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The Dramatist Audiobook
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(3.99) - 593 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Seems impossible, but Jack Taylor is sober—off booze, pills, powder, and nearly off cigarettes, too. The main reason he’s been able to keep clean: his dealer’s in jail, which leaves Jack without a source. When that dealer calls him to Dublin and asks a favor in the soiled, sordid visiting room of Mountjoy Prison, Jack wants to tell him to take a flying leap. But he doesn’t—can’t, because the dealer’s sister is dead, and the guards have called it “death by misadventure.”
The dealer knows that can’t be true and begs Jack to have a look, check around, see what he can find out. It’s exactly what Jack does, with varying levels of success, to make a living. But he’s reluctant, maybe because of who’s asking or maybe because of the bad feeling growing in his gut.
Never one to give in to bad feelings or common sense, Jack agrees to the favor, though he can’t possibly know the shocking, deadly consequences he has set in motion. But he and everyone he holds dear will find out soon, sooner than anyone knows, in the lean and lethal fourth entry in Ken Bruen’s award-winning Jack Taylor series.
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"Ken Bruen is one of my favorite authors. His clipped language is strange at first, but soon becomes a total pleasure. His Jack Taylor series is not so much about the mystery, but a character study of the flawed man. He can be so despicable, but you can't help but love him. "
— Linda (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Ken Bruen is hard to resist, with his aching Irish heart, silvery tongue, and bleak noir sensibility…[Bruen] writes with extraordinary delicacy about a man driven to acts of violence out of wild grief and [a] fierce sense of guilt.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Bruen’s tommy-gun prose, lacerating dialogue, and hard-boiled world view combine here, as before, to provide entertainment of high order in dealing with low instincts. Forget all gauzy notions of the Emerald Isle—this stuff is black Irish.”
— New York Daily News -
“Bruen’s books are always well worth the effort.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“You’ll want to pray at the stunning conclusions of The Dramatist…Bruen’s talent shines.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer -
“It’s Taylor himself, dangerous, disgraced cop, that we want to read about.…If you haven’t discovered Bruen yet, what are you waiting for?”
— Rocky Mountain News -
“With a riveting mystery and a deftly rendered protagonist, Bruen recaptures the immediacy and the impact of the first two novels in the series.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“There is a darkness about Bruen’s Ireland that never lifts. The spare writing is brutal in its depiction of modern depression, social malaise, and total lack of hope.”
— Library Journal
Awards
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Winner of the 2007 Shamus Award for Best Novel
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A 2006 Barry Award Finalist for Best British Crime Novel
The Dramatist Listener Reviews
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" Great book but not one to read if you are needing a lift or want to feel better about life. A wee bit dark. Don't give it to your manic-depressive friends if you ever want to see them again. "
— Debra, 1/21/2014 -
" Jack Taylor, or perhaps Irish noir in general, is growing on me. The Dramatist is a wee bit more hopeful than the other Bruen books I've read. "
— Kathryn, 12/18/2013 -
" dark (with light relief), main characters always very human,would recommend anything by Ken Bruen "
— Julesp, 12/9/2013 -
" Classic Bruen. Because I've read the Jack Taylor series out of order I already knew of some of the events that happen in this book. Knowing still didn't prepare myself for them. Mr. Bruen has a wonderful way of telling a story and I can't wait to read more of his work. "
— Ryan, 11/12/2013 -
" Beautifully written but very dark. "
— Elizabeth, 10/21/2013 -
" A heartbreaking book. In its tragic way, the best of the Jack Taylor novels so far. "
— Joe, 9/29/2013 -
" Not as good as "The Priest", but maybe because it came before that was written so I already knew some of what was going to happen. Still, it was a pretty good read. "
— Tory, 7/19/2013 -
" Jack Taylor is simply the most tragic character I have ever read. "
— Bob, 7/15/2013 -
" The crimes/ deaths in Bruen's books are almost always secondary to the plot. The day to day struggles thatex cop Jack Taylor has face. Every Bruen book has tons of good books mentioned in them. I always find a new author to read after every Bruen book. "
— Mark, 6/22/2013 -
" Enjoyed it. Read the others in the series first though if you're just starting out. "
— Dan, 1/5/2013 -
" Link to my original review. "
— Tiffany, 9/27/2012 -
" 4th book in Bruen's Jack Taylor series. If you value plot above all else, the Taylor books aren't going to do it for you. If you value well-drawn characters and a protagonist who's colossally messed up but utterly fascinating, welcome to your new obsession. "
— Chris, 5/18/2012 -
" Mind-numblingly dumb. "
— pjreads, 4/9/2012 -
" Without a doubt the worst book I have ever read, and that is taking into account its one redeeming feature, that I am from Galway and enjoyed recognising names and places. Awful, just awful. "
