“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Stop The Press! ’Tis The CAPNYA Short-List …

And so to the short-list for the less-than-coveted Crime Always Pays Novel of the Year Award - or CAPNYA, if you prefer. I ran a proposed long-list a week or so ago, and with the votes in (it was a very low voter turn-out, incidentally; I blame the weather), only three titles received more than one vote. So it makes sense, I guess, to make those three titles the short-list. And so - a trumpet-blast please, maestro - they are:
THE BURNING SOUL by John Connolly;
FALLING GLASS by Adrian McKinty;
THE RAGE by Gene Kerrigan.
  Bearing in mind that there’s nothing remotely scientific about the polling method, and that the voting will be necessarily skewed by the fact that I’ve mentioned my own personal favourites here on CAP more often than others on the long-list, it’s interesting (to me, at least) that none of those three titles made the short-list for the Irish Book Awards’ crime fiction gong.
  It’s also worth saying that all three are terrific novels, and well worth winning an award in any given year, regardless of the competition.
  Anyway, on to the business end. Please feel free to vote for any of those three titles as the best Irish crime novel of 2011, via the comment box below. Oh, and if you don’t, I’ll come over all Brussels on your collective ass and start imposing my own verdict on the democratic process. Don’t say you haven’t been warned …

42 comments:

Padraic said...

Gene Kerrigan
The Rage

John Gaynard said...

My vote is for FALLING GLASS, by Adrian McKinty!

speedskater42k said...

Falling Glass!

Paul D Brazill said...

I love the sound of Falling Glass.

Anonymous said...

McKinty's Falling Glass.

Anonymous said...

Falling Glass

Luca Veste said...

Burning Soul - John Connolly

I follow no crowd!!

Jean said...

Falling Glass

Linda Rodriguez said...

The Burning Soul--John Connolly

Frankie said...

Falling Glass

Makes it easy as I haven't read the other two.

seana graham said...

I haven't gotten to either the Kerrigan or Connolly yet, but I thought Falling Glass was great, so I'm voting for that.

DJD said...

I like all of McKinty's work, including his latest, so my vote is for Falling Glass.

lil Gluckstern said...

Falling Glass because

Gerard Brennan said...

I read the Connolly and the McKinty and loved them both... McKinty got the edge because of the Northern Irish connection.

So I'm voting for Falling Glass.

gb

Unknown said...

I managed to read all 3 - thoroughly enjoyed them all and I'm going for the one that I had the stronger emotional connection with. Cos that's how I roll.

It's Falling Glass for me fella.

Gordon Harries said...

McKinty. Falling Glass.

Anonymous said...

Falling Glass.

David said...

Not sure if this counts but I listened to this reather than read it....?

Anyway a vote for Falling Glass

Sean Patrick Reardon said...

FALLING GLASS, by Adrian McKinty!

Becca said...

one more vote for FALLING GLASS!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Falling Glass By Adrian McKinty

Glenna said...

Falling Glass without a doubt. I liked it so much that it'd get my vote even of I had read the other 2.

RockerWife said...

Falling Glass

seana graham said...

I was starting to think that the McKinty political machine might be just a tad too well oiled, but then I remembered how John Connolly got to be sexiest Irish crime writer, so I'll say no more.

lil Gluckstern said...

Seana-
So how did John Connolly get to be the sexiest crime writer? Some of us don't know, like me. And I do know he's got some competition ;)

seana graham said...

Well, he IS pretty sexy. But I think he just rallied the fan base. Adrian seems to be taking a page or two from his book, that's all.

Read all about it here.

Jason said...

McKinty. Nuff Said.

Anonymous said...

Falling Glass, particularly loved the ambiguous ending....

Peter Rozovsky said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Peter Rozovsky said...

I'll aplit a vote between Falling Glass and a write-in for Absolute Zero Cool.

Tim Gamble said...

Falling Glass

Ali Soor said...

Adrian McGinty's Falling Glass

ben said...

Falling glass

Anonymous said...

Falling Glass!

-Brian O

Frank said...

Falling Glass - McKinty

Anonymous said...

Is it time for a backlash?

StevieD said...

Falling Glass

Michael Haskins said...

Falling Glass, but here in the States I was able to get the audio book only. Hope it counts.

Bean said...

Yep Falling Glass for me. That last page!

William Ryan said...

Falling Glass - McKinty. Although all three very fine.

Anonymous said...

Falling Glass.
Sorry John... sexy isn't everything.

paysan said...

Burning Soul...