Ken Bruen Books

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Ken Bruen is an Irish author that writes crime fiction. He is best known for the Jack Taylor series of novels. Bruen was born in Galway, Ireland. He has a metaphysics Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin. He also attended Gormanston College.

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Order of Inspector Brant Series

# Read Title Published Details
1 A White Arrest 1998 Description / Buy
2 Taming The Alien 1999 Description / Buy
3 The McDead 2001 Description / Buy
4 Blitz 2002 Description / Buy
5 Vixen 2003 Description / Buy
6 Calibre 2006 Description / Buy
7 Ammunition 2007 Description / Buy

Order of Jack Taylor Series

# Read Title Published Details
1 The Guards 2001 Description / Buy
2 The Killing of the Tinkers 2002 Description / Buy
3 The Magdalen Martyrs 2003 Description / Buy
4 The Dramatist 2004 Description / Buy
5 The Dead Room (Short Story) 2005 Description / Buy
6 Priest 2006 Description / Buy
7 Cross 2007 Description / Buy
8 Sanctuary 2008 Description / Buy
9 The Devil 2010 Description / Buy
10 Headstone 2011 Description / Buy
11 Purgatory 2013 Description / Buy
12 Green Hell 2015 Description / Buy
13 The Emerald Lie 2016 Description / Buy
14 The Ghosts of Galway 2017 Description / Buy
15 In the Galway Silence 2018 Description / Buy
16 Galway Girl 2019 Description / Buy
17 A Galway Epiphany 2020 Description / Buy
18 Galway Confidential 2024 Description / Buy

Order of Max and Angela Series with Jason Starr

# Read Title Published Details
1 Bust 2006 Description / Buy
2 Slide 2007 Description / Buy
3 The Max 2008 Description / Buy
4 Pimp 2016 Description / Buy

Order of Ken Bruen Standalone Novels

# Read Title Published Details
1 Shades of Grace 1993 Description / Buy
2 Her Last Call to Louis MacNeice (Short Story) 1997 Description / Buy
3 Rilke on Black 1997 Description / Buy
4 The Hackman Blues 1997 Description / Buy
5 London Boulevard 2002 Description / Buy
6 Dispatching Baudelaire 2004 Description / Buy
7 American Skin 2006 Description / Buy
8 Once Were Cops 2008 Description / Buy
9 Tower ( With: Reed Farrel Coleman) 2009 Description / Buy
10 Callous (Short Story) 2021 Description / Buy

Order of Ken Bruen Short Stories/Novellas

# Read Title Published Details
1 Murder by the Book 2005 Description / Buy
2 Time of the Green 2008 Description / Buy
3 Wednesday’s Child (Short Story) 2010 Description / Buy

Order of Ken Bruen Short Story Collections

# Read Title Published Details
1 Funeral: Tales of Irish Morbidities 1992 Description / Buy
2 Sherry and Other Stories (Short Story) 1994 Description / Buy
3 Time of Serena-May and Upon the Third Cross (Short Story) 1995 Description / Buy
4 A Fifth of Bruen: Early Fiction of Ken Bruen 2006 Description / Buy

