Blog Tour: Brian McGilloway's Bad Blood

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It's always a pleasure to feature Northern Irish Noir writers onto the blog and Brian McGilloway is no exception.  His DS Lucy Black series of books just go from strength to strength... with the added bonus that each of them can be read as standalones.  So, Bad Blood is the fourth in the series and , as we've come to expect from McGilloway, it focuses on contemporary Northern Irish issues. Here's my review...



Just when you thought you'd about recovered from Brexit, McGilloway takes us back to Northern Ireland in the run up to the referendum... and as you'd expect tensions are running high.

DS Lucy Black is called in to a racist attack on a housing estate, seemingly ruled by Ulster First.  A rogue reverend, in light of recent rulings against a cake company refusing to bake cakes for gays, advocates stoning and recently illegalised, 'Legal highs' are playing havoc in the communities.
Whilst highlighting these issues, McGilloway's style is far from evangelical.  He explores them with sensitivity and knowledge in and amongst a damn good police procedural. There are many things to praise about Bad Blood.  For me, the main thing is the range of very human responses each character has.  McGilloway says it like it is and his characters are nuanced and all the more authentic for that.  The vile rhetoric of Rev Nixon, is all the more dangerous because it is delivered with such intelligence.  Meanwhile, the  barely concealed prejudice of fellow police officers and the senseless thuggery of the gang leaders and their supporters is convincingly portrayed.  Each character reveals a little bit about the society in which we all live... and perhaps a little bit about us too.  
This is thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking too.  A great read from one of Ireland's finest noir writers.  

Brian McGilloway is the author of eight previous crime novels including the New York Times and UK No.1 bestseller Little Girl Lost. In addition to being shortlisted for a CWA Dagger and the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, he is a past recipient of the Ulster University McCrea Literary Award and won the BBC Tony Doyle Award for his screenplay, Little Emperors. He currently teaches English in Strabane, where he lives with his wife and four children. 
Check out his website 
www.brianmcgilloway.com