The bumbling criminals in Irish journalist Kerrigan’s second novel to be made available in the U.S. (after The Midnight Choir
) will remind readers of the hapless losers who populate some of Elmore Leonard’s books. Smalltime Irish hoodlum Frankie Crowe plans to kidnap Justin Kennedy, a wealthy, up-and-coming Dublin entrepreneur. But when Crowe finds out his intended victim is less flush than he’d believed, Crowe and his cohorts decide instead to abduct Kennedy’s wife, Angela. The bulk of the book centers on the attempts of Crowe’s crew to collect Angela’s ransom and the efforts to foil them led by Crowe’s bête noir, Det. Insp. John Grace. The framing device—the recollections of an older man who’s plotting revenge against Crowe for his role in an armed robbery of a pub—proves more interesting than the main action. The author’s fine ear for dialogue helps compensate for a less than compelling plot. (May)