— Ciarán, 10/13/2011 -
" The last two pages floored me. Brilliant, but terribly bleak at times. "
— James, 9/7/2011 -
" Atmospheric mystery book set in Ireland - Galway. Good writing but so very depressing "
— Eileen, 7/3/2011 -
" This book started with a lot of promise, including an introduction to a new genre for me: Irish noir. But none of the plot lines ever really gelled and were pretty weak. It did spark enough interest in me to try another book by this writer in the future. "
— Michelle, 6/17/2011 -
" It was a short read. The story was ok, but I had to finish it to see "who'd done it"! "
— Deanna, 1/31/2011 -
" It was a short read. The story was ok, but I had to finish it to see "who'd done it"! "
— Deanna, 1/31/2011 -
" Just when you think things can't get any blacker for the series protagonist, Galway native Jack Taylor, they get much, much blacker. Bruen writes the saddest and most violent tales but manages to keep both heroes and villains human. Love this series. <br/> "
— Donald, 9/5/2010 -
" Just when you think things can't get any blacker for the series protagonist, Galway native Jack Taylor, they get much, much blacker. Bruen writes the saddest and most violent tales but manages to keep both heroes and villains human. Love this series. <br/> "
— Donald, 9/5/2010 -
" Jack Taylor is simply the most tragic character I have ever read. "
— Bob, 2/16/2010 -
" Jack Taylor is simply the most tragic character I have ever read. "
— Bob, 2/16/2010 -
" Wow, has the impact of a smack in the face with a Hurley. <br/> "
— Matt, 12/27/2009 -
" Wow, has the impact of a smack in the face with a Hurley. <br/> "
— Matt, 12/27/2009 -
" I'm always amazed at how some writers can open up worlds with so few worlds. This is a dark one, but with humor, and the ending knocks the wind out of you. "
— Kari, 9/22/2009 -
" I'm always amazed at how some writers can open up worlds with so few worlds. This is a dark one, but with humor, and the ending knocks the wind out of you. "
— Kari, 9/22/2009 -
" dark (with light relief), main characters always very human,would recommend anything by Ken Bruen "
— Julesp, 7/16/2009 -
" dark (with light relief), main characters always very human,would recommend anything by Ken Bruen "
— Julesp, 7/16/2009 -
" A heartbreaking book. In its tragic way, the best of the Jack Taylor novels so far. "
— Joe, 7/1/2009 -
" A heartbreaking book. In its tragic way, the best of the Jack Taylor novels so far. "
— Joe, 7/1/2009 -
" Classic Bruen. Because I've read the Jack Taylor series out of order I already knew of some of the events that happen in this book. Knowing still didn't prepare myself for them. Mr. Bruen has a wonderful way of telling a story and I can't wait to read more of his work. "
— Ryan, 4/17/2009 -
" Classic Bruen. Because I've read the Jack Taylor series out of order I already knew of some of the events that happen in this book. Knowing still didn't prepare myself for them. Mr. Bruen has a wonderful way of telling a story and I can't wait to read more of his work. "
— Ryan, 4/17/2009 -
" Jack Taylor, or perhaps Irish noir in general, is growing on me. The Dramatist is a wee bit more hopeful than the other Bruen books I've read. "
— Kathryn, 3/19/2009 -
" Jack Taylor, or perhaps Irish noir in general, is growing on me. The Dramatist is a wee bit more hopeful than the other Bruen books I've read. "
— Kathryn, 3/19/2009 -
" Ken Bruen is one of my favorite authors. His clipped language is strange at first, but soon becomes a total pleasure. His Jack Taylor series is not so much about the mystery, but a character study of the flawed man. He can be so despicable, but you can't help but love him. "
— Linda, 9/30/2008 -
" Atmospheric mystery book set in Ireland - Galway. Good writing but so very depressing "
— Eileen, 8/28/2008 -
" Atmospheric mystery book set in Ireland - Galway. Good writing but so very depressing "
— Eileen, 8/28/2008 -
" The crimes/ deaths in Bruen's books are almost always secondary to the plot. The day to day struggles thatex cop Jack Taylor has face. Every Bruen book has tons of good books mentioned in them. I always find a new author to read after every Bruen book. "
— Mark, 6/26/2008 -
" The crimes/ deaths in Bruen's books are almost always secondary to the plot. The day to day struggles thatex cop Jack Taylor has face. Every Bruen book has tons of good books mentioned in them. I always find a new author to read after every Bruen book. "
— Mark, 6/26/2008
About Ken Bruen
Ken Bruen received a doctorate in metaphysics, taught English in South Africa, and then became a crime novelist. The critically acclaimed author of the Jack Taylor series and The White Trilogy, he is the recipient of two Barry Awards and two Shamus Awards and has twice been a finalist for the Edgar Award. In 2016, he was awarded the Irish Books, Arts, and Music (iBAM) Literature Award. Two of his novels have also been made into feature films, and the Jack Taylor series has been adapted for a television series.
About Michael Deehy
Michael Deehy is an Earphones Award-winning narrator and an actor whose career has taken him around the world performing in a multitude of plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Shaw, Synge, and a host of other playwrights. He divides his time between the United States and England, where he has performed in both regional theater and in London’s West End, as well as a number of national television shows.