Review by geebeex -- The Dark Web Murders by Brian O'Hare

[geebeex]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Dark Web Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In The Dark Web Murders, Brian O’Hare spins a story of murder, deceit, and mystery as a group of detectives in Northern Ireland try to find the perpetrator of a string of murders. As the mystery progresses, more and more of the misdemeanors and crimes of the elite and rich are uncovered, culminating in scandal for the upper classes.

The novel starts with a young boy being killed on his first day in prison, with two other inmates accidentally causing his death through their threats of rape. Another body is found, that of a renowned judge, with a police truncheon thrust into his rectum. As more bodies are found, the police race to find the culprit before he commits another crime. The murderer documents his killings on the 'dark web’, in a series of blogs casting him in an incredibly intelligent and well-educated light, but also exposing the violence and emotion behind his attacks.

Brian O’Hare spares nothing in his telling of the murders. They are gory, grisly, and twisted to the highest extent. The book is a rollercoaster ride the entire way through, from the first horrifically captivating scene of the young boy in prison to the final showdown. There was not a moment when I wasn’t enraptured with the storytelling. O’Hare’s writing shows variety and confidence in his ability to string a compelling narrative. His rapport between officers was especially enjoyable, as it was clear that the characters were well developed, with their own strengths and weaknesses, each of which made them valuable to the team. I especially loved the relationship between Sheehan and Stewart, and the almost father-daughter admiration between them.

The Dark Web blogs are, alone, a piece of literary beauty. Although the language here is fairly advanced and at times seem to use long words just for the sake of seeming intelligent, this fits the personality type of the murderer completely. The deeper one reads into these blogs the deeper insight one gets into the mind of the murderer. I thoroughly enjoyed how these blogs were written into the book and the way the blogs ramp up the pace as the detectives lose time to find the murderer. I also enjoyed how the detectives reacted to these blogs - at times their confusion was almost comical, adding some lightness to an otherwise very intense novel.

This text is exceptionally edited, I didn’t notice any mistakes in the 300 pages. It is clear that it has been professionally edited. The voice of the killer is very well differentiated from the voices of the detectives, and the occasional looks into Sheehan’s mind keep the reader entertained and informed, almost as if they are in collusion with the detective. The list of characters at the beginning of the book is something I rarely see, and yet is very helpful, especially in a novel with this many characters all with the title detective!

Ultimately I feel this book is perfect for anyone who likes a dark mystery. There are some very blatant descriptions of death, torture, unusual sexual exploits, and pedophilia, and so for these reasons, I advise that the book is not appropriate for young teenagers or anyone without a strong stomach! There is quite a lot of strong language in here. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for the captivity with which it held me from start to finish.

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The Dark Web Murders
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[Manali_DC]

Thank you for a great review! I am a fan of thrillers and mysteries- the darker and grittier the story, the better it is for me! Really intrigued by the plot and it is an added bonus that the book is well written and edited. Will definitely check this out!

[DEEPA PUJARI]

Nice review. Mystery, is my favorite genre especially the ones that keep you guessing. This one sounds like it.

[Kayla Cook]

This sounds like a good read. I'm not sure if I'm up for it yet, but I love great mysteries with well-developed characters. And how you described the author weaving the blog posts into the narrative sounds very interesting. I think I'll save it for later. Thank you for the great review, it was very descriptive and I enjoyed reading it!

[Brenda Creech]

Great review! I read this book last year, and I think your review summarizes it very well. There were too many off-color words and explicit scenes for me to say I truly enjoyed it. However, the storyline was very creative, and the author does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing who the murderer is. I did figure it out before it was revealed, but not much before!

[book_fanatic_]

Nice review! I read this book a few days ago and admired the writing skills of the author; the plot-construction is wonderful.

[Kanda_theGreat]

I'm currently reading this book and honestly, I'm becoming a big fan of the blogs. I haven't read anything as philosophically intelligent or even close.

[derialist]

I wouldn't want to be an officer after a menace as cunning as the murderer. He makes you look bad and grossly incompetent. I haven't read the book yet, but I can't wait for the opportunity. Sounds very entertaining from your review. Thanks!