The Traveller and Other Stories
Thirteen unnerving tales from the bestselling author of The Twelve
-
- $5.99
-
- $5.99
Publisher Description
'Stuart Neville writes crime fiction that is edgy, compelling and always deeply humane' MARK BILLINGHAM
Bringing together thirteen gripping and unsettling tales from one of Northern Ireland's bestselling crime authors, The Traveller & Other Stories is the perfect introduction to a modern master of thriller writing, featuring a Foreword by John Connolly
Stuart Neville is a writer known for shining an unflinching light on his home country and its people. Ireland - north and south - in Neville's hands, is a land haunted by ghosts, both real and imagined. This collection is divided into two parts: New Monsters and Old Friends. And many of the characters from Stuart's novels, like Gerry Fegan from The Twelve, can be found haunting these pages. Childhood, innocence, guilt and redemption are all themes that are represented in Stuart's novels and in this collection, as John Connolly puts in his Foreword, 'here are monsters, both human and non-human. Here are hauntings, real or imagined. Here are old friends and older fiends.'
Stuart's pleasure in the short story is evidenced in these tales, culminating in the previously unpublished novella, 'The Traveller', which sees Jack Lennon (from The Final Silence) and his daughter Ellen McKenna, pitted against the unnamed assassin who is targeting them. This is a collection of stories covering a decade of the author's writings and, as Connolly says, is 'the work of a prodigiously talented writer'.
This is Irish noir at its best.
'Not to be missed' Publishers Weekly, starred review
'In the world of modern crime fiction, Stuart Neville is a supernova' Dennis Lehane
'Irish noir done to a turn, with just enough tearful sentiment to turn the screws tighter' Kirkus review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set mostly in the author's native Northern Ireland, the 13 tales of horrific crimes and terrifying horrors in this splendid collection from Edgar finalist Neville (The Final Silence) are divided into two sections. Highlights from the first, "New Monsters," include "Coming In on Time," about the anguish of anticipating the unlikely return of a mother; "The Green Lady," in which ghosts and a legendary woman lure a youngster fishing for sticklebacks into trouble; and "London Safe," in which unthinkable consequences await a boy who grows up to find his father living another life in England. "Old Friends," the second section, brings back characters from Neville's novels, notably reprehensible Gerry Fegan of The Ghosts of Belfast, who appears in four stories. The captivating title novella resurrects a presumably dead Fegan as a contract killer hired to avenge the deaths of twin sons. In the tense "Faith," a priest agrees to commit murder for a parishioner; in the disquieting "The Craftsman," Albert and Celia Ryan of Ratlines settle past debts. Each entry turns on an unexpected ending. This chilling assortment of Northern Irish noir is not to be missed.
