As Well Read I Well May Be

It being Paddy’s Day tomorrow, or St Patrick’s Day, or – as it was in Georgia, when I was there for the Irish knees-up a few years ago – Patty’s Day, here’s a few choice Irish novels to watch out for in 2009. To wit:

MYSTERY MAN, Bateman;*
TOWER, Ken Bruen / Reed Farrel Coleman;
THE LOVERS, John Connolly;
WINTERLAND, Alan Glynn;
ALL THE DEAD VOICES, Declan Hughes;
DARK TIMES IN THE CITY, Gene Kerrigan;*
BLEED A RIVER DEEP, Brian McGilloway;*
FIFTY GRAND, Adrian McKinty;*
THE TWELVE, Stuart Neville;

  Apologies, by the way, if the list seems very male, but there’s nary a whisper of a novel forthcoming from the doyennes of Irish crime fic, Alex Barclay, Tana French, Julie Parsons – although we’re assured that there’ll be another Arlene Hunt on a shelf near you by October. Huzzah!
  I’ve already reviewed those asterisked; for more, clickety-click here … and happy Paddy’s Day, people, and particularly to those exiles who can’t be home for the debauchery. I trust you’ll all do us (hic) proud ...