Ok, so I stole the pun in the title from Declan Burke, but if you can't lift from The Master who can you lift from? I just finished Stuart Neville's The Twelve yesterday and I was blown away by it. It's a dark, exciting, lyrical, uncompromising thriller set in Northern Ireland. James Ellroy has described Neville as a brilliant new voice in Irish fiction and after reading The Twelve I whole heartedly agree. There's a great non spoiler review on Ger Brennan's Crime Scene Northern Ireland here. And if you haven't yet jumped on board the runaway train that is the Celtic New Wave in Irish crime writing, Neville's The Twelve is an excellent place to start. And then after Neville make sure you check out: Declan Burke, Brian McGilloway, Ken Bruen, Eoin MacNamee, Declan Hughes, Colin Bateman, Garbhan Downey, Ger Brennan, David Park, Sam Millar et al. I mean really folks, wouldn't it be nice to be ahead of the trend for once?
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Neville Has All The Best Tunes
Ok, so I stole the pun in the title from Declan Burke, but if you can't lift from The Master who can you lift from? I just finished Stuart Neville's The Twelve yesterday and I was blown away by it. It's a dark, exciting, lyrical, uncompromising thriller set in Northern Ireland. James Ellroy has described Neville as a brilliant new voice in Irish fiction and after reading The Twelve I whole heartedly agree. There's a great non spoiler review on Ger Brennan's Crime Scene Northern Ireland here. And if you haven't yet jumped on board the runaway train that is the Celtic New Wave in Irish crime writing, Neville's The Twelve is an excellent place to start. And then after Neville make sure you check out: Declan Burke, Brian McGilloway, Ken Bruen, Eoin MacNamee, Declan Hughes, Colin Bateman, Garbhan Downey, Ger Brennan, David Park, Sam Millar et al. I mean really folks, wouldn't it be nice to be ahead of the trend for once?
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I was lucky enough to share a beverage with Stuart at Bouchercon. An easy going and thoughtful gentleman. I picked up a copy of GHOSTS OF BELFAST (The US title of THE TWELVE) when i got home, where it currently resides on my sagging TBR shelf. I'm looking forward to it.
It's a really good book. I was a little worried because there is a kind of obvious problem in the premise and I wondered how it was going to be resolved, but Mr. Neville's plot came through on it with flying colors.
I haven't gotten to it, or anything else, on my own blog because of all the stuff we've been requested to write for the store, but I did do a mini review for it for our newsletter.
Dana
I've had a few beers with Stuart myself. Its not always the case that nice people and good writing go together but they do with S N.
Seana
I think its tough selling Irish fiction in America that doesnt involve girls, country lanes, bicycles, guys with Aran sweaters who drown at sea etc. but eventually one of us is bound to break through I think.
And yourself, Adrian.
The Celtic New Wave in Irish crime writing is HOT in the US. It's how I've positioned your visit at Microsoft, Adrian. You’re at the heart of the movement. Give it time, just like any movement.
I thought you had broken through. Sorry you couldn't come to dinner (or return the call).
I thought you had broken through. Sorry you couldn't come to dinner (or return the call).
... Tana French, Alex Barclay, Alan Glynn, Gene Kerrigan, John Connolly, Paul Charles, the Artist Formerly Known As Colin Bateman ...
Adrian, there's a novel called JULIUS WINSOME by Gerard Donovan, I think you'd like it. Couple of years old now, but a certifiable classic.
Cheers, Dec
Peter
What dinner?
What call?
Peter
If thee be Mr Temple, drop me an email and I'll give you my phone number. My vodaphone is dead as toast but I can give you my home #.
Holden
I hope is it hot, or at least hotting up. I know that Ian Rankin and John Connolly have definitely broken through and all the rest of us are grabbing at coat tails.
Of course if you count old Denny Lehane up in Boston then we are massive, as the kids say.
Dec
I'll check out Winsome. I was only giving the northern crew but of course you're right, there's the whole southern front....
Would it kill you guys to add a few country lanes and Aran sweaters? I mean just right before everyone gets mowed down? I think that could work to break into the Maeve Binchy territory.
No one's mentioned Ken Bruen, who seems to be doing pretty well these days.
The real problem with Americans is that if its not another Finnegans Wake, we don't really want to bother.
Just kidding.
The funny thing is that I can remember a time not all that long ago, when Henning Mankell was being published by a smaller press in rather offputting dark covers, and now maybe ten years later, the Swedish invasion is just almost passe. When it happens, as I think it is happening with Irish crime, it happens pretty fast. Not from the writers' perspective, of course. For the writer it can never happen soon enough.
Seana
Then it'll be like that Murder She Wrote episode when Jessica went to "Ireland" and everyone was Aran sweatered and talking in outrageously bad Irish accents.
The other clue that we in fact were in Burbank was the sunshine.
Thanks for the review, Adrian, it's much appreciated. I only found it today, having been on a manic schedule over the last month.
Stuart
Thank you for a great book!!
Thanks for the list. Seriously. After reading Colin Bateman and your 'Dead' trilogy (which I loved -- hopefully you'll pardon me for gushing like a crazed fan-girl) I've been searching for more Irish Crime fiction. (I've made my way through everything of yours I could find.) I very recently discovered Declan Hughes and Keith Baker and my friend Nancy Hightower told me about "The Twelve" which I'll hit as soon as I'm done re-reading "The Bloomsday Dead." This list is a big big help.
Btw, keep writing. You're amazing. (Oops. Sorry. More fan-girl-ness.)
Stina
No, are you kidding? I really appreciate the gushing or anyone who's a fan. When Dead I Well May Be I got pretty depressed because I figured no one would ever find it again!
I love crime novels. Especially Irish crime novels. they got me thru my stint in a shock trauma platoon in iraq (I am a GP in the Navy). I got hooked by Ken Bruen which led to your triology (unbelievably good) then declan hughes and now Stuart Neville. the Ghosts of Belfast was a great book. I will be adding your list to my uber nerdy "authors I need to read list" which I keep on my cell phone.
My Gramps, also named John Kane was born in Carrickfergus. he was a coal miner.
John
My little bro is in the navy and also ended up in Iraq last year, northern Iraq far from the sea. And he just got back from Afghanistan which of course is landlocked.
This makes no sense to me.
Anyway glad you like the books.
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