Book #79 Purgatory

Purgatory by Ken Bruen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To quote Samuel Beckett: "It's quite a good idea: when words fail you, you can fall back on silence."

Words fail me. I thought, having read nine Jack Taylor books, that nothing worse could befall our dark protagonist. 'You don't want to meet Jack Taylor in person, ever, but if you're a big crime fan, you do want to read every book he features in'. IRISH TIMES. Well, I do - and I am...

Jack has had more than his share of ill-fortune. But this? How will Jack survive the carnage? What carnage you might ask? I cannot say, do not want to spoil a story line that has run for years and finally sees Jack caught between Heaven and Hell. Had been back on the wagon. Clean - for a few months. But then. Purgatory. A killer is writing to Jack, signing with the name C33. Read your Oscar Wilde, have you? No matter... might be relevant, though... The killer is removing scum off the streets of Galway: a drug-pusher, a rapist, a loan shark. The Garda aren't interested in these vigilante attacks. Neither is Jack until his friend Stewart gets drawn in. Taylor has no choice... justice is rarely delivered through ordinary channels...

Who is Reardon? A charismatic billionaire buying up much of Galway. Wants Jack on board. Huh? And Jack is beguiled by Reardon's assistant, Kelly. Look into her eyes though, Jack. What do you really see?

And then, Ken Bruen, you lead the reader to the darkest of places - developments that left me speechless. My worst fears, there - on the page. Stunned..

And compelled to read on - #11 Green Hell - it cannot get any worse for Jack. Can it?

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