A couple of thoughts here:
It's not entirely accurate to say that Tana French won the "Debut Edgar" for
INTO THE WOODS. She actually won it for "Best First Novel By An American
Author" (she was born in the States, and lived here for maybe three minutes
before being packed off to the U.K.), which sparked no little bit of
controversy among those folks who follow this sort of thing.
As for her book, I certainly wouldn't have put it on a top ten list of Irish
crime books as long as RILKE ON BLACK or any of Ken Bruen's other myriad
fine works is around to occupy that open spot. French's book struck me as a
less-than-successful riff on Lehane's MYSTIC RIVER.
Lastly, I agree that Hughes' book is a terrific piece of writing, but I'd
have to swap its place as number one with Bruen's THE GUARDS at number two.
The first of the Jack Taylor books is easily the most influential writing to
come out of the Emerald Isle since Yeats was laid "Under Ben Bulben."
All the Best-
Brian
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