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Review
'A razor-sharp thriller set against the backdrop of a country in chaos, told with style, courage and dark-as-night wit . . . Brilliant' --Stuart Neville
'Undoubtedly McKinty's finest novel, written with intelligence, insight and wit ... It does for NI what David Peace did for Yorkshire' --Brian McGilloway
'McKinty's prose is a master-class in vicious poise ... Be in no doubt that this novel is a masterpiece' --Declan Burke
'A fearless trip into 1980s NI - yet McKinty tells a very personal story of an ordinary cop trying to hunt down a serial killer' --John McFetridge
'This writer is a legend in the making and The Cold, Cold Ground is the latest proof of this' --Gerard Brennan
`The Cold Cold Ground is a crime novel, fast-paced, intricate and genre to the core.' --Guardian
'If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written' --The Times
'Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy could well become a cult figure...' --Irish Independent
'Adrian McKinty is fast gaining a reputation as the finest of the new generation of Irish crime writers' --Glasgow Herald
'A masterpiece of Troubles crime fiction' --Irish Times
'Undoubtedly McKinty's finest novel, written with intelligence, insight and wit ... It does for NI what David Peace did for Yorkshire' --Brian McGilloway
'McKinty's prose is a master-class in vicious poise ... Be in no doubt that this novel is a masterpiece' --Declan Burke
'A fearless trip into 1980s NI - yet McKinty tells a very personal story of an ordinary cop trying to hunt down a serial killer' --John McFetridge
'This writer is a legend in the making and The Cold, Cold Ground is the latest proof of this' --Gerard Brennan
`The Cold Cold Ground is a crime novel, fast-paced, intricate and genre to the core.' --Guardian
'If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written' --The Times
'Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy could well become a cult figure...' --Irish Independent
'Adrian McKinty is fast gaining a reputation as the finest of the new generation of Irish crime writers' --Glasgow Herald
'A masterpiece of Troubles crime fiction' --Irish Times
Review
"'Unquestionably talented' (Sunday Times) 'McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it promises' (Irish Times) 'A master of modern noir, up there with Dennis Lehane and James Ellroy' (Guardian)"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Only having read one Adrian McKinty novel "Fifty Grand" I didn't know what to expect with this one. This book is set in McKinty's home territory of Northern Ireland during the early 1980's, an era I knew almost nothing about. This book is also a police procedural about a police officer on the trail of a homophobic serial killer. There are many unusual aspects to the case but what stands out the electrifying atmosphere of Belfast in middle of chaos, the witty banter between the police officers and the character of Sean Duffy who is a sympathetic and funny central protagonist. As an ordinary Detective Sergeant in the northern Irish police, Duffy is not a superman: he is intelligent and observant but he's believeable. He's not Sherlock Holmes. He makes mistakes, takes wrong turns and is sometimes hotheaded. I've read a lot of books in this genre and I think this is one of the very best ones. The Cold Cold Ground is a great novel and you will not be able to put it down.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
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Adrian McKinty has certainly achieved a very likeable and original creation in Sean Duffy as that rare thing, a Catholic police officer in the RUC in the 1980's. And Northern Ireland at the time of the Maze Prison Hunger Strikes is a great setting for a crime novel - it gives so much more scope to break out of the often limiting confines of the genre.
The writing is good, and pacey enough to keep up interest throughout. And the unique dangers of Duffy's position are fleshed out very well. He is on the trail of a murderer who is seemingly unconnected to the `Troubles'; and is that rare thing for that time and place; a serial killer. And making this a serial killer of gay men at a time when homosexuality was still illegal on both sides of the Irish border gives a great canvass to play with and serious themes to explore. Add to that the unconnected suicide of the ex wife of one of the hunger strikers and Detective Sergeant Duffy is kept very busy.
I did have a couple of problems with the book through. There is an awful lot of signposting of the politics of the times, which feels a bit like an ABC of the modern history of Northern Ireland. I am not sure that McKinty really needs to spell out in such basic detail what the various factions such as the UVF and the UDA stand for, as he does at the start of the book. And the use of real figures to play such a prominent role in the unfolding drama, such as Gerry Adams, felt like a bit of a distraction from the action at times. I just kept wondering if they really would have done those things. And the end felt like a slight cop out, and although I am all for my crime novel heroes crossing the thin blue line in the cause of a good story, I didn't totally buy some of the things that Duffy ends up doing.
