The Guards by Ken BruenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The first of the Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen, first published in 2001. Wonderful, dark Irish noir. Lyrical, funny and deeply moving. A blend of Chandler, Macdonald and Spillane with a deft, staccato rhythm that is unforgettable. Jack Taylor, dismissed from the Irish guardai for punching a senior officer (who deserved it by the way), becomes an alcoholic private eye (what else is he going to do?), ignores requests to return Item 8234 - a regulation garda all-weather coat ("Would I return it? Would I fuck") - stumbles in and out of and gets barred from most Galway bars and takes on a case to gather evidence that a teenage girl who committed suicide - didn't (or did she?) For me, this is a mesmerising work of crime fiction, so different to anything I have read before. Excuse me Ken but I feckin' loved it!
And a brief note to reviewers who have called Bruen's writing pretentious. Pretentious?! Re-read your own reviews. Isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery? The Guards is original, hilarious and above all, it's Irish. Get it? I did....
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