The Guards by Bruen, Ken - 2003

New York: St. Martin's Minotaur, 2003. Just a touch of wear to the jacket. Signed by the author (name only) on the title page. 281 pages. From the publisher: "It's almost impossible to be thrown out of the Gardaí, but former police detective Jack Taylor has managed it. Following the death of his father, Jack finds himself disgraced, unemployed, and drinking himself into oblivion when he is asked to privately investigate a teenage suicide. The case is one of several successive suicides from the same bridge in Galway, and all the victims are teenage females. The Irish police, the Guards, are quick to dismiss the deaths as coincidences, suggesting the bridge has become a destination spot for depressed teens. However, when he is approached by Ann Henderson, the mother of one of the girls, Jack begins to uncover facts that suggest otherwise. Plunged into a dangerous confrontation with the police and a powerful but suspicious businessman, Jack finds himself questioning his instincts, his motives, and who - if anyone - he can trust.". SIGNED. First U.S. Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Near Fine+.