Ireland’s ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy has imploded, but something stirs in the rubble, striking a chord with the public: Patrick Larkin, a homeless man, alcoholic and mentally ill, is beaten to death in a park. Larkin was a well-known fixture. His solitary walks along the coast road in a posh suburb near Dublin had earned him the nickname ‘The King of Ireland.’ Months pass and the case goes cold, but indignation rises: has the case been ‘kicked into the long grass?’ Inspector Minogue leaps at the opportunity of a posting in ‘cold cases.’ Along with his partner, the volatile Tommy Malone, he’s just about to launch their first case review when the two of them are abruptly shifted to the Larkin case. Did Larkin die because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Was he an unwitting witness to a drug deal? When someone peripheral to the case also turns up dead, Minogue senses that the past is gaining on the present. The collision will have the force of something held back so tenaciously, so bitterly, for so long.

John Brady is the author of ten Matt Minogue novels, some of which have been published in the US and UK and optioned for television. Islandbridge was shortlisted for the Dashiell Hammett Award. Born in Dublin, Brady frequently revisits Ireland, particuarly Minogue’s birthplace, County Clare. He lives north of Toronto with his wife and family.

John Brady's profile page

“Insightful and atmospheric, and as much a reflection on a nation in transition as a tale about a specific event, John Brady nails the soul of his birthplace. There are no weak point in his narrative: fully-developed characters, crackling dialogue, evocative settings and in-your-face action come together in a compelling mix that will leave you wondering why you haven’t heard of Brady before.”

Sherbrooke Record

“Gloriously aslant language. The hot economy that came to be known as the Celtic Tiger has imploded by the days of The Coast Road, causing familiar bitterness towards bankers and too-clever financiers. Brady shows the effects of these catastrophes as they play out in crimes past and present, and in a relatively new but profound skepticism. His setting and style are pure Irish, but The Coast Road’s themes are internationally timely – as well as eloquently, woundingly expressed.”

The London Free Press

“Part of what makes this Toronto author’s latest work stand out is its setting. Ireland’s economy has collapsed after the economic boom. The mood is gloomy indeed, even before the wet fall weather. But Insp. Matt Minogue of Dublin police is a bulwark as he probes a popular homeless man’s death – although Brady isn’t above throwing in a twist or two to shake the veteran officer, too.”

The Halifax Chronicle-Herald ** Named One of the Top 10 Mystery Books of 2010

“All you need to know about the implosion of the Celtic Tiger is in The Coast Road. Who won, who lost, and who’s going to pay. Then we move to murder and one of Brady’s best Matt Minogue books ever.”

The Globe and Mail

“Unrelentingly gripping…a driving intensity that assures the reader’s full attention. Brady is a fine crafter of plot and his characters have an appealing authenticity about them.”

The Saint-John Telegraph Journal