damopedro's review against another edition
4.0
Fast paced, funny, bleak and captivating. There are some great one-liners in this one.
balthazarlawson's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book in the series and is hugely enjoyable. A straight forward murder is never easy to solve when there is the constant threat of attacks from the IRA and any number of other organisations who don't like the Royal Ulster Constabulary or Catholics. When you are both you don't have much of a social life. And when the murder might involve the economical future of Northern Ireland in the form of John DeLorean there are also a group of other interested parties who don't like you either.
But Sean Duffy only wants to do his job and find the murderer of a headless, armless and legless body found in a suitcase.
Set indirectly against some real events this is a good read and highly recommended. The rest of this series is lined up to be read.
But Sean Duffy only wants to do his job and find the murderer of a headless, armless and legless body found in a suitcase.
Set indirectly against some real events this is a good read and highly recommended. The rest of this series is lined up to be read.
fionab_16's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
danchrist's review against another edition
4.0
Solid sequel to the Sean Duffy series with some more sharply drawn characters and plot twists than the original. That said, I rather liked the roundabout way the first installment resolved its tensions.
Also, the DeLorean character feels wrong. Writing an actual person into fiction must be a challenge, and this portrayal didn't thrill me.
Regardless, a romp of a read, and I'm already into the final book in the series. McKinty does far more right than he does wrong.
Also, the DeLorean character feels wrong. Writing an actual person into fiction must be a challenge, and this portrayal didn't thrill me.
Regardless, a romp of a read, and I'm already into the final book in the series. McKinty does far more right than he does wrong.
beth_menendez's review against another edition
4.0
I have not done any parallel research into The Troubles that happened in Northern Ireland in the early 1980's, but I think this author is doing an excellent job painting the frustration, exhaustion, hopelessness and utter lack of options during that time. It does not paint the big superpowers (England, US) in a terribly great light, but I don't know that it should.
I don't know if a person can say they liked this book because I would not wish to be say that I like hearing about an area that does not have much hope in it. But Adrian McKinty does an excellent job of getting a murder mystery plot across despite all the other things happening in Sean Duffy's world. I think his writing is gritty and honest, and I am liking that honesty. I also love his taste in music.
As any book that takes place not in this current era of instant communication and no smoking in buildings, whenever something like this happens I am struck anew with how difficult communication or research could be without the giant search engines like google. How it could take weeks and weeks to solve cases because it relied on phone calls, letters, etc. And while it could be tedious in terms of investigations, I do not always think it's so bad. Now, when the main character needs some immediate help, a cell phone would be handy.
The only negative, and it's definitely one that might only affect some readers, is that a healthy knowledge of British and Irish slang is needed to completely understand what is happening in the book. A great case in point is the term "peeler". It refers to someone who is a policeman, but I was unsure until I asked a friend if it had a neutral or negative connotation. I could not tell from context clues as I could from the term "bog" as a reference to the toilet. It does not detract from the writing terribly, but it could if you are not up with certain slang words.
I don't know if a person can say they liked this book because I would not wish to be say that I like hearing about an area that does not have much hope in it. But Adrian McKinty does an excellent job of getting a murder mystery plot across despite all the other things happening in Sean Duffy's world. I think his writing is gritty and honest, and I am liking that honesty. I also love his taste in music.
As any book that takes place not in this current era of instant communication and no smoking in buildings, whenever something like this happens I am struck anew with how difficult communication or research could be without the giant search engines like google. How it could take weeks and weeks to solve cases because it relied on phone calls, letters, etc. And while it could be tedious in terms of investigations, I do not always think it's so bad. Now, when the main character needs some immediate help, a cell phone would be handy.
The only negative, and it's definitely one that might only affect some readers, is that a healthy knowledge of British and Irish slang is needed to completely understand what is happening in the book. A great case in point is the term "peeler". It refers to someone who is a policeman, but I was unsure until I asked a friend if it had a neutral or negative connotation. I could not tell from context clues as I could from the term "bog" as a reference to the toilet. It does not detract from the writing terribly, but it could if you are not up with certain slang words.
csdaley's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this book a lot. I also felt it was a much better story than the first book. Set in the time of the troubles in Northern Ireland it takes you on a roller coaster of pain and misery.
laurapf's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
amberinhonduras's review against another edition
4.0
The narrator on audible is amazing,lots of different voices and accents. Great mystery with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Hilarious dry humor throughout.
**Strong language.
**Strong language.
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have already started the next in the series.