Order of Bibliomysteries Series

# Read Title Published Details
1 The Book of Virtue 2012 Description / Buy
2 Pronghorns of the Third Reich (Short Story) ( By: C.J. Box) 2012 Description / Buy
3 The Book Thing ( By: Laura Lippman) 2012 Description / Buy
4 The Book Case ( By: Nelson DeMille) 2012 Description / Buy
5 An Acceptable Sacrifice ( By: Jeffery Deaver) 2012 Description / Buy
6 Death Leaves a Bookmark (Short Story) ( By: William Link) 2012 Description / Buy
7 The Final Testament (Short Story) ( By: Peter Blauner) 2013 Description / Buy
8 Rides a Stranger (Short Story) ( By: David Bell) 2013 Description / Buy
9 The Long Sonata of the Dead (Short Story) ( By: Andrew Taylor) 2013 Description / Buy
10 The Book of Ghosts (Short Story) ( By: Reed Farrel Coleman) 2013 Description / Buy
11 The Compendium of Srem (Short Story) ( By: F. Paul Wilson) 2014 Description / Buy
12 What's in a Name? (Short Story) ( By: Thomas H. Cook) 2014 Description / Buy
13 Remaindered (Short Story) ( By: Peter Lovesey) 2014 Description / Buy
14 The Sequel (Short Story) ( By: R.L. Stine) 2014 Description / Buy
15 The Gospel of Sheba (Short Story) ( By: Lyndsay Faye) 2014 Description / Buy
16 Book Club (Short Story) ( By: Loren D. Estleman) 2014 Description / Buy
17 The Nature of My Inheritance (Short Story) ( By: Bradford Morrow) 2014 Description / Buy
18 It's in the Book (Short Story) ( By: Mickey Spillane) 2014 Description / Buy
19 The Scroll (Short Story) ( By: Anne Perry) 2014 Description / Buy
20 The Book of the Lion (Short Story) ( By: Thomas Perry) 2015 Description / Buy
21 The Little Men (Short Story) ( By: Megan Abbott) 2015 Description / Buy
22 Condor in the Stacks (Short Story) ( By: James Grady) 2015 Description / Buy
23 Mystery, Inc. (Short Story) ( By: Joyce Carol Oates) 2015 Description / Buy
24 Every Seven Years (Short Story) ( By: Denise Mina) 2015 Description / Buy
25 From the Queen (Short Story) ( By: Carolyn Hart) 2015 Description / Buy
26 From the Queen (Short Story) ( By: Carolyn Hart) 2015 Description / Buy
27 The Travelling Companion ( By: Ian Rankin) 2016 Description / Buy
28 Citadel (Short Story) ( By: Stephen Hunter) 2016 Description / Buy
29 Reconciliation Day (Short Story) ( By: Christopher Fowler) 2016 Description / Buy
30 Dead Dames Don't Sing (Short Story) ( By: John Harvey) 2016 Description / Buy
31 The Haze (Short Story) ( By: James W. Hall) 2016 Description / Buy
32 Hoodoo Harry (Short Story) ( By: Joe R. Lansdale) 2017 Description / Buy
33 The Pretty Little Box (Short Story) ( By: Charles Todd) 2018 Description / Buy
34 Seven Years (Short Story) ( By: Peter Robinson) 2018 Description / Buy
35 The Hemingway Valise ( By: Robert Olen Butler) 2018 Description / Buy
36 The Last Honest Horse Thief ( By: Michael Koryta) 2018 Description / Buy
37 The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository ( By: John Connolly) 2018 Description / Buy
38 The Girl Who Did Say No (Short Story) ( By: David Handler) 2020 Description / Buy
39 The Traitor (Short Story) ( By: Martin Edwards) 2022 Description / Buy
40 The Dark Door ( By: Lisa Unger) 2022 Description / Buy
41 The Honeymoon Trap (Short Story) ( By: Peter Swanson) 2022 Description / Buy

Chronological Order of Bibliomysteries Series

# Read Title Published Details
1 The Book of Virtue 2012 Description / Buy
2 The Scroll (Short Story) ( By: Anne Perry) 2014 Description / Buy
3 Pronghorns of the Third Reich (Short Story) ( By: C.J. Box) 2012 Description / Buy
4 An Acceptable Sacrifice ( By: Jeffery Deaver) 2012 Description / Buy
5 Death Leaves a Bookmark (Short Story) ( By: William Link) 2012 Description / Buy
6 Seven Years (Short Story) ( By: Peter Robinson) 2018 Description / Buy
7 The Book Thing ( By: Laura Lippman) 2012 Description / Buy
8 The Book of Ghosts (Short Story) ( By: Reed Farrel Coleman) 2013 Description / Buy
9 Book Club (Short Story) ( By: Loren D. Estleman) 2014 Description / Buy
10 The Long Sonata of the Dead (Short Story) ( By: Andrew Taylor) 2013 Description / Buy
11 The Final Testament (Short Story) ( By: Peter Blauner) 2013 Description / Buy
12 Rides a Stranger (Short Story) ( By: David Bell) 2013 Description / Buy
13 What's in a Name? (Short Story) ( By: Thomas H. Cook) 2014 Description / Buy
14 It's in the Book (Short Story) ( By: Mickey Spillane) 2014 Description / Buy
15 The Nature of My Inheritance (Short Story) ( By: Bradford Morrow) 2014 Description / Buy
16 Remaindered (Short Story) ( By: Peter Lovesey) 2014 Description / Buy
17 The Compendium of Srem (Short Story) ( By: F. Paul Wilson) 2014 Description / Buy
18 The Gospel of Sheba (Short Story) ( By: Lyndsay Faye) 2014 Description / Buy
19 The Sequel (Short Story) ( By: R.L. Stine) 2014 Description / Buy
20 The Book of the Lion (Short Story) ( By: Thomas Perry) 2015 Description / Buy
21 The Little Men (Short Story) ( By: Megan Abbott) 2015 Description / Buy
22 From the Queen (Short Story) ( By: Carolyn Hart) 2015 Description / Buy
23 Every Seven Years (Short Story) ( By: Denise Mina) 2015 Description / Buy
24 Citadel (Short Story) ( By: Stephen Hunter) 2016 Description / Buy
25 Condor in the Stacks (Short Story) ( By: James Grady) 2015 Description / Buy
26 Mystery, Inc. (Short Story) ( By: Joyce Carol Oates) 2015 Description / Buy
27 The Travelling Companion ( By: Ian Rankin) 2016 Description / Buy
28 The Haze (Short Story) ( By: James W. Hall) 2016 Description / Buy
29 Dead Dames Don't Sing (Short Story) ( By: John Harvey) 2016 Description / Buy
30 Reconciliation Day (Short Story) ( By: Christopher Fowler) 2016 Description / Buy
31 Hoodoo Harry (Short Story) ( By: Joe R. Lansdale) 2017 Description / Buy
32 The Pretty Little Box (Short Story) ( By: Charles Todd) 2018 Description / Buy
33 The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository ( By: John Connolly) 2018 Description / Buy
34 The Hemingway Valise ( By: Robert Olen Butler) 2018 Description / Buy
35 The Last Honest Horse Thief ( By: Michael Koryta) 2018 Description / Buy
36 The Book Case ( By: Nelson DeMille) 2012 Description / Buy
37 From the Queen (Short Story) ( By: Carolyn Hart) 2015 Description / Buy
38 The Girl Who Did Say No (Short Story) ( By: David Handler) 2020 Description / Buy
39 The Traitor (Short Story) ( By: Martin Edwards) 2022 Description / Buy
40 The Dark Door ( By: Lisa Unger) 2022 Description / Buy
41 The Honeymoon Trap (Short Story) ( By: Peter Swanson) 2022 Description / Buy

