Ken Bruen is one of my favorite writers and with each title in the Jack Taylor series, he only cements that position. I'm particularly fond of the last few titles in the series, in which he introduces an ambiguous supernatural element to the fray. Sparse, yet poetic; lithe yet lyrical, The Ghosts of Galway is, like the books that preceded it, a prime example of an author at the top of his game.

I am a huge Bruen fan and have read everything he has written. This is his 13th Jack Taylor book and it as engaging as everything else in his oeuvre. You could read this as a stand-alone, but the series really does fit together in such a way as to make starting from the beginning more rewarding.

Bruen's books are dark and edgy and this one is more so than most.

I love so many things about this book, but do wish--as I always do with Mr. Bruen--that his books were a bit longer. I guess it is natural to want more of a great thing.

I will continue to read and buy Bruen's books as long as he continues to put them out. There is nobody who writes dialogue that is as sharp, witty, and abrasive. I love it and give The Ghosts of Galway an enthusiastic 2 thumbs up.

A mystery that is well written about a seedy private eye who once was a cop. The reader will root for Jack Taylor especially after what he went through. While Taylor is in pursuit of The Red Book his life takes more twists and turns.

Unfortunately, I haven't read the previous books and I didn't know that this book is a later book in a series I tried to see if I can pull back my request but apparently I can't so I have to read this book even though I haven't read the previous books. This is a major problem why I couldn't enjoy the book. Jumping into a middle of a story that I don't know the beginning wasn't something that I like, and I don't want to buy and don't have the time to read the twelve previous books. From a perspective of someone who's clearly unfit to review this book, I don't enjoy it. I found the writing problematic, which I know that many people like it but I don't. As for the characters, this book has a flat side character and an alright main character. The plot didn't intrigue me and more like confuse me sometimes since I read the thirteenth book. I think this book will get a higher rating from those who have read the previous books.

Despite the, let's face it, conventionality of a damaged former police officer (or more accurately, Garda) now working as a security guard and PI, Bruen is never ever conventional.  Notably, his language and his method of telling the story can sometimes go a bit sideways.  Be prepared to pay attention as you read because things aren't always straightforward.  This time around, Jack is hunting for a mysterious book which may relate to an Irish church of Scientology.  BUT, there's lot of other things going on as well. I haven't read all of the books in the series but I'm glad to have read this one (thanks to the publisher for the ARC.). It's got lots of topical references - many political ones- and it's a fast entertaining read.

This was a wonderful surprise , Bruen has written something original , exciting , challenging , funny , wise and experimental . 

The book looks at Ireland ,its soul , he pulls out all the stops uses interesting layout and pushes emotional buttons in a way that it doesnt seem forced or obvious .

I loved this

3.5 stars

  This is not my favorite book but it moves at a rapid rate and keeps your attention throughout. The staccato writing was difficult for me to adjust to but I did love all the literary allusions. “It’s not that the Irish are cynical. It’s simply that they have a wonderful lack of respect for everything and everybody.” – Brendan Behan. This certainly sums up Taylor.

  A disgraced former garda with an alcohol problem gets a security job. He is hired to find a book that could be the basis for an Irish Church of Scientology. I don't know why the Irish need their own. I would happily give them the American version. On the search, he runs into some truly despicable people including an old lover, Emerald, who is a really a piece of work. I never once understood his attraction for her.

  Taylor is not a likable character and I have no expectation that he will change one iota or become someone to root for. I certainly did not. He has so few people who care about him and I can understand why. I really don't want to spend time with him and I probably won't again. If you like fast paced action, this could be the book for you.

  Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Had a difficult time connecting with the characters. I may have enjoyed this more had I read previous entries in the series. Definitely a gritty dark mystery well-written for the genre.

The Ghosts of Galway marks Jack Taylor's return from the dead. The last book ended with a suicide attempt, which apparently was not successful. With each book Jack is a little worse for the wear, but with this new entry it seems he has been transported into a different decade. Instead of lists of books Jack has read, The Ghosts of Galway has a list of mountaineering movies he has watched. (Apparently Jack now likes to binge watch box sets). Trump is mentioned a few times but not Thatcher. Jack limits his cigarettes to five a day, and doesn't get in near as many fights.

