Dead I Well May Be

By: Adrian McKinty

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

"I didn't want to go to America, I didn't want to work for Darkey White. I had my reasons. But I went."

So admits Michael Forsythe, an illegal immigrant escaping the troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland. But young Michael is strong and fearless and clever, just the fellow to be tapped by Darkey, a crime boss, to join a gang of Irish thugs struggling against the rising Dominican powers in Harlem and the Bronx. The time is pre-Giuliani New York, when crack rules the city, squatters live furtively in ruined buildings, and hundreds are murdered each month. Michael and his lads tumble through the streets, shaking down victims, drinking hard, and fighting for turf, block by bloody block.

Dodgy and observant, not to mention handy with a pistol, Michael is soon anointed by Darkey as his rising star. Meanwhile Michael has very inadvisably seduced Darkey's girl, Bridget, saucy, fickle, and irresistible. Michael worries that he's being followed, that his affair with Bridget will be revealed. He's right to be anxious; when Darkey discovers the affair, he plans a very hard fall for young Michael, a gambit devilish in its guile, murderous in its intent.

But Darkey fails to account for Michael's toughness and ingenuity or the possibility that he might wreak terrible vengeance upon those who would betray him.

A natural storyteller with a gift for dialogue, McKinty introduces to readers a stunning new noir voice, dark and stylish, mythic and violent, complete with an Irish lilt.

Don't miss these other noir thrillers in the Michael Forsythe series: The Dead Yard (Unabridged) and The Bloomsday Dead (Unabridged).

©2003 Adrian McKinty (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A profoundly satisfying book from a major new talent, and one of the best crime fiction debuts of the year." (Booklist)

What an amazing book

My God what a good book. Five stars isn't enough. McKinty is truly gifted as a writer - great dialog, the characters are fully developed and the plot twists seem fully believable once enough is revealed so that you see what's going on. There're a couple of scenes involving an imaginary world on a ceiling (I know this sounds weird but it isn't) that are handled so skillfully that I had to back up and listen to them again.

Two forewarnings: this isn't really a mystery story. Crime story doesn't actually seem descriptive either. I don't know how to categorize it but it is amazing. Secondly - once past the first three hours or so of the book, you won't want to go to work or do anything that will interfere with finishing the book. Up until then you're still picking up background information, trust me, it zooms along soon enough.

The guy doing the reading is really good as well, you can easily imagine that it's a story being told to you directly over a few pints over a long night in the pub.

Greater than the Sum ...

Whom do I praise first, the author or the reader? This is a first rate collaboration. Adrian McKinty provided a wonderful, literary tale of betrayal and revenge, more betrayal, more revenge and more again. Gerard Doyle took that tale, personalized the character of worldly-wise, 19-year-old Michael, and related the story as if it were his own. Thanks to his spot-on delivery, we feel Michael's joy and despair and everything in between. It's not edge-of-your seat suspense and there's not a lot of mystery. The description implies more action than there really is, but it's a doggone good story read extremely well. I hope there's more coming down the pike from these two.

Best I've heard in awhile!

I was expecting a serious gorefest and a middle of the road "The Godfather" wannabe book based on some of the other reviews. This is simply not accurate.

Yes, the book contained violence. But, no more so than many X-Files episodes that I've seen and certainly less than your average Sopranos episode. It's an adult book about the gritty Irish mob underworld, so be prepared. Of course there is violence, swearing, and, gasp, even some S-E-X!

That aside, it was an excellent listen. Suspenseful without keeping me up all night, colourful without being self-absorbed, and violent, but not outside the PM newscasts.

The narration was excellent with non-annoying accents, character differentiations, and breat timing and style.

The action moves fairly quickly in some areas and then is slow and thoughtful where it needs to be.

I whole heartedly recommend this for someone looking for a good all around listen.

...beautiful brutality

I selected this book because it was chosen by Audible readers as one of the most addictive series offered. So I expected a riveting read, and a character I'd want to know more about if I was to become addicted. I certainly got both with this one. The protagonist is a study in the unexpected, a brutal Irish thug with an education and a penchant for brooding sweet description that contrasts so utterly with his actions that this reader was taken aback. The protagonist is ruthless, remorseless, cruel, vengeful...yet not impossible to empathize with - and what happens to him is even more unexpected and shocking than the havoc he wreaks upon others. This is not a book where horrifying descriptions of savagery send the reader reeling--
so when I write "savage" and "brutal" I want to make that clear, this is not the kind of writer who aims for squeamishness and shock in terms of blood and gore flowing. This is an intelligent, brooding read, the narrator is exceptional and yes-- it passed the test of addictive read with this reader- I downloaded the next book as soon as I finished this one.

Getting the next two books

I listened to this book nearly two years ago and I still think about the story and how it made me feel. I decided to listen and enjoy it all over again - that is when I realized I had not written a review. A book you remember for two years is worthy of a review.

I really liked the twists and turns. I read this while painting a room in my house and remember gasping and painting and gasping and painting. (This book sure made painting a room enjoyable.) There is a lot of profanity but it really frames the character's personalities. I am getting the other two books! Excellent.

Best Audio book of the season!

What a great concept: take a basically nice guy and detail the slow transformation into a nice gangster. This is a wonderful book that will make you cringe at the violence, laugh out loud at the first person observations and stay riveted to a driving plot. Superbly read. A classic...the best bet of the year so far!

