From the "Godfather of the modern Irish crime novel" (Irish
Independent), The Emerald Lie introduces a villain of the most
unusual type: an Eton and Cambridge graduate who becomes murderous over
split infinitives, improper punctuation, and any other sign of bad
grammar. Ken Bruen's irascible protagonist, ex-cop Jack Taylor, is
meanwhile approached by a grieving father with a pocketful of cash on
offer if Jack will help exact revenge on those responsible for his
daughter's brutal rape and murder. Jack agrees to get a read on the
likely perpetrators but is soon derailed by the appearance of Emily
(also known as Em, Emerald), a chameleon-like young woman who is by
turns passionate, clever, and utterly homicidal. She is ready to use any
sort of coercion to get Jack to conspire with her against the serial
killer the Garda have nicknamed "the Grammarian," but her most
destructive obsession just might be Jack himself.