“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The West Is Awake, And Lethal

It’s hard to keep pace with all the Irish crime fiction titles being published lately, and these days I’m in dire danger of the blogging equivalent of being lapped. Nevertheless, we’ll huff and puff onwards, doing our best to bring you the very latest in crime offerings …
  There’s two for your delectation today, both courtesy of the West of Ireland. First up, Conan Kennedy, who has THE COLOUR OF HER EYES published by Mayo’s Morrigan Press, with the blurb elves wibbling thusly:
This is the story of Ruth Taylor. We meet her first as a troubled schoolgirl in a poor part of London. Her teacher there is John Dexter. They have a brief meeting, and do not meet again for five years. By then he is a married man with children, and she a single mother of a daughter. They have another brief connection, and do not meet again for another five years. THE COLOUR OF HER EYES tells the story of why, and what happens then, and who they really are. And tells the story of the investigation of a crime by Detective Inspector Harris.
  For more on Conan Kennedy, clickety-click here
  Meanwhile, Galway’s Doire Press publishes KILLER A LA CARTE by renowned chef and food writer Gerry Galvin. Unsurprisingly, the novel has a culinary flavour. To wit:
KILLER A LA CARTE is the story of James Livingstone Gall, London food critic and serial killer. Behind a façade of pedantry, and foodie one-upmanship James is a dangerous psychopath. The story traces James’ perversely romantic association with heiress Claudia Catalano, whose hotels’ tycoon father was having an affair with James’ mother Grace, at the time of his suspicious death. Claudia holds Grace responsible, desires revenge but is also attracted to James. Their headlong, murderous progression is at the heart of the narrative.
  So there you have it. Conan Kennedy and Gerry Galvin, two more names to add to the ever-lengthening roll-call of Irish crime writing. I may be wrong, but something tells me this pair are going to be a couple of mavericks …

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