The Guards by Ken Bruen – Galway blues
The Guards by Ken Bruen (2001) French title : Delirium Tremens. Translated by Jean Esch
I have only one rule about blogging: write about all the books I read, even I abandon them before the end. Most of the time, I don’t have time to write my billet just after I finish a book. Usually I take notes while I read and I’m fine afterwards.
As far as The Guards by Ken Bruen is concerned, it’s even worse than not finishing the book. I read it from cover to cover, didn’t take any note and now only remember snippets of it.
It’s set in Galway, Ireland. Jack Taylor is a PI who has been thrown out of the Garda and he’s trying to make a living with private investigations. He’s drunk half of the day, thanks to coffee spiced up with brandy and Guinness. He spends his time in a pub, where he has set up his unofficial office.
A mother comes to him to investigate her daughter’s death as she’s sure she didn’t commit suicide. Taylor accepts the case, does a vague investigation and by chance discovers what happened. At least, that how it seemed to me.
End of the snippets.
I enjoyed Bruen’s Dispatching Baudelaire, which explains why I bought this one. This time, the permanently drunk PI didn’t do it for me. It’s the first book of the Jack Taylor series, well, I’ll leave him to better suited readers.
If anyone has read it, please leave a comment and so I can figure out what I missed.
Book Around the Corner 
LOL. Not for me I think – sounds most unmemorable!
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This series has a good reputation. It’s not for me but the writing is good anyway.
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I’m so impressed that you write about every book you read! I’d never manage it. I’ve seen the TV adaptation of these novels and quite enjoyed them, but I’ve never been tempted to read the books – I think I’d have less patience with Jack Taylor in a novel.
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It’s the one rule I stick to. If I split, it’s going to be the beginning of the end since I frequently have a backlog of billets.
I’m not overly fond of characters who drink too much. I’m afraid Jack Taylor didn’t seem very interesting to me but it’s only the first volume of the series. Maybe it gets better after that.
I didn’t know they made it into a TV series.
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It’s not a rule that would work for me. Audiobooks on their own would necessitate maybe four reviews a week. I read some books to review – because they’re new or because they fir my themes- and some for pleasure. Last night I found a ‘new’ Georgette Heyer online and read it all before I could turn the light off. No one, including me, will ever even know its name.
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I can’t concentrate on audio books, I don’t know how you do it. My mind wanders after a while.
I’ve never read Gerogette Heyer, I’m not sure she’s for me.
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