Falling Glass, by Adrian McKinty (Serpent's Tail, £11.99)LAURA WILSON
The latest novel from Ireland's more accessible answer to James Ellroy has as its central character an old associate of Michael Forsythe, antihero of McKinty's wonderful Dead trilogy. Killian, of Pavee (Traveller) stock, has been thwarted in his attempts to go straight by the demise of the Celtic Tiger and returned to his previous living as an enforcer. Tasked with finding the drug-addicted ex-wife of an Irish airline magnate who has gone into hiding with their two children, Killian soon realises that her disappearance is about a lot more than denying access. His conscience awakened, he takes her to hide among the Travellers. This is another winner, with pathos, insight, sardonic humour and lyrical descriptions that counterpoint the red-hot action sequences to superb effect.
