow along.
Jericho recruits two other somewhat twisted Galway residents into her scheme, which involves inflicting as much pain, psychic and otherwise, upon Taylor as she can. But Taylor performs an act of kindness that, instead of badly boomeranging on him and everyone around him, actually carries the seeds of his potential salvation (however temporary) with a few twists, turns and curves. The result is an ending that is dark in pitch but oddly satisfying.
Bruen gives readers more than a top-flight story here. There are a number of cultural recommendations disguised as stream-of-consciousness mentions, commentary on current events (I guarantee that you won’t agree with everything), and, if I am not mistaken, an occasional third-person sighting of the author in his own book. It is but one indication of the casual power of Bruen’s writing that I am already cringing over what might happen in his next Taylor tale, even as I eagerly and impatiently anticipate it.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
December 31, 2019
Jsou věci, které mě baví, i když by mě, podle všeho, měli strašně štvát. A romány Kena Bruena jsou jednou z těch věcí. Všimněte si, že píšu romány, nikoliv kriminálky a už vůbec ne detektivky. I když je hrdina detektiv, tak nějaké pátrání provádí jen minimálně (obvykle spočívá v tom, že se podívá do telefonního seznamu), většinou přijdou vrazi a psychopati přímo za ním. Pokud člověk čeká dedukci, uvažování, plánování... tak ne. Tohle je spíš epileptický záchvat na podlaze hospody. Svět, ve kterém lidé jednají na základě svých nejhorších okamžitých impulzů, bez ohledu na následky. Které ostatně v tomhle světě příliš neexistují. Stejně jako policie či morálka.
Přesto mě tyhle úsečné romány, které působí dojmem, že je autor psal v kokainovém rauši a na každý odstavec padla krabička cigaret, pořád baví. Tohle je navíc ještě dynamičtější něž předchozí romány. Na začátku se hned objevuje mladá psychopatka, jejímž cílem je zničit Taylorovi život a pak ho zabít. Což je docela problém, protože po tom, co se mu všechno stalo v minulých dílech, je už skoro nemožné ho ještě něčím zasáhnout. Naštěstí se magorka obklopí dalšími podobně vyšinutými jedinci, pár z nich se během dalších kapitol zbaví, pak nabere další, občas někoho zabije, občas navštíví Taylora, občas ji zatkne policie...
Ne, tohle vážně není normální svět a autor se snaží, aby každého milovníka detektivek co nejvíc hladil proti srsti. Jediné zákony, které tady fungují, jsou zákony nočních můr. Ale pořád mě to baví. Už jen proto, abych se dozvěděl, co Taylor (čili Bruen) viděl v televizi nebo četl. A pak si to zkusil sám sehnat.
Přesto mě tyhle úsečné romány, které působí dojmem, že je autor psal v kokainovém rauši a na každý odstavec padla krabička cigaret, pořád baví. Tohle je navíc ještě dynamičtější něž předchozí romány. Na začátku se hned objevuje mladá psychopatka, jejímž cílem je zničit Taylorovi život a pak ho zabít. Což je docela problém, protože po tom, co se mu všechno stalo v minulých dílech, je už skoro nemožné ho ještě něčím zasáhnout. Naštěstí se magorka obklopí dalšími podobně vyšinutými jedinci, pár z nich se během dalších kapitol zbaví, pak nabere další, občas někoho zabije, občas navštíví Taylora, občas ji zatkne policie...
Ne, tohle vážně není normální svět a autor se snaží, aby každého milovníka detektivek co nejvíc hladil proti srsti. Jediné zákony, které tady fungují, jsou zákony nočních můr. Ale pořád mě to baví. Už jen proto, abych se dozvěděl, co Taylor (čili Bruen) viděl v televizi nebo četl. A pak si to zkusil sám sehnat.
December 18, 2019
I am going to figure this out someday: My copy, published November 2019, by Mysterious Press, a Grove Atlantic Imprint, First Edition, First Print, signed, has 354 pages. Goodreads says 288 pages for its otherwise identical edition (not signed).
Anyway. Jack Taylor has been around for some time now, and Ken Bruen longer. He can still dazzle and still jerk the reins as bodies drop here and everywhere. Jack's a hard man holding more grief than any human frame should be able to bear. The drugs, booze, cigarettes and occasional triumph make up for a bit, but not enough to make any sane person envy him. We can enjoy him and his snake mean persona, purveyed by Bruen's specially crafted prose. I enjoy a story now and then where the bad guys get taken down. Hard.
Recommended.
Anyway. Jack Taylor has been around for some time now, and Ken Bruen longer. He can still dazzle and still jerk the reins as bodies drop here and everywhere. Jack's a hard man holding more grief than any human frame should be able to bear. The drugs, booze, cigarettes and occasional triumph make up for a bit, but not enough to make any sane person envy him. We can enjoy him and his snake mean persona, purveyed by Bruen's specially crafted prose. I enjoy a story now and then where the bad guys get taken down. Hard.
Recommended.
February 8, 2020
Oh, I love me some Jack Taylor. The plot took a strange twist with the bird and I lost track of the body count but still the same old jack, an Irish ex-cop, alcoholic, sometimes on the wagon but mostly off, surrounded by violence and usually giving as good as he gets in the end with a complicated relationship with the church.
The writing is loose and freeform with song lyrics, literary quotes, and social commentary interspersed amongst the dialogue, snarky humor and violence. This one was not my favorite but still enjoyed it. They can be read independently but jack does have a history and I would start with number#1 and work your way forward.
The writing is loose and freeform with song lyrics, literary quotes, and social commentary interspersed amongst the dialogue, snarky humor and violence. This one was not my favorite but still enjoyed it. They can be read independently but jack does have a history and I would start with number#1 and work your way forward.
December 30, 2019
These are not for the faint of heart - such violence. But I am a fan and my heart breaks for Jack. This was not one I liked as much as so many of the others. It seemed to be more of the same - another psycho with Jack in her sights, another violent death to one of Jack's few friends, another meeting with the angry priest, etc. Jack makes a new friend at the end of this book -while he be killed in the next book?
December 16, 2023
I’m trying to remember why I continue to read this series as it’s so dark and depraved at times. It certainly isn’t good for Irish tourism. It’s a lot like the Norwegian series with Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo. Lots of violence with irreverence but I enjoy the quirkiness and all the literary allusions. Jack Taylor is a drunk with a conscience who you don’t want to f with. The Irish television series captures him perfectly.
August 19, 2024
Jack involved once again reluctantly in situations that put his life in jeopardy as well as people around him.
Many of the people seeking his help are evil-he seems to attract them and treats them accordingly. Unfortunately for him he does meet good people but the evil overcomes his life continuously. Hard to read at times-even his pet dogs were killed.
Many of the people seeking his help are evil-he seems to attract them and treats them accordingly. Unfortunately for him he does meet good people but the evil overcomes his life continuously. Hard to read at times-even his pet dogs were killed.
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