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Ken Bruen’s writing is not for the faint of heart; it’s dark and spare and unforgiving. And yet this Shamus Award winner will capture a reader’s attention within the first few minutes of opening his latest work, CROSS, and not let go until the tale is told. While it’s a common literary conceit to say that the Irish have a way with the words, in this case, the assessment is dead-on. CROSS is a penetrating look at many subjects: religion, alcoholism, crime, revenge, and, yes, even love. Part of the Jack Taylor series, CROSS finds a grim if sober Jack Taylor an alien in his own hometown of Galway. He knows the streets, the people, and the history and yet this new Ireland is as unfamiliar to him as some alien landscape. Feeling the acute loss of all who were close to him – with the exception of Ridge, a former Garda (police) colleague – Taylor makes the decision to leave the country and his past behind. Before he can do that, however, Ridge pleads for his help in finding the killer of a young boy who’s been crucified. When the boy’s sister turns up burned alive in her car, the stakes are raised, and Taylor becomes more determined than ever to track down the killer and apply his own brand of justice if the Garda cannot. This is the grim face of a crime today, and Ken Bruen is just the person to deliver the news. The book can be difficult to read in parts. Readers will feel the punches delivered here, experience the character’s struggle to remain sober, reel as the murderer invades Taylor’s own private space. In short, readers will feel as if they are within the story, much to the credit of the hard, sharp writing delivered here with no apologies. Perhaps the greatest credit to Bruen’s writing is that he has created a main character so strong and interesting and yet so flawed. Taylor is a man who is blamed for things he cannot control and yet guilty of actions unknown to others – a compelling comment about those who must mete out justice in an unjust world and take on the tragedy of these events, like so much weight to be carried. CROSS is a fascinating look at one man’s struggle with his own inner demons and those of the criminals around him, who have thrust their own brand of evil upon the world. This is not necessarily an easy story to read, but it will surely be one of the best you can remember.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, February 2008
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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