But having moaned a bit, I would be very interested to follow what DS Duffy gets up to next, as this is the first part of a trilogy about him from McKinty. It did keep me turning the proverbial pages right to the end, and I did have a lot of empathy with the hero and his situation, so I call that a very entertaining and intelligent start.
The writing is good, and pacey enough to keep up interest throughout. And the unique dangers of Duffy's position are fleshed out very well. He is on the trail of a murderer who is seemingly unconnected to the `Troubles'; and is that rare thing for that time and place; a serial killer. And making this a serial killer of gay men at a time when homosexuality was still illegal on both sides of the Irish border gives a great canvass to play with and serious themes to explore. Add to that the unconnected suicide of the ex wife of one of the hunger strikers and Detective Sergeant Duffy is kept very busy.
I did have a couple of problems with the book through. There is an awful lot of signposting of the politics of the times, which feels a bit like an ABC of the modern history of Northern Ireland. I am not sure that McKinty really needs to spell out in such basic detail what the various factions such as the UVF and the UDA stand for, as he does at the start of the book. And the use of real figures to play such a prominent role in the unfolding drama, such as Gerry Adams, felt like a bit of a distraction from the action at times. I just kept wondering if they really would have done those things. And the end felt like a slight cop out, and although I am all for my crime novel heroes crossing the thin blue line in the cause of a good story, I didn't totally buy some of the things that Duffy ends up doing.
But having moaned a bit, I would be very interested to follow what DS Duffy gets up to next, as this is the first part of a trilogy about him from McKinty. It did keep me turning the proverbial pages right to the end, and I did have a lot of empathy with the hero and his situation, so I call that a very entertaining and intelligent start.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Quick -- think of your favorite crime novels set during 1980s Ireland. If you're like me, you had trouble coming up with even a handful. For whatever reason, writers seem to shy away from this touchy period in Irish history. Adrian McKinty -- never one to duck touchy subjects (see FALLING GLASS) -- sets his latest right in the heart of the troubles and, in doing so, gives his readers a look into a time and a place rarely available outside the history books. And as is typically the case in McKinty's novels, the setting itself is one of the best characters in the book.
I won't bore you with a rehash of the plot -- you can get that above -- but the gist is that a Catholic cop in Protestand Northern Ireland is tasked with investigating both a possible serial killer targeting homosexuals and a possible suicide by a hunger-striker's ex-wife. As plots go, this one is unique and, as you'd expect, McKinty keeps the action moving. It's brutal and hardboiled, exciting and entertaining. Based on his other books, you'd expect no less.
That said, fast-moving plots are a dime a dozen. As are "police procedurals." If you're looking for your typical "whodunit" and "howdtheycatchem," this isn't it. Calling this book a "police procedural" is like calling Ken Bruen's books "mysteries" or James Crumley's books "PI novels." To pigeonhole this book, as with the books of those other authors, is to miss what sets this book apart -- namely, the fantastic writing and the characters involved. This is a book you'll feel drawn to -- you'll be thinking about it during your day at work, hope to cram down few chapters during lunch and look forward to getting home so you can dive back in. It's a book that stays with you, not simply because you want to find out who did what, but because you want to see what happens to the characters, how they react to what gets thrown at them, and how they end up in the end. For me, the "killer" in this novel was nearly an afterthought -- I just wanted to let McKinty take me along for the ride knowing that, wherever it ended up, getting there would be a blast. If you're looking for your standard police procedural / mystery in the vein of Michael Connelly, etc, you'll like this book just fine. If you're looking for something more than standard-fare, you'll love it.
