Bad Catholics by James Green

The Blurb

Bad Catholics was a surprise - and a very pleasant one...I really couldn't put this book down and simply had to see how things were going to end. Love him or hate him, I promise you that Jimmy Costello is a character that people will want to know and read more about. - Chris Simmons, CrimeSquad.com's Fresh Blood section. An ultra-hardboiled debut. The Guardian James Green's debut novel is a cracking thriller...a delight to read... and well put together novel. The Catholic Herald Meet Jimmy Costello. Quiet, respectable, God-fearing family man? Or thuggish street-fighter with a past full of dark secrets? Perhaps the answer is somewhere in between … After Jimmy’s wife dies the conflict inside him is too much and the violent assault he commits on a gangster forces him to leave London and his job with the police and disappear for a while. Now he’s back, on what you might call a divine mission … and to settle a few old scores too. Through the eyes of his hard-boiled ex-cop, James Green takes us on a thrilling journey from 1960s Kilburn, through war-torn 1970s Africa to the modern streets of a London that seems to have cleaned up its act … until you scratch the surface. New edition published by Accent Press 2015.

About James Green

ames "Jim" Green is a British writer and broadcaster who turned to writing as a full time profession after a 25 year career in teaching. He has had over 40 titles published in various genres, from educational text books to travel guides to crime novels. His latest publication is called Bad Catholics (2008 Luath), the first of a trilogy chronicling the exploits of reformed gangster Jimmy Costello.

My Review

This book had it all, gangsters, police corruption, IRA, a strong and gritty story. Jimmy Costello is back after 3 years when he as a Detective Sergeant went missing. People start to die, and the mission where he helps Sister Philomena as a volunteer, is under threat. It is set in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 90's which gives a great depth of understanding of the principle characters. I liked it.