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The Guards (Jack Taylor, Bk 1)
The Guards - Jack Taylor, Bk 1
Author: Ken Bruen
Still stinging from his unceremonious ouster from the Garda Síochána -- the Guards, Ireland’s police force -- and staring at the world through the smoky bottom of his beer mug, Jack Taylor is stuck in Galway with nothing to look forward to. In his sober moments Jack aspires to become Ireland’s best private investigator,...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780312303556
ISBN-10: 0312303556
Publication Date: 1/10/2003
Pages: 304
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 9

4 stars, based on 9 ratings
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Spuddie avatar reviewed The Guards (Jack Taylor, Bk 1) on + 412 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
The first of Bruen's Jack Taylor mysteries. Jack is a hopeless drunk, a former policeman (guard) who was fired for drunkenness. But the book is written poetically and with a certain dignity--Jack Taylor does not want your pity, he just tells it like it is while he deals with his personal demons alone. Interesting, unique writing style and nearly impossible to put down.
reviewed The Guards (Jack Taylor, Bk 1) on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I just finished reading Ken Bruen's The Guards and all I can say is
WOW! One of the fastest reads I've had in a long time and yet it
packed quite a punch!
Read All 12 Book Reviews of "The Guards Jack Taylor Bk 1"

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reviewed The Guards (Jack Taylor, Bk 1) on + 91 more book reviews
A great book, as one reviewer said, a combination of Leonard Elmore and James Joyce.
bellasgranny avatar reviewed The Guards (Jack Taylor, Bk 1) on + 468 more book reviews
I've been reading this series out of order based on availability. First in the Jack Taylor series, this was a terrific start to the series. Bruen's writing is spare, the story always races along and he always makes me laugh. Very highly recommend.
perryfran avatar reviewed The Guards (Jack Taylor, Bk 1) on + 1192 more book reviews
This one is like a throw back to the hard-case noir novels of the 40s and 50s but set in Galway, Ireland. The writing is very sparse consisting mostly of dialog making it a very fast read. It was a very dark novel about an ex-Irish Guardsman (policeman) who sort of works as a private investigator. Throughout the book he is fighting alcoholism and his past. He agrees to take the case of a mother who doesn't believe her daughter committed suicide; and along the way, alienates his client and jeopardizes the life of his best friend. The ending was also quite unexpected. I would recommend this one!
WhidbeyIslander avatar reviewed The Guards (Jack Taylor, Bk 1) on + 693 more book reviews
Since I usually read golden age mysteries, this was a bit different for me; but it was still an interesting read, although less a straight narrative than a peek into the psyche of a damaged drunk as he goes about trying to prove a young girl's drowning wasn't a suicide.


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