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The blurbs on the back of Ken Bruen's novel The Guards are impressive: Boston Teran, James Crumley, and T. Jefferson Parker, who all weigh in with thumbs up. And these are wonderful writers who have written fine books that I really admire. So I'm mystified over their enthusiasm. In contrast, what I found in The Guards was a loosely told story about a drunk cop who pretty much stays that way. Oh, there's a story nibbling around the edges regarding some missing women and the bad men who did them i
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This one's all about style - the plot is nothing fancy, but the writing makes it well worth the effort. Bruen has a strong voice and his perfectly noir protagonist is vividly realized even as the prose is stripped down to a nearly skeletal level. This one kicks off a series, so a good place to start - it goes quite quickly, so you won't lose much time if it doesn't take.
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Jan 12, 2010
Amy Rosa
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Jan 16, 2011
Steve Anderson
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Jun 29, 2018
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Oct 02, 2023
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Mar 20, 2025
Carla
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