HALF OF NOTHING IS STILL NOTHING

EVERYTIME I GO ABROAD I END UP IN THE SLAMMER
It's 1992 and Mike our main character is 19 and living on the dole in Ireland. He gets caught working a job, while collecting the dole, so to avoid going to jail, he agrees to not collect the tax payers money. There is 30% unemployment in Northern Ireland, and he does not want to do physical labor so he goes to New York City to work for a small mob boss. He would rather shoot someone in the knee caps then do physical labor. He is screwing the mob bosses girlfriend, dreaming of the day she will leave the boss and come to him for good. I could only take 4 hours and 40 minutes of this. In that time no plot developed. The main character is not likable. I will say the dialogue in this is excellent. The author can write great dialogue. This reads like a bio.

I don't know how accurate the narrator is, I have worked with one man from Scotland, but his brogue was no where near as strong as this guy's. The lilt at the end of each sentence may be cute for the first hour, but really gets on your nerves after that. The good thing is, that I only paid $5.95 for this.

The $5.95 secret unannounced sale.
This had been in my wish list. When I put it there the member price was probably around $18.00, it was not $5.95. Audible takes books from time to time and lowers their member price to $5.95, so you have to check you wish list from time to time to see, if something in your wish list has been lowered.

Horribly depressing, disgusting, and lame too

In a continuous litany of horror after horror, our lad Mike tells the story of two years as a wretched hoodlum in the slums of 1984 New York City. He beats, stabs, robs, or shoots nearly everyone he meets, until halfway through the book he finally gets what he deserves. Just as I think gratefully that the book is over, I realize there is another half, where much to my dismay he begins an equally sickening comeback. It's depressing, and then unpleasant, and then makes you want to vomit (not kidding), and then bores you to tears, and finally ends with a lame, unbelievable, convenient, and almost sugary ending. Add to that a narrator who can only do Irish accents, and makes Dominicans, Serbo-Croats, and everyone else sound like Irishmen transplanted to Romania, and you get a book I want to give back for a refund. No, scratch that, I want the hours back that I wasted, hoping it would improve.

A Tough,Likeable But Deadly Irish Kid Gets Revenge

Michael Forsythe is rendered superbly by narrator Gerald Doyle as he navigates his way through a fling with the crime bosses girlfriend and the horrible repercussions to follow that ensnare him and his associates.

The "Irish" accent and expressions transport the reader into a fascinating underworld where the peelers (police) are absent through much of the mayhem. The main character makes several wry intelligent observations that belie his youth and upbringing adding some panache to the storytelling.

This first book has convinced me to continue following Michael's story in "The Dead Yard". ....... Hooked, I well may be.

Wow noir from Ireland!

Where does Dead I Well May Be rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It may be my favorite. It cannot be read in print because the Irish accent is so appealing, and the storyline is top flight.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dead I Well May Be?

Irish character's impressions of NYC.

Have you listened to any of Gerard Doyle’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Excellent Irish accent for me, I am no expert though.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Irish noir storms NYC underworld

Any additional comments?

It is the first book of a trilogy, and is the best one, although completing trilogy highly recommended. Caution on violence, it is not gratuitous but pretty harrowing.

Excellent narration but too convoluted to be believed

I did finish to the end but only by fast forwarding through a lot of sections. If I had paid by one of my credits I wouldn’t have persevered and returned it after the first hour or so of listening.

Narration however is excellent I gave it an average review.

Great story & evocative language

A good crime story from the first person perspective. As always the main character is not either good or bad, but more a real & complex person. I like the way each chapter starts with a stream of conscious description of where in the story we are. Won’t be too everyones liking but I enjoyed it.

Poetic

Absolutely loved this book had everything. And the narrator was brilliant. Well written genius

Loved it. Everythings great ! Highly recommended

I thought McKinty would never match the Duffy series but he does with this one. Its a different protagonist but a great yarn, well told, brilliantly read. Interesting geography which I always like - a time period of the 80's 90' which appeals to me as much as to the author it seems. He writes in both standard crime narrative (very well) with a dollop of original characterisation (especially naughty ones) and with a great helping of Irish poetry. A brilliant combo for my taste. I cannot overrecommend this one and the whole Duffy set.

Not his best book,I gave up.

I cannot review this correctly as I gave up in the third chapter.
I could not deal with the constant swearing.
Ive really enjoyed his other books.

Great twisting story, goes the long way round!

Fantastic narration and overall story however many details which create a great picture but are somewhat irrelevant making some parts of the book feel long but overall brilliant and I would recommend.

Too wordy Irish hooligan in Harlem revenge tale!

Having thoroughly enjoyed Falling Glass decided to give the Michael Forsythe / Dead series a go.
Writer Adrian McKinty is a wordsmith, his writing is descriptive, at times very poetic but here he runs away with himself to the point I heard but often didn't listen to the content with intent; plus the use of excessive base language, though it fitted the characters, didn't gel well with the literary words.
Found Dead I Well May Be, the first in the trilogy no thriller, just a rambling tale of gangland, prison violence. Told in the first person it has young hooligan Michael exchange the Troubles in his homeland, Ireland for the equally dangerous, dodgy streets of Harlem in 1992. Turned New York hoodlum, he fatally he fails for his boss' girl. The gangster extracts his revenge, even at the cost of sacrificing other loyal gang members. Time is spent in a sordid Mexican jail, before Michael alone escapes, looses a foot from gangrene, & returns to Harlem to extract his own violent revenge.

Gripping...

This isn't what I would usually listen to but I was absorbed from the start by the friendships and characters. The description and information easily let me 'be there'. Brilliant well written with intelligence and knowledge and beautifully narrated.

Awesome

Really enjoyed this book! Fantastic story and really liked the characters. Looking forward to the next book in trilogy.

Great Storyline

Really enjoyed this book although it was a little bit out of my comfort zone the main character being a gangster type but you end up worrying about him and liking him. Good story telling at its best.