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The Cold Cold Ground: A Detective Sean Duffy Novel
Current price:
$11.99
This product is not returnable.
Publication Date: November 13th, 2012
Publisher:
Seventh Street Books
ISBN:
9781616147167
Pages:
320
McKinty drew on his own childhood in war-torn Northern Ireland to write this police procedural featuring Sean Duffy, a Roman Catholic cop stationed in a small Protestant police station outside Belfast in 1981, who is assigned to solve a gruesome murder that may be the work of a serial killer. McKinty evokes the everyday life of a community that is never too far from a bomb blast. The dry humor of the police station and the smart, complicated character of Duffy himself add extra layers of interest. A brilliant writer at the top of his already formidable game!
November 2012 Indie Next List
Description
WINNER OF THE SPINETINGLER AWARD! Spring 1981. Northern Ireland. Belfast on the verge of outright civil war. The Thatcher government has flooded the area with soldiers, but nightly there are riots, bombings, and sectarian attacks. In the midst of the chaos, Sean Duffy, a young, witty, Catholic detective in the almost entirely Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, is trying to track down a serial killer who is targeting gay men. As a Catholic policeman, Duffy is suspected by both sides and there are layers of complications. For one thing, homosexuality is illegal in Northern Ireland in 1981. Then he discovers that one of the victims was involved in the IRA, but was last seen discussing business with someone from the Protestant UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force). Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, this book is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles and a cop caught in the cross fire.
Praise for The Cold Cold Ground: A Detective Sean Duffy Novel
Winner of the 2013 Spinetingler Award for best crime novel!
“The best crime novel that I've read in a long time. . . . [McKinty is] a great writer.“
–NANCY PEARL, NPR
“A dark-humored shamus in the Phillip Marlowe tradition, [Sean Duffy] is . . . buoyed through the murderous chaos by his love of classical, punk, and new-wave music, the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and frothy pints of Guinness.”
–WALL STREET JOURNAL
“A razor-sharp thriller set against the backdrop of a country in chaos, told with style, courage, and dark-as-night wit. . . . An utterly brilliant novel with its own unique voice.”
–STUART NEVILLE, author of Ratlines
"Everything in this novel hits all the right notes, from its brilliant evocation of time and place to razor-sharp dialogue to detailed police procedures. McKinty. . . has another expertly crafted crime trilogy going here, and readers will want to see what he [does] in the next two."
–BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW
“McKinty kicks off a trilogy with this 1981 Belfast-set tale that provides a fascinating look at everyday life in Northern Ireland during “the Troubles.” The protagonist is clever and funny, the interaction of the police and various factions is eye-opening and the mystery is intriguing, with an unexpected twist at the end.”
–RT BOOK REVIEWS Four Stars (Compelling – Page-turner)
"If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written."
–TIMES OF LONDON
“The rage, dissent and blind self-interest of “the Troubles” are the perfect backdrop for this brutal noir masterpiece…. For all of its brutality, the book is subtle and nuanced…. Duffy [is] the keen observer, the perfect protagonist. A righteous man who unwillingly takes his pursuit of justice into the realm of moral ambiguity.”
–ARIZONA REPUBLIC
“McKinty belongs to a crew of much-praised Irish crime novelists that includes John Connolly, Declan Burke and Ken Bruen.”
–SACRAMENTO BEE
“[A] superb book. In addition to developing likable and complex characters, McKinty does an exceptional job of depicting Northern Ireland in 1981, interweaving real historical events...into the narrative…. McKinty's evocation of the time is perfect; although it is a dark and troubling place, I can't wait to return to the scene once again.”
–REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE
