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The Cold Cold Ground Audiobook
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(3.03) - 443 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles—and of a cop treading a thin, thin line—from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
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"Loved it, and already pre-ordered the second of this trilogy. It's a cannot put down book for me. It's the story of Irish Catholic policeman in the RUC when Irish Catholic policemen were targeted by one and all, under suspicion by their own communities, and takes place at that strange time when political parties were and weren't working towards Good Friday Agreement. Duffy is university educated but remains in at home, joining the police and is he works hard at being a policeman, not an Irish Catholic policeman but he remains true to his himself and who he is. His case is purported to be homosexual killing, but is it? It has political undertones, as most things in Northern Ireland do. Once again the author captures the very essence of the people he writes into his story,their failings and shortcomings, their strengths, their goodness and frailties while taking you to the edge of your seat! Excellent."
— Kathleen (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A dark-humored shamus in the Philip Marlowe tradition.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“A masterpiece of Troubles crime fiction.”
— Irish Times (Dublin) -
“A crime novel, fast-paced, intricate, and genre to the core.”
— The Guardian (London) -
“McKinty creates a marvelous sense of time and place.”
— Irish Independent (Dublin) -
“If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.”
— The Times (London) -
“McKinty’s fine police procedural is also the ultimate page-turner.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“A journey into a terrifying and almost dreamlike labyrinth of violence and betrayal.”
— Shots Crime & Thriller Ezine -
“Everything in this novel hits all the right notes, from its brilliant evocation of time and place to razor-sharp dialogue to detailed police procedures.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Reader Gerard Doyle captures every ironic twitch of McKinty’s world-weary Duffy…In each note of Doyle’s narration you hear Duffy’s resignation to the madness surrounding him. The plots are riveting, but the front-row seat to Duffy’s deteriorating equilibrium makes them even better.”
— Kirkus Reviews (audio review) -
“The audiobook exceeds all expectations because of narrator Gerard Doyle. His storytelling is understated, and his dialect work is remarkable…Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“[A] deft mix of noirish melancholy with express-train pacing and blockbuster-ready action.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Duffy [is] the keen observer, the perfect protagonist. A righteous man who unwillingly takes his pursuit of justice into the realm of moral ambiguity.”
— Arizona Republic (Tucson, AZ) -
“A razor-sharp thriller…told with style, courage, and dark-as-night wit.”
— Stuart Neville, author of The House of Ashes -
“Riveting, brilliant, and just about the best book yet on Northern Ireland.”
— Ken Bruen, author of the Jack Taylor novels
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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Selected for the November 2012 Indie Next List
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Longlisted for the 2013 Ned Kelly Award
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Winner of the Spinetingler Award for Best Crime Novel
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A Kirkus Reviews Pick of Recommended Audiobooks
The Cold Cold Ground Listener Reviews
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" A good story made better by the narration of Gerard Doyle, who is excellent with accents. The story takes place in Belfast in the 80's during The Troubles. It has a good mystery to solve, but is even better at depicting the civil strife in the Ireland of that time. (Strange to think of a story set in the 80's as "historical") "
— Janet, 2/20/2014 -
" A fine police procedural. The plot details are fictional; the author's childhood in 1980s Northern Ireland provides a detailed backdrop, including many real-life events of the time (e.g. hunger strikers in the Maze Prison, the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana). Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy is Catholic, working in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and living in a Protestant neighborhood. He's assigned to solve a murder of a suspected gay man; a delicate undertaking, considering that homosexuality was illegal at that time. He comes across a different, cold case, and suspects the two are related, but how? I enjoyed the pace of this novel, and Duffy as a earnest, dedicated cop determined to solve the case by whatever means necessary. This is the first (published 2012) of three novels, billed as the Troubles Trilogy, about Duffy; the book ends with a cliffhanger of sorts. "
— Macee, 2/9/2014 -
" Delicious, violent, Irish brain candy, fascinatingly set in Belfast in 1981. "
— Lee, 2/3/2014 -
" Good police procedural set in Northern Ireland in 1981. Have to get used to the slang, but the characters are great. A lot like watching a BBC police show. Looking forward to the next 2 books in the trilogy. "
— Mike, 1/27/2014 -
" Not my usual kind of book at all, but it was well written, fast-paced and darkly funny. "
— Cheryl, 1/19/2014 -
" Not as good as McKinty's previous books, but engaging and not predictable. I'll definitely read the next two parts of this planned trilogy! "
— Molly, 1/11/2014 -
" I'm a sucker for Irish cop stories. This book did not disappoint. McKinty brilliantly captured the angst and violence of the Troubles. Truly enjoyed Duffy's character. What it lacked in Tana French's soul, it made up for in jocular prose and satisfying twists and turns. Looking forward to round two! "
— Ginny, 1/7/2014 -
" More like 3.5 stars well written but, could be better. "
— Ben, 12/5/2013 -
" Good stuff from McKinty. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the series, given the history, but the story doesn't get overwhelmed here. "
— Steven, 12/4/2013 -
" I was surprisingly impressed with this book. Duffy, the main character, wasn't too much in the Sam Spade/ macho/ fucked-up but good mould and the atmosphere evoking what it must have been like living in Northern Ireland during the hunger strikes was great. Fab story too. "
— Carey, 11/30/2013 -
" Not my favorite McKinty, but I enjoyed it. "
— Chris, 11/27/2013 -
" Very well done. I am following this trilogy. "
— Lis, 4/7/2013 -
" I one best reads in a long time.1st of a trilogy and can't wait for other two. Keep at it Adrian "
— Jim, 2/22/2013 -
" Police procedural mysteries don't get any better than this. I'll be reading both its sequels and other books by McKinty. "
— Mark, 6/18/2012 -
" Great book. A first person narration by a Catholic cop in Northern Ireland in 1981 when the hunger strikers were in prison and Mrs. Thatcher was honing her "Iron Lady" routine. A million twists and turns and suspense til the end. "
— Sandra, 5/18/2012
About Adrian McKinty
Adrian McKinty was born and grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the Troubles. His father was a welder in Harland and Wolff—the shipyard where they built the Titanic; his mother was a school lunch lady and secretary. Adrian went to Oxford University on a full scholarship where he studied philosophy.
Emigrating first to America and then Australia he found work as a door-to-door salesman, a driver, a bookstore clerk, a barman, a high school English teacher, and a semipro rugby player.
His debut crime novel, Dead I Well May Be, was shortlisted for the 2004 Dagger Award and was optioned by Universal Pictures. He is the author of more than a dozen crime novels that have been translated into over forty languages. He has won the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, the Barry Award, the Macavity Award, the International Thriller Writers Award, and is a three-time winner of the Ned Kelly Award.
His 2020 novel The Chain was a New York Times bestseller and appeared on twenty-five best-of-the-year lists. His 2022 novel The Island was an instant New York Times bestseller and made five best-of-the-year lists including those of the London Times and the New York Times.
Adrian is a member of the Linnean Society and the National Audubon Society. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.
About Gerard Doyle
Gerard Doyle, a seasoned audio narrator, he has been awarded dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards, was named a Best Voice in Young Adult Fiction in 2008, and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He was born of Irish parents and raised and educated in England. In Great Britain he has enjoyed an extensive career in both television and repertory theater and toured nationally and internationally with the English Shakespeare Company. He has appeared in London’s West End in the gritty musical The Hired Man. In America he has appeared on Broadway in The Weir and on television in New York Undercover and Law & Order. He has taught drama at Ross School for the several years.