Falling Glass

October 15, 2012
Rising through the criminal ranks of postcease fire Belfast, Killian earned a reputation as a persuader, an enforcer strong-arming with words rather than weapons. Killian's Pavee (Irish Traveller) heritage taught the power of story, and it's said that he can use it to compel a man to hand over a shotgun and sign over his home. With Northern Ireland's economic straits forcing Killian to emerge from retirement, he is hired to locate a junkie ex-wife, whose disappearance has deprived his client of fatherhood. Tipped to the true reason for her flight, the client knows that Killian can't be trusted to choose cash over principle, and he hires an assassin to track them all. Killian's perspective alternates with the assassin's, creating a double-sided cat-and-mouse game where a victory by either seems inconceivable. The mystical and marginalized Pavee subculture is molded brilliantly by McKinty into the perfect pivot for a novel exploring the concept of honor outside the law. A sure bet for Lee Child's crew, but there's also a scratchy whisper in McKinty's voice calling to George Pelecanos' fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)