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Bloodland
A private security contractor loses it in the Congo, with deadly consequences, while in Ireland the ex-prime minister struggles to write his memoir. A tabloid star is killed in a helicopter crash and three years later a young journalist is warned off the story. As a news story breaks in Paris, a US senator prepares his campaign to run for office. What links these things and who controls what we know?
With echoes of John Le Carre, 24 and James Ellroy, Alan Glynn has written another crime novel of and for our times - a ferocious thriller that moves from Dublin to New York via West Africa, and thrillingly explores the legacy of corruption in big business, the West's fear of China, the fate of ex-military, the role of back room political players, and the quick fix of online news.
With echoes of John Le Carre, 24 and James Ellroy, Alan Glynn has written another crime novel of and for our times - a ferocious thriller that moves from Dublin to New York via West Africa, and thrillingly explores the legacy of corruption in big business, the West's fear of China, the fate of ex-military, the role of back room political players, and the quick fix of online news.
432 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
About the author
Alan Glynn
6 books205 followersAlan Glynn is a graduate of Trinity College. His first novel, The Dark Fields, was released in March 2011 as the movie Limitless by Relativity Media. He is also the author of Graveland, Winterland and Bloodland, for which he won the 2011 Irish Book Award.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/alanglynn
http://us.macmillan.com/author/alanglynn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
January 5, 2021
Excellent and complex. 4.5 stars and never more timely. Review to come shortly after some thought. This writing doesn't suffer fools and holds a tense, jumpy and yet difficult to tenuous connection at its chest.
Yes. The present politico world is as corrupt as the layered players in this one. Disgusting hierarchy of the pay to play is not simple, but encapsulated thoroughly within the mighty real.
Later:
This being one of the few I've read that holds "eyes" of nearly all levels of perception- I won't try to encapsulate its depth into parsing. Glynn's style may not be a favorite for all as he doesn't do "explaining". Often times you will have difficulty knowing who is narrating or keeping parts of 30 or 40 names (often only parts of names or a nickname) into your mind's reading "pile" of context, so to speak. That's the only reason this is not a 5 star.
You will need to know more than just Corporate bullying hate too. You will need to know economics as it truly IS within practical applications and not be so squared within a theory school to understand some of these assumptions.
I've know some Tom S. people in my life. And I've know Jimmy's who can't overlook what they see too. But to tell you within an entire logical or heartfelt whole truth of honesty- I no longer see any actual journalists in action as portrayed here. Some are on the brink, but most are now political activists or organizers in some politico paid push.
Strongly recommend this book.
Yes. The present politico world is as corrupt as the layered players in this one. Disgusting hierarchy of the pay to play is not simple, but encapsulated thoroughly within the mighty real.
Later:
This being one of the few I've read that holds "eyes" of nearly all levels of perception- I won't try to encapsulate its depth into parsing. Glynn's style may not be a favorite for all as he doesn't do "explaining". Often times you will have difficulty knowing who is narrating or keeping parts of 30 or 40 names (often only parts of names or a nickname) into your mind's reading "pile" of context, so to speak. That's the only reason this is not a 5 star.
You will need to know more than just Corporate bullying hate too. You will need to know economics as it truly IS within practical applications and not be so squared within a theory school to understand some of these assumptions.
I've know some Tom S. people in my life. And I've know Jimmy's who can't overlook what they see too. But to tell you within an entire logical or heartfelt whole truth of honesty- I no longer see any actual journalists in action as portrayed here. Some are on the brink, but most are now political activists or organizers in some politico paid push.
Strongly recommend this book.
January 15, 2014
I wish I could rate it 3.5. Decent characters, interesting plot, a touch of current affairs. It will not change your life, neither was it meant to achieve that. Perfect reading for your vacation or a long flight. I guess the genre is limited. The author was able to squeeze as much juice as possible.