There are a few writers out there these days who spoil readers with every new book -- Bruen, Allan Guthrie, Charlie Huston, Craig McDonald, and Don Winslow to name a few. These are the writers that continue to surprise readers with their creativity and skill, and in their ability to do something different than the hundreds of other authors lining the shelves. Once you've spent a few hours in one of their books, you know you don't want it to end, and after you've finished, you have trouble finding another that lives up to your newly raised expectations. McKinty is one of these increasingly rare writers doing something different, and something better, than most. This one is worth your time and money. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I won't bore you with a rehash of the plot -- you can get that above -- but the gist is that a Catholic cop in Protestand Northern Ireland is tasked with investigating both a possible serial killer targeting homosexuals and a possible suicide by a hunger-striker's ex-wife. As plots go, this one is unique and, as you'd expect, McKinty keeps the action moving. It's brutal and hardboiled, exciting and entertaining. Based on his other books, you'd expect no less.
That said, fast-moving plots are a dime a dozen. As are "police procedurals." If you're looking for your typical "whodunit" and "howdtheycatchem," this isn't it. Calling this book a "police procedural" is like calling Ken Bruen's books "mysteries" or James Crumley's books "PI novels." To pigeonhole this book, as with the books of those other authors, is to miss what sets this book apart -- namely, the fantastic writing and the characters involved. This is a book you'll feel drawn to -- you'll be thinking about it during your day at work, hope to cram down few chapters during lunch and look forward to getting home so you can dive back in. It's a book that stays with you, not simply because you want to find out who did what, but because you want to see what happens to the characters, how they react to what gets thrown at them, and how they end up in the end. For me, the "killer" in this novel was nearly an afterthought -- I just wanted to let McKinty take me along for the ride knowing that, wherever it ended up, getting there would be a blast. If you're looking for your standard police procedural / mystery in the vein of Michael Connelly, etc, you'll like this book just fine. If you're looking for something more than standard-fare, you'll love it.
There are a few writers out there these days who spoil readers with every new book -- Bruen, Allan Guthrie, Charlie Huston, Craig McDonald, and Don Winslow to name a few. These are the writers that continue to surprise readers with their creativity and skill, and in their ability to do something different than the hundreds of other authors lining the shelves. Once you've spent a few hours in one of their books, you know you don't want it to end, and after you've finished, you have trouble finding another that lives up to your newly raised expectations. McKinty is one of these increasingly rare writers doing something different, and something better, than most. This one is worth your time and money. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
carrick
I Live In Carrickfergus so found it very interesting when the writer writes about areas in carrick. Not the best crime writer around but still enjoyed the book
Published 6 days ago by robin
A great new character and totally believable.
A new voice and character in crime fiction is always welcome. Enough water has passed under the bridge now for events in Northern Ireland during the Troubles to be fresh for some... Read more
Published 7 days ago by A. I. McCulloch
A good read, but flawed
After Tartan Noir, here comes Celtic Noir? Emerald Noir? Guinness Noir? Whatever you want to call it, Irish crime fiction is on the ascendancy. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Beebarf
Possibly the best book I'll read this year
Loved this book.
Happy to be in reading a police procedural story set in recent times; most people feel they know the history of the troubles having never set foot in the six... Read more
Happy to be in reading a police procedural story set in recent times; most people feel they know the history of the troubles having never set foot in the six... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Richard Latham
Northern Ireland 1981 - a different world
The Cold Cold Ground
The story is set in Northern Ireland in the early 1980s, when Thatcher was in power, and hunger strikers were headline news around the world. Read more
The story is set in Northern Ireland in the early 1980s, when Thatcher was in power, and hunger strikers were headline news around the world. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Tim from Surrey
Cracking Start To The Trilogy
I was around 15 when this novel was set and shamefully have to admit to not having any interest in Ireland or the "troubles" at that time or since. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Coincidence Vs Fate
very good N.Irish police procedural
As an Irish police procedural, The Cold, Cold Ground is right up there with Brian McGilloway's Inspector Devlin and John Brady's Matt Minogue series. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Rob Kitchin
Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!
I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book with it being set in 1981 and focusing on the IRA.
I was wrong! Read more
I was wrong! Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. Douglas
The Cold Cold Ground
As someone brought in Northern Ireland I can vouch for the authenticity of the setting and general atmosphere. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. William Caulfield
A cartoon version of Northern Ireland
Unfortunately this novel is set in Northern Ireland in the early 1980s, a time and place I know well, so I can see immediately when the cracks appear. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Telboy
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