A Galway Epiphany is the 16th book in the popular Irish PI-noir series by Ken Bruen. Released 3rd Nov 2020 by Mysterious Press, it's 256 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a well established series by a well established author picked up for film production to a wider public. In many (most) instances, this would cause the entire production team from author to writers and producers to play a safe bet and appeal to a wider audience (thus often gutting the appeal to the base audience). This is, very happily, not what has happened here. Former cop, turned irreverent cynical PI, Jack Taylor is his irascible unapologetic damaged self. A near death accident soon has him drawn back into his tenacious bulldog ways after he regains consciousness from his coma.
This is a sharply written book in a clever and very well written crime series. It's redolent with barely constrained violence. It often positively vibrates with menace. One drawback should be mentioned. I was dismayed to see this version (?) heavily edited for North American audiences with American vernacular (cigarette, apartment, truck). It's quite jarring and a mistake I think. I missed the Irish ambience and found it distracting. After checking my other editions, I see that they have similarly Americanized vernacular. I found it distracting.
I enjoyed this read very much and found that it works moderately well as a standalone. I recommend the entire series - the author is sublimely talented at his craft. I'm not entirely sure if there is a UK edition (the publishing info is unclear), but if there is, I would seek it out.
Four stars. A gut punch of a read with a diabolically shocking denouement and sublimely well written characters. Rough and tension filled.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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