November 4, 2014
Alan Glynn's "Bloodland" opens with background about a fatal plane crash that killed the world renowned Susie Monaghan and four others. After a great deal of investigation, Monaghan's death was ruled to be an accident, and the entire case was regarded as simply just another tragic helicopter crash. However, a young journalist named Jimmy Gilroy decides that he believes there is more to Monaghan's death, and takes on the task of doing more research to try and find out what really happened. His intent was to try to discover exactly what happened to Susie Monaghan so that he could write an accurate biography of her life in the spotlight. However, after sitting down with Monaghan's sister and other people who were acquainted with her during her life, he finds that Susie had crossed paths with some unlikely men who held very powerful positions in business, such as Dave Conway, JJ Rundle, Clark Rundle, and Larry Bolger. After doing more and more research on these men and their backgrounds and speaking with more and more suspects, Gilroy begins to unravel a bizarre coincidence of events concerning all of the people mentioned above, a frightening conspiracy that could potentially cost him his life. Could these four prestigious businessmen have had something to do with Susie Monaghan's death, and if so, why did they want her dead? Depicting the desperate struggle to uncover the truth and the complete series of events that killed Susie Monaghan, "Bloodland" is an extremely well-written detective story that will have you on the edge of your seats trying to solve the mystery alongside Jimmy Gilroy.
Overall, "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn is a perfect example of a modern detective story, because it involves Jimmy Gilroy, the protagonist of the novel, who is trying to uncover the truth about a strange and bizarre death. It incorporates numerous aspects of a typical detective story, such as the buildup of suspense and horror throughout the story and the domino effect, which concerns the idea that one event leads into the next, creating a more complex story. Although this story moved a bit too slowly for my liking, causing me to become bored at some points, I thought it had an extremely unique plot line and it was like nothing I had read previously.
Overall, "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn is a perfect example of a modern detective story, because it involves Jimmy Gilroy, the protagonist of the novel, who is trying to uncover the truth about a strange and bizarre death. It incorporates numerous aspects of a typical detective story, such as the buildup of suspense and horror throughout the story and the domino effect, which concerns the idea that one event leads into the next, creating a more complex story. Although this story moved a bit too slowly for my liking, causing me to become bored at some points, I thought it had an extremely unique plot line and it was like nothing I had read previously.
January 15, 2012
I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened, but essentially it is the book equivalent of TV or a blockbuster action film. I can't help but imagine Ireland's Nobel laureates rolling in their graves at the "Great Irish novel" quote on the cover.
May 7, 2012
Bloodland is a political thriller. It’s connected to Glynn’s last novel, Winterland, by a couple of characters – Larry Bolger and James Vaughan, a businessman who also pulls political strings at the highest levels in the US administration. The story is ambitious in its scope, connecting together characters, business deals and incidents on three continents – Congo, Ireland, UK, Italy and the US. The focus on resource extraction, the new scramble for Africa, business and political corruption, and private security companies is fascinating, and Glynn does a good job of highlighting the various issues without it swamping the reader with details to the detriment of the plot and pace. Indeed, the plot is well constructed, linking together all the various elements and actors, and the story seemed possible and credible (often one of the problems of political thrillers). However, for me, the unfolding was a little too straightforward in that Jimmy Gilroy doesn’t seem to have to work too hard to piece things together and there’s no real sense he’s in a lot of danger until near the end. For example, there are three confessional moments in the book, which all happen with little to no prompting or fighting from Gilroy. In some ways this is necessary otherwise the book would have to be substantially longer and it’s already tying together a complex weave of strands. The effect though was to slightly underplay the potential tension, though there’s more than enough to make Bloodland a real page turner. Regardless of these observations the book is a great read – it has a nice, quick pace, Glynn’s prose is expressive and easy on the eye, there’s a good range of interesting characters, and it’s topical and informative. As political thrillers go, Bloodland is above average fare and well worth a read. I’m very much looking forward to reading the third book in the lose trilogy, Graveland, when it’s published.
April 18, 2011
A really well written thriller which explores the web of corruption and murder that ties together a warlord in the Congo, shady businessmen in New York, and corrupt Irish politicans in hock to dodgy developers post boom. It zips along from one character to the next, yet never loses focus on the main plot - a really gripping book!
