Publishers Weekly
This series starter from McKinty (Fifty Grand) introduces hard-boiled but likable Det. Sgt. Sean Duffy, a Catholic who remains brashly, winningly sardonic even under the pressure of 1981 Belfast's overwhelmingly Protestant police force. With the hunger strikes ongoing, Duffy tries to prove himself by finding an apparent serial killer targeting gay men, but is impeded by Northern Ireland's revolution-racked but socially conservative culture. As Duffy tries to decipher gnomic clues involving opera and mythology, he begins to suspect that the suicide of a hunger striker's wife links the apparently apolitical murders to the equally ruthless paramilitary and IRA factions. Though an anachronistic tone occasionally jars with the period atmosphere provided by carefully observed detail and cameos from the likes of Gerry Adams, the deft mix of noirish melancholy with express-train pacing and blockbuster-ready action enticingly sets the stage for Duffy's future adventures. (Nov.)
Shots Crime & Thriller Ezine
A journey into a terrifying and almost dreamlike labyrinth of violence and betrayal.”
Irish Independent (Dublin)
McKinty creates a marvelous sense of time and place.”
The Times (London)
If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.”
author of The House of Ashes Stuart Neville
A razor-sharp thriller…told with style, courage, and dark-as-night wit.”
The Guardian (London)
A crime novel, fast-paced, intricate, and genre to the core.”
Booklist (starred review)
Everything in this novel hits all the right notes, from its brilliant evocation of time and place to razor-sharp dialogue to detailed police procedures.”
Irish Times (Dublin)
A masterpiece of Troubles crime fiction.”
AudioFile
The audiobook exceeds all expectations because of narrator Gerard Doyle. His storytelling is understated, and his dialect work is remarkable…Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
AZ) Arizona Republic (Tucson
Duffy [is] the keen observer, the perfect protagonist. A righteous man who unwillingly takes his pursuit of justice into the realm of moral ambiguity.”
Wall Street Journal
A dark-humored shamus in the Philip Marlowe tradition.”
author of the Jack Taylor novels Ken Bruen
Riveting, brilliant, and just about the best book yet on Northern Ireland.”
From the Publisher
Winner of the 2013 Spinetingler Award for best crime novel!
“The best crime novel that I've read in a long time. . . . [McKinty is] a great writer.“
–NANCY PEARL, NPR
“A dark-humored shamus in the Phillip Marlowe tradition, [Sean Duffy] is . . . buoyed through the murderous chaos by his love of classical, punk, and new-wave music, the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and frothy pints of Guinness.”
–WALL STREET JOURNAL
“A razor-sharp thriller set against the backdrop of a country in chaos, told with style, courage, and dark-as-night wit. . . . An utterly brilliant novel with its own unique voice.”
–STUART NEVILLE, author of Ratlines
"Everything in this novel hits all the right notes, from its brilliant evocation of time and place to razor-sharp dialogue to detailed police procedures. McKinty. . . has another expertly crafted crime trilogy going here, and readers will want to see what he [does] in the next two."
–BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW
“McKinty kicks off a trilogy with this 1981 Belfast-set tale that provides a fascinating look at everyday life in Northern Ireland during “the Troubles.” The protagonist is clever and funny, the interaction of the police and various factions is eye-opening and the mystery is intriguing, with an unexpected twist at the end.”
–RT BOOK REVIEWS Four Stars (Compelling – Page-turner)
"If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written."
–TIMES OF LONDON
“The rage, dissent and blind self-interest of “the Troubles” are the perfect backdrop for this brutal noir masterpiece…. For all of its brutality, the book is subtle and nuanced…. Duffy [is] the keen observer, the perfect protagonist. A righteous man who unwillingly takes his pursuit of justice into the realm of moral ambiguity.”
–ARIZONA REPUBLIC
“McKinty belongs to a crew of much-praised Irish crime novelists that includes John Connolly, Declan Burke and Ken Bruen.”
–SACRAMENTO BEE
“[A] superb book. In addition to developing likable and complex characters, McKinty does an exceptional job of depicting Northern Ireland in 1981, interweaving real historical events...into the narrative…. McKinty's evocation of the time is perfect; although it is a dark and troubling place, I can't wait to return to the scene once again.”
–REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE
Library Journal - Audio
Abe the head of the IRA's internal security force. Gerard Doyle reads with an Irish accent that sounds impeccable, lending added authenticity to dialog and language. The Cold Cold Ground is reported to be the first book of a "Troubles" trilogy, so look for these great characters and this engrossing setting to continue through at least two more books. VERDICT Not to be missed. ["For fans of Stewart Neville's crime novels, a new and harrowing Irish trilogy is under way. At turns violent and labyrinthine, McKinty's fine police procedural is also the ultimate page-turner," read the review of the Seventh Street: Prometheus hc, LJ 11/1/12.—Ed.]—Kristen L. Smith, Loras Coll. Lib., Dubuque, IA
Library Journal
What better cover for a serial killer than the political hunger strikes, car bombs, and street riots of Northern Ireland's "troubles"? Det. Sean Duffy, a rarity as a Catholic cop, doesn't step back from digging deep into a case in which gay men are being killed and mutilated with symbolic messages (such as cut-off hands) and more obscure, artistic clues. But as Duffy learns more about the victims, he wonders if their deaths aren't politically motivated after all. Then, when a local missing woman turns up dead and is presumed to have killed herself, initially only Duffy senses that she was murdered and that her death connects with those of the gay men. By now, he has managed to alienate some powerful folks in the activist movement, and he might have to be silenced, too. VERDICT For fans of Stewart Neville's crime novels, a new and harrowing Irish trilogy is underway. At turns violent and labyrinthine, McKinty's (Dead I Well May Be) fine police procedural is also the ultimate page-turner. I cannot wait for Book Two!NEWLY TRANSLATED
APRIL 2012 - AudioFile
No question, THE COLD COLD GROUND is an exciting launch for what is sure to be an anticipated crime series. Great detective stories are built on three key elements—setting, story, and protagonist—and this one deploys each one magnificently. The setting—Northern Ireland in 1981, during the hunger strikes—is portrayed with frightening detail. The clever story evolves slowly as plot points are pinned to cultural biases that transcend “The Troubles”—for example, homosexuality and unwed motherhood. Police detective Sean Duffy wins us over chapter by chapter with his tenacity; his swaggering, witty dialogue; and his record collection—he spins The Velvet Underground when in need of a lift. The audiobook exceeds all expectations because of narrator Gerard Doyle. His storytelling is understated, and his dialect work is remarkable. This is the ninth collaboration between author and narrator, and this team totally rocks. R.W.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
