The Boston Irish receive scathing treatment in Ciaran Ross' "novel of a Boston newspaper" "Corruption." What it lacks in subtlety (even the title is a hammer strike), Ross more than makes up for in color and flair. "In this town," one publisher bluntly declares, "it's expedient to stump for the Irish candidate. It's a simple proposition. I've got advertisers to think about. Our bread is buttered on the Catholic side." When a reporter dares to suggest that political power actually resides in "the people," the publisher sniffs: "Don't be childish." More of the same politics, intrigue, sociology and cynicism await readers of "Corruption." ($9.95 / 137 pages / virtualbookworm.com)