As usual with the Jack Taylor books, it takes a while for the main plot to get going. This one involves a small group of wanna be anarchists terrorizing the town by leaving animal carcasses around. 

Long time fans of the series will be rewarded with appearances by a few of the regular characters, but sadly they all seem to be dying off and Emerald is taking a place in the regular cast.

Ken Bruen is one of my favorite authors and I have read all the Jack Taylor books. I must admit that this book was not my favorite - Jack drags the reader kicking and screaming into modern times. However, Bruen's writing is poetry as always, and I would buy a box of cereal to read the back if he wrote it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Ghosts of Galway is the thirteenth book in Bruen's series.  It is a gritty, misty tale that often slips into stream-of-consciousness and reminisces.  I was not particularly taken with this novel, but that may be the problem with starting a series after the first dozen books and not knowing the background of the characters.  I would also note that it is surprisingly different than the Max & Angela series written with Jason Starr and one should not read this expecting anything like that series.

Read a couple chapters, and just could not get into this one at all, unfortunately.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Ken Bruen, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

The Ghosts of Galway is the thirteenth novel in the Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen. Jack Taylor is recovering from a mistaken medical diagnosis and a failed suicide attempt. Jack works as night-shift security, but his Ukrainian boss has Jack in mind for off-the-books work. He asks Jack to find The Red Book, which is currently in the possession of a rogue priest who has fled the Vatican. Jack's pursuit of The Red Book leads to familiar faces and mysterious, lethal avenues. 

This series should definitely be read in order. It's a good, fast-paced thriller with enough twists and turns to leave you guessing until the very end.

It can be difficult coming into a book series that already has twelve volumes, but to it's credit The Ghosts of Galway works well as a standalone, though I am sure that regular readers who are familiar with the backstory might glean some things that I have missed. Despite being new to the characters my enjoyment of them and their story was not negatively impacted, thanks in a large part to the unobtrusive way in which the author slipped in background details to fill in any possible blanks. The characters are easily one of the best features of the book too, particularly Jack and the enigmatic Emily, and I could see myself reading more of the series, as they really are well drawn, and sufficiently dimensional to warrant more of my time. The plot, which rests on the twin pillars of an ancient religious text and a shadow group of activists known as the Ghosts of the title , moves along at a clipping pace. The writing style also helped to make the story flow, lyrical and almost poetic at times, harsh and almost antagonistic at others.
Unfortunately the book did have some flaws. The first is that there are sudden jumps from place to place and from one perspective to another, and a little better delineation of these transitions would have made it much easier to follow the action. This may be resolved by the time the book is finally published, but in its current form it felt a little jumbled or chaotic. The second flaw is probably more noticeable to me that it might be to some other readers, I found the mangling of some of the Gaelic words and text used in the book disappointing, as they did add a nice touch of authenticity, and a small amount of research would have solved the issue. Similarly a little fact checking would have revealed an error involving the story of a Mayo team- the team in question played gaelic football not hurling. Small errors I know, but ones that could easily have been prevented with minimum effort, and again they may be before publication.
These minor niggles aside, I really enjoyed this atmospheric tale, and look forward to another encounter with Jack Taylor in the near future.

WHY hasnt America discovered Ken Bruen? Ive read all the Jack Taylor stories. He does not waste words on fluff. His Jack Taylor books are gems. Some dont like his references to literature, music, current events, and so forth. His characters are flawed and not politically correct! They are not users of unrealistic technology as some very big writers today depict. Maybe I like them because they are like real people. Taylor is a dinosaur but a lovable one. Read this book and all the rest. The Taylor stories have been adapted to a well done TV series on Netflix that is worth watching however read the books!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read a digital galley of this novel.

I did what most followers of a certain author will tell you not to do. I began reading Ken Bruen with book thirteen in this series featuring Jack Taylor. And I survived. Actually, not just survived but thrived. Yes, the writing is dark. Everything about this book is dark and at times difficult to read. Jack has gone through some very bad times with some of it his own fault but certainly not all of it. At the beginning of this story he has just learned that he is part of a huge scandal in the Irish medical system because of dire diagnosis errors. He's not in the best of health, but he's not about to die from any of his health issues. So it's back to the cigarettes and the booze but he has learned that moderation won't kill him so Jack Taylor tries to live like most people do. He gets a job as a security guard by fudging a little on his resume and spends time reading everything that catches his interest, taking care of his dog, going to his many favorite pubs and working his job. He's not on the job long before his employer asks to see him and takes him off the clock to do a private job for him. It all starts going pretty horribly wrong from there.

