Is This the Last of Jack Taylor?

By Peter Handel
When reading a Jack Taylor novel by Ken Bruen, one has two options: A) devour it in its entirely—scarf that story in one fell swoop—or B) take it in small bite-size pieces—chunklets, if you will. Either way, the end result is the same, a crime-fiction reading experience to savor. In Galway Confidential, the previous Taylor novel, the story ended with a teaser about the rise of a local, mysterious group called “Edge” and an appearance by Jack’s potential new lover, Rachel Worthington, during which we learned her backstory and why she came to know about Edge.

Galway’s Edge (Mysterious Press) is Bruen’s new, 18th excursion through an only-in-Ireland mélange that includes a slightly devious Mother Superior, über-wealthy, sadistic upper-class cretins, and Rachel, who is now a “conduit” to Edge as well as Jack’s potential, if conflicted female companion. And then there’s Jack, once again uncomfortably helping certain members of The Church … this time to formally investigate Edge, which is described in the opening pages as

a cabal who effectively ruled [Galway], stepping in when normal issues needed to be resolved. They discovered early that secrecy and subterfuge were powerful tools. ... Rumours were their stock in trade. Gathering information, collecting sordid acts, wielding power from a city that didn’t know they were. By stealth and money, they managed to exist as a rumour masquerading as a fact.

Guard-turned-gumshoe Taylor is visited one afternoon by a very large man, Father Richard, who describes himself as “Special envoy to the Archdiocese of Galway ... The powers that be decreed I should contact you as you have been of considerable assistance to Mother Church, not to mention, somewhat controversial.”

Father Richard, after a bit of liquid lubrication, goes on to say, “We have become aware of a group named Edge who are anti-Catholic ... Among this group it is rumoured they have a priest ... we need you to locate this individual [a Father Whelan] and dissuade him of his activities.”

Soon, Jack has a list of the five members of Edge, all part of the Galway elite, including Father Whelan, a literary agent, a real estate “mogul,” a billionaire, and a high-profile author. In the end, a group of keep-your-hands-clean vigilantes—the upper-class team. (Which is typically Bruen, ironic: Jack is a vigilante himself, if anything, but not remotely upper class; in fact, one with no class.)

He visits Father Whelan, but leaves unsatisfied. It’s the same result with all of the others on the list he contacts. But: the next day, the (not) good Father is found hanging from a tree, an “E” written in the dirt below him.

Additional vigilante killings occur, Father Whelan’s fate setting the tone. Father Richard soon sends Jack to see a man named Benson, who reputedly wanted to join Edge. The encounter doesn’t go well, and Jack is thrown out of Benson’s house by his private security minder.

It’s then on to the pub, where the detective runs into a former priest, Ciaran. “He was probably around fifty,” Bruen explains, “but looked eighty, dressed in black, but no white collar.” Jack asks him, “Are you familiar with Edge?” A long pause, followed by Ciaran’s reply: “Stay away from them, they are darkness in action.” He goes on to say, when asked if he knows of Benson, that “Benson is demonic.” He adds: “Edge is a group of people who claim to step in and right injustice, but they use that as a cover for all kinds of malignancy and to enrich themselves. Benson wanted to become part of their crew, but they rejected him. So he vowed to erase them, I’m sure some of them have already met violent ends.” As Jack is about to leave, Ciaran “reached into his jacket, produced a small crucifix, handed it to me.” Jack starts to refuse it, but Ciaran smiles and says to him, “Jack Taylor, you need all the protection you can get, both corporal and metaphysical.”

Indeed.

Numerous subplots also play out as this tale moves forward, including: increasing conflict with Rachel (can she be trusted?), and an incident involving a Guard member whose much-abused wife has asked Jack to intercede with her husband—a man who takes umbrage at Jack even talking to him, and who lands a blow to his face that puts our man in the hospital. These are among many tangential yet relevant aspects of Bruen’s brilliantly woven storyline.

