Whatever it Takes | Tadhg Coakley | Review

‘He is determined to win,
whatever the cost,
whatever it takes’

[About the Book ]

Set in Cork city, Detective Garda Collins is at war with the leading local criminal, Dominic Molloy. Unwilling to accept the human degradation caused by Molloy’s drugs, violence and prostitution. He has made up his mind to bring Molloy down, but just how far is he willing to go to make that happen? What is he willing to do and what fall-out will ensue for himself and his garda colleagues?

This tense crime novel (the first in a series featuring Collins) tells the story of two immovable forces colliding. Something has to give.

Running out of time before the murder of two teenagers becomes inevitable, and with a traitor in the garda station feeding information back to Molloy, Collins takes his battle to new heights.

He is determined to win, whatever the cost, whatever it takes

[ My Review ]

Whatever it Takes by Tadhg Coakley was published by Mercier Press and has been chosen as Cork City Library’s 2020 One City, One Book in conjunction with Waterstones Cork and Creative Ireland.

“One City, One Book is an initiative to get book loving Corkonians to read and discuss the same book. Individuals, groups, book clubs, workplaces and organisations are encouraged to take part in building a sense of community throughout the city, promoting literacy, supporting the arts and encouraging everyone to engage in reading. It takes the idea of a localized book discussion club and expands it to cover the whole city.”
– Cork City Library

I was given a review copy of Whatever It Takes by Cork City Library and was completely taken aback at how much I absolutely devoured and loved this book. A crime fiction novel set in your home city can go either of two ways and for me, THIS is EXACTLY how I love my crime fiction. So authentic. Nothing far-fetched. The sense of place was unreal and, to be honest, I am rather in awe of Tadhg Coakley. This is the first book in a new series and is Tadhg Coakley’s second novel. If you loved Lisa McInerney’s The Glorious Heresies and The Blood Miracles, Whatever It Takes is the book for you.

Exploring the underbelly of Cork, Tadhg Coakley paints a very realistic image of the drugs, the violence and the trafficking that is present in almost every city. Hidden away from most of us, this dark world is a frightening and shocking place. A local drug-lord and a maverick policeman make for an action-packed and heart-thumping read to the finish.

Detective Garda Collins is back on duty following a traumatic case that took its toll on him. Determined to get back in the game, Collins has only one ambition and that is to take down Dominic Molloy. Molloy is a known local criminal with little or no scruples. With an empire covering drugs and prostitution, Molloy has many individuals on his payroll, including some people of prominence. Molloy has no morals and using blackmail, threats and violence, he gets what he wants, while still commanding his position running the streets of Cork as a free man. Collins has a personal vendetta with Molloy and this time he is determined to catch him out. Molloy has his eyes on bigger fish, with plans to move to Spain. He has enough of the small-time life he lives in Cork. He is ambitious. He is greedy. He wants more. But Molloy has one major problem. His attention is slipping. He has made one fatal mistake. Molloy has started to ‘use’ his own product. His paranoia increases. His appetite for violence increases. Dangerously his confidence increases. Collins is monitoring Molloy’s erratic behaviour, while at the same time protecting himself from this man who is clearly out for his blood. But Molloy makes one major miscalculation and his carefully built house of cards starts to tumble.

Detective Garda Collins is an outstanding protagonist. He has his own personal story running in parallel. An ex-county GAA player, he is a role model for many, a recognisable face on the streets of Cork. Originally from West Cork, he now lives in the city-centre and the descriptions of the city, the landmarks, the atmosphere of this quietly-bustling city are all just so realistically depicted. If you were not familiar with Cork, Tadhg Coakley brings it alive, although at times it’s almost too real!!!!!

Whatever It Takes is well deserving of all it’s accolades and, in particular, of its being chosen as Cork City Library’s One City One Book. This is a book that deserves a very wide audience well beyond the borders of The Rebel County. The tenacious Detective Garda Collins has been justifiably compared to Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series and Michael Connelly’s Detective Harry Bosch series, and for good reason. If you are looking for a thrilling and fast-paced crime-read, look no further than Whatever It Takes. I highly recommend and am certainly looking forward to the second book in this very impressive and highly enjoyable series.

Gritty. Atmospheric. Authentic

[ Bio ]

Tadhg Coakley is from Mallow and lives in Cork city.

His debut novel The First Sunday in September was shortlisted for the Mercier Press fiction prize and was published in 2018 to much acclaim. His sports writing has appeared in The Irish Examiner and The Holly Bough. He has also been published in The Stinging Fly, The Honest Ulsterman, Silver Apples, Quarryman and the From the Well anthology.

He is a graduate of the MA in Creative Writing course in University College Cork.

Twitter ~ @TadhgCoakley
Website ~ https://tadhgcoakley.com/