“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

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

On Killing The Competition

Northern Ireland writer Anthony Quinn had a piece titled ‘Irish Crime Writers Killing the Competition’ published in the Irish News last week, which referenced Eoin McNamee, John Connolly, Claire McGowan, Ken Bruen and Adrian McKinty, among many others. It kicked off like this:
“Irish crime fiction has risen to new heights this year with home-grown noir finally moving beyond cult status to a must-have for every discerning reader. Blame the brooding landscape, the overhang of religious guilt or the legacy of the Troubles, the imaginations of this new generation of crime writers are proving potently fertile when it comes to fictionalising violence and evil.”
  Anthony included some samples of his own recent reading as part of the piece, and was kind enough to include yours truly. To wit:
DECLAN BURKE: ‘Slaughter’s Hound’ - Serving up rampant corruption, scamming and relentlessly brutal action scenes, Burke proves that Irish crime writers can also kick ass in the blood and guts department. What sets the award-winning Sligo writer apart is his deadpan sardonic tone. If you enjoy your crime fiction hard-boiled, and haven’t read Burke, then you’re several tequila shots behind the party. Watch out for his next outing Crime Always Pays, due to be published by Severn Press in the UK in March, and in the US in July.
  For the article in its entirety, clickety-click here

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