This is the second in the Jack Taylor series and the books opens with Jack returning from London where he fled following the events of the first book in the series, The Guards. Jack is now battling not just alcoholism and depression, but also a drug addiction. We see how he is affected by the loss of several main characters, some due to his own actions, in the Guards.

In this book we see Jack trying to solve a number of new cases. The main one deals with the murder and mutilation of a number of tinkers, or travellers, in Galway. One of the tinkers, Sweeper, asks Jack to find out who is responsible so that justice (and revenge) can be done. Jack thinks “the case is straightforward. All I have to do is find out who and why”, but sadly nothing is straightforward for Jack. Jack does eventually manage to stumble his way to a conclusion to the case (rather than a solution) but at a terrible toll to himself and those around him. We learn about Jack’s experiences in London, and how he met Keegan, a corrupt and violent policeman. We learn that he has married a girl called Kiki, but again this relationship crumbles under the reality of Jack’s existence.

Again in this book we see Jack in all his failings and self-doubts: “Sometimes I feel like an old cemetery, laden with coffins”. Many of the same themes found in The Guards are also found in this book: the destructive character of Jack, the corruption running through Irish society and politics, the inability of Jack to accept the new Ireland and his alienation from it, his inability to hold down relationships and friendships, etc. Again both the good and bad side of Jack’s character and world are shown. As with The Guards the body count in this book builds as the story develops.

Ken Bruen's books are not to everyone's taste. They can be very gritty, laconic, sarcastic, tragic, and often quite violent, however there is also an incredible humanity and humour and intelligence in them. This is a thoroughly enjoyable (if enjoyable is the right word to describe Jack’s journey through life) and thought-provoking book. But do read The Guards first to get the most out of this book. ( )

Tinkers, also known as travellers, are a traditionally nomadic people. In Galway Ireland, someone is targeting and brutally murdering these "celtic gypsies". Enter Jack Taylor, freshly returned from an extended visit in London, bringing back a "leather coat and a coke habit". He is hired by a tinker to investigate these vicious killings, since the police despise the "clans" and refuse to get involved. This is crime fiction at it's finest. Jack Taylor, wrestling with drug addiction and alcoholism, is a wonderfully drawn character, who also has a deep passion for books. This is the second book in the series and here is a brief passage:
"In London, I tended to hang with the fallen. My aura of eroding decay was a beacon to those travellers of the road less survived. The drunks, dopers, cons, losers, dead angels. Come to me, all ye who are lost, and I'll give you identification." ( )

This was an interesting read. Bruen has some serious talent, producing a very tight, evocative murder mystery. He writes in a highly compressed, dialog-driven style that's the product of a good ear and hard writing. Bruen's protagonist is memorable, but not entirely for the right reasons. He's too self-consciously the apotheosis of the hard-boiled antihero, reading suicide poetry and drinking and coking himself to death. Oh, and breaking dames' hearts, too, of course. This over-the-top characterization detracts from the story; this one really should be called 'The Killing of Jack Taylor (With the Occasional Diversion into Solving the Mystery at Hand)'. Recommended, but I think I need to read more Bruen to really get a feel for what he's trying to do. ( )

"Killing of the Tinkers" starts with the return of Jack Taylor from London. If you've read The Guards (the first novel in the series), then you're aware that at the end of that book, Taylor had sworn off drinking and had gone to London for a change. Well, now he's back, and has fallen off the wagon. He is commissioned by the head of the clans (the tinkers), a guy named Sweeper, to find out who is killing off other tinkers, then mutilating the bodies.

As in the case of The Guards, the mystery is not the central focus here ... it is definitely the hard-drinking, now coke-snorting Jack. He is a very paradoxical individual; self-destructive yet erudite and extremely literate, even as he's knocking back shot after shot of Jameson to chase down his Guiness. Basically, he's a human train wreck waiting to happen, and I think Bruen's a master at getting into Taylor's soul and psyche. His characterizations of the other people that surround Jack are also realistic. In Taylor's novels there seem to be no tidy endings, so if that's what you want, then don't read this series. I'm fascinated with and can't get enough of the character of Jack Taylor, or of Bruen's writing. There were a couple of spots in this book that were laugh out loud funny, which seems incongruous given the dark and gloomy atmosphere of Jack Taylor's life.

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for something good in the way of Irish crime fiction, and to anyone who started with Bruen's The Guards and is wondering whether or not to continue the series.

Highly recommended. ( )