[In Belfast] A newly discovered body had been poisoned, deep frozen, cut into pieces and put into a suitcase. There are few clues as to his identity. Detective Inspector Sean Duffy investigates. In I Hear the Sirens in the Street, it is Northern Ireland in 1982, in the midst of the Troubles. Stationed in the small town of Carrickfergus, Duffy is a rare Catholic in the overwhelmingly Protestant force. He’s also one of the most interesting, convincing and sympathetic police officers in recent crime fiction. His inquiries lead him dangerously to an IRA connection and to strange goings-on in the Belfast plant making the revolutionary DeLorean cars. McKinty gets better and better.
Serpent’s Tail, 334pp, £12.99. To buy this book for £11.69 visit thetimes.co.uk/bookshop or call 08452712134; e-book £12.99
24 comments:
"He’s also one of the most interesting, convincing and sympathetic police officers in recent crime fiction."
Enough said. So much for trolls.
"McKinty gets better and better."
And he was bloody brilliant to begin with!
Sirens is the next book on my to-read list. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll pop a review on Amazon when I'm done.
Seana, Michael
Well the trolls have been out early this time with their 1 star negative review attacks. Its a little dispiriting actually. I cant think what I've done to offend them.
I wonder if Stewart is right and its just one bitter person under a disguise doing lots of sock puppet attacks?
I'm going to stop reading them, they're too depressing and it seems that unless you do a full front assault a la Stew Neville you cant shame them either.
Oh well.
Now that's a sweet review. I'll be ordering mine soon.
Off topic, but I thought you'd be interested if didn't already know about R. Chandler's cameo in Double Indemnity: http://bit.ly/TXSZ0r
I do have this book on my list as well. Which is good as I am finishing up Blood Land by R.S. Guthrie, rsguthrie.com if anyone is looking for a good one to add to their lists. I really love the Crime Fiction books, this looks to be another good one! Thanks for the post!
Cary
Cheers mate.
Speedskater
Oooh, I love that!
Al
I hope you like it if you get it.
Dear Adrian ,I posted a review of "CCG" on Amazon U.S. see my post to you re: Spanish Book Cover".Reading Duffy's latest investigative perils.What an exciting story with your unique blend of bleak weather and social climate.Best and Thank you Alan New Mexico USA
Alan
Thanks buddy, I appreciate it, mate.
Read it in one sitting. Brilliant. I'm putting some reviews up later for you & tbh I dont know whether I'd read reviews, a la trolling, in your position. Would be dispiriting I agree. First class novel. Did find a couple of things in the large paperback edition though
Swooper
Thanks man. Yeah I don't know what to do about the trolls most of whom seem to object to me on political/sectarian grounds which doesn't seem fair in the context of a book review. Stew Neville went on full attack mode but I'm no that kind of guy, so I think I'll just ignore them as best I can and hope the good reviews eventually drown out the lunatics and racists.
Rare for me but I've just added an Amazon review as that 1 star idiot annoyed me intensely. I only read it yesterday & I don't remember 'sheila's' & 'wazoos'? I hope they weren't in there cos I've just took the piss out of him over it..... right, now the other sites
Swooper
Don't know about wazoos but Sheila is in there , I wrote an entire blogpost or article about the use of Ozzie slang in Ireland in the 80s because of returning immigrants and the growing cult of OZzie soaps! the word is used quite deliberately as a jocular ref like the common surely he jest! Indeed I had an email exchange with my editor about this! the fact that my troll built an entire theory about the book from this one word is really brilliant!
Well, if you ask me he was on a pre-meditated mission & just trawled til he found something to pick on. He's obviously a tosser with an agenda mate, I wouldn't let it bother you, though easier said than done. I think if I was published I'd find it hard to not read reviews but really wouldn't want to if you know what I mean. Keep up the good work. Reviewed on Mean Streets for you as well
Swooper
No his trolling has been very effective. His mission was to get under my skin and he has completely succeeded. I expect he's the one who trolled Cold Cold Ground as well although after Neville's assault on sock puppeting some of those 1 star reviews got mysteriously removed.
No its galling to me. I even did an entire blogpost explaining that I write fiction not non fiction. Its all fucking made up. I could say there was an army of fucking zombies on Coronation Road and it wouldnt bloody matter cos its, you know, a story.
Saying that though - I was born on that street - literally - and grew up in that Estate. No one, except maybe my little brother knows 113 Coronation Road, Carrickfergus as well as I do and for him to sugggest that I'm some kind of foreigner drives me fucking mental.
As you can clearly see.
Yes you're right I shouldnt be letting this get to me, but it has...
Again, he's not worth the time but it's not easy when it's your baby. I know. There's plenty of people that love & appreciate your work, mate, so try & ignore it. I guess it makes publication a bit of a bittersweet experience, which has to be bollocks.
I'm a bit like that. It's fiction but the places & whatever have to be authentic. I'm not convinced I haven't got ocd somedays....
He's certainly not worth wasting an extra 'g' in suggest on, anyway lol.
Head up
Everybody gets one star reviews if they get enough ratings. I just looked up Wolf Hall and saw a one star there as well. It doesn't have to be a sock puppet, it just means someone doesn't get it. But you aren't going to learn anything from that. I think one could probably benefit from the three star evaluations because they might point out something that you hadn't noticed for the future. But to give excessive attention to the one stars kind of discounts the opinions of your loyal readers.
Seana
You're right of course.
I shall try not to be such a nutter about this.
It was such fun to read the first 8 chapters. Now I have to wait for UK Amazon to ship it to California. It's always such a letdown when I finish your books.
That one star troll sounds like Dougherty from Larne.
Tom
Poor old Dougherty. Oh, er, spoiler alert...
Got my copy of Sirens from the UK just in time for 4 days off from the bookselling front lines at B&N; can't wait to tuck into it.
My Mckinty handsell count for the last two months, or so:
2 copies of The Cold, Cold Ground;
2 copies of Dead I Well May Be;
1 copy The Dead Yard;
1 copy The Bloomsday Dead;
1 copy Falling Glass.
Customer feedback: Loved The Cold, Cold Ground, Dead I Well May Be and Falling Glass; haven't heard back on the others, yet.
Dear Adrian, Another 5 Star review of "Sirens" ,oh that was mine .Just finished "Bloody Sunday" spot on.The characters jumped out of the screen…the tormented parents,bloodlust filled teenagers and the quiet fanaticism of the IRA leader with a vested interest in seeing the "Peace Process Civil Rights Movement" fail.I could smell the fear in the British troops and the "US vs. Them attitude of some of the Paratroops who wish to take action as they are tormented with rocks ,insults and the odd gunman. I wish you would write an article for Sight and Sound as to how "The Troubles" were perceived by many Protestant Irishmen who are weary of the stereotypical portrayal of the" gallant lads of the IRA and their evil counterparts.".Best Alan New Mexico
Post a Comment