Bog Bodies - by Declan Shalvey (Paperback). Item is new. Shipped with USPS Media Mail. Illustrator Shalvey (Injection Deluxe Edition. Vol. 1) proves himself an equally talented author in this noir mystery set in the mountains outside Dublin. After bungling a job for a crime boss, Killian wanders through an ancient bog with a pair of aging assassins in close pursuit. When Killian happens across a woman named Neev, who's covered in blood and claims to have no idea how she ended up so far outside the city, the two become unlikely companions. Shalvey has an incredible knack for dialog that crackles with energy tuned to the emotional pitch of a given scene-Killian and Neev bicker nervously as they seek refuge; the conversation between the assassins is made even more chilling by the matter-of-fact tone they take while debating how best to capture their quarry. A climax that takes place outside a small farmhouse on the edge of a graveyard forces all involved to come face-to-face with the repercussions of living outside the law, and questions whether it's possible to commit a sin so great there can be no chance of redemption.

VERDICT A fast-paced, thrilling noir perfect for fans of the Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips's Criminal and David Lapham's Stray Bullets.