His parents emigrated from Belfast, Northern Ireland. In the mids Hamill corresponded from Vietnam, after spending 5 months in Ireland. He was one of four men who disarmed Sirhan Sirhan after the Robert F.
Kennedy assassination. Hamill is no stranger to conflict. I like the art noir cover by Larry Schwinger. Written more than 30 years ago, this slim book is less a crime story than it is a "ripped from the headlines" IRA thriller. It features a 40ish newspaper reporter sent to Belfast to do a story about a mysterious IRA commander who might turn the tide in the struggle against British occupation.
The reporter is half-Irish, so he also meets up with his uncle, who is a lifelong IRA member. Danger ensures. What I couldn't figure out is why, even though his uncle is murdered, and he knows he's being sou Written more than 30 years ago, this slim book is less a crime story than it is a "ripped from the headlines" IRA thriller.
Apparently in the s, divorced print journalists could afford to send their kids to Swiss boarding schools? Naturally, she becomes a target in the mayhem that follows. The remaining two-thirds of the book takes place in and around New York -- and if there's one reason to read the book, it's for the depiction of early '80s NYC. It's a pulpy tour through Irish bars, the Plaza Hotel, derelict jazz joints, and the like.
The story lurches around unconvincingly though, eventually involving a weirdo televangelist family. I finished it to see how it would all go down, but can't say I'd recommend it to anyone. Readers looking for crime fiction set amidst the Troubles would be much better served by seeking out Adrian McKinty's series featuring Det.
Sean Duffy. Jan 23, Pam rated it liked it Shelves: fiction , ireland , books-read. Apr 08, Alonzo Church rated it it was ok. Hotshot reporter Pete Ham Because the dark mysterious IRA terrorist gives him a good soul-revealing interview, Sammy decides to agree to haul a mysterious letter back to some guy in New York. The result? Murder, mayhem and some sex for our hero with a distraught colleen whose boyfriend gets killed.
Who is the real villain here? Yeah, this is , and it is thin, cliched and ultimately annoying and pathetic. Our author has a lot of dislikes and we hear about them all between the murder and mayhem. Oct 06, Emmett Hoops rated it really liked it Shelves: mystery. This book does not attempt to break new ground in the crime genre. I've seen some reviewers claim that it's pretty boilerplate, but well written. You buy a little paperback, you're done reading it in 2 hours, and it's supposed to be Proust?
This is an exciting story, well told, and satisfying like a good hamburger. Very enjoyable and very hard boiled. Too busy reading to remember to update my progress. Sure, I like my detectives to be smart-asses Feb 26, Lindsay rated it did not like it. I don't know that I've ever hated the main character of a book more than I did this one. Jan 07, Justin Helmer rated it liked it. Good story if a fairly straightforward a-b-c plot.
Hamill was a news man just like his main character so the prose has a nice economy to it. Mar 20, Chris rated it liked it Shelves: hard-case-crime , mystery-crime , thriller.
Only, as the bar erupts minutes after he leaves, Briscoe finds that his life, and the life of his daughter, may indeed be in jeopardy. The setting to this one interested me most: Ireland and New York have such strong texture, and even Switzerland feels has character… albeit not as much as the Big Apple or Belfast. Hamill has a definite gift with his narration, which made up for the slow start, at least making things interesting.
I felt the connections between the IRA camp and their allies in America was muddled and needed clarity, and it took a long time—almost forever—to get moving. Despite its small flaws, the book was enjoyable and a good, quick read. Full review found here. Dec 05, Justinthunderliger rated it did not like it. Knowing a bit about Pete Hamill will explain this book.
What would you imagine he would write a story about if he were to write a crime-fiction novel? If you guessed something about a newspaper reporter jazz afficianado from NY involved in the Irish conflict but also with a dislike for televangelism and perhaps religion and the inherent conflicts within , you'd be dead on. And really bored. Like I was. This marks the first misstep by Hard Case Crime. I hope it's the only one, as I have 3 more books sitting on my desk.
It had some okay action sequences with a backdrop of the most boring main plot ever. Many of the paperback books I own from the 70s and 80s have cigarette ads smack dab in the middle of them.
Ol' Pete here must've been gunning for that endorsement from RJ Reynolds because for some reason he mentions every cigarette brand by name-- repeatedly. If there were a literary equivalent to holding up a product and winking into the camera, he would've discovered it. Feb 23, David rated it did not like it Shelves: noirboiled. There is not much to recommend this book.
A partial list of problems: It muddles around extensively in Irish history and politics without saying much of interest. He came back with a mimeographed sheet with a Plaza logo, and while he served other customers, I ran down the list.
Society of Magazine Publishers. Sansui Ltd. The National Petroleum Suppliers. I took out a pen and circled one group. The Church of Christ the Leader. The initials doodled on that sheet of stationery. The Guns of Heaven by Pete Hamill. Good story. S Jesus freaks in a way I didn't expect. Pete is one of my favorite writers. I found this entertaining, if not as fulfilling as his other works.
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