Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Cliff Walk (Liam Mulligan) by Bruce DeSilva

Liam Mulligan, Rhode Island's hardboiled reporter is back in this great new novel by Hardboiled Collective member Bruce DeSilva.
A child's severed arm shows up on a pig farm... An internet pornographer is killed... A politicial battle is fought over legalisation of prostitution...
These ingredients are enough to keep Mulligan very busy. Add to that some vigilante killings on pedophiles, a new love interest and a gangster boss interested in hiring Mulligan and you end up with a very exciting crime novel.
What makes this novel so great is not just the many interesting plotlines however, but the character of Mulligan and the sharp writing. Mulligan is such a great self-depreceating character and the writing such an effective continuation of Chandler and Parker's hardboiled voices this should be textbook writing for anyone attempting to write a hardboiled crime story.
It worried me that the paper Mulligan works for is going through some bad times, endangering his job. Luckily, it seems there's enough people interested in Mulligan's investigation skills to keep him busy even if he ends up sacked. I wouldn't want to miss this guy, his troubles with his ex-wife, his clumsiness, his interest in crime fiction and his attitude. Looking forward to the third in the series!

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