September 22, 2017
One of the best political thrillers that I have read lately ! A good conspiracy, good character-developement, and a very intriguing plot. Made me enjoy every bit of it! I think this novel would make a very imteresting movie too. I haven't read the previous one, "Winterland", nor the sequel to this one "Graveland", but I'm sure I will do it shortly.
May 30, 2016
One of the best political thrillers that I have read lately ! A good conspiracy, good character-developement, and a very intriguing plot. Made me enjoy every bit of it! I think this novel would make a very interesting movie too. I haven't read the previous one, "Winterland", nor the sequel to this one "Graveland", but I'm sure I will do it shortly.
November 4, 2014
I had not yet read any of the author's previous work so was excited to see if I now had a "new" author to follow. I've read numerous "thriller" novels, no matter how you define that term, and have long been wary of trying new authors because there just seems to be so many that write by some perceived formula for "success". That's not always bad as I do like a good adrenaline rush as much as the next guy, as long as there are the other aspects of a good novel (like well written characterization, proper plotting, setting, etc.)
I am pleased to report that this novel is, indeed, very well written and offers taught plotting and excellent characterization. As others have mentioned, the first part of the book requires paying close attention to make sure you understand the many different characters and what their roles/motivations might be. I won't rehash the plot here as that has been done well by other reviewers but suffice it to say it's a plot that is not only plausible in today's political world, but even likely. Some reviewers refer to a "stream of consciousness" approach to the story-telling but don't let that dissuade you. The author uses present tense throughout but, in my mind, that simply reinforces the here-and-now urgency of the plot and serves to suck you in to the story.
I would have awarded 5 stars except for a small feeling of dissatisfaction with the way certain plot elements were resolved. Chalk that up to my need to witness events instead of being told about plot climaxes that occur off-stage. Other than that, a most satisfying reading experience and, indeed, I do now have a "new" author to follow.
I am pleased to report that this novel is, indeed, very well written and offers taught plotting and excellent characterization. As others have mentioned, the first part of the book requires paying close attention to make sure you understand the many different characters and what their roles/motivations might be. I won't rehash the plot here as that has been done well by other reviewers but suffice it to say it's a plot that is not only plausible in today's political world, but even likely. Some reviewers refer to a "stream of consciousness" approach to the story-telling but don't let that dissuade you. The author uses present tense throughout but, in my mind, that simply reinforces the here-and-now urgency of the plot and serves to suck you in to the story.
I would have awarded 5 stars except for a small feeling of dissatisfaction with the way certain plot elements were resolved. Chalk that up to my need to witness events instead of being told about plot climaxes that occur off-stage. Other than that, a most satisfying reading experience and, indeed, I do now have a "new" author to follow.
March 14, 2014
I enjoyed this book immensely.
I loved how the seemingly disparate storylines all came together. One thread deals with an out-work reporter, Jimmy Vaughan who has just been commissioned to do a biography on a C-list celebrity actress who had been killed a few years earlier in a helicopter crash. There’s also a retired politician railing against his irrelevance and worried about a terrible secret, an almost bankrupt post-recession Irish property developer and a powerful US chief of industry under pressure to get an illicit Congolese mining operation back on track.
The story touches on issues such as the exploitation of Africa’s natural resources, the disposability of celebrity, the financial crisis and the rise of private military contractors. While this may seem a wide range of unrelated topics, they are so skilfully woven into the story that they all make sense and all work towards the brilliant conclusion. Each of the main characters feel real, the most striking thing about them is their shared trait of desperation whether it’s to remain relevant, to succeed or just to hold on. Even when you know they’ve behaved terribly and as a reader want to see justice done, you still sympathise with them and understand how events can carry a person towards a destination they never intended.
Finally, I know from looking online that some of the characters appeared previously in Winterland and some appear again in Graveland; I intend reading both and I hope if he doesn’t appear in the latter that the supporting character of Szymanski from Bloodland does appear again in some subsequent book.
