TRIBUNAL Book Excerpt :                                                                                          “I’d love to break this cabal of corrupt bastards who think the Celtic Tiger  belongs in their own private zoo"             1     Dublin, 8:00 am   There's a buzz about the place.  Sure as hell wasn't here when I left fifteen years ago.  He remembered Dublinas the pits then.  Dark, priest-ridden, can't do culture, living on government handouts and money from the emigrants.A god-forsaken hole of a place.  For himself anyway.  Edmund Burke.  Yeah, that's me. My old man had delusions. Thought if he named me after the great Irish Statesman that the name would overcome the bad genes and the lousy upbringing. Willie Burke had been a failure, failed at every no-risk job he ever attempted, and the old man had ended his days earning a mere pittance as a salesman in a tailoring shop that had seen its best days in the last century.  Mass on Sunday was the highlight of his mother's week, a timid woman from the west of Ireland who'd never felt at home in the big city. An only child, Edmund had been conceived just as his mother's biological clock was about to stop ticking. She'd been forty-two when she had him.    All these things flooded his mind as he jumped into the taxi at Dublin airport and told the driver to take him to Ballsbridge.  He'd survived.  Succeeded because his father's failure terrified him. Got into Trinity, earned a law degree, headed for England, stayed a year in a boring clerk job in a London legal firm as resident Paddy.  Luck intervened.  His mother's uncle in Boston sponsored him to the States.  Decided that he'd go by sea instead of air. Took a 28,000 ton liner out of Liverpool. Gave him a sense of being a pilgrim setting out for the New World.      Now he was back.  Why.  The Celtic Tiger!  That's why.   Well, one of the reasons.  He was running away again.  But that's another story.  Taking a year off from his New York law firm.  Had just about enough of his mob clients.  As well as his ex who wanted to rob him blind.  Oh yeah, he'd stashed away a few dollars but still hadn't made that million.  Maybe Dublin's the place to be these days.  Everybody's here.  All these faces in Dublin on a Tuesday and you see them again in New York or L.A. at the weekend.   Aidan Quinn. Gabriel Byrne. Liam Neeson.  Colin Farrell.  Michael Flatley now a household name with Riverdance conquering the world.  And Michael O'Leary and Ryanair conquering the skies.  The priests are scarce on the ground these days. Divorce is legal.  The Bishop of Galway has a love child with an American lover and the President of Ireland has crossed the religious divide to take communion in a Protestant cathedral.  The IRA is about to call it quits and the border separating the Republic from Northern Ireland is gradually becoming an imaginary line.  Money talks.  And money goes where it's well treated.  And The Celtic Tiger is treating it well.    Money! That's really why I'm here, he reminded himself.  Not here to feel sentimental.  Still, the old city looks good, he thought.  New roads, new houses, construction cranes everywhere.  Plenty of Mercs and BMWs.  They're not taking the Liverpool boat anymore.  No!  They're in investment banking, working for McKinsey and Microsoft.  Turning Ireland into the largest exporter of computer software outside of the United States.   At Ballsbridge Burke paid the taxi fare and walked up the Shelbourne Road.  Dublin 4.  The most sought after neighbourhood in Dublin.  Bright skies and the early morning briskness countered his lack of sleep.  Old stately homes lined the streets.  Surrounded by sturdy stone walls, they exuded wealth and power.  As a kid this would have been an alien place to him.  Still is, he thought, as he reached a modern four-storey apartment block in Ballsbridge Gardens.  He already had a key, mailed to him in New York before he'd left.  Once inside, he realized that he could be anywhere.  Luxury that would be right at home on Fifth Avenue.  He dropped his bags, started the coffee machine, and minutes later sat in the large Jacuzzi bathtub watching the bubbles welcome him to Dublin.           2                                  Refreshed and dressed he arrived at Lillie's Bordello at six. The most elite club in Dublin. Had he been here a few nights ago, after the Irish Film and Television Awards, he could have joined Pierce Brosnan and James Nesbitt as they sang Danny Boy at the piano in the VIP room. This was Murphy's idea.  Drop him into the deep end.  Meet who's who in Dublin society.  Hit the ground running!  That's always been Murphy's modus operandi.  Murphy was his old law school buddy at Trinity and the reason he'd returned to Dublin.  Murphy had built a successful legal business, rich from tribunal money and litigation. Now with more business than he could handle, he'd developed a distrust for his partners.  