Black Irish

A Novel

By: Stephan Talty

Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this explosive debut thriller by the author of Empire of Blue Water, a brilliant homicide detective returns home, where she confronts a city’s dark demons and her own past while pursuing a brutal serial killer on a vengeful rampage.

“The captivating start of a brilliant thriller series.”—Tess Gerritsen

Absalom “Abbie” Kearney grew up an outsider in her own hometown. Even being the adopted daughter of a revered cop couldn’t keep Abbie’s troubled past from making her a misfit in the working-class Irish American enclave of South Buffalo. And now, despite a Harvard degree and a police detective’s badge, she still struggles to earn the respect and trust of those she’s sworn to protect. But all that may change, once the killing starts.

When Jimmy Ryan’s mangled corpse is found in a local church basement, this sadistic sacrilege sends a bone-deep chill through the winter-whipped city. It also seems to send a message—one that Abbie believes only the fiercely secretive citizens of the neighborhood known as “the County” understand. But in a town ruled by an old-world code of silence and secrecy, her search for answers is stonewalled at every turn, even by fellow cops. Only when Abbie finds a lead at the Gaelic Club, where war stories, gossip, and confidences flow as freely as the drink, do tongues begin to wag—with desperate warnings and dire threats. And when the killer’s mysterious calling card appears on her own doorstep, the hunt takes a shocking twist into her own family’s past. As the grisly murders and grim revelations multiply, Abbie wages a chilling battle of wits with a maniac who sees into her soul, and she swears to expose the County’s hidden history—one bloody body at a time.

With Black Irish, Stephen Talty stakes a place beside Jo Nesbø, John Sandford, and Tana French on the cutting edge of psychological crime thrillers.

©2013 Stephan Talty (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A memorable story of betrayal and vengeance.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Abbie Kearney is one of the most intriguing new suspense protagonists in memory, and Black Irish marks the captivating start of a brilliant thriller series.” (Tess Gerritsen, New York Times best-selling author of Last to Die)

Excellent First Mystery

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Certainly, to someone from Buffalo or someone with a love for cities. Talty captured the "feel" of the city but some of the plot, particularly the ending, felt a bit contrived. I hope that Talty will continue this as a series, I look forward to learning more about Buffalo and Abby.

The narration is great!

I really love the narration! Good storyline. Kept me interested and wanting to know what will happen next.

The Troubles are never over

Clever crime mystery. Well written. One of the best I’ve listened to this year. Don’t miss.

A book

This "review" was written purely to satisfy Audible's offensive and ridiculous decision to require a review to rate books.

Good, not great

The first 2/3 of the book are really good, but the end, the close of the story, is a bit contrived and unnatural.

Authentic and gripping

Love it - could not stop listening no matter where I was. The narrator was perfect for the story which is rare. Please bring Absolem Carney back again. Such a supremely heroic detective.

Good story well performed

Keep my interests and was not to long good twist and turns in the plot
Would read something of this author again

Mystery + history lesson = Great read!

Where does Black Irish rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is my first audible book so it ranks fairly high. But it was a good first selection and now I'm hooked!

What did you like best about this story?

The author left little clues all through the story so it feels like the reader is solving the mystery along with the main character Absalom. The characters were interesting and the back drop of the collapse of Buffalo and the rust belt made the story seem real and alive.

What about David H. Lawrence XVII’s performance did you like?

I liked that even though the main character was a women it never felt like David H. Lawrence was over reaching.

A look into Irish in the US during The Troubles

Would you consider the audio edition of Black Irish to be better than the print version?

I think having the book read to you lets you hear all the details that you may miss if you were reading quickly or have a hard time picking up on nuances.

What does David H. Lawrence XVII bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I would've prefered a female narrator as the main character is a woman. I think having the book read by a woman would've

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listent to my books on my hour commute into work 4 times a week. I found myself listening at night before bed while I finished chores around the house and began looking forward to my commute!

Great listen

I really enjoyed this one. Lots of turns & twists to keep you guessing.