Review of "Galway's Edge: A Jack Taylor Mystery" by Ken Bruen

In this 18th book in the 'Jack Taylor' series, the sleuth takes on a variety of cases. The novel can be read as a standalone.

*****

Jack Taylor was an officer in the Garda Síochána (Irish Police) until he was dismissed from the force. Jack is now a private detective in Galway, known for his addiction to Jameson Irish Whiskey, his skills as a private investigator, and his ability to get things done.



Jack is also the appreciative owner of a Shih Tzu pup called Trip, bequeathed to Jack by a former nun.



The beginning of Galway's Edge made me think of the 1983 movie 'Star Chamber'. In the film, a secret society of Los Angeles judges administer punishment to criminals who escape courtroom justice.



In Galway's Edge, a group of Galway citizens, who call themselves 'Edge', administer justice to perps who evade the law. For instance, a child molester who couldn't be convicted was burned up in his car.



Though Edge tries to fly under the radar, the Vatican learns a Catholic priest called Kevin Whelan belongs to the group.



This could cause a scandal for the church, and Jack is hired to persuade Father Whelan to leave Edge. Jack speaks to the priest, and the next day Whelan is found dead, hanging from a rope in his backyard.

The homicide leads Jack to look into Edge, whose membership is a closely kept secret. Jack "knows people" though, and he manages to get a list of Edge participants. These are:

1. Lukas Ortiz - literary agent
2. Philomena Dunphy - real estate mogul
3. P.J. Duggan - billionaire
4. Martin de Breen - best-selling author
5. Kevin Whelan - Catholic priest (now deceased)



After Father Whelan is killed, other Edge members are murdered one by one, and it seems someone has a grudge against the group. Jack comes to suspect the vindictive person is a British millionaire named George Benson, who tried to join Edge but was rejected. When Jack goes to Benson's office for a chat he's promptly thrown out, and more trouble follows.



In the meanwhile, Jack gets other cases.

Jack's acquaintance, Mother Superior Therese, asks Jack to retrieve a gold cross encrusted with jewels that was stolen from the convent.





A battered woman - who can't go to the police because her husband is a garde - asks Jack to intervene with her spouse.



A man who's dying from cancer hires Jack to kill him, so he can avoid a lingering painful death.



As usual in Jack Taylor novels, the book is filled with violence: shootings, stabbings, beatings with a hurling stick, amputations, being thrown off roofs, and more - and Jack finds himself on the wrong end sometimes. Nevertheless, Jack always gets some modicum of justice, which makes the books satisfying.



Jack is a very entertaining character, with his constant yen for a shot (or two or three) of Jameson; his clothing purchases in thrift stores for EVERY occasion; and his trouble with women. In one amusing scene Jack's three female acquaintances end up in his apartment at the same time, which doesn't go too well.



At heart, Jack is a good guy who'll give 20 pounds to a homeless man, and help almost anyone who needs assistance.



As a dog lover, I also appreciate that Jack bathes Trip, takes him to the dog park, and has canine treats on hand.



This is an engaging thriller, recommended to readers who enjoy the genre, especially Jack Taylor fans. (Sadly, author Ken Bruen died in March 2025, so we might not see more of Jack Taylor.)

Thanks to Netgalley, Ken Bruen, and Mysterious Press for a copy of the book.

 Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "An Island of Suspects: A Brittany Mystery" by Jean-Luc Bannalec

In this 10th book in the 'Brittany Mystery' series, Commissaire Dupin investigates the murder of a wealthy sheep farmer from Belle-Île, an island off the coast of Brittany, France. The book works fine as a standalone.

Brittany is in northwest France


Belle-Île is off the coast of Brittany

*****

Commissaire Georges Dupin, who started his police career in Paris, has been a Breton detective (detective in Brittany) for ten years.



Dupin loves his home on coastal Brittany, and revels in the blue and green sea, where he swims each morning with the gray seal who's befriended him.





One morning the Breton sea contains more than marine creatures. The body of Patric Provost, a native of Belle-Île, is found in the harbor at Doëlan, where Patric was visiting his uncle.



Commissaire Dupin and his team are quickly dispatched to Belle-Île, a gorgeous little island with a riot of colors everywhere the eye can see.





Dupin's squad learns that Provost was a VERY wealthy sheep farmer/landowner/landlord on Belle-Île, and that everyone who knew Patric disliked him.



The residents of the island describe Patric as a skinflint who relished in thwarting people's hopes and dreams. For example, Provost refused to repair his run-down, leaky rental properties; prevented his tenants from expanding their businesses; wouldn't allow other sheep farmers to acquire new breeds, etc.

Now that Provost is dead, there are new opportunities for many people on Belle-Île. Moreover, Provost's last will and testament leaves his entire fortune, millions of Euros, to the island's wind energy project. This scheme is is meant to make Belle-Île self-sufficient with green energy. The wind turbine enterprise, led by the mayor, can now go ahead full steam!!



