Thursday, April 23, 2009

Top ten modern Irish crime novels

At the Guardian, novelist Brian McGilloway named his top ten modern Irish crime novels.

Number One on the list:
The Wrong Kind of Blood by Declan Hughes

Declan Hughes has crafted a superb series based on his PI, Ed Loy, winning the Shamus Award and being shortlisted for this year's Edgar in the US. The debut novel in the series, The Wrong Kind of Blood, has, among many other things, a corking first line and an unforgettable scene involving a shed, some gardening implements and a psychotic hoodlum called Podge that showcases Hughes's skill in handling dialogue.
Read about all ten titles on McGilloway's list.

The Page 69 Test: The Price of Blood (the 3d Ed Loy novel).

Related: see Declan Burke's top ten list of Irish crime fiction at The Rap Sheet.

--Marshal Zeringue