It didn't take much persuasion to tempt Ed Burke back to Dublin.  His mob clients were a little annoyed at the moment.  One with a bullet behind his ear in a ditch in Westchester.   Another behind bars on a federal indictment for corruption.   Jesus Christ!  I really could be in New York or LA!   The same confidence.  The same body movements.  Damn it.  Even the accents are mid-Atlantic.  All the right people at tonight's reception for a noble cause.  Charity.  Aid for Africa.  Medicine for Chernoble.   Sexy stuff.  Good publicity for the rich and powerful.  He felt a finger trace its way up his spine, lingered to enjoy, then turned slowly and came face to face with her.      "Edmund", she said, moving to within inches of him.  No one else except his mother called him Edmund.      Just then Murphy arrived with drinks.  "Ah, a reunion, you two…OK! OK!"  he protested their stares, handed Burke his drink, and moved on.  But the spell had been broken.      "Pia, it's been a long time", said Ed, looking at the woman who had broken his heart.  Days and nights of endless lovemaking when they both attended Trinity.  Summers in Donegal.  Running naked into the sea on the Fanad beach at midnight.  Dark, Latin beauty, born in Barcelona, Irish father, Spanish mother.  Something Irish flashing through, the same way you'd see the Irish in Anthony Quinn's Mexican face.      "Twenty years, Edmund.  You're looking well.  If I'd known you were going to be such a success …" she let the sentence hang in the air.      Ed wanted to hold her, kiss her, take her to that Fanad beach again.  His mind spoke to him,  Oh Pia, I loved you so much.  And you broke my heart when you left me for that geek.  Now he's one of the top Ministers in the government.  Being touted as a future Taoiseach.  Speak of the devil. The man himself approached.      "Ed, I see you're back.  Good. We need your talent here.  Building a great country these days."      "Well, I'm looking forward to it, Minister.  Had things looked like this twenty years ago I might never have left."      "Well, you're back.  That's what matters." Looking at his wife, he said, "Pia, you and Ed are old friends.  Introduce him around.  New blood he should meet here."   And, with that, he was gone.  Working the audience.  Consolidating his mandate.                              Pia and Ed’s fixation was interrupted again by a tall, good looking, sandy haired man who said: “Pia, aren’t you going to introduce me?” She turned around and looked into the eyes of Tom Flanagan.  Tom, who had told her long ago if she couldn’t return his love, then he’d be there for her as a friend and confidante at any time. He knew about Pia and Ed Burke and the past.  Pia had told him all of that. “Oh Tom, I didn’t know you’d be here”, she said, holding his hand between hers and kissing him warmly on the cheek. “Tom, this is Ed Burke, an old friend.  Just back from New York,” and looking at Ed, “and Ed, this is Tom Flanagan, a very dear friend.” “Ed, good to meet.  Are you just visiting?” “No, Tom.  I’m back. Giving Dublin another try.  Who knows, maybe I’ll stay this time.  Are you the same Tom Flanagan that’s giving Michael O’Leary a hard time these days?” Flanagan’s head went back in hearty laughter, “Oh, you’ve been reading the tabloids.  They’d love to create a big drama out of all of this.  O’Leary makes good headlines. Always shooting off his mouth. I don’t see myself as a warm-up act for him.” “But FlanAir  has grabbed a share of his market.  That’s sure to light a fire under him. You’re warming him up alright!” “Enough about me, Ed.  What are you doing in Dublin?”, knowing well that Burke was in the legal profession. “I’m a lawyer, Tom.  Joined the firm of an old law school friend.  Plenty of tribunal business these days.” “Too much of it, Ed.  But I suppose we’re finally flushing the system of all the gombeen men and their brown paper bag handouts.  This country has grown up and can no longer be run by people who use it to feather their own nests. The ‘nod and wink’ people have got to go. So good luck.  Just make sure you’re defending the right people.” Then looking at Pia, he said, “I’m off to Brussels tomorrow.  Probably be gone four or five days”   and, leaning over, he kissed her and slipped a key into her hand. “Good to meet you, Ed.  I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other. If you need anything, just let me know.”     Pia had the key to Tom Flanagan’s apartment and they met there the next evening.  A bottle of Armagnac, two crystal glasses, and a welcome note awaited them in front of the fireplace.   Ed Burke knew that it was a mistake.  But he was addicted.  Always had been.  In the days that followed he and Pia threw caution to the wind.  They were inseparable and indiscrete.  Glued together in cosy corners in the best pubs and clubs, unabashedly naked in private saunas. It seemed their passion had only been fuelled by the passing of time.