Since Patric's murder benefits almost everyone on Belle-Île, there are a plethora of suspects. Dupin and his detectives get busy interviewing people, checking their alibis, looking into their finances, and so on, in hopes of identifying the killer.





The mystery at the heart of the novel is intriguing, but it's almost secondary to descriptions of beautiful Belle-Île, and anecdotes about the region and its history. As it happens, a member of Dupin's team, Inspector Riwal, has relatives on Belle-Île, and Riwal is a font of knowledge about the island.



As the investigators go about their business, Riwal is frequently reminded of appropriate stories to relate. For instance, Riwal observes:

"The island is seventeen and half kilometers long, and nine kilometers at its widest point....Belle-Île is much more than an island. It's a realm. Even though it's merely 'a few hectares of land in the ocean' as we islanders say, it's an entire continent in its own right."

"The original Acadians who came to Belle-Île in the late 1700s were inspired by ancient mythical Arcadia, and its utopia of a golden era, the idea of a peaceful, carefree pastoral life in harmony with the island's idyllic nature and beauty."


Mythic Arcadia

"No other island has attracted so many artists: Monet, Rodin, Matisse, Sarah Bernhardt, Jacques Prévert. Gustave Flaubert. The island is surrounded by an aura of liberalism and artistic spirit, of immense freedom and creative anarchy."

And more.


One of Claude Monet's paintings of Belle-Île

There are also descriptions of Belle-Île's spectacular scenery, wandering sheep, tourist attractions, and historic artifacts - like the two menhirs (upright monoliths) called Jean and Jeanne, said to have been a man and a woman.


Menhirs: Jean and Jeanne

The myth goes as follows: Jean was the son of a holy bard and Jeanne was a poor shepherdess. They were in love, but forbidden to have a relationship. So the leader of the druids told witches to turn Jean and Jeanne into stones, far away from each other. Some people believe the monoliths are slowly moving closer together, and their meeting will bring about the end of times.

Author Jean-Luc Bannalec skillfully evokes the atmosphere of Belle-Île, including the scorching summer heat and the kaleidoscopic sights. To illustrate: "The island capital lay on a ria too, you could see the inlet making its way inland. The little town - narrow streets, beautiful old houses in pastel tones: pink, light blue, light green, yellow....It looked like a film set. Cafés, bars, restaurants, shops, a leisurely to and fro without any hurry or haste."



All the major characters in the book are interesting and fun, especially Commissaire Dupin, a coffee addict who's constantly in search of his next great cup of java. Dupin's neverending quest is very entertaining....and he does find the perfect cup of coffee.





The mystery of Patric Provost's death, as well as auxiliary blackmailings and kidnappings, are solved in the end, and Dupin's team returns home to Brittany to celebrate the Commissaire's ten year anniversary as a Breton detective.

This is a charming little mystery, off the beaten track. Recommended for light reading.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jean-Luc Bannalec, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the book. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "The Silent Man: A John Wells Espionage Thriller" by Alex Berenson

In Alex Berenson's 'John Wells' novels, Wells is a CIA agent whose mission is to stop terrorists.



In this 3rd book in the series, Wells has had too much exposure in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, etc. to be 'undercover', and he's living outside Washington DC with his fiancée, fellow CIA agent Jennifer Exley.



Wells is on the 'enemies' list of many rogue countries, and his and Exley's residence is guarded 24/7.



Unfortunately, John and Jennifer are more vulnerable when they're out and about, and an attack when the duo are driving to work leaves Jennifer badly injured, facing a long hospitalization and painful rehab.





Wells learns the strike was ordered by Russian arms dealer Pierre Kowalski.....



.....and John sets out to track down and kill the Russian, probably in the most painful way possible.



Meanwhile, a catastrophic situation is brewing elsewhere. Middle Eastern terrorists have formed a cabal, and mean to destroy both the United States and Russia.



The fanatics manage to steal two nuclear bombs from a Russian armory (a feat that's described step-by-step in the book, in case you want to try it.)





The Middle Eastern zealots don't have the Russian nuclear codes, so they are going to extract the uranium from the purloined bombs and build their own device (this procedure is also described step-by-step).



The fanatics plan to bomb Washington DC during the State of the Union address, which will wipe out the entire U.S. government. If this doesn't work out, the bombers have alternate targets in mind.



To insure the biggest possible explosion, the terrorists need a good quantity of beryllium, which they hope to buy from Pierre Kowalski.



Thus we have all the players in place - John Wells, Pierre Kowalski, and the Middle Eastern zealots.

Of course this is the bare bones of the plot, which is intricate, suspenseful, and more or less realistic. (Terrorists should know detonating an enormous bomb would blow back on the Middle East, AT LEAST with the devastating fallout circling the world. The fanatics in this novel don't seem bothered about this, but it's fiction after all.)





All the major characters in the story - including the Americans, Russians, and Middle Easterners -are well-rounded, with motivations that make sense to themselves. The book is a page turner, and I was on tenterhooks to find out what would happen.

One thing is clear: it would be good to have John Wells around in an emergency.



Well-constructed story, recommended to fans of espionage thrillers.

Rating: 4 stars