Someone is targeting the Irish Guard (police) in the unusual and twisty thriller, Galway Girl.
Jack Taylor, is a former Guard and currently alcoholic private detective who is trying to get over his daughter’s recent murder when he witnesses a Guard shot point-blank in front of his apartment. In addition, he has several concurrent cases. An ambitious priest asks Jack to run off his famous actress sister’s leeching girlfriend. A woman wants Jack to make her daughter’s killer confess to his crime. When the killer is beaten to death, Jack is arrested for the crime.
What seems like a random drunken tumble into Jack’s life does come together in a clever whodunit by the end. The twists and turns of the plot almost gave this reader whiplash so unexpectedly and quickly they were coming by the end.
There is also an extraordinary amount of Irish atmosphere. Hopefully, you have a love for Irish poetry, soccer, Irish literature, and/or 1980s and 1990s rock bands like Snow Patrol and Oasis. It may take a while to get used to the writing style but once you do, it really adds to the immersion in Galway.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Galway Girl. It has a lot of everything: Irish atmosphere, great characters, a twisty plot, and best of all, a slam-bam final act. 5 stars!
Thanks to Mysterious Press, Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Diane's Favorites, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: Ireland, Nov 5 2019, Private Eye, serial killer
Nothing is as it seems in the new top-notch thriller Too Close to Breathe by debut Irish novelist Olivia Kiernan.
Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan is back to work after being stabbed in the line of duty. Frankie is placed in charge of a large team looking into the death of Professor Eleanor Costello. One small forensic finding makes Eleanor’s hanging not a suicide but a murder. There are indications that Eleanor may have been a victim of physical abuse. Eleanor’s husband has also disappeared. As the body count rises, it appears that a serial killer is at large in Dublin. I won’t say more as the fun is trying to follow the twisty plot.
Frankie’s PTSD is almost another character in Too Close to Breathe. The case against her assailant is going to trial soon. Frankie’s back story is slowly unveiled through flashbacks.
Too Close to Breathe was a thrilling read until the last 15%. I wasn’t happy with the end. It didn’t necessarily play fair with the amateur detective reader. Or maybe I’m just upset because I didn’t guess who did it. It was also rather abrupt. There were also many coincidences toward the end. However, this book still deserves 4 stars for the innovative structure of a detective with PTSD and some of the other surprising aspects of the crime not often used in thrillers. I hope this is the start of a long and productive series.
Thanks to the publisher, Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
Posted in Mystery & Thrillers Tagged with: Apr 3 2018, Ireland, Police procedural