In 1830s Ireland, Coll Coyle and his family are about to be evicted. He accidentally kills the landlord and knows he will be accused of murder, so he flees. The dead man’s foreman becomes obsessed with finding Coll, even across the sea. This is a beautifully written tragedy, with a large dose of violence, brutality, and death. On the plus side, the poetic writing creates an atmospheric landscape. On the minus side, the motivations of the revenge-seeker are unclear, and the storyline is a bit too grim for me. ( )

To be fair, this should get 2.5 stars, but not 3. The book was beautifully written but grim and depressing. Reminded me a bit of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meredian at times. A dirt poor Irishman accidentally kills a landowner, and then goes on the run from a killer seeking retribution, who leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. ( )

Absolutely engrossing. Beautifully written. The characters endure heartbreaking loss, and experience inexplicable violence. The voice of Sarah gives the story unforgettable humanity. ( )

The language in this book is absolutely incredible. I just wish the story itself could have measured up to it. This has got to be the saddest, bleakest and most brutal story I've ever read. Lynch is basing the story on some historical events which he has embellished with fictional characters. The time is the mid 19 century and the story is set in Ireland and in the States. The real story was that 59 workers (mostly Irishmen) disappeared without a trace while they were working on the Philedelphia railroad. Lynch has drawn his story from that, but he has added a young Irishman who is fleeing from the father of the man he killed in Ireland. Coll is chased across Ireland and across the ocean by Faller. Faller is a man completely without conscience, and he thinks nothing of killing anyone that gets in way, no matter what age, or sex. The language throughout is so descriptive, that it makes the story Lynch is telling even more bleak and hopeless than I even imagined. I enjoyed the first half of the book very much, but the last half brought it down for me, as there was nothing to lighten the way to the inevitable and bloody ending. This is definitely not light reading, and is not for everyone. The starkness and the brutality are unrelenting, but the true story of the missing men is convincingly portrayed by Lynch. ( )

See full review at The Indigo Quill

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Red Sky In Morning is a very unique book. It was originally written by the author because he was inspired by a story he watched a documentary on involving an event that happened in Pennsylvania in 1832. It was about 57 Irish railroad workers who were killed (most likely murdered, it is unknown) and how their deaths were covered up. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is very bleak, and it is not necessarily an easy read.

The book is separated into 3 parts. The first and last move pretty quickly, but the middle section slowed the pace a bit. The style of writing is definitely an acquired one. If you are well-read in the likes of Cormac McCarthy or Daniel Woodrell, then Paul Lynch's way of storytelling should not phase you. It is not an easy ready if you are not. Lynch uses a sophisticated way of writing, but also excludes quotations to separate dialogue from the rest of the text. This takes some getting used to.

The story itself is incredibly well done. Lynch is definitely a budding author entering the scene with something unique and fresh to offer. Red Sky In Morning was definitely different from what I normally read, but I still found it interesting, and especially once I discovered what truly inspired the story, then my level of interest went up a couple notches.

So why the 3 star rating? First, I think this book is potentially a great book. Do I think it could be better? Yes. But it does serve well as it is. I think the biggest thing that irked me about this book is misuse of the 'F-word.' Normally I can tolerate swearing in a book if it's strategically placed to show how a person or situation would actually be, or if it reflects the environment of a character. However, if this book takes place in 1832, then the 'F-word" would have still mostly been used for its sole purpose. However, the author uses it here as a derogatory term mixed between old language and it was incredibly unsettling. I felt jolted, because I knew right away it was misplaced. It did not become a derogatory term until the early 90s. Aside from this, I thought the book was great. This just seemed a very big deal to me while I was reading it.

If you are a Cormac McCarthy fan, then you will love this book. It has mystery, betrayal, incest, murder, and all the other markings of a brooding historical suspense novel. It definitely is a new work of art, and I look forward to seeing more from Paul Lynch.
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