As is the case with all the Jack Taylor novels, Bruen’s dialogue, his often hilarious, biting asides, and his protagonist’s big heart concealed beneath a façade of drinking and drugging (and the not-so-heartful use of his “hurley” to mete out his own unique brand of justice) all combine for a reading experience to relish. (A “hurley,” by the way, is broad-bladed, netless stick used in “an Irish game resembling lacrosse.”)

The back-and-forth banter between the ubiquitous Father Richard and Jack as they sit down to eat in a nice restaurant owned by a woman friend of Jack’s, Ger, is perfectly evocative of Bruen’s approach to dialogue and his wicked, devilish sense of humor. They are meeting to discuss how Jack might proceed in dealing with Edge. After parking, they enter the restaurant. Jack narrates the scene:

“Inside, Ger gave me a warm hug, she looked at Richard who said,

“I can do a hug.”

She did.

She didn’t comment on his girth but did provide us with a family table.

Discretion.

A waitress came, greeted us effusively, and gave us menus. Richard ordered a ton of food and I said,

“Whoa, I’ll never eat all that.”

He snarled.

“That’s for me, you order your own.”

I said to the waitress,

“He’s eating for two; one of them is Orson Welles.”

Richard fumed.

“You have a very nasty side.”

True.

I ordered a steak and a pint.

The jibes continue; it’s as though Jack—already a classic self-sabotager—has to stick the knife in during any conversation, casual or not. Bruen excels at crafting these exchanges. His books are riddled with argumentative, practically theatrical asides no matter who he’s talking to—from the Mother Superior, to the dangerous fat cats who employ sadistic bodyguards, to the abusers of women, be they members of the Guard or simply rank men with bad attitudes.

(Right) Author Ken Bruen.

His conversation with Father Richard turns from wisecracks to matters more serious:

My steak arrived and a fresh pint of Guinness, joy to the world.

I asked,

“So how did you become so big?”

I paused then.

“Sorry about big, I meant major player in such shark-infested water?”

He had finished one of his main courses, and was now on the second, and seemed to relish every bite. He wiped his mouth, said,

“I was a lowly curate in the Italian countryside and a chance encounter with a cardinal led me to being transferred to the Vatican. I learnt fast that doing favours for the elite was the fast track to high office.”

I considered this and he added,

“Primarily, I play dirty.”

My steak was good, and I focused on that as he said,

“I like you, Jack; you amuse me but we both know you’re basically a dipso.”

Who needed this shite, I stood up.

“Something for you to remember, I play dirty my own self.”

He didn’t stop eating, said,

“You’re a small-time private dick with notions way beyond your abilities; now sit down, I have instructions to issue.”

Jack leaves him sitting at that.

Bruen keeps the plot turning. A diamond-encrusted gold crucifix is stolen from the Mother Superior, and she wants Jack to take it back—from Mr. Benson. Even more characters become involved, including a thief acquaintance of Jack’s named Jordan. A young tech whiz, Jessie, is enlisted by Jack to hack (“disable”) bad man Benson’s computers. A hand is severed, child porn is planted, guns are fired, Jack ends up in the hospital with a broken nose. Members of Edge die in a variety of brutal ways. Bruenian violence percolates throughout this story.

In an interview with Bruen that yours truly conducted of behalf of CrimeReads, back when Galway Confidential was first published, the author said that 2024 release was the “penultimate Jack Taylor novel,” and that Jack’s final appearance would be in Galway DNA, which he’d already written. But things change ... Galway DNA became Galway’s Edge, and it doesn’t quite feel like that’s the end of the series. Is it?

Asked in an e-mail message to clarify matters, Bruen says, “Galway DNA became Galway’s Edge as I wrote the book and it mutated its own self. For now, there is no jack taylor on the horizon but I’m open to Jack talking to me.”

Well, at least Jack doesn’t die to conclude this remarkable series! Undoubtedly, Bruen has something further and exciting up his sleeve—which will include Jack Taylor or not.