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Title: Irish noir peers into the American dark psyche
Review: Irish noir meister Ken Bruen offers his prickly, ironic, and often humorous view on what it means to wear "American skin". Stephen Blake who served in the English army does a bank heist with his Irish pal Tommy and IRA sniper Stapleton. The botched attempt sends Blake packing to New York City, and then west to Las Vegas and Tucson. Extreme violence and hard living are the currency in the modern noir (and sometimes real) world. The whacko Dade addicted to Tammy Wynette and dope is sure to become a classic villain like Hannibal Lecter. Fans of George Pelecanos and Bruce Springsteen should enjoy reading Mr. Bruen's seamless, satiric, and, yes, unsettling American Skin.
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