{"product_id":"the-guards-a-novel","title":"The Guards: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eStill stinging from his unceremonious ouster from the Garda Sochnathe Guards  Irelands police forceand staring at the world through the smoky bottom of his beer mug  Jack Taylor is stuck in Galway with nothing to look forward to. In his sober moments Jack aspires to become Irelands best private investigator  not to mention its firstIrish history  full of betrayal and espionage  discourages any profession so closely related to informing. But in truth Jack is teetering on the brink of his lifes sharpest edges  his memories of the past cutting deep into his soul and his prospects for the future nonexistent.  Nonexistent  that is  until a dazzling woman walks into the bar with a strange request and a rumor about Jacks talent for finding things. Odds are he wont be able to climb off his barstool long enough to get involved with his radiant new client  but when he surprises himself by getting hired  Jack has little idea of what hes getting into.  Stark  violent  sharp  and funny  The Guards is an exceptional novel  one that leaves you stunned and breathless  flipping back to the beginning in a mad dash to find Jack Taylor and enter his world all over again. Its an unforgettable story thats gritty  absorbing  and saturated with the rough-edged rhythms of the Galway streets. Praised by authors and critics around the globe  The Guards heralds the arrival of an essential new novelist in contemporary crime fiction. The Guards is a 2004 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44986344079413,"sku":"ByrdShop_0312303556","price":27.66,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780312303556.jpg?v=1770896888","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-guards-a-novel","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}