THE GHOSTS OF GALWAY (2017) is Ken Bruen’s 13th Jack Taylor novel. Jack’s an ex-Garda living in Galway, a drunk who got kicked out of the Guards when first introduced back in 2001. I’ve read all the books and enjoyed them all, too. Over the years, Jack’s weathered some tough times and he’s lost a lot of friends. He still drinks and you can find him downing a Jameson at his favorite pub which fronts as his office because in Galway, he’s still the one most people turn to for help with their problems. DISCLAIMER: The publisher sent this book to me for an honest review. I also bought my copy in e.
There’s a group called The Ghosts of Galway, made up of Irish fundamentalists, threatening to cause “chaos” in the city. They also have ties to the Fenian Brotherhood. The Guards suspect them of dumping dead swans in a public park with the promise of violence to come. Jack’s connection to the group comes from Em/Emily/Emerald, who makes her reappearance for the third time in the series. Emerald is a murderous psychotic with a multiple personality disorder. Her relationship to Jack is eh complicated. Their relationship is tested even further in this entry. Aside from that, there’s another subplot involving “The Red Book”, a rival to The Book of Kells and Jack’s paid to retrieve it. It’s allegedly the first known book of heresy written by some monks and the Church denies its existence.
Added to those two plots is the cry of the people against their government’s water taxes. levies and corruption. Jack’s ongoing rifts with various recurring characters like Superintendent Clancy and Garda Ridge continues in here. Father Malachy appears along with his usual cloud of nicotine smoke. Bruen also includes his trademark pop culture references with a major vent about the Kardashians and with more than a few remarks about Trump written obviously during his candidacy.
In conclusion, this entry introduced some major developments where more than a few things shocked me. As Jack’s inner circle continues to dwindle, I wonder what else Ken Bruen has up his sleeve. I’m looking forward to the next adventure. My rating is a 4/5 because of the major developments thereby making this book a strong entry in the series.
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