I loved how the seemingly disparate storylines all came together. One thread deals with an out-work reporter, Jimmy Vaughan who has just been commissioned to do a biography on a C-list celebrity actress who had been killed a few years earlier in a helicopter crash. There’s also a retired politician railing against his irrelevance and worried about a terrible secret, an almost bankrupt post-recession Irish property developer and a powerful US chief of industry under pressure to get an illicit Congolese mining operation back on track.
The story touches on issues such as the exploitation of Africa’s natural resources, the disposability of celebrity, the financial crisis and the rise of private military contractors. While this may seem a wide range of unrelated topics, they are so skilfully woven into the story that they all make sense and all work towards the brilliant conclusion. Each of the main characters feel real, the most striking thing about them is their shared trait of desperation whether it’s to remain relevant, to succeed or just to hold on. Even when you know they’ve behaved terribly and as a reader want to see justice done, you still sympathise with them and understand how events can carry a person towards a destination they never intended.
Finally, I know from looking online that some of the characters appeared previously in Winterland and some appear again in Graveland; I intend reading both and I hope if he doesn’t appear in the latter that the supporting character of Szymanski from Bloodland does appear again in some subsequent book.
March 19, 2018
Гостросюжетний детектив відомого ірландського письменника Алана Глінна. В романі постають такі проблеми, як боротьба за африканські ресурси, пожадливість та злочинність великих корпорацій, продажність політиків та людей, які займають досить високі посади, але не мають жодних моральних принципів і зовсім не усвідомлюють потенційні та реальні наслідки своїх дій.
Навіть не можу пояснити, чого мене потягло до цієї книги. Адже корупційні схеми, політичні та замовні вбивства, підлаштотвані катастрофи, масові вбивства, а ще такі персонажі, як політики, екс-міністри, високопосадовці, банкіри, підприємці, урядовці, фінансисти – це абсолютно не та література, яку я люблю. Я люблю пригодницьку літературу, але без політики. І все ж я прочитала цю книгу. Віднесу її до такої, що прочитала і більше не перечитаю.
Коротко про сюжет: молодий журналіст Джиммі Гілрой береться за написання книги про зірку таблоїдів Сюзі Монаген, яка загинула в авіакатастрофі три роки тому. Під час невеликого розслідування загибелі відомої світської тусовщиці та зірки низькопробних серіалів, виявляється що за простою катастрофою стоїть зовсім не нещасний випадок, а спланов��не вбивство. Далі журналіст вже не пише книгу, а розслідує клубок заплутаних корупційних схем.
Недоліки: велика кількість персонажів та сюжетних ліній, які на перший погляд не перетинаються між собою. Лише наприкінці книги вже трохи стає зрозумілим хто є хто. Читається важкувато. Ну і одним з недоліком є росіянізми, які я помітила під час читання, але це вже провина перекладача та коректора – здорово, передишка, кіпешуй, з трудом, потрясаючою, замужем.
Навіть не можу пояснити, чого мене потягло до цієї книги. Адже корупційні схеми, політичні та замовні вбивства, підлаштотвані катастрофи, масові вбивства, а ще такі персонажі, як політики, екс-міністри, високопосадовці, банкіри, підприємці, урядовці, фінансисти – це абсолютно не та література, яку я люблю. Я люблю пригодницьку літературу, але без політики. І все ж я прочитала цю книгу. Віднесу її до такої, що прочитала і більше не перечитаю.
Коротко про сюжет: молодий журналіст Джиммі Гілрой береться за написання книги про зірку таблоїдів Сюзі Монаген, яка загинула в авіакатастрофі три роки тому. Під час невеликого розслідування загибелі відомої світської тусовщиці та зірки низькопробних серіалів, виявляється що за простою катастрофою стоїть зовсім не нещасний випадок, а спланов��не вбивство. Далі журналіст вже не пише книгу, а розслідує клубок заплутаних корупційних схем.
