Black Irish (Absalom Kearney 1)

by Stephan Talty

Published 14 February 2013

It was only the first lie...

As the snow drives down and the full force of a Buffalo winter makes itself felt, a man's body is found. Barely recognisable, the only clues the police have are the '1' carved into the victim's face and the killer's sinister calling card, a plastic toy monkey.

This is 'The County' - the 27th county of Ireland - a city cocooned in secrets, suspicion and blood feuds, where the residents will do anything to protect their own. And for Detective Absalom Kearney, this case is her one chance to prove to a community more fiercely secretive than ever, that even the most heinous of murderers can be stopped.

But as her investigation develops and the killer starts sending her cryptic messages, Absalom finds herself in a race not only to halt them but also to stop The County's residents exacting their own form of justice.

Because at the heart of this community there is the darkness peculiar to those forgotten by society, and this darkness will affect Absalom's life in ways she could never have imagined...


When serial killer Marcus Flynn last haunted the streets of North Buffalo, his name left ripples of horror in its wake. Though caught and imprisoned, the legacy of the 'Hangman' - and the mysterious fate of his last victim - lives on.

Homicide cop Abbie Kearney never witnessed the Hangman's reign of terror first-hand - until now. Because somewhere out there, a monster who condemned innocents to death has escaped, and he is poised to strike again.

In a city driven to its knees by fear, Abbie leads a desperate manhunt, tracking a relentless predator. As more victims are claimed, the tide of secrecy rises, and Abbie must step beyond the law in her search for the killer. For with each passing hour, the stakes grow higher - and the Hangman's noose gets tighter...