In The Galway Silence   Ken Bruen

Latest in Bruen’s always entertaining and emotionally brutal Jack Taylor series. This time his nemesis is Michael Allen, and as always, everything that matters to Jack is taken from him. I’ve read all Bruen’s books, and I am still astonished by what Taylor causes, and even more by the losses he endures. As always, the best part is Bruen’s sharp, quick prose wound as tight as Taylor himself. Really enjoyed it, if that’s the right word. Couldn’t put it down.

The Foreigner   Francie Lin

Novel about a Chinese-American man who goes to Taiwan to inter his mother’s ashes and gets involved with local human traffickers. I found the character of Emerson, the protagonist, very dislikable. Not sure if that is intentional, or just a mistake by the author. There is nothing masculine about him, and the one sexual encounter is embarrassingly unconvincing. Also, what progress he makes toward freedom from his past and awakening turns back on itself at the end. Lin’s prose is beautiful, but the preponderance of emotional nuance is completely out of place against the narrative action. Didn’t like it, too bad.