Недоліки: велика кількість персонажів та сюжетних ліній, які на перший погляд не перетинаються між собою. Лише наприкінці книги вже трохи стає зрозумілим хто є хто. Читається важкувато. Ну і одним з недоліком є росіянізми, які я помітила під час читання, але це вже провина перекладача та коректора – здорово, передишка, кіпешуй, з трудом, потрясаючою, замужем.
February 1, 2012
Can something as mundane as a hand accidentally slammed in a car door derail an eminent United States senator's promising presidential prospects? In Alan Glynn's new international thriller, "Bloodland," it might do so just as readily as the mysterious helicopter crash off Ireland's coast years earlier that killed a coked-up young Hollywood trollop at the peak of her notoriety. Without a steady job in hand or on the horizon, young journalist Jimmy Gilroy reluctantly finds himself freelancing on spec to write a biography of the famously dead starlet. The vapid celebrity expose he dreads writing becomes something vastly more dreadful as finds himself delving into a savage conspiracy that sucks him into an increasingly menacing labyrinth of lies and corpses reaching from the depths of war torn African jungles to the steps of the White House.
Though it takes a little while to get off the ground, Glynn's novel is a worthy read for conspiracy thriller fans. The Great Recession's rapacious specters loom in the book's background as Glynn deftly weaves spiraling plot lines teeming with twisted characters, all of whom are intriguingly flawed and none of whom are particularly loveable. The dialogue is crisp, and thanks to Glynn's fastidious research the settings ring both exotic and true. As with many of the best modern thrillers, a real-life story chillingly similar to the tale Glynn spins in "Bloodland" could be the breathless headlines on tomorrow's news.
Though it takes a little while to get off the ground, Glynn's novel is a worthy read for conspiracy thriller fans. The Great Recession's rapacious specters loom in the book's background as Glynn deftly weaves spiraling plot lines teeming with twisted characters, all of whom are intriguingly flawed and none of whom are particularly loveable. The dialogue is crisp, and thanks to Glynn's fastidious research the settings ring both exotic and true. As with many of the best modern thrillers, a real-life story chillingly similar to the tale Glynn spins in "Bloodland" could be the breathless headlines on tomorrow's news.
October 11, 2012
I really enjoyed Alan Glynn's novel 'Limitless' and decided to give this, his latest novel, a try. This book is more of a conventional conspiracy thriller and lacked the unique concept that made 'Limitless' such a good read. I found it a bit difficult to get into initially but once the various strands of the story started to come together, I was hooked. I did feel a little shortchanged by the finale however but enjoyed the book nonetheless.
April 10, 2018
I would have rated it 4 stars if I hadn't read the last 20 or so pages. It portrayed itself as a mystery novel, but the reporter didn't figure ANYTHING out. Everything he knows was spelled out for him. Looking back on the book, it had a great mystery, but it just wasn't developed or solved. Even when everything was somewhat figured out, nothing really happened. The ending just disappointed me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2016
Loved this book. The book has a slightly slow start because there are so many 'players' being introduced.
After the pieces begin to fall together and you think you know how it will all end, the story takes an abrupt turn and spins in an unexpected direction.
The narration was excellent.
After the pieces begin to fall together and you think you know how it will all end, the story takes an abrupt turn and spins in an unexpected direction.
The narration was excellent.
March 28, 2016
A bit of a sequel to Winterland, a top-notch thriller that very effectively expands the scale of his Irish noir tales from corporate/criminal chicanery in Dublin to Dublin, Manhattan and the Congo. Which may sound like the Random Setting Grab Bag but is handled very effectively.
August 31, 2012
Just "ok". This would make a better movie than a book. Too many players were introduced in the first 50 pages. It wasn't a very suspenseful story.
May 8, 2017
Tight writing, excellent plot. Not my usual genre but a thriller which captured me and forced me to continue reading long after I should have put the book down. What more can you ask for.
July 20, 2011
A semi-sequel to WINTERLAND but much more engaging than the first book.
