3 out of 4 stars
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11:05 Murders by Brian O'Hare
The 11:05 Murders is an exceptional mystery by Brian O’Hare. I rate this book an overall 3 out of 4 stars and strongly encourage others to read this book as it does not disappoint. The story opens with the entrance of one of the title characters Denise Stewart, who has transferred to Detective Sheehan’s team after a bit of a difficult time at her previous precinct. She is an attractive, bright character who is described as a younger sister to the other members of the team. Throughout the story the reader also begins to develop a protective air towards her, and too looks at her as a “younger sister”. At the beginning she is described as “prickly” upon meeting one of her new team mates but the reader soon sees the potential for a romance between the two. There is another suitor in the midst but Stewart continues to keep him at arms length as the story unfolds.
After the initial introduction of the characters the story begins its twists and turns making for an excellent mystery read. Which nefarious character is really the person stalking Stewart and why? There are several viable suspects introduced to keep one guessing throughout. The writer does a thorough job of developing the “bad guys” so the reader may think the mystery is solved to only be surprised by the ending. The writer did provide subtle clues throughout the story and when they are revealed at the end the reader will likely have an “Ah – ha” moment and wonder how the clues were missed. The subtlety of the clues adds to the overall mystery of the story and is an example of the writer’s excellent style of writing.
Further development of Stewart and Allen’s characters would have been an enhancement to the story but hopefully this means it will be done in future books in the series. Both these characters have a solid foundation established to launch them into further mystery adventures. I look forward to reading other books by O’Hare and would love to see more books including the characters introduced in the 11:05 Murders.
There is a bit of a delay for the writer to introduce the meaning of the title as the murders in the book occur at “11:05”. I found myself wondering how the writer chose the title and the significance to the story. It is towards the end when the writer finally reveals the reason and what occurred years ago that is of significance to the timing of the murders and the victims. There are several plot twists to leave the reader wondering why the victims, who is the real villain and the meaning of the title. While the importance of the title is a bit long in coming the overall impact and significance is well thought out and explained.
Overall this is a very enjoyable, intriguing read. I don’t think the reader will be disappointed and will likely find themselves longing to read additional books by the author. Again, I give this a solid 3 out of 4 star review.
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The 11.05 Murders
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