after reading several lists of favorite books, i couldn't help but think about my own list even though i tried to stop my thoughts from going that direction. i finally settled on picking ONE BOOK that really stuck with me. that book is Adrian McKinty's HIDDEN RIVER. what i find odd is that i haven't seen his name on anybody's list, and i've never seen mention of him or his books. maybe i'm looking in the wrong places. i googled him and couldn't even find a decent book image to swipe.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Irish author McKinty follows up 2003's acclaimed Dead I May Well Be with an outstanding and complex crime novel that should appeal to fans of hard-boiled Celtic scribes such as Ken Bruen and Ian Rankin. Alexander Lawson, a down-and-out ex-cop with a heroin habit, had been a rising homicide detective in Belfast's Royal Ulster Constabulary when he was abruptly transferred to the drug squad. He soon gets caught stealing heroin from an evidence locker and resigns in disgrace. A Scotland Yard cop named Douglas, convinced that the story doesn't fit, vows to discover the truth. Then, in Denver, an old girlfriend of Lawson's, Victoria Patawasti, winds up dead. After the slain girl's father receives an anonymous tip that the police have arrested the wrong man, he persuades Lawson to investigate. In the States, Lawson's first stop is the nonprofit environmental agency where Victoria worked. He finds that she discovered major discrepancies in the agency's banking accounts, and suspects that got her killed. Lawson goes undercover, taking a fund-raising job at CAW (Campaign for the American Wilderness), where he gets an inside look at slick owner Charles Mulholland and an even closer look at his wife, Amber, a beautiful young seductress. As the action intensifies, Lawson comes up against a deeper, hidden case. This is not only an expertly crafted suspense novel but also a revealing study of addiction.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
15 comments:
I haven't even heard of this book before. I'll have to check it out.
I'm with you, though. Making shortlists is awful. Plus you're doing it now, so it's hard for something you read in April to still hit you the same way.
I often wonder why I love a certain piece of fiction and why the whole world doesn't agree with me when they should. The books sounds cool! =D
I have been a big fans of his from the start. I believe he is teaching high school English in Denver at the moment....
Aldo
I've never heard of McKinty, but this book sounds awesome. Heroin, killer non-profit enviro group, and dead ex-girlfriends? What's not to love?!
*scribbles down title for already-ginormous must read list*
sandra, when i saw the PW comparison to ken bruen and ian rankin i thought of you.
kelly, in this case i have to wonder if it's total lack of hype. i've also had an awful time remembering the title and the author's name! maybe that's just me. plus the cover is horrible. he had 3 hugely important things against him from the start.
aldo, thanks for stopping by! good to hear you've been a fan from the beginning. i figured there had to be pockets of people who were reading him. looks like his next book is a young adult.
angie, i first heard of him when this book was entered in the ITW contest. even among judges opinions were all over the place. some thought (understandably)it wasn't a thriller, one person simply disliked irish and scottish literary prose. it did make most long lists. i think i can say that now. another book at the complete other end of the spectrum that stilll sticks in my mind from the ITW awards was Lee Goldberg's Man With the Iron-On Badge. Five Star release. I loved that book. light and funny. but not a thriller. think elliot gould and the long goodbye.
Anne, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could discover the pixie dust that makes an author stick in the minds of the public? Yeah, a good name and book cover probably a vital start.
I think I'll change my name to: Yyerr Ghunnabyitte
Last time I got an author from you, Anne, it was Stuart MacBride. Wonderful. So I'll give Adrian McKinty a look and see if my library has him. Sounds like an intriguing storyline. Thanks! Will also look for Lee Goldberg. As you know, my tendency is to go for the light and fun reads rather than the dark angsty ones (but McBride was no romp in the park so I guess I can handle grim stuff if it's well-written).
jason, i think somebody should work on that. the pixie dust, that is.
i love your subliminal message. lol!
anne, if you find a copy of Hidden River, let me know what you think.
you might already know this, but lee goldberg writes for Monk -- which i think is a good example of his humor. he also writes the monk and diagnosis murder books.
Anne,
I thought of me too. ;)
S
Thanks for the mention - I really appreciate it. I'm still alive and teaching in Boulder at the moment. The next book I've got coming out is The Bloomsday Dead which appears in March with Scribner; I've got pretty good notices so far on Amazon.com, but you're all absolutely right, I dont get much play outside of Colorado unfortunately. Anyway thanks again for the kind words...Adrian...
adrian,
oh jesus christ! i just reread my post and comments and i'm so embarrassed! that'll teach me. jesus! here i said i loved your book, but then followed up with some things writers never want to hear. i have such a big mouth! well, i did LOVE Hidden River and i've told a lot of people about it. I'll definitely look for your march release.
anne -- off to kick her own ass
Well, I for one appreciate you bringing Adrian to my attention. If he doesn't get much play outside of Colorado, that's simply a fact. Post like this are part of the solution.
jason, thanks. i could have worded it better though. :D
i made a conscious effort to quit bitching about my own situation -- which i have to admit has made my blog a lot less fun. but i'm still getting in my bitching and whining. it just comes naturally to me. i've got to stop!!!
I just picked this one up based on your opinion Anne. I'm loving it. I want to cry thru his pain. The writing is very visual and gut wrenching...riveting. So thank you for your review of McKinty's Hidden River. Would love to hear more of you favourites. Does Adrian have a website?
MargaretS
margaret, thank you SO MUCH for your comment. isn't HIDDEN RIVER a fantastic book??? i'm so glad you're enjoying it. I'll be thinking of other possible titles.
i was never able to find a website for him. maybe we should start a fan myspace under his name. just kidding! all of his books are listed on amazon though. i'm really looking forward to the new one coming out in march.
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