May 16, 2023
This was a two star pushed to three stars because of the last three chapters. It was a slog and the reveal wasn't too surprising. Think about a talkie series with nothing happening. I was tempted to stop reading. I'm not very good with multiple cast of characters. What I don't understand, after all the brutality, the end wasn't prevented by the bad guys. Strange, really. That said, I feel like the emerging victor here is John Vaughn and would like to read a second one with him and his machinations and the aftermath.
January 14, 2024
A slow start; multiple characters and locations were introduced too quickly making it difficult to remember who was who. Disappointingly Glynn did not really develop the characters with the majority remaining rather two dimensional.
The structure of the long chapters, which jump about between the various characters, locations and plot strands make it hard to follow. Eventually, well into the book, the various plot strands start to come together and take the reader quickly to a rather predictable end.
The structure of the long chapters, which jump about between the various characters, locations and plot strands make it hard to follow. Eventually, well into the book, the various plot strands start to come together and take the reader quickly to a rather predictable end.
August 9, 2021
Started to get really into it around the 200th page lol cause FINALLY something was happening. I was so bored during the first half that I wanted to DNF it, but I just really wanted to know how it ended.
OK characters, no one is really THAT interesting except this Vaughan character. I read from the back (author’s interview from my edition) that he, Jimmy Vaughan, appears in other books? Ngl, I am not interested to read his other novels.
OK characters, no one is really THAT interesting except this Vaughan character. I read from the back (author’s interview from my edition) that he, Jimmy Vaughan, appears in other books? Ngl, I am not interested to read his other novels.
January 23, 2023
It took me a while to remember who all the characters were - the way the chapters were structured made it hard to follow at times. Each chapter was in essence multiple chapters that could have done with being named, and/or a character list supplied. But once I got past all of that I was hooked by the story, the mystery, the intrigue and how it all fitted together. Nothing special but a solid read.
February 10, 2019
Great Read fiction or fact ?
A cracking read but you have to concentrate on the character and parallel stories , stick with it for a roller coaster which is fiction which could just as easily be true.
A cracking read but you have to concentrate on the character and parallel stories , stick with it for a roller coaster which is fiction which could just as easily be true.
August 25, 2021
An interesting contrast from the (probably female reader targetted) book I read beforehand. Whereas that book was overly focussed on characters and relationships at the expense of plot, this Alan Glynn novel had plenty going on, but I really didn't get a sense of any interest in the people to whom events were happening.
Though the framework of political, media and business conspiracy being investigated by a driven journalist could have been written by someone like Chris Brookmyre with much more appeal, this lacked a bit of humour and just something to pull me in. As it was, it ended up with a mish mash of characters troubled in their own way involved in a series of plot strands which came together in a slightly unsatisfying manner eventually. Possibly a book pitched slightly too far in the 'conspiracy thriller' direction for my tastes.
Though the framework of political, media and business conspiracy being investigated by a driven journalist could have been written by someone like Chris Brookmyre with much more appeal, this lacked a bit of humour and just something to pull me in. As it was, it ended up with a mish mash of characters troubled in their own way involved in a series of plot strands which came together in a slightly unsatisfying manner eventually. Possibly a book pitched slightly too far in the 'conspiracy thriller' direction for my tastes.
February 11, 2024
High three. It's an all right book, some of the materials for a nice thriller are there. It's a min-Millenium by the end, though at this point I would still reread Millenium first. Some journalism notables are there. It's fifty fifty with the other book - and maybe I should buy Limitless too.
Want to read
November 30, 2019Synopsis: a ferocious thriller that moves from Dublin to New York via West Africa, and expolores corruption in big business, China and online news.
May 3, 2021
3.5 stars
Quite a compelling story. I read it in two sittings. But in no way as memorable as Alan Glynn’s other books.
Quite a compelling story. I read it in two sittings. But in no way as memorable as Alan Glynn’s other books.
September 25, 2022
Political thriller which unravels its plot in conversation with very little action. Gripping.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews