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Rating: 
Summary: A solid crime novel poetically written
Review: In New York of the 1980s, Michael Forsythe is an Irish thug working for a crime boss, Darkey White. His life is on the edge and whatever fun is to be had, violence is just around the corner. His lover, Bridget, just so happens to be the girlfriend of his boss. This gets him into some major trouble as Michael and three of his cronies are sent down to Mexico for a drug sale. After being set up, presumably by Darkey, they wind up in prison. After a harrowing escape, Michael, the only survivor, finds meaning in his life- revenge against those who set them up.
This debut novel is both beautifully written but problematic. There is a distinct inconsistency in the method of narration. Initially the novel is episodic as we get to know the characters. It then becomes nonlinear as we go back into Michael's life. From the prison on it becomes a linear story. It seems as if the author could not maintain a single method of narration perhaps due to lack of experience. The author also chose not to use any quotation marks during the numerous dialogues which can be a bit distracting. Nonetheless, characters are so beautifully rendered as is the locale with much poetic lyricism. This is a very solid crime novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Tour de Force
Review: A thriller that is history, fantasy, poetry and a portrait of New York as well, woven together as a very original, innovative page turner that makes one think and also keeps the adrenalin going.
Rating:
Summary: Dead I Well May Be
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, found it ingrossing, clever, and spellbinding. The novel's anti-hero, Michael Forsythe is both street-smart and an intellectual. His keenly observant eye gives the reader insight into characters, places, and circumstances that escape the average writer or reader. He is both cocky and aware of his and others limitations. McGinty's placement of this Irish immigrant in Harlem circa 1990 creates a tightly wound, explosive plot that intrigues and does not fail to deliver. Michael Forsythe is a character cut from the same mold as Walter Mosley's "Easy Rawlins" and Chester Himes' "Bob Jones". I highly recommend this novel.
Rating:
Summary: McKinty scores!
Review: Thrown off the dole in his native Belfast, young Michael Forsythe illegally immigrates to the US. Arriving in New York City in 1992, he takes up a life of crime, landing a spot as an enforcer for fellow Irishman "Darkey" White. Though Forsythe at first manages to avoid any wet work, he soon racks up a significant number of kills in skirmishes with rival crews.
Although careful in business, he's less cautious in his love life, recklessly pursuing an affair with Darkey's girlfriend. Their trysts lead to trouble for Forsythe--ostensibly on Darkey's business in Mexico, he falls victim to a setup, one which lands him in a Mexican prison. Trapped in a surreal hell, he plans his revenge on Darkey. Forsythe's first person narrative serves this story well, lending a palpable sense of urgency. The book moves at breakneck speed, chronicling the oddly literate Irishman's journey through a sordid criminal landscape, where everyone is either predator or prey. The vividly depicted Harlem seems a virtual hell, which one can only escape by death, or by rising to the top by being more ruthless than your competition. Realistic, memorable, and unsentimental, Dead I May Well Be is a compelling read that's easy to recommend. Reminiscent in tone and attitude to Donald E. Westlake's Richard Stark novels, and in style and scope to the works of Richard Price and Dennis LeHane, this hard-hitting saga of violence and betrayal marks McKinty as a writer to watch.
Rating:
Summary: McKinty scores!
Review: Thrown off the dole in his native Belfast, young Michael Forsythe illegally immigrates to the US. Arriving in New York City in 1992, he takes up a life of crime, landing a spot as an enforcer for fellow Irishman "Darkey" White. Though Forsythe at first manages to avoid any wet work, he soon racks up a significant number of kills in skirmishes with rival crews.
Although careful in business, he's less cautious in his love life, recklessly pursuing an affair with Darkey's girlfriend. Their trysts lead to trouble for Forsythe--ostensibly on Darkey's business in Mexico, he falls victim to a setup, one which lands him in a Mexican prison. Trapped in a surreal hell, he plans his revenge on Darkey. Forsythe's first person narrative serves this story well, lending a palpable sense of urgency. The book moves at breakneck speed, chronicling the oddly literate Irishman's journey through a sordid criminal landscape, where everyone is either predator or prey. The vividly depicted Harlem seems a virtual hell, which one can only escape by death, or by rising to the top by being more ruthless than your competition. Realistic, memorable, and unsentimental, Dead I May Well Be is a compelling read that's easy to recommend. Reminiscent in tone and attitude to Donald E. Westlake's Richard Stark novels, and in style and scope to the works of Richard Price and Dennis LeHane, this hard-hitting saga of violence and betrayal marks McKinty as a writer to watch.
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