Since this was my first book by this author it took me just a little while before I became comfortable with his writing style; after that the pages of the book seemed to fly by. If you've not read a Jack Taylor book before it is completely true to the environment Jack lives in so there is profanity all over the place. Irish politics play a huge part in the atmosphere, but the political references aren't confined to Ireland. The characters who return from previous novels have deep development, but even a newbie such as I could catch on to the feelings and atmosphere very quickly. Many of the things that take place in this story surprised me because the author has the courage to let them happen. Where the story goes from here, I don't know, and I'm still absorbing what I read so it will take a little time to decide if I want to check out the next book. I have to admit, though, I am intrigued.

Gloriously irreverent ,hugely funny,splendidly violent if I could explain this I would but impossible. Suffice to say I found it wildly enjoyable and recommended!

#13 in the Taylor series and Jack has been put through a lot. Jack is still recovering from the last book but with some good news he takes a legit job as a security guard. that however soon turns into an opportunity to work a side project to retrieve a coveted religious artifact. this brings him into contact with most of his surviving supporting cast including Em and some "ghosts" from his distant past as well. this wouldn't be a Taylor novel without plenty of tragedy and that abounds again in this one. as a reader I am almost numb to the amount of personal hell Jack and his mates are put thru, but events strike very close to home in this one. a good story, lots of action , and great scenes with the supporting crew as only Bruen can tell them. thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early review copy.

After the last book in this series, readers were left wondering if ex-Gardaí Jack Taylor had finally met his match. Jack’s always been his own worst enemy & it looked like years of hard living had finally caught up with him. But very little in Jack’s life ever turns out as planned which is good news for us. He’s back, with dog Storm supervising his recovery.

In the wake of his reprieve, Jack decides to take a stab at “normal” & gets a job as a security guard. But it’s not long before he’s approached by a man offering a whack of cash for a simple job. He’s looking for “The Red Book”, a controversial 9th century text that blasts “The Book of Kells”. Until recently it was hidden at the Vatican. Then a young priest snatched it & ran & rumour has it he’s holed up in Galway. Jack has zero interest in dealing with any clergy but could really use a good payday. Unfortunately, it doesn’t  go as planned…again.

Then things get weird(er). Someone is leaving animal carcasses in Eyre Square along with cryptic messages. But this is Galway. If you’re aiming for public shock and/or outrage, you’ll have to get in line behind politicians & those responsible for the water tax. 

Jack’s life is further complicated by the return of Emerald, the young woman who first got his attention in “Green Hell”. Em’s always been unstable to say the least. But her tenuous grip on sanity has finally snapped & all her personalities are coming out to play. And some of them seem remarkably well informed about the book Jack is looking for.

As usual, the story is a combination of Jack’s activities & his thoughts on everything from the state of Irish politics to seeing Trump hug Sarah Palin on TV (“to see them embrace in Iowa was to see ignorance & prejudice entwined”.) Social commentary is delivered with his trademark black humour & profanity. But his recent brush with mortality has revealed a more reflective side & we catch glimpses of a lonely man taking a hard look at his life. Quotes from individuals & literature are randomly inserted throughout the book, adding to the author’s stream of consciousness style of prose.

The first half almost lulls you as several plot lines unfold & more characters take the field. Maybe that’s why a sudden act of violence at that point comes as such a shock. The story takes a much darker & deadly serious turn. You realize there’s a showdown coming & some of these characters will not survive. It’s a tough read at times but thinking back over the last couple of books, it feels inevitable & I should have seen it coming.

This is a book for true fans of the series & not one I would recommend as a starting point for a couple of reasons. First, Bruen has a distinctive style of prose that becomes looser & less linear as the series progresses. Second, there is a tremendous amount of back story that informs each book & makes for a richer reading experience if read in order.

The ending is poignant yet oddly cathartic & once again I’m wondering where Jack will turn up next. Just as an aside, two thumbs up to those responsible for the striking cover art.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While the story of Jack Taylor turned out to be a good story, the writing style turned me off to the point that I nearly stopped reading after the first couple of chapters.