"With BLOOD RED SQUARE he has challenged Ken Follett and Jack Higgins. One thing is for sure, Mullan is a force to be reckoned with. "   Narayan Radhakrishnan, New Mystery Reader "An excellent read! " - Shelley Glodowski, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW    "a rollicking ride...a great new book in the thriller genre!"   Peggy Vincent, author of Baby Catcher -  film rights have been optioned by Elliot Gould's production studio and the screenplay has been assigned    ::: I found this book of poetry to be beautiful, touching, and approachable. It had me in tears, and laughing, all within the space of a few lines. It covers childhood, early working years, family, social-consciousness, etc. all from a Northern Irish perspective - but highly applicable to any life, anywhere. I highly recommend it!! -  Dan Masterson, Poet "Pat Mullan's latest, TRIBUNAL, is a razor blade down the spine. So fast-paced, expect whiplash.  This is Irish noir with a hero whom you'll want at your back in any gunfight. Grab a copy and clear your schedule!"   JAMES ROLLINS,  New York Times bestselling author of BLACK ORDER “TRIBUNAL bristles with ingenuity, and a plot to kill for …this is a thriller of such high caliber that it transcends all genres…has all the Irish gifts: dizzy narrative, sly humour, and marvelous readability.  It rocks!”    Ken Bruen, Edgar and Macavity Award winning author of THE GUARDS. "A high-powered legal thriller chocked full of betrayal, deceit, corruption, and murder. Mullan is Ireland's answer to John Grisham, with a smattering of Ross MacDonald thrown in. TRIBUNAL will make your head spin." JA Konrath, author of RUSTY NAIL. "Pat Mullan is a natural born storyteller with a gripping, engaging style. He may just be the next big thing in Irish crime fiction."   JASON STARR, author of LIGHTS OUT   "TRIBUNAL is a tight, intelligent thriller. Author Pat Mullan blends political intrigue and murder with a unique Irish flavor that goes down smooth.  His hero, Ed Burke, is striking - almost an anti-hero in some respects.  To unravel the deception and save himself, Burke must test old friendships, and determine who to trust in an Ireland changed by the Celtic Tiger.  Mullan writes suspense with an edge reminiscent of Bob Ludlum. An author to watch." - CERRI ELLIS - MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEWS ***************************** Read the opening chapters of TRIBUNAL in DUBLIN NOIR - in your bookstores in the US, Ireland, and the UK -  NOW!!!

Pat Mullan was born in Ireland and has lived in England, Canada and the USA. He spent two years with the US Army in Japan and Korea. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and the State University of New York where he studied creative writing. Formerly a banker, he now lives in Connemara, in the west of Ireland. His novel, The CIRCLE of SODOM, is available on all the on-line stores. He has just completed a second novel, BLOOD RED SQUARE, which has been published by LBF Books. His story Tribunal appears in  DUBLIN NOIR (published in 2005 in the US by Akashic Books and in Ireland and the UK by Brandon Books).  Tribunal is part of his current novel in progress , of the same name, TRIBUNAL; set mainly in Ireland, it will introduce Ed Burke. Pat is a member of International Thriller Writers and the Mystery Writers of America.  You can visit Pat at www.patmullan.com