Have you heard of Adrian McKinty? If you haven't, check out his blog: adrianmckinty.blogspot.com (the psychopathology of everyday life). I started reading Irish noir about 3 years ago with "The Ghosts of Belfast" by Stuart Neville. I say read, but I'm actually addicted to audiobooks, so technically listened. When I finished this book, I was floored, it was like I just watched a movie. Through Neville words, he paints such a disturbing picture of the inner-workings of the IRA and how the past will never be forgotten. I highly recommend it. If you are addicted to audiobooks like me, check this one out, Gerard Doyle narrates. His Irish brogue is hypnotic. He also narrates all of Adrian's books.
Getting back to McKinty, after reading Ghosts, I wanted more. I started to immerse myself with Irish writers from Declan Hughes to Ken Bruen. Whether or not they mention the troubles of Northern Ireland in the 80's, you feel it in the atmosphere they create in their books. It makes sense, because they lived it, so it's very much part of them. The world of Irish noir to me is very dark and volatile, yet all of these authors have a sharp wit that they put in each of their characters. Hope always has a presence, even though at times it never fully shows itself.
In "The Cold Cold Ground" Adrian's protagonist is Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy. This is new ground for McKinty, because most of his characters in the past have been very flawed anti-heroes. The backdrop of this book is Northern Ireland (1981) during the height of the conflict. Just as Sergeant Duffy is getting used to his new post at the Carrickfergus CID, a body turns up. The crime has implications of a homophobic serial killer, but from the evidence and clues left by the killer, Duffy isn't convinced. Along with his team of fellow officers, Duffy elists the help of a pathologist, Laura Cathcart. Not only do the murders continue, but it becomes apparent that there is a tie with the first victim and the IRA.
McKinty brilliantly uses the protestant - catholic conflict to bring out this police procedural. Sergeant Duffy is catholic, so is Laura. They are definitely the minority. There's a moment when Duffy has to go through two IRA thugs to get to a crime scene. One looks at him and asks how does he sleep at night being a Catholic in Northern Ireland. Duffy responds "On my side and in my "Six Million Dollar Man" pajamas". I love this character!
Adrian grew up in Carrickfergus, so like the other Irish writers mentioned above, he knows this period well. The details he uses just blow me away. The way he describes the molotov cocktails and how they light up the darkness is just poetic. Each place the police cruisers go, they seem to be in danger of an attack. It almost has a post-apocalyptic feel to it. Throughout the entire book, there's never a moment where you feel confident that these characters are going to survive.
If this book was just about a serial killer, to be honest, I wouldn't care. James Patterson made me lose interest in that a long time ago. (On a side note, Adrian once posted a blog, where he had a theory that Patterson didn't exist and never has. Look it up, it's good stuff.) Having the chaos of the unrest of Northern Ireland going on in the background, makes a simple psychological thriller riveting. The more I think about it, the more I think it's genius. It could have been set at any time, but putting it in this period gave McKinty the ability to create a story and insert real details of an event he experienced. I listened to it a month ago and I go back over it in my mind on a daily basis. My dream is to be a writer. When I read books like this, I'm just floored. It inspires me, but at the same time intimidated. To be able to write a book that's so layered with characters you care so much for, that doesn't seem to be the easiest thing to do, but like my dad says "If you don't try, how would you know?".
This is the first book in a trilogy. Actually, he's posted the first two pages of book 2 on his blog, so check it out. You will at least get an idea of his writing style. This review is becomming more and more of a promotion for his blogsite. Jeez! This is a tremendous book. I cannot recommend it enough. Read it or listen to it, whichever is easier, but do it!!!!!!!!
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