Galway Girl

In this 15th “Jack Taylor” novel (after The Ghosts of Galway), the Irish cop–turned–sometime private investigator is still mourning the murder of his daughter, though he has avenged her death. Meanwhile, someone is systematically killing members of the Garda, and Jack is asked to investigate quietly. Nothing is simple in a Taylor tale, however. Terry Stapleton blames Jack for the death of his father, Amy Fadden tries to frame Jack for the death of her son’s killer, and a psycho female named Jericho plots Jack’s death while taunting him with cryptic messages. Jack and Jericho take turns attacking each other’s friends before a bizarre finale brings some closure. Prolific Bruen is at the top of his inimitable form here with typical first-person narration, one-line paragraphs, free-flowing Jameson, and almost as much blood. Jack is a violent person who seems to attract violence but also has a strong sense of justice and sympathy for individuals in need.