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The Dead Yard - Adrian McKinty

I think I have gone on record here to say how much I love DEAD I MAY WELL BE. This is the book that introduced me to Adrian McKinty. DEAD I MAY WELL BE is a huge book. Very much an epic written in three parts; birth, death and resurrection. My pet theory about DEAD I MAY WELL BE was that our hero, Michael Forsythe, is well..... dead. The last half of the book is a fevered dream in the moments before the ferryman claims Michael. If you, any of you, have seen John Boorman's POINT BLANK I think you might know what I am talking about.

With the release of this book, THE DEAD YARD, and a third in the series called THE BLOOMSDAY DEAD on its way, my theory is holding less and less water. If the torch of young new talent is being passed from Dennis Lehane then it is sure being passed to Adrian McKinty.

DEAD I MAY WELL BE is the grand opera. THE DEAD YARD is the intimate chamber piece. DEAD I MAY WELL BE impresses quickly given the ground it covers. THE DEAD YARD is certainly less ambitious in terms of story, but no less significant it terms of packing a solid, bloody punch.

Our hero, Michael, is pressed into the service of British Intelligence lest he be sent back to his Mexican prison. The target is a small band of IRA fighters who refuse to submit to the recent cease fire agreement. Michael agrees to bring the group down if it means his freedom from the afore mentioned Mexican prison. Of course, it all goes to hell when he falls for a wee lass who is the daughter of his target.

Blood, literally drips from many of these pages. The end is violent, more violent than I have read in quite some time. Not for the squeamish, but this book sings an elegant blood song that is very hard to not replay in your mind again and again.

Stunner. BUY THIS AUTHOR NOW!

I am fascinated to see what he does with his young adult series.
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