This is the fifth and final book In in the series, sadly I grabbed it by mistake and therefore will be reading the series out of order since The only other book in the series I have read is the first one.
This book is even better than the first book, which is saying something.
Nearly as much a literary book, as a mystery, plenty questions around morality, religion and its affects on life in Ireland.
This truly is a fantastic book. ( )

Okay, so having finally worked out that this review has never actually made it into the light of day, for reasons which, well no reason. Let's just say idiocy on my part and move on.

CITY OF THE LOST GIRLS deserves much better attention than I've given it. The fifth book in the Ed Loy series, Loy is one of those rumpled Irish PI types, part philospher, part hardman, and in this book he's walking the mean streets of Dublin and LA.

Quintessentially Irish in the descriptions and observations sprinkled throughout the book, it comes as no surprise to recently (did I mention I've been under a rock for a while...) realise that Declan Hughes has a background as a playwright. Not to the level that makes any of these books read like a film treatment mind you.

It's just a great series, and finding CITY OF LOST GIRLS in a pile that I should have paid attention to a while ago bought that memory back in spades.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/city-lost-girls-declan-hughes ( )

It doesn't make any difference what the plot of this fifth Ed Loy novel is.. Mystery lovers in years past bought a Ross Macdonald story, or a Raymond Chandler, or Dashiell Hammett as now we buy a Robert Crais or Robert Parker or John Grisham book. We know we're going to get the best Noir, Thriller, Mystery, Crime novel available.. the plot is of little consequence.

Yes.. Declan Hughes is that good. A talented professional who transports us, vicariously, into his world for a few hours at a time, and makes us feel good that we're able to return to our own relatively safe and sane world, before turning off the lights at the end of the day! ( )

Declan Hughes continue to pay homage to the fine tradition of the PI and noir mystery. Here he connects his transplanted Chandler-Macdonald-Hammit PI character right back to the mother city, Los Angeles. Very satisfying, and stands alone well, though if you read the books in order, the character development of Ed Loy is more nuanced and rich. Very well crafted writing. ( )

This is the 5th Ed Loy book. I have read #'s 3-5 and have enjoyed them all; I'll circle back and read the first two before long. As always, gritty portrayal of crime and violence in today's Dublin. Two main differences with previous books - #3 and 4 was rich with lots of characters that you would not invite home for Sunday dinner, and I suspect 1 and 2 are similar in this regard. City of Lost Girls focuses on the movie industry, primarily on the production and management side, so we get to know cinematographers, first assistant directors, producers. Secondly, this book develops more of Loy's life off-the-job with girlfriend Anne Fogarty and her two daughters, and also a bit on one of the film crew's exes and her two kids. Family hour, maybe a bit too much. There is also a climactic scene in which one of these families becomes earmarked as potential victims. This seems to be case in a number of recent crime fiction books I've read and it's become a bit overdone. Maybe #6 will get back to the more traditional elements of murder and mayhem. I also had some difficulties with the background crimes that had occurred and no one associating them with the film crew; seemed to be quite a stretch. ( )