Ken Bruen's detective novel The Guards is set in Ireland. To be more specific, it's set in pubs in Galway, because pubs play a large part in the life of Jack Taylor. Like many detectives before him, Taylor once served on the official side of the law. In his case, Ireland's Garda Siochna. But don't let his lead you to believe that The Guards is another pale imitation of the detective genre. There's nothing typical here. Bruen has a gift for setting a scene, explaining relationships and pulling you into the story.