Sanctuary

I love Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor mysteries. They are lean, brutal howls of anguish and rage that sometimes read like poetry and at other times read like outlines. I normally do not care to read books about main characters who are alcoholics or drug addicts, but Jack Taylor is the exception. He rages against man's inhumanity to man. He is a wounded, soul-sick wreck of a man who came to be that way simply because he cares too much. I may not like Jack Taylor, but I do care about him.

Bruen's Jack Taylor books are written in a sparse style that is filled with irony, sarcasm, and insights into modern Ireland. That these books are also filled with humor is something that may well pass many readers by if they do not pay attention.

These books are show more dark and often brutal, and they aren't for everyone, but Ken Bruen is one of the very few writers who's ended a book with a scene that made me cry out in shock and horror and made me burst into tears. Very powerful stuff-- even the memory of that scene still ties me in knots.

In Sanctuary, Jack Taylor learns something about what occurred in that scene that ripped such an emotional response from me, and he falls off the wagon of sobriety. After two lost weeks, he's down to ten drinks and one Xanax per day-- and he's finally ready to put an end to the killer who's still taunting him.

The only thing in this book that didn't satisfy was the showdown between Jack and the killer. It seemed a bit perfunctory. But the book does end with questions that lead on to the next books in the series. I will read them all. Slowly. Because they're marvelous. And because I can't stay on Bruen's emotional roller coaster for extended periods of time. Jack Taylor is about as noir as they come, and although I may not like him, I do love him. show less

Warning! This is the kind of book you can read in one sitting. It is less than 200 pages with a very fast paced, tight plot. That isn't a bad thing. It only means you can reread it a second or third time. You may need to.
The first time I met Jack Taylor I wasn't sure I liked him. Like his creator, he carries a massive amount of surly anger inside him. Everything Jack Taylor mutters is dripping with sarcasm. Because I met him mid series (Sanctuary is the seventh book), I was hoping Bruen would bring me up to speed on exactly what makes Taylor tick. I wasn't too disappointed. He is ex-police, booted from the force for his excessive drinking; walks with a pronounced limp and wears a hearing aid. He has stayed "friends" with a former show more partner, Ridge, and often discusses unsolved crimes with her. In this case, Taylor has received a check list of future murders: two guards, a nun, a judge, and a child. Ridge, recovering from breast cancer surgery doesn't think much of the list, but when a guard, a nun, and a judge all die, it is hard for Taylor to ignore the list.
Taylor also has a priest for a nemesis. Who gets on the wrong side of the church in Ireland? Apparently Jack Taylor.
Here's another detail to Sanctuary that I loved: Bruen's inclusion of music. I could have compiled a "Sanctuary Playlist" from the music he mentions. To name a few: Snow Patrol, Philip Fogerty, Rolling Stones, and Johnny Duhan. show less

I don't think there is anyone who writes dialogue better than Ken Bruen. His character, Jack Taylor, is flawed but Bruen makes him so endearing you can't wait to see what comes out of his mouth, or his thoughts, next. Jack receives a letter in the mail listing the people that will be murdered. He dismisses it as a crank letter but then the people start dying. In the previous book Jack was headed to America, but a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer so he stuck around for support. With the Jack Taylor series, the author focuses more on Jack's life in Galway, Ireland, writing it like a diary, with whatever case Jack is working on set in the background like an afterthought. This may aggravate some people but when it's a character show more driven series such as this and a writer like Bruen, I can forgive him anything. show less

Number 7 in the Jack Taylor series, and more noir than any so far. Jack Taylor has become somewhat of a cult figure in the mystery world. Ken Bruen has crafted a great character in Mr. Taylor. Jack is always there to defend the little guy. He will go to extreme lengths to write a wrong at great detriment to his own physical and mental health. The books are short, succinct and powerful. In this one Jack finds out that he is the real target of a particularly deranged killer. After three or four deaths and the kidnapping of a young child, he is on a mission to find this particular psychopath. With the help of his two friends, he finally puts an end to the madness. After a long hiatus with this series, I’m glad to have rediscovered it. show more Now that I’ve picked it up again, I can’t seem to put these books down. I know that as soon as I finish one book, I’m ordering the next one. show less

Vivid dialogue, interesting picture of contemporary Ireland. Weirdly slipshod book, though. At 200 pages, with large print and big margins, it's unnecessarily repetitive (how many times do we need to go over Taylor's physical description--he limps, wears a hearing aid, blah, blah), establishes facts from previous novels in a clunky, obvious way, and has odd inconsistencies, as if the author couldn't be bothered to reread/rewrite even this slim volume. Taylor's one of those alcoholic, drug-addicted (on, then off the wagon here) self-loathing gutter romantic types, and pretty thoroughly unpleasant. (Oh, the plot involves a looney nun serial killer who knew Taylor when.)

His bags are packed and he's ready to go when Jack receives a phone call from Ridge asking for his help. She's just had the results back from some tests and her worst fears are confirmed a lump she found in her breast is malignant. Jack agrees to stick around to help her through the treatment. He's also been sent a list and at first Jack ignores the contents even when item 1, a priest, ends up dead after a hit and run accident Jack brushes this off as coincidence and no real concern of his. Only when item 2, a judge, also ends up dead does he raise his concerns with Superintendent Clancy who also dismisses the list outright so Jack decides to take matters into his own hands once again and attempts to discover who's responsible and why show more they involved him in their actions. Case #2 involves a threat to the daughter of one of Galway's high fliers and as Ridge needs something to do to prevent a descent into despondency, Jack passes this one on to her with unexpected consequences.

Probably the weakest book in the series but still a pretty good read. show less

I've enjoyed some of the previous books above average, and they've had a lot of overlap between them from the get go, but somehow this one felt not just formula-reliant but like the author had just thrown the previous books into a blender and poured this out.

Plus the twist to this one, about the child from earlier, seemed like a really big stretch! We had been in his head when he'd been lost in thought at the time, so someone coming along years later and saying 'you were likely actually asleep and just didn't notice falling asleep or being awoken!' seems cheap. Plus he believes it instantly even though it was sort of a vague confession (some woman said) heard like triple hand. (And why would she confess that to anyone really if she's show more been clinging so desperately to blaming someone else all this time?). (Her husband, who apparently still loves her, is very quick to believe it as well based on the same rumor). Also it's one thing to let someone else take the fall, but aren't we to believe she was the one who shot at Jack and accidentally or purposely killed his supposed surrogate son?? Jack had been her good friend, it's strange to set him up as at fault for her child's death (that she was apparently did herself, purposely, to begin with), but it's entirely batshit to "avenge" that death by killing some innocent party just to further punish the person you wrongly set up in the first place! And all of that is aside from it being psycho to kill your toddler child (out of love apparently) just because they'll grow up with a disadvantage! And the husband, who couldn't make the marriage work when he believed his child had died by accident is suddenly cool with the woman who purposely murdered their child and set up their best friend to take the fall? Wtf?? Plus it's a stretch that she could pull it off even if she were so inclined- set him up to babysit for an hour, double back immediately, find him conveniently asleep in the middle of the day, entirely silently push her toddler out the window, but then get away before the first pedestrian below screamed to wake him? *side eye* I didn't love how things played out originally, but suddenly rewriting events years later seems absolutely bogus. show less