Order of Akashic Drug Chronicles Series

# Read Title Published Details
1 The Cocaine Chronicles (Short Story) ( With: Lee Child, Laura Lippman, Jervey Tervalon, Bill Moody) 2005 Description / Buy
2 The Marijuana Chronicles ( By: Jonathan Santlofer) 2013 Description / Buy
3 The Nicotine Chronicles ( By: Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, Hannah Tinti, Christopher Sorrentino, Cara Black, Lauren Sanders, Bernice L. McFadden, Jonathan Ames) 2020 Description / Buy

Order of Mysterious Profiles Series

# Read Title Published Details
1 Elvis Cole and Joe Pike ( By: Robert Crais) 2022 Description / Buy
2 Jack Taylor 2022 Description / Buy
3 Jack Reacher ( By: Lee Child) 2022 Description / Buy
4 Charlie Parker ( By: John Connolly) 2022 Description / Buy
5 Hieronymus Bosch ( By: Michael Connelly) 2022 Description / Buy
6 Lincoln Rhyme ( By: Jeffery Deaver) 2022 Description / Buy
7 Alex Delaware ( By: Jonathan Kellerman) 2022 Description / Buy
8 Tess Monaghan ( By: Laura Lippman) 2022 Description / Buy
9 Charlie Resnick ( By: John Harvey) 2022 Description / Buy
10 Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus ( By: Faye Kellerman) 2022 Description / Buy
11 Inspector Morse ( By: Colin Dexter) 2022 Description / Buy
12 Dismas Hardy ( By: John Lescroart) 2022 Description / Buy
13 Bob Lee Swagger ( By: Stephen Hunter) 2022 Description / Buy
14 Aloysius X. L. Pendergast ( By: Douglas Preston) 2022 Description / Buy
15 Lou Boldt (Short Story) ( By: Ridley Pearson) 2022 Description / Buy
16 Spenser ( By: Robert B. Parker) 2022 Description / Buy
17 Charlotte and Thomas Pitt ( By: Anne Perry) 2022 Description / Buy
18 John Rebus ( By: Ian Rankin) 2022 Description / Buy
19 Mallory ( By: Carol O'Connell) 2022 Description / Buy
20 Jane Whitefield (Short Story) ( By: Thomas Perry) 2022 Description / Buy
21 Ian Rutledge: A Mysterious Profile (Short Story) ( By: Charles Todd) 2022 Description / Buy
22 Amos Walker (Short Story) ( By: Loren D. Estleman) 2022 Description / Buy
23 Precious Ramotswe (Short Story) ( By: Alexander McCall Smith) 2022 Description / Buy
24 Maisie Dobbs (Short Story) ( By: Jacqueline Winspear) 2022 Description / Buy
25 The Lincoln Lawyer (Short Story) ( By: Michael Connelly) 2022 Description / Buy
26 Ben Kincaid (Short Story) ( By: William Bernhardt) 2023 Description / Buy
27 Repairman Jack (Short Story) ( By: F. Paul Wilson) 2023 Description / Buy

Ken Bruen Anthologies

# Read Title Published Details
1 Brooklyn Noir 2004 Description / Buy
2 The Cocaine Chronicles 2005 Description / Buy
3 Dublin Noir 2005 Description / Buy
4 Damn Near Dead 2006 Description / Buy
5 London Noir 2006 Description / Buy
6 Killer Year: Stories to Die For... 2008 Description / Buy
7 Once Upon a Crime: An Anthology of Murder, Mayhem and Suspense 2009 Description / Buy
8 First Thrills 2010 Description / Buy
9 Requiems for the Departed 2010 Description / Buy
10 First Thrills: Volume 2 2011 Description / Buy
11 D*CKED 2011 Description / Buy
12 Uncommon Assassins 2012 Description / Buy
13 Inherit the Dead 2013 Description / Buy
14 Kwik Krimes 2013 Description / Buy
15 Borderland Noir 2015 Description / Buy
16 Silent Night, Deadly Night 2016 Description / Buy
17 Invisible Blood 2019 Description / Buy
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Bruen taught English for over two decades. The profession took him to places like Japan, South America, Africa, and Asia. It wasn’t until he returned to London after a stint in South America that Bruen put his mind to the task of writing fiction.

Bruen’s upbringing did little to encourage his artistic sensibilities. The author was a quiet child and that did not endear him to the people around him. The only book his father permitted in their home was the Bible.

As far as he was concerned, reading was not a manly undertaking. As such, Bruen’s parents did not appreciate his fascination with books. They wanted him to prioritize practical pursuits that would eventually land him a job in insurance.

At the age of ten, Bruen was fortunate enough to receive a library card as a gift. He eventually stumbled upon some discarded books in the library that he was permitted to keep. They had a significant influence on him, introducing the author to the many American writers whose works would eventually shape Bruen’s literary tastes and preferences.

Nonetheless, Bruen’s upbringing did not position him to succeed as a writer, which is why he became a teacher. Interestingly enough, the author was initially tempted to pursue acting. Following a successful audition, RADA offered him a place. But Bruen was unwilling to face the teasing he would encounter at home if he accepted RADA’s offer. So he stuck to English.

Once he got his Masters, the author began teaching English as a foreign language in other countries. The events that lured Bruen into publishing were far from pleasant.

During his time in Rio de Janeiro, a brawl at a bar landed Bruen in prison. The experience was so traumatic that Bruen rarely talks about it. He was released after four months.

After returning home, Bruen did not know what to do with himself. Writing entered the picture because the author thought that he could use the activity to heal his mental and emotional wounds. Around that same time, Bruen’s friends introduced him to a group of children they wanted to help.

But the kids were quite tough, and they hated books. Bruen decided to write a novel that would appeal to them. He did such an impressive job of capturing their voices that many of the author’s fans were surprised to learn, later on, that he was a white Irish man.

It took him a while to find his footing in publishing. Bruen’s books were unique because they featured European settings and yet the author wrote them using a style reminiscent of the American hard-boiled genre. Today, Bruen’s novels are more famous abroad than they are in Ireland.

Ken Bruen Awards

Bruen has won Shamus, Macavity, and Barry Awards. He has also received Edgar Award nominations.

Ken Bruen Books Into Movies

‘Blitz’ became a Jason Statham movie of the same name. It came out in 2011. ‘Merrick’ became the TV show ‘100 Code’. ‘London Boulevard’ became a 2010 film of the same name. It featured Keira Knightley and Colin Farrell.

Best Ken Bruen Books

The author’s stories are dark. They have been praised for their grim atmosphere. Some of Bruen’s best novels include:

The Guards: Jack Taylor’s life was over. Ireland’s Police Force had ejected him from its ranks. He had briefly tolerated notions of becoming Ireland’s first and best private investigator.

But that was during his sober moments. Alcohol had all but consumed him. As far as Jack was concerned, life had nothing of note to offer him. But then a dazzling woman walked into the bar and made a request. Naturally, Jack had to accept, though he had no idea what he had just signed up for.

The Killing of the Tinkers: Jack thought he could start over. When he left for London, he was sober. More importantly, he was determined to stay that way. But then life’s many trials shattered his dreams.

A year later, Jack is back in Galway. He has fallen back into his old habits. He can’t stop drinking or sniffing coke. When a gypsy walks into the bar, the investigator can tell that the man is a kindred spirit.

In the Gypsy’s eyes, Jack can see the same hopelessness he feels. This is why he has decided to help the man even though he has a feeling that doing so may bring more ruin into his life.

When Does The Next Ken Bruen book come out?

Ken Bruen doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Galway Confidential and was released on March, 5th 2024. It is the newest book in the Jack Taylor Series.

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