Calibre (2006)

Irish writer Ken Bruen does the noir thing well. His men are tough, his prose is lean, and there's not a single drop or morsel of sentimentality to be found therein. In his latest novel, Calibre, a nut deemed the ''Manners Killer'' is going around London offing rude people. This, what would normally be the core of the book, is actually its least important element, for Bruen is most concerned with exploring the lives of messed-up police officers: some who are cowards and some who are as deranged as the criminals they hunt. The mystery is a side note and is resolved (or not) with maddening indifference, resulting in a book full of color but lacking any sort of suspense.