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| image from Rich Pangburn |
The first in a trilogy, Adrian McKinty’s impressive The Cold Cold Ground (Serpent’s Tail £12.99/ebook £12.99) is set in Belfast in 1981, a time of hunger strikes, riots and sectarian killings. DS Sean Duffy, a university-educated Catholic cop living in a Protestant area, heads the investigation when a man’s body is found in a car, with a music score grotesquely hidden within the cadaver. Later deaths suggest a “Northern Ireland Ripper” could be at large, possibly homophobic, possibly with paramilitary connections. McKinty’s publisher compares this series to David Peace’s Red Riding novels, and there are similarities besides the period, such as the weaving in of figures who are either real (Gerry Adams) or in light disguise. Duffy’s constant wisecracking, however, lends this novel a black humour reminiscent of Jacobean drama, imbuing it with a very different atmosphere from Peace’s bleak Yorkshire noir.
The Sunday Times joins an impressive list of papers below (and many who dont have web reviews) who have loved TCCG. In fact the only sort of negative review (and it wasnt that negative) of the book I have found anywhere was in the Irish Sunday Times. I've gotten a shedload of great blog reviews too, the latest this week from Paul Brazill. The thing I love the most though is to get reviews from you! So far 17 customer reviews on Amazon.com, 38 on Amazon.co.uk, 55 on Audible.com and even one on Amazon.de. If you haven't got TCCG yet, check out what they say below and get the book (you wont be disappointed) and after that I would love it if you could leave me a review. Slainte.
The Irish Independent: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/review-fiction-the-cold-cold-ground-by-adrian-mckinty-2982300.html
The Times (London): http://adrianmckinty.blogspot.com/2012/01/times-weighs-in-on-cold-cold-ground.htm
The Glasgow Herald: http://www.heraldscotland.com/books-poetry/reviews/adrian-mckinty-the-cold-cold-ground-serpents-tail.16368721
The Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/in-belfasts-cauldron-20120203-1qx31.html
25 comments:
May I just say, thank goodness it's "the first in a trilogy". Thank you, Adrian, for sticking to your principals and writing books you believe in. I would rather read the back of cereal boxes than another James Patterson book.
I thought this was such a great book. I did my part in passing the word around ;-)
Keishon
Congrats. That was a great description and I highly agree.
Congratulations for the review and for your book!
Jean
Thank you. Yes, I've got to write the books I believe in otherwise I'm just a slave to publishers and their perceptions of what the market wants. I'd rather quit writing completely than write a book to order.
Keishon
Thank you!
Sean
And thanks for the review mate.
Speedskater
Thanks man.
I did my review on amazon.com.au .. I think. Not sure if that feeds into the amazon.com reviews. I noticed CCG, Falling Glass and Fifty Grand are now on sale at Readings in Acland St. Congrats! It's pretty grim if your local bookshop doesn't stock your books.
David
Thanks for the review. I saw it on Amazon.com I think. 4 stars...hmmm, what does a boy have to do?
I heard a good tip from Clive James. If you go in there and offer to sign the stock the bookshop cannot then send it back as unsold. They have to keep it on the shelves for as long as it takes to shift it. Unfortunately I don't have James's bottle otherwise its a great idea.
Rock'm sock'm. I do now wonder what it would take to get an American publisher's attention.
Yeah, don't mess around with bookstores.
In re Clive James' idea, I once had the related idea of slipping Detectives Beyond Borders business cards in the spines of crime novels at bookshops, all the while looking innocently away from the books. Worked fine until I inadvertently slipped a transit pass with almost a full month left on it into a book, then forgot which book I'd slipped it into. I have since become more careful about my marketing.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Four out of five on the grounds that nothing's perfect. But your comment is making me think Amazon doesn't do it out of five ...
If so, apologies! I loved the bloody book.
Just finished my Cuban holiday and read CCG there. Loved it .... perhaps your best ever.
Seana
I have no idea what I'd have to do. Change my name to John Banville I suppose.
Peter
That actually seems like a brilliant idea. I hope you havent been deterred.
David
I'm not complaining. A review is a review.
Stevie
If you could leave me a notice somewhere that would be awesome.
Determination is my middle name. Yes, I have persisted.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Stevie, you should definitely read Fifty Grand then, if you haven't already.
Adrian,
I left a review on Audible yesterday. Glowing (of course), but nowhere near as literate as many of the others. I guess my enthusiasm outweighs my ability.
I have, of course, read 50 Grand Seana. I visit the eastern end of the island(Holguin) and am happy to return there most years. It is a very different experience than the one Adrian encountered in Havana.
Half way through and loving it, especially the August 29 1997 line
Rob
You're the first and only one to have spotted that.
Great!
TCCG is the best book I've read in years. I stumbled upon your work at Denver Public Library. I don't buy books (sorry about that!), but I have to start because I've listened to all your work that DPL has (love Gerard Doyle). I'm sad to hear you don't live in Denver any more. I was hoping to see you at the Tattered Cover or something. Anyway, I love your books, and I thank you for being the most intelligent and articulate psychopathology of everyday life out there! JS4now
JS
Thanks for that. Someday I do hope to get